Balancing Work, Parenting and a Growing Business on Etsy. Meet Jamie Annise

Jamie Annise did social work with women before she decided to turn her scrapbooking hobby into a home decor business. It was a close friend, she says, who gave her the confidence boost to launch her small business. Today, Jamie happily works at home with her two young kids while running her scrapbook-style gift shop on Etsy. Basketful of Grace specializes in decorative, frameable gifts for newlyweds and new homeowners.

We spoke to Jamie about how friendship pushed her into entrepreneurship, working around nap schedules and how she manages bulk orders.

Take it away, Jamie!

Name: Jamie Annise

Business: Basketful of Grace

Started: October 2015

Tell us a little bit about your background. How did you come to create your business?

In school I studied social work. I worked in that field for seven years, at a resource center for pregnant women. It was difficult to leave, despite the fact that the work was so demanding. Once I had kids, though, I wanted to work from home. 

I asked a friend with an Etsy business about how I could get started on my own. She was so incredibly helpful and gave me the confidence I needed to take the plunge. I moved to part-time at my job, but once my income from my business became substantial I dove in full-time. I knew I would do something that was akin to scrapbooking, as it was a hobby I’ve had throughout my life. In some sense, the shop came before the idea!

Who was your very first customer?

My first customer was a "blind" Etsy shopper, and I was so excited and thankful the moment that sale came in! In fact, I was so happy that I sent them a coupon code for lifetime 40% off. I had a couple friends purchase from me in the beginning, as well.

When did you know your business was going to work out?

My start was rough. During the first six months I felt really stuck. At that point, I wasn't selling the maps of the trees that I make and my original items weren't doing so well, either. 

My friend helped me utilize SEO on Etsy and to get more pageviews. The April after I launched, I finally had a boost in sales. I also lowered my prices to get more appeal. After the first uptick in sales, I've continued to gain momentum. 

What has been the biggest surprise so far after starting your own business?

I was super surprised that my business worked. I’m not someone who had a lifelong dream of owning a business — before this, I typically enjoyed being in the background, professionally speaking. It was very scary to take the driver’s seat and simply launch a business. 

I never thought of myself as business-minded and wondered if those skills were essential to success. I now have a lot more joy in interacting with customers — clearly my social work skills have paid off! At this point, it would be hard to enter a different career where I wasn't my own boss.

What has been your biggest lesson learned in pricing?

At first my prices were a bit higher, but I believed that I had a competitive edge. Knocking my prices down after a rough start really changed things around for my business. 

Now I don't feel the need to closely track my competitors: I go for what profit I would like to make for each item. I am also more wary of my time nowadays than when I first started. As a business owner, time really does become money!

Once I got into the groove of things, I realized that I was spending way too long on each item and I needed to change my pricing and my making process.  

What does a typical day look like for you?

I have two young kids who wake me up very early! I try to focus my mornings on the kids. 

After lunch, when they take their nap is when I get to focus on work. After naptime, I’m usually making dinner and doing house work — it really feels like a blur from their naps until bedtime. 

The kids' bedtime is when I start up work again. I usually work until around 1am. I alternate between making items and taking care of correspondence and other business tasks.

I’ve toyed with launching different product ideas, but with my current schedule it’s hard to find time to create something new. 

If you could go back in time, what’s the one thing you would do differently when starting your business?

In the beginning I worked in bulk and would try to do several orders at once to save time. This led to a few mishaps; once, I mixed up some customization and sent people the wrong orders. Needless to say, I no longer work in bulk. I’ve learned to work on one order and see it through from start to finish. It was a small lesson to learn, but it has made a huge difference in the long run. 

What's one new think you want to learn today from our community of small business owners?

I would love to hear tips from other working moms! 

It’s frustrating having to work so much at night, as I almost never have time for myself. My kids are young, so it’s hard to be productive and get work done during the day. 

I would love to hear tips from other members here on how to keep the kids occupied while I’m working on my business.

Do *you* have any top productivity tips that you can share with Jamie? 

It's time to share your tips below!

Are you a work-at-home parent and a master of time management? How do you maximize your day so that your kids are entertained *and* your business gets the focus and energy it deserves?

Share your own stories in the comments right here. :-)