Written by: Kristen Moore

Published on 01/08/24

The number one critical mistake you might be making in your new crochet business is not having a long game mindset.

What do I mean by this?

Having a long game mindset means putting your focus into long-term, sustainable growth and success over short-term gains.

How do I do this, you might ask?

1. Investing in having quality products.

The Dahlia Lovey - Crochet Pattern by Junebug & James

My FIRST crochet pattern to become a bestseller on Etsy! I was over one year into designing before reaching this milestone.

If you have quality items to offer, your business will gain trust with its customers and guess what?! They’ll continue to come back for more! Every time I see a returning customer come back and buy a new pattern from me, I seriously receive so much validation because it means they like and trust my patterns.

When it comes to my business and crochet pattern designing, one of the best investments I made when starting out was investing in a tech editor before releasing my crochet patterns.

I was honestly a bit nervous at the cost up front. I mean, this point I was reallyyy new to designing and hadn't made any profit in my business yet. So while the cost wasn't crazy expensive compared to other small business items, it was still scary investing in something like this first. But for me, I can say it was 100% worth it to hire a tech editor for my patterns. Not only did she find all the errors I missed, but she helped me find my style of pattern writing which is going to help me for years to come!

As small business owners, the one area I think we (or at least in my own experience) fail to invest in is furthing our skills and education for our craft. This is just another area I've learned having the long game mindset helps. If you don't have the long game mindset, investing your time and money into courses and education may seem really daunting. It IS daunting, but if it's a quality program or person you're investing in, it WILL pay off if you know you’re in this for the long haul.

With investing in a tech editor, I can say I now have a consistent style for my patterns. It not only allows me to charge more for my patterns knowing they're of good and trustworthy quality, but it also allows me to spend less time wondering how to write my next pattern. I already have my format and template down. I plug in my design, make the necessary edits, and add photos and videos where needed.

Because I invested in a tech editor in the beginning, I am way more confident in my pattern writing skills and abilities which absolutely will help with long term growth. If you’re looking for a fantastic tech editor, my friend Cherie from Sweet Bird Crochet helped me so much! She also offers other services and has the biggest heart and passion for educating crochet pattern designers.

2. Building an identifiable brand.

Creating my first market setup was challenging, but FUN!

I leaned into my color palette and style to choose which products I would offer and how I wanted to display and tag them.

When you spend the time creating a brand people will remember, it sets you apart from other businesses in the same niche. I know you probably hear this all the time, but it really works.

When I began my crochet business, I invested in A Crafty Concept's Crochet Boss Academy, which helped me figure out my branding and how to find my ideal customer early on in my business. While it was a bigger cost up front, having the long game mindset helped me stay on track in knowing these skills would pay off one day - and they have!

Honestly, the times in my business where I allowed slow growth and slow sales in the moment to discourage me, are the times my business slowed down even more. With the long game mindset, you know pushing through these moments and working harder to learn about what needs to change will help your business get back on track. If you need a break to clear your thinking, definitely take that time. But don’t let it discourage you from giving up all together!

If your brand is recognizable and steady, even in slower moments of growth, you still should have a steady group of customers and people who stick around for you. Maybe you need to change a few things about your product or marketing strategy to do better, but your brand is still strong and will hold you through these moments.

3. Investing in your customers!

Spend time communicating with the people who purchase from and follow you on a regular basis. It may seem tedious at times responding to comments or messages over and over, but this is one huge way to show your customers that you do truly care. With the long game mindset, over time, your customers will see you as the caring and trustworthy person you are.

This point might be one of the most important. It's one of the areas I've been able to see the most growth in my business. When I started actually spending time investing in my following on Instagram (responding to every comment and message, and commenting on others posts), I started seeing a HUGE growth in engagement which resulted in more sales. I can say now I truly love getting to know the people following me and learning more about what they love when it comes to new products and crochet patterns.

And, don’t forget the power of offering great freebies! This is one area I am going to strive to work better at for 2024. I would love to offer more free templates or fun lists to my customers because really, I couldn’t do this without THEM!

By adopting the long game mindset, you are ultimately positioning your crochet business for sustainable growth. While that growth may be slow at times, you don't let it discourage you into thinking it's not for you. Instead, you keep your head up and keep finding ways to grow, change, adapt, and invest when new challenges arise. It requires SO much patience, pereseverance, and planning. But it can lead to greater growth and success in the long run.

Now, just to add a disclaimer. I do not have a degree in business, and I'm still working on growing my own crochet business into something more sustainable. But if I did not have the long game mindset up front, I would never have made it as far as I have. I still have a lot of growing and investing to do. But when I look at what I’ve built so far, I am so proud of where I am and am even more excited about where the Lord will bring my business in 2024!

If you ever have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me by messaging me on Instagram, Facebook, or emailing me at junebugandjames@gmail.com. I love making new crochet friends!