Doer of the Week: Peggy Gaffney

What were you doing when you decided to create your own business?
I was in early retirement from working in education, but still teaching literature and computer skills programs to kids as a part of library educational programs.

When did you start your business?
Before I retired, I began designing sweaters that were stylish but incorporated realistic portraits of dogs on them. They were very popular, but kitting hundreds of sweaters was not something my hands would always be capable of doing. I knew I had to change the direction of my business. I’d been approached many times by knitters wanting my patterns, so I knew that there was a market for them.

I researched the market and realized that dog owners are very focused on their specific breed. They don’t want a book with various dogs in it; they want a book with their dog in it. So I decided that my knitting books would discuss each unique breed.

When did you know that you could really make a go of this?
When I started getting international orders. I realized that I could build a following which would, thanks to the Internet, go beyond my initial marketing ideas.

How did you turn your idea into a business plan?
The dream that I had of writing knitting books became one of building my own publishing company when I discovered that my niche was not something a mainstream publisher would be able to handle because the niche was too narrow.

I did a great deal of research and taught myself how to lay out a book professionally. I wrote the text, got donations of photos from fanciers who supported the idea and wanted to see their dog illustrating its breed, created the charted designs and schematics, wrote the patterns, and then put the whole thing together. In the meantime, I’d found a book printer I could work with; with only the printing costs to deal with (editing for the first book was donated), I was able to turn out a marketable book. I earned back my printing costs right away and was able to use the profit to create the next book.

What inspired you to do this? What inspired me to do this was a love for dogs!

What were your start-up costs?
Several thousand dollars spread over a period of time. I bought yarn, computers, software, e-commerce, etc. I didn’t get everything at once. I have been a single parent most of my son’s life and didn’t have access to a lot of cash, so the start-up costs came out of my teacher salary over time.

What was your biggest obstacle?
My biggest obstacle was the huge amount of work it took to build a business without help. Though doing everything myself was possible and achievable, it definitely wasn’t the best way for me to grow the business. It meant that I had to take time from the creative end to handle the marketing end. Not having a chunk of money to begin the business has kept it from growing as fast as I would have liked.

How did you maintain your confidence when doors were closed in your face, when people didn’t get it or said “no”?
I’ll say one thing about being a single parent, it teaches you that life is not easy and things will very often not go the way you want. With that for training, dealing with the hard knocks and negatives of the business was if not easier, then familiar. I am a very positive, cup-half-full kind of person.

How long did it take for your business to become profitable?
Because of the way I set up the business, expenditures that came out of my pocket were eventually earned back by book and pattern sales. With the books, even now, my expenses are for editing and printing since I do everything else myself. When I get really tired, I tell myself that it takes at least 30 people at a major publisher to do what I do.

What’s the hardest part of what you do?
I would say the hardest part of what I do is finding time to do all the different aspects of the business without feeling guilty about not being able to get more of the creative work done. You have to work very hard to make a big noise when you are a one-man band.

What is the most fun part of what you do?
I enjoy the feedback I get from talking either online with clients or with people submitting photos for the books. I also really enjoy sharing with others what I’ve learned through this business. The creative part of writing and designing gives me a satisfaction -- there’s nothing like the feeling of working on a design for days and then finally getting it right.

Where do you work from?
I converted my garage into a studio, so I switch between there and a small desk in the corner of the living room. After having a two-hour commute when I was teaching, I love the fact that all I have to do is walk out my back door to get to work.

Do you have any employees?
No, I don’t have any employees. I hire out the editing and printing. I am exploring ways that I can hire out some of the marketing as well.

How have you been using social media to grow your business?
I have been using social media from the very beginning. I used early Yahoo groups to get contributors for my books and to market them. Today I use Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Beyond that, I am a member of several niche communities, like dog breed, writing, publishing, and marketing networks. They inspire me -- and remind me that I am a human being and not just a business. The friends I’ve made in communities like Dreamers into Doers often feel closer to me than people I’ve known on a personal basis for years, because they truly understand and care about what I’m doing.

Do you have entrepreneurial role models?
Martha Stewart is the person I most associate with as a role model. She has transformed crafts from a restful activity for women into a big business. She, more than anyone, understands women need to be creative and to receive respect for that creative ability.

How did you learn and acquire the skills you use to make your business successful? How do you continue to grow and learn?
The skills to create my books I learned through studying and taking courses online. Some of the hints I got from technicians at print houses. The creative skills I’ve had most of my life; being an art minor in college trained me see design, and I spent many years doing dog photography for myself and other fanciers. As for marketing skills, I have probably taken a hundred online marketing courses, and I’ve learned from lectures given to authors at CAPA [Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association].

What’s the best piece of business advice you ever received?
“Never give up.” There will be times when you wonder if all the hard work is getting you anywhere, but that is the time to dig in and work hardest.

If you had it all to do over again, would you do differently?
I would have sought out more seed money when I started. It would have made a difference in how the business developed by allowing me to attend more conferences and events where I could have showcased my work.

What advice would you give to Dreamers who haven’t become Doers yet?
Go ahead and try! The worst you can do is fail (we all do that from time to time), but there’s also the possibility that you will succeed beyond your wildest dreams!

Keep Up with Peggy and Kanine Knits
Twitter: PeggyGaffney
Facebook: Kanine Knits Books & Patterns
Website: kanineknits.com
Blogs: kanineknits.blogspot.com, craftycatknits.com

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