Find your customer that wants the exact leathergoods that you make and build the leather business of your dreams.
A lot of leathersmiths make the mistake of trying to build a leather business by making leathergoods that they like to make and then trying to sell said leathergoods to anyone and everyone that will listen.
But the problem with this is that your focus is on what YOU like to make and NOT what your customer needs or wants.
Your focus is on you when it needs to be on your customer.
Read MoreWhen you reflect on the past year you can see not only what worked but also what you liked doing. Building a business is hard work but it doesn’t have to be painful to be successful, right? Otherwise you might as well go and work for someone else. Reflecting on our business allows you to pivot and change course so that you’re always creating a business that you love as well as being successful.
Read MoreSelling and making money from their leatherwork can make some people really uncomfortable for many reasons. Maybe they think their work isn't of any value or just not good enough. Or they just feel bad asking for money in exchange for their leathergoods. If you’ve ever felt this way, read on for 4 reasons why you shouldn’t feel bad about charging for your leatherwork.
Read MoreI know exactly how confusing that first leather purchase can be when you're a newbe.
Navigating the "leather seas" can be overwhelming to say the least!
But I see one common mistake that beginners make over and over again...
Read MoreIt can be really overwhelming for the beginner leather worker to know where they should purchase leather from for a number of reasons. Budget is usually the biggest concern.
I reached out to a few of my favorite leather suppliers and asked them all the same question...
What do you think is the most important thing that a beginner leatherworker should keep in mind when purchasing leather?
Check out their responses in no specific order in the post.
Read MoreHave you ever wanted to create a custom sized zipper for a leatherworking project that you've been working on?
Maybe you were making your own leather zipper pouch or dopp kit or a leather purse or handbag with a zipper closure.
Creating your own custom sized zipper can save you a lot of time that would otherwise be spent hunting for the right sized zipper.
Using a custom zipper can also save you money because purchasing a roll of zipper tape instead of individual zippers is cheaper if you’re going to be using zippers in a lot of your leatherwork.
Using zippers in your leatherwork doesn’t have to be intimidating.
Read MoreThis is one of the most frequently asked questions and luckily the answer is pretty easy.
You need to know what type of leatherwork that you're interested in and then we can talk about tools and materials that you'll need.
So if you're not sure what tools you need, what the different types are of leatherwork are or how best to choose your leather as a beginner, then keep reading.
Read MoreIf you've been reading along with the last few blogposts, you've already determined who your audience is, what they need or want and now it's time to find out where they are so you can get to know them better and interact with them.
Once you know where your ideal customer hangs out, you will also be able to create a marketing promotional strategy using that information.
This can be challenging for creative people who are trying to start a side hustle. Sometimes they make the mistake of waiting for their audience to find them.
Read MoreIn order to develop a product based on your ideal customer’s needs or wants, you need to know who your customer is, what they look like and what types of things that they’re interested in.
One of the first things that you should ask yourself is, "Who am I targeting with this product that I either plan to make or have already made?"
Once you have an idea of who it is that will want your product, you will have a much greater chance at developing a marketing strategy geared towards attracting that person.
Read MoreIs the leather terminology getting you down like, WHAT??
I know the feeling. There is a lot to know!
Between distinguishing what the different grades of leather are, the finish types of grain leather and the main tanning processes, if you’re anything like me, your head is spinning.
But hang in there.
Read MoreLeather as you probably already know is the result of taking animal rawhide or skins and then tanning them to create a flexible and durable material that can be used for clothing, accessories, shoes and a lot more.
So how does this tanning process work?
Read MoreThis might be the worst blog post title ever. And you might be thinking, "ugh, boooring" but if you want to be informed and confident when picking out and purchasing leather hides then these are a few terms that you're going to want to be familiar with.
Read MoreHave you ever been shopping for leather and come across the myriad of terms used to describe the type of tannage, or leather grade, finish, etc that is involved in processing it? This was one of the most confusing things (and still can be confusing!) when I first started to work with leather.
Leather manufacture from it's earliest processes involving urine, feces and brains (still used today in smaller operations!) to the now majorly chemical and scientific processes is, well, complex.
Read MoreSaddle-stitching can be tricky business if you’re not quite sure which tools you should be using, how exactly to saddle-stitch in the first place or what the common beginner leatherworking pitfalls are!
But it doesn’t have to be a tricky process. Below i've listed 4 of the most common beginner mistakes (believe me, been there done that, don't want to go back!) to avoid when saddle-stitching.
Read MoreI get this question a lot…
How do I know how much thread I need for my project or my area of stitching?
There are 3 main factors that will affect your determination of how much thread you will need for your project.
Read More
![Aniline and Other Finishes [What You Need to Know]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58895ea0e4fcb519d7d62a81/1506968847500-RP7N9CCWVU10STUUZGBE/ANILINE+AND+OTHER+FINISHES-Blogpost+Icon.png)
