Yarn Stores: Your Knitting Biz Allies
What are yarn stores for if you can't use them?
To knitters, yarn stores are both a blessing and a curse, and so, of course, most of us have pretty classic love/hate relationships with our local yarn stores. We love yarn stores because we can buy yarn, lotsa yarn, beautiful yarn...and we hate yarn stores because we can buy yarn, lotsa yarn, beautiful yarn. ;-)
Love 'em or hate 'em, they're absolutely necessary, if you're a knitter, and positively 'life-saving' if you're a knitter-for-proft. Yarn stores can even be your allies if you're in the knitting business.
TURN YOUR LOCAL YARN STORES INTO YOUR ALLIES
1. First of all, get to know your local yarn store's staff, to the point where you're all on a first name basis with one another (if this is difficult, you're not shopping in yarn stores nearly enough!)
2. Once they've gotten to know you, they may be even more helpful to you as a regular than they might be to more casual customers - saving you time and money in the process.
3. If you are doing anything new, unique or unusual (planning a knitting event, creating a new pattern, etc.), talk to your yarn stores about it. Remember, they're in touch with yarn wholesalers, other knitting professionals in the community, and suppliers you might want to be networking with. And they might have information from other customers to share with you -- networking at its best!
4. If you are interested in teaching classes, let your local yarn stores know about it - they may contract you for some training, or refer knitting customers to you. They may even be willing to let you put posters up, or distribute a flyer through the store.
5. If the local yarn stores know that you are a professional knitter, they might be willing to call you when new or unusual yarns come in, or let you know about news in the industry -- just ask, you might be surprised at how willing they are to help you out!
6. If your knitting business doesn't work out, you'll be 'known' at your local yarn stores when you come in with your resume looking for work. ;-)
But let's just say that that scenario is never going to happen, because you're about to embark on a wildly successful adventure as a professional knitter -- with your local yarn stores on your team!