May 28, 2007
Knit picking | A chat with Rose Marie Mayer, founder of Ewe & Me in Brunswick.
Founded: January 2006
Employees: Mayer and her daughter, Ingrid Waite
Startup costs: $20,000
Revenue, year one: $45,000
Projected revenue, year two: $50,000
Contact: 6 Gurnet Rd., Brunswick 04011
729-2770
What do you sell at your store?
It's mostly yarn for crocheting and knitting and the notions that go with it. Socks are very popular now so we have a beautiful range of self-patterning sock yarn. We have classes to learn how to knit or crochet. Our focus is mostly on natural yarns ˆ cotton, alpaca, wool, silk. There's a lot in this little store!
Why did you start the business?
Well, I have been an artist all of my life. I've worked as a florist and have managed businesses. And I retired, but I really felt like I was spending too much time at home, and missing being out in the public. Since my daughter had owned a yarn shop before, and I loved knitting, I decided that [a yarn shop] might be the place for me to be.
How did you prepare?
Probably a year before we took possession of this property we started talking about it and making some general plans. And I took some classes from SCORE and got as much information as I could. We held hands and jumped and here we are!
What were you hoping to learn?
First you need to learn [to use] a computer. I have a great deal of help with that from my grandchildren because they are so far ahead of me in that. And just [about] start-up costs, taxes. How to write a business plan. I'd never done that before and I think that it's essential.
How did you get startup funding?
I had some savings. I also used about $20,000 worth of merchandise from my daughter's old business. It was yarn and needles and patterns, which of course was a great help. But we also had to get furniture and shelving and display things.
How do you distinguish your yarn shop from the others in Brunswick?
We have a deeply-rooted love for the antiquity of it. We have lots of older, vintage patterns and accoutrements ˆ we have an old wicker model and we display a sweater on it. Some of them are for sale and some of them are simply on display. So we also have ˆ I hate to call it a museum-like quality ˆ but it is kind of.
How did you choose the location?
Just by driving around. It was incredibly serendipitous. It's just over two miles from where we live, so it's incredibly convenient. And it's on the school bus line, so if my granddaughters want to get off the school bus after school and come here, they are able to do that.
How do you choose what to carry?
By touch and the colors [of the yarn] and what I think our customers would like. You can project what the next step might be by looking at what sells. As I said, right now the sock yarn is huge and people just are making lots and lots of socks. We carry a wide variety of sock yarn, and now the next step is convincing our clientele that the sock yarn can be used for other things. Some of it works out beautifully in sweaters and scarves and shawls and different things. [Just] because it says sock yarn on it doesn't necessarily mean it has to only be used for socks. There's no rule.
How do you convince people?
Well, we have samples to show. Just recently I did up a little baby sweater in self-patterning sock yarn that is just really cute. And we sold a number of [those] patterns and that particular yarn is now gone and I have to re-order it.
Do you advertise?
We do some advertising. And we have been sending a newsletter out twice a year, but postage is going up again and so we have decided that we are going to do it by email. It wasn't my choice of preference, but it's become my choice of necessity. Also word of mouth. Knitters talk to each other. And if you have a shop that is friendly where people feel comfortable coming in and sitting down and asking you questions, that's how more people will come. I turn no one away.
New Entrepreneurs profiles new businesses,
6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to kelson@mainebiz.biz.
Employees: Mayer and her daughter, Ingrid Waite
Startup costs: $20,000
Revenue, year one: $45,000
Projected revenue, year two: $50,000
Contact: 6 Gurnet Rd., Brunswick 04011
729-2770
What do you sell at your store?
It's mostly yarn for crocheting and knitting and the notions that go with it. Socks are very popular now so we have a beautiful range of self-patterning sock yarn. We have classes to learn how to knit or crochet. Our focus is mostly on natural yarns ˆ cotton, alpaca, wool, silk. There's a lot in this little store!
Why did you start the business?
Well, I have been an artist all of my life. I've worked as a florist and have managed businesses. And I retired, but I really felt like I was spending too much time at home, and missing being out in the public. Since my daughter had owned a yarn shop before, and I loved knitting, I decided that [a yarn shop] might be the place for me to be.
How did you prepare?
Probably a year before we took possession of this property we started talking about it and making some general plans. And I took some classes from SCORE and got as much information as I could. We held hands and jumped and here we are!
What were you hoping to learn?
First you need to learn [to use] a computer. I have a great deal of help with that from my grandchildren because they are so far ahead of me in that. And just [about] start-up costs, taxes. How to write a business plan. I'd never done that before and I think that it's essential.
How did you get startup funding?
I had some savings. I also used about $20,000 worth of merchandise from my daughter's old business. It was yarn and needles and patterns, which of course was a great help. But we also had to get furniture and shelving and display things.
How do you distinguish your yarn shop from the others in Brunswick?
We have a deeply-rooted love for the antiquity of it. We have lots of older, vintage patterns and accoutrements ˆ we have an old wicker model and we display a sweater on it. Some of them are for sale and some of them are simply on display. So we also have ˆ I hate to call it a museum-like quality ˆ but it is kind of.
How did you choose the location?
Just by driving around. It was incredibly serendipitous. It's just over two miles from where we live, so it's incredibly convenient. And it's on the school bus line, so if my granddaughters want to get off the school bus after school and come here, they are able to do that.
How do you choose what to carry?
By touch and the colors [of the yarn] and what I think our customers would like. You can project what the next step might be by looking at what sells. As I said, right now the sock yarn is huge and people just are making lots and lots of socks. We carry a wide variety of sock yarn, and now the next step is convincing our clientele that the sock yarn can be used for other things. Some of it works out beautifully in sweaters and scarves and shawls and different things. [Just] because it says sock yarn on it doesn't necessarily mean it has to only be used for socks. There's no rule.
How do you convince people?
Well, we have samples to show. Just recently I did up a little baby sweater in self-patterning sock yarn that is just really cute. And we sold a number of [those] patterns and that particular yarn is now gone and I have to re-order it.
Do you advertise?
We do some advertising. And we have been sending a newsletter out twice a year, but postage is going up again and so we have decided that we are going to do it by email. It wasn't my choice of preference, but it's become my choice of necessity. Also word of mouth. Knitters talk to each other. And if you have a shop that is friendly where people feel comfortable coming in and sitting down and asking you questions, that's how more people will come. I turn no one away.
Interview by Kerry Elson
New Entrepreneurs profiles new businesses,
6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to kelson@mainebiz.biz.
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