Honey Creek Market's Featured Crafter of the Month
Off The Beathen Path Designs
Business Name: Off The Beaten Path Designs
Owner’s Name: Bebe and Tim Yeary
Website Address: http://www.offthebeatenpathdesigns.com
What made you decide to begin an online website business?
For us, having a website was a natural progression from our eBay store and auctions. Our local and show customers kept asking where they could find us on the web so we went from there.
How long have you been “crafting”?
I have always been a crafty person. My grandmother had such a tremendous influence on me as a child and encouraged my creativity. I made my first doll with her when I was very young.
I never looked at my crafting as a career and went to work first as a hairdresser, then later in a factory to make a living. In 2000, I had a serious back injury, followed by an infection that nearly killed me. It left me disabled and unable to work in a “normal” job. I began sewing and painting again at that time just to keep from going crazy. I gave my creations as gifts at holidays since I couldn’t afford to buy store bought gifts.
My husband began helping me put together dolls, stands, bases, and other wooden things and caught the crafting bug. Sometime in 2002, someone asked me to make a doll for them and paid me for it. I couldn’t believe someone would actually pay for one of my dolls. Tim began taking some of our work to shows and then started listing it on eBay. We have been crafting ever since.
How long have you been in business?
We started our first eBay store in 2003, I believe. Then our first website came in early 2004. We have been doing shows since 2002.
Are you the sole owner of your business, or do you have help with your business?
Tim and I are partners in everything. Tim handles most of the “business” part of the business. I do most of the designing and creation. There are times when my health prevents me from doing something that I want to do and Tim steps in and does it. Although he hates for me to tell it, he even sews from time to time when my health has me down and I am unable to do it. They may be my creations, but without Tim, they would not be possible.
What do you enjoy the most about your business and “crafting”?
Designing and crafting brings me peace. After my back injury, I felt worthless since I was no longer able to provide for my family. Crafting gave me a sense of purpose again. It is relaxing and when I am having a bad day, I can lay it down and come back to it later. I also love knowing that it not only brings me satisfaction, but other people enjoy it too. What better “job” could you have?
Do you specialize in a specific product or craft?
My favorite thing is to make dolls. I love the primitive black and folk art style dolls. I dabble in painting Tim’s woodcrafts too, but find myself always returning to sewing. I sketch quite a bit, and then turn my sketches into doll designs.
Do you have any advice for others who would like to create an online business?
Don’t give up! If you don’t know something, ask, then advertise, advertise, advertise! There are lots of ways to advertise that do not cost an arm and a leg. The most important of these is customer service. Give great customer service along with a quality product and your customers will advertise for you. Get your name out there by blogging, banner exchanges, top sites, or plug boards. And most of all, Believe In Yourself!
