Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ashleigh Pritchard, owner of CharmCat, located in Martinsville, VA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
CharmCat is a watercolor and stationery studio that creates pretty paper things for pretty funny people™! CharmCat is owned and run by professional watercolor artist Ashleigh Pritchard. CharmCat's product catalog includes greeting cards, gift items, and art prints that feature her original painted designs. Plus, CharmCat creates wedding invitations and other stationery and takes custom watercolor commissions (this is how I actually got started!). Best-selling products feature a combination of personality, humor, and attention to detail that's meant to catch people off guard and give them an unexpected smile.
Tell us about yourself
I am a professional watercolor artist and designer. When I was in high school, I loved both art and writing and wanted to be an art director or editor for a newspaper or magazine. I earned a bachelor's degree in Studio Art (with a focus on graphic design) from McDaniel College and then a Master's in Creative Writing and Literature from Stony Brook University.
After school, I worked as a graphic designer for a few years before deciding corporate life wasn't for me or my chronic illness. I first started CharmCat in 2013 on the side as a wedding invitation designer making stationery that was unique and really showed off my clients' personalities. I love the way clients smile when they see the process and get to see the details that are important to them come to life.
In 2018 I expanded from just the custom work into a greeting card and stationery line that is all about being emotionally honest and unapologetically inclusive and supportive, with a lot of sass, sarcasm, and curse words thrown in. I love doing in-person craft markets because I get to see and hear how people connect with my designs and how good it makes them feel. CharmCat now has a full greeting card and gift line, both custom and semi-custom stationery, art commissions, and licensing. I live in Martinsville, Virginia, with my paleontologist husband, two spoiled cats, and the occasional foster kittens.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I've gotten the occasional award and small feature here or there, but my biggest business accomplishment is having my custom artwork featured on the TODAY show right before Thanksgiving as part of their holiday gift series. I woke up to dozens of commission orders that morning! And then I had to work day and night to get them all done in time for Christmas. It was my 15 minutes of fame! Though I'd say my biggest personal accomplishment as a business owner is that I have not given up, and I continue to adjust and change to keep my business growing.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest thing for me is finding balance. I have ADHD, and until recently, I was unable to find treatment. So finding a balance between how much work I can take on, how much time I want to spend working versus having a personal life, and balancing income versus expenses. Those have been my biggest challenges as my business grows.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
I'd say first that you need to find a support community, first and foremost. Being an entrepreneur can be lonely, especially if you're working from home. You need a group of people who can understand your struggles, who have the experience and can help you troubleshoot, and who will cheer you on. I wouldn't be anywhere without my communities.
One lesson I learned the hard way is not to jump into something new until you've done your research and are ready to take the risk. I have had some grand ideas and put lots of time and money into them, only to find that it wasn't really the direction I wanted to go or that I wasn't ready for it yet.
Last but not least, don't undersell yourself, and don't underprice yourself! There are so many business expenses that pop up that you have to be able to pay before you ever get to pay yourself, so be sure to consider everything when you start pricing yourself and don't just try to be the cheapest option.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://charmcat.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaperByCharmCat/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paperbycharmcat/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/charmcat/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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