Ingenious Business Owner “Makes It” During the Pandemic
Header image courtesy of MakeItKit.
Sophista-gritty Everett’s got Tallent. Sarah Tallent that is. Back in August, I received an email from Sarah. She was new to Everett and interested in doing make-and-take workshops such as stamped jewelry and magnet boards and wanted to know what Everett would think about her idea. I replied that Everett loves that stuff, so much so that I don’t add those events to our event calendar because they sell out so fast. Plus then (and now), venues were canceling all that great crafting fun because of the pandemic.
A few months later, I got another email from Sarah. She now has an Etsy shop called MakeItKit offering beautifully marketed and packaged kits with everything needed to make homemade lip balm, candles, body butter and more.
Pivot and adapt.
I’m impressed.
These make-it-kits are notable to me because I have 12 lip balm containers that I’ve been meaning to use for homemade lip balms. I’ve had them for 3 years.
Beautifully packaged // Linda War Bonnet
I think my issue is that I just didn’t know where to start. There are so many recipes, sources and options. So many questions, including how much I should buy.
So I didn’t hesitate and added a lip balm kit to my cart. I was a little alarmed at the shipping cost, but luckily Sarah lives in Everett. I added a note to my order and she credited the shipping and dropped my package on her porch for same-day pick-up. Easy peasy.
Everything you need in one box // Courtesy MakeItKit
It took me a couple of weeks to actually get around to making the lip balms. The directions were easy to follow and the balms quick to make. I made them for christmas gifts that I have yet to deliver. We’re in a pandemic so I forgive myself and I hope the recipients will too. 🙏
Work in progress // Linda War Bonnet
Sarah’s lip balm kit was a great way for me to get started. I plan to make more and now that I have experience I want to play around with different flavors and work on making my own labels. Next I plan to order a MakeItKit to learn to make candles.
I touched base with Sarah to learn a little more about her business. Here’s what she had to say.
How has business been with MakeItKit?
It's been exciting! I came up with the idea in mid-September, and I immediately hit the ground running, since I wanted to have everything ready for holiday shopping. So, I concentrated on creating the brand, testing products and recipes, packaging materials and, finally, getting the word out! Just in time, too—late November to mid-December was busy with sales, especially for the customers who purchased my kit to make their own Christmas gifts.
Are you planning to add other kits to your offerings?
I'm sure the future will hold both additions and subtractions to my line of kits as I learn more about what customers enjoy making, and experiment with additional options. I'm definitely open to suggestions and I love feedback!
Are your kits available in any local shops?
Not currently! I'm interested in exploring wholesale options, and I admit to doing a bit of daydreaming about that, recently, while holiday shopping in downtown Snohomish. However, between my other Etsy business, my day job in designing closets, plus the holidays, I haven't had much time to work on those plans in much detail.
We'll see how things play out with the pandemic, but you might see me at shows and markets later in the year. For now, I'm offering free pick-up in Everett, which saves quite a bit on shipping and allows me to keep my overhead and prices low! I’m also considering the idea of hosting workshops, in future non-pandemic times.
Anything else you'd like to share?
After 10 years of social work, it’s been therapeutic for me to start my two current creative businesses (make-it-kit.com and chartalacarte.com). I’ve been grateful for the artistic outlet and being able to invest in and hopefully grow a new income stream, especially as we are getting older and our 13-year-old daughter wants to go to Yale (I think this is currently influenced by the Gilmore girls, but we’ll see what happens! 😆)
All that being said, starting a creative business can be very time-consuming, and often has a little financial payout. I’ll be starting a local creative think tank in March, an opportunity for creative entrepreneurs (or those who are considering making the plunge) to meet monthly and share ideas, resources, get feedback, etc. if anyone wants more information, you can email me at info@chartalacarte.com
Linda War Bonnet represents south Everett on the Live in Everett Team. When she isn’t working, she is running the Westmont-Holly Neighborhood Association. You might spot her walking her dog in the Holly neighborhood.
