Posts Tagged ‘products’
Lesson #3: Start With What You Have
When launching any business it’s easy to get frustrated with inadequate resources. Don’t get me wrong, there are some occupations where expensive equipment is needed but when Cale and I started Green Couch Design we knew we had to build a business with the resources we had on hand. We started with what we had.
Nearly two and half years ago, on an October Monday, we met up from our corporate design jobs for a quick lunch date. We had been talking for years about running our own design firm, but it was time to draw a line in the sand and just go for it. We decided then and there that unless we felt a blatant “no” within our spirits we would quit our jobs come the first of the year. That was Monday. On Thursday Cale was laid off from his Architecture job. Obviously this was not the plan we had figured out in our heads, but we saw this as an opportunity and a definite sign that it was time to pursue our dream of establishing a business around our home life.
At that time I continued working full-time while Cale started up the business from home. Because of my employment at that time we could not offer any kind of graphic design services. We had to come up with another way to make a living; an original idea that would allow us to show off our design skills in a creative way. With no savings, not even a printer for our computers, and an income that barley covered our monthly living expenses we had to design products using the materials we had on hand.
For us, that was an extra bag of concrete found in our old Milk Barn.
Once we narrowed down the materials we had available we began asking the following questions:
- What products have been made with this material before?
- What products can’t be made with this material?
- What are the type of products that people want to buy on a regular basis?
- Are there everyday items that are typically seen in a gift/retail shop that you could put a unique spin on?
When starting your own business it’s easy to get intimidated by the lack resources that are available. Don’t get me wrong there are things that are needed to start a business, but you cannot let a lack of resources stop you from moving forward! In the beginning when we found ourselves in need of extra overhead to produce products we would look around the house and see what we could sell off? We sold all kinds of stuff from old windows we replaced in the old farm house to a quesadilla maker! Ultimately, we refused to let lack stop us from moving forward.
We didn’t know at the time that a bag of concrete would help launch and establish our little business, but out of it grew a series of concrete jewelry, candle holders, and pots! Obviously we don’t sell all these items today, but that bag of found concrete gave us a starting place to hone in on our craft, experiment, and find a niche that is truly original to what Green Couch Design is today.
Who knows, maybe it’s your lack of resources that will be the thing to force you out of your box and into an idea that is uniquely your own! 
Are you having a hard time getting started with your home based business? What resources do you feel like you are lacking? What resources do you have access to that you may not have considered before reading this post? Have you or do you know of someone who has come up with a new idea or spin on a product due to their lack of resources?
From the Farm 
Related Posts
GCD: Valentines Day Limited Edition Concrete Heart Necklace
At Green Couch Design we have a sweet spot for love and ALL the sappy and gooey moments that come along with it. We’ve been working the last two years with concrete and just so happen to come across this fun little design just in time for Valentines Day. Enjoy!
GCD: Alt. Summit Gift Bags
Thanks to our friend Allison with Shopcrawler (who told us about this amazing opportunity!) our jewelry has has been selected to be in the Alt. Design Summit Conference Gift Bags! We’re excited to have our pieces in the hands of up and coming bloggers from around the country and looking forward to meeting some new friends. Each of our charms are handmade and truly one-of-a-kind. Here’s a bit of our process.
Don’t stress, we’ve got FREE shipping & local gift guides! :)
It’s getting to be that time of year where things are starting to pile up and you remember that one person you forgot to get something for?! We’ll, no worries, we’ve got you covered! We’ve got great gifts for those hard to buy for neighbors or office mates. Try one of our tea towels, can’t go wrong, or aprons. Their a guaranteed hit for even the scroogiest of types.
We’re offering FREE shipping this weekend only. If you order in the next three days we can guarantee Christmas delivery!
GCD Giveaway: Apron
We’ve only known Mindy and her blog Marigold Road for a few weeks now but since her and Meg are from the same town they seem to be practically buddies (seriously they found out they have several friends in common). Mindy actually found us when she was doing research for an up coming craft show. Apparently our Craft Show 101 post is catching google’s eye! We we’re obviously very excited to hear about this and thought it was such a sweet gesture of Mindy to shoot us an email and say hello!
Mindy’s got all sorts of good stuff going on so stop by her blog and enter to win one of our 100% cotton, Peace, Love & Cookie Dough Aprons. After all, how can you not like a hugger! 
From the Farm 
* Special Congrats to Berendina, the winner of this giveaway!
** Turns out Mindy & Green Couch Design both sell products at The Onion Tree in Wichita, KS! We’d love for you to stop by if you are ever in the neighborhood and tell Bridgit we said hi.
NEW Product Design [Portfolio]
Product design has been a part of Green Couch Design since it’s inception in 2008, we love to work with new materials and play with the everyday elements we use in our homes and try to make them better, more fun, or just dress them up a little.
Life: 2011 Resolutions
So here we are 2011 and loving it! We have so many wonderful things planned, wonderful dreams dreamed, and we can’t wait to see them come to life. We’ve had quite a holiday season…Since Christmas new ideas, fresh thoughts, and more crazy than you can shake a stick at…So here is a look at what you missed and a few thoughts on New Years…I’ve called this post resolutions, but it may be more of a bucket list for 2011.
Craft Show 101
They say the third time is a charm and in this case…they we’re right!
This past Saturday we joined other local vendors in the Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar. Of course if you know us you know we can’t do anything halfway so in the typical Green Couch Design style it was go big or go home.
GCD: Tiny Tufa
Another exciting development for us are these recently redesigned tufa pots. We still make the large decor bowls we’ve always had but through conversations and feed back on Etsy we felt that many of our wonderful customers wanted something a little smaller, more quaint, and cute. So without further ado I would like to unveil the new and improved ‘Tiny Tufa’!
GCD: 2011 New Jewelry Launch!
Every once in a while you have to stop and reevaluate your products. You have to ask the hard questions about quality and what can you do to provide a better piece, at a great price, with the same craftsmanship and authenticity as before? I think it’s safe to say that Cale and I have spent the last 6 months tweaking our materials and pushing our jewelry design to the next level.
High class design in overalls. It's the simple life of a farm through the eyes of a couple of crazy designers. We call ourselves Green Couch Design and we are Bringing Design Home.
