My own label: a normal day in my knit atelier

Would you like to become self-employed?

Your job is not that challenging? You are stuck in traffic every day? Your boss want flawless staff and everything must happen immediately?

... there are many reasons why you would like to quit. Maybe it will help you, if you think about becoming self-employed, to get an insight into my day.

Before I talk about my day something else about myself: I am self-employed since 2007 and design and distribute sweaters and knit sweaters for brides worldwide.

 

By the way, that's not me, that's my model Zoe.

Start in my day

In the morning due to my independence, I can choose where to have breakfast. Most of the times I have it in my studio. I have some tasks that I have to do and I can do them almost anytime. I get up between 7 and 8:30. My studio is in my cozy attic apartment, so my way to work is short :-) I save a lot of time and money by not driving to work. Incidentally, I try to leave my car as often as possible and go by bike.

Breakfast at home

Let's start: I start my cleaning robot, make some order - I need tidyness around me, so that clear and creative thoughts can flow - cook myself some coffee and find a place of my choice. This can be the kitchen and work table, the couch or even the bed. Sometimes my daughter's room when it's half cleared up.


I read through my goals - I formulate short-term goals on a monthly basis - I have a small notebook for it. There are current goals in there such as:

• Organize second foto shoot
• Open American Shop
• Sports on a daily basis
• Earn the sum of X

Usually I reach my goals and then I define new ones. Then I write a To-Do lists for business and personal tasks.

A note to my goals. I'm not super woman and I'm not one of those who (supposedly) do everything perfectly: business, family, body.

I usually start things without thinking too much - I'm not very patient - and it does not have to be perfect. I make mistakes AND I get ahead. I've brought my American page online with 10 products; the important thing was that the frame was there. In order to be indexed by Google and then get products into the feed takes anyway and while I pump my shop full of content and products.

Usually I start with a nice task, I open my mails later, because they are more distracting. Around 10 o'clock I take care of it and to requests that come in via etsy.

Etsy is the international equivalent of Dawanda, which has since been bought by Etsy. I've always favored Etsy, it got more sales and the technology was almost perfect. There I am since 2011 with my knit shop, the range is pretty good.

And here comes one of the hurdles of self-employment: the state-imposed costs. Due to the high income tax + the exorbitant health insurance, my product prices are in the same amount. On Etsy more and more traders from countries like Poland, Estonia, Ukraine and other countries are joining, and income tax is sometimes 10%. The selling prices hardly match my production costs :-(

Morning

I try to pack all orders in the morning and send shipment notifications. The post office comes daily between 14 and 15 o'clock and picks up my package. So after lunch I'm free to do nice things again. Nice for me is:

• to maintain my shops: new products, blog writing
• Knit models
• And of course buy wool
• Expand financial knowledge

... not so nice

• Get returns
• Sales tax declaration
• Scan invoices ..

My workplace

Noon I regularly face challenges. At the moment the Challenge is called Sport every 2 days - I start slowly again because I was injured. I try to insert that before noon, even if lunch is postponed to 2 or 3 pm.

At the moment I do a combination of jump rope and strength, I like to go to the sports field around the corner. The plastic turf is ideal for jumping rope.

Sports on our sports field

If I only cook for myself, then my motto is fast and reasonably healthy. I eat almost vegan, so I eat lots of fruits and vegetables. However, I also like sweets, so I'm not super strict here :-)

In the afternoon it is usually already 4 pm. Depending on what my kids have planned, I'm here for you. However, you often do your own thing and I am "only" responsible for a nice warm apartment and food procurement. At this time I dedicate myself to my shops or knit. I've started knitting again, as demand is high. The main part and soon everything is done by my knitting team and that's what makes them fantastic. All knitters knit for Beemohr for many years. 

I think they also have a nice working environment:

• You can work from home relatively self-determined.

Evening From 6pm is usually family time, time for my kids and my darling.

Still later I like to watch a series or interesting posts on Youtube. Most of the time I still work by the way. Simply because I have goals and because I enjoy my work very much.

Would I start my own business again?

Before my self-employment, I did a lot of different employee jobs. Many were boring, some were really good, especially those in the IT industry. Nevertheless, today I would dare to jump much earlier because I was not satisfied for many years.

Now I have created a working environment according to my ideas -

Advantages:

• to work from home
• anytime
• meet with friends or family whenever I want
• I do not have to apply for a vacation
• no stressful and time-consuming traffic jams
• I save fuel costs
• I feel comparatively self-determined
• The finances are easier to plan and influence
• more work is usually rewarded
• PS: I'm not self-determined until I'm working for fun

Disadvantage:

• the health insurance contribution is high, despite changes in the law, I am above the ceiling
• no colleagues, which can also be an advantage - I miss it now and then
• A hair-raising regulatory delusion: DSGVO, packaging law ...
• Suddenly, there are no more customers or government, there are so many regulations that it is no longer worthwhile
• PS: Even as an employee you are not sure about your job

I would do it again and again. It is best to test an idea in addition to the employee's life. The idea has to be good and you have to believe it. I knew from the beginning that I would succeed.

And when will I finally become a millionaire?

And here's a note. There are so many Youtube videos and books on "How do I become a millionaire?". I find that partly interesting AND I believe that it is already a great achievement when you start your business and it manages to live from it and to provide for later. I do not want to praise myself, I feel that as the first desirable goal in combination with the creation of the perfect working environment and private life.

I am curious how you see it or if you have experiences and other opinions on this question, like to write in the comment field.

Greetings from my Strickatelier yours Sabine.