If your job causes a lot of stress, taking up a hobby that lets you work with your hands can help you wind down. That’s why Erica Basile took a class on quilting. After making a quilt for her daughter, Erica put all of the leftover squares into a kit as a gift for a friend.
After Erica got married and moved to Boston, she didn’t want to go back to work, so she decided to try to sell some of her quilts on eBay. Within three months she made $6,000.00 on eBay.
But Erica found that making quilts from scratch was very time consuming. She thought it would be easier if quilts came in a kit with precut fabric squares. When she mentioned this to her friends, they thought it was a good idea. So did the Small Business Administration, who gave her a $40,000 loan to start Easy Quilt Kits, Inc.
She created a website to sell her quilt kits, and within eight weeks it received 61,000 visitors. Visit http://easyquiltkits.com and click on the “Patterns” menu to see pictures of Erica’s quilts. There are some very beautiful and boldly colored quilts, such as the “Tequila Sunrise Quilt” and “Rosebud Quilt” – plus a French Quilt Purse and a Needle and Bead Holder Travel Case Quilt.
The Easy Quilt Kits website is an example of a complete, high-quality web site. It has links to resources, About us, FAQ, and much more. Be sure to sign up for the Bee-Line Newsletter. It gives insight into Erica’s experiences: from starting a craft company, to the latest laugh-out- loud journeys she and her workers share. You will love the humor and the quilting tips!
This is an example of how you can get paid for adding value. Erica and her workers add value by designing the quilts, selecting quality fabrics, and providing the quilts in convenient kits. All this saves work for the quilter, who might never even get started enjoying the craft of quilt making if they had to go through the whole process themselves.
You can start a Web business based on the principle of adding value to any craft or endeavor, for example collecting, cooking, sewing, painting, raising pets, wood working, and many more. If you don’t believe there’s money in providing craft kits, click here: http://www.i-craft.com/library/stats.html
After moving to Boston, Erica didn’t want to go back to the stress of working at a regular job. It looks she won’t have to now, since she expects to make $115,000.00 this year.
Stephen Bucaro
To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com. To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp.
