Do what you love, love what you do
Ruthie Paddock, right, an employee at Stacy's Quilt Shop in the Alamo Plaza shopping center, cuts fabric for Esther Ledbetter. The quilt shop shares a space at the shopping center with ABS Sewing & Vacuum. (Brad Zweerink/The Reporter)
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Tips for starting a business "The most important thing is customer service. Greet your customer, be kind and treat everyone with respect. Have a plan, a budget, and patience. Know your competition and keep up with your industry. Educate yourself and be constantly researching." - Robin Saylor, owner of Life Preserver "Make sure you understand your slow seasons, and bank extra for that. Don't mix personal with business. You don't need that extra pressure. If you can, hire help where you need it. You can't be everything to everyone." - Parri Shebley, owner of Spin a Yarn
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A passion for scrapbooking was what inspired Robin Saylor to take the leap from hobbyist to enterprising business owner.
"My first scrapbook project was an album I made to give as a 40-year anniversary present," she explained. "It was 102 pages and I loved making it." Her enthusiasm for scrapbooking only blossomed from there. "I don't sew, or do anything else. I even have my own scrapbook room."
An ultrasound tech by trade, Saylor decided she wanted to get out of the medical business. When a Main Street location became available three years ago, she opened the doors to her scrapbooking store, Life Preserver; a business that she feels has blessed her life and her customer's lives.
"Scrapbooking is very cathartic. You can take even a bad picture, create artwork around it, and turn it into a beautiful work of love," she said, giving the example of someone who documented an entire military career into a scrapbook. "It's really from the heart. Everyone has their own individual style so you can't do anything wrong. Scrapbooking really affords everyone their own individuality."
Having your own business doesn't always come easy, however, even if it's a hobby you love.
"We started out small and have slowly been building up the business. It's a lot of work, and it's never just an eight-hour day," said Saylor.
Despite the hard work, she would do it all over again. "If you have a passion and you want to start your own business, afford yourself the possibility to do that," Saylor suggested. "The worst thing that can happen is that you have to close your business, but then you've allowed yourself the experience."
A similar experience is what storeowners Michelle Craft and Connie Ward are enjoying. Friends for 10 years, they used to get together to quilt and sew. Once an employee at Stacy's Quilt Shop in Vacaville's Alamo Plaza, Ward saw an opportunity when the store became available. The two decided to purchase the business, and renamed it A Quilted Heart.
"Fabric has always been my passion," said Ward when asked what inspired her to open the business with Craft. "Our friendship was centered around quilts and teaching friends how to quilt. Michelle has been sewing since she was in junior high. We always thought it would be fun to open a quilt shop together."
For Ward, quilting is more than a fun hobby or craft. "It incorporates women of all ages, races and religions. It breaks down divisions and removes titles. When you enter a quilt store, there are no strangers. You can ask anyone questions and it becomes a gathering. It is a wonderful thing."
And what is it that keeps the business going? "A supportive husband," Ward laughed. "I am lucky to have a husband who loves me very much and is extremely supportive."
Another hobby store where patrons are encouraged to come and gather is Spin a Yarn, a knitting shop, on Main Street in downtown Vacaville. Owner Parri Shebley started knitting nine years ago, after being diagnosed with an autoimmune virus. Her once-busy lifestyle had to change.
"The doctor told me that I had to go to bed. My body was racing against itself and had to slow down." When the nurses joked with her that she should take up knitting, that's exactly what she did. "I taught myself how to knit and made scarves and Afghans. When I was feeling better, I started taking classes in Davis."
As Shebley's health improved, she was slowly able to go out, but still had to take it easy. Her new lifestyle led her to coffee shops where she would spend time sitting, relaxing and knitting. It was here that she had a sort of epiphany. "As I was knitting, I was paying more attention to the people around me. I noticed how people were moving at such a fast pace and ignoring each other." Saddened by this, Shebley decided she wanted to be more in touch with people. She began talking to people and would bring extra needles and yarn and teach others how to knit.
"I decided that I wanted to open a place where others could meet and get to know each other; a place where friends and strangers could come together to develop skills and share their story."
In November of last year, Spin a Yarn opened for business, offering knitting supplies, knitting lessons, and of course, aisles and aisles of yarn. "I have gotten to know so many neat people," said Shebley, referring especially to the many women who visit her store while recovering from cancer treatments. "Women come in and want to knit to calm themselves down, to think, and to unwind their minds. It's very therapeutic." It's something that Shebley knows all about.
What advice would Shebley give others who are considering opening their own business? "Get fully rested!" she exclaimed. Once you've started your business, Shebley suggests, "Take a break, even though you're new. You can only stretch yourself so far, and it's OK to take a break. You'll need it."
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