Tara from Hoooked Bath and Body is this week's spotlighted team member. Lets see what she has to say about her lovely shop. She hales from Albuquerque, NM.
Infused Designs- How did you come up with the name for your store?
Hoooked- Hoooked began as a play on crochet, the art of hooking yarn, but the word "hooked" also means addicted to or obsessed with. With 3 Os, Hoooked stands out, makes a statement, and grabs attention.
ID- I'm certainly hoooked on crocheting too. I love the name! How long have you been crafting, and who taught you?
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| Lick Me All Over Soap |
Hoooked- I've been crafting and expressing my creativity for as long as I can remember, but I started crocheting seriously about 10 years ago and was taught by my mother. I started teaching myself to make soap (with a lot of internet assistance) 3 years ago. There is still a lot I have left to explore in both categories.
ID- Well it looks like you are well on your way with your talent. When did you open your Etsy store?
Hoooked- After careful consideration and planning, HoookedBathandBody launched in January of 2011.
ID- Do you have other venues you sell at, like craft shows or other online stores?
Hoooked- I sell more of my crochet at Hoooked.etsy.com but after some miserable craft show experiences (bad weather seeks me out), I've decided to stick primarily with Etsy. I do sell locally at a small store but have plans to continue solely with Etsy after the end of the year.
ID- Hmm...I'm sorry to hear about the bad craft shows, but it sounds like you know where you want your business to go. What is one of your favorite items in your store?
Hoooked- I can be such a girly girl when it comes to scents and absolutely love the Sweet Pea, Lavender, and Lick Me All Over Soap.
ID- It's too bad we don't have the technology to smell the computer. Where do you gain inspiration for your items?
Hoooked- Everywhere! We are bombarded by scents everywhere in our daily lives and now when I smell something fantastic, I want to make it into a soap that someone can experience in the shower.
ID- Do you feel like you have found a niche for the items you sell?
Hoooked- Not yet, but I get closer with every sale.
ID- Where do you see your shop in 5 years?
Hoooked- In 5 years, I see Hoooked having a much larger variety of soap. I want to expand, expand, expand! By then, maybe I will have finally started listing the lip balm and other bath and body products I've been making.
ID- That's the key, isn't it? :-) What advice can you give your fellow team members?
Hoooked- Right now, I would suggest including the color of your items in your titles and tags. This is extremely important if you want to be picked up for treasuries. Overall, I would suggest readying your shop as much as possible for change. Try and prepare for the unexpected and be prepared to adapt at a moment's notice.
ID- Well it looks like you are well on your way with your talent. When did you open your Etsy store?
Hoooked- After careful consideration and planning, HoookedBathandBody launched in January of 2011.
ID- Do you have other venues you sell at, like craft shows or other online stores?
Hoooked- I sell more of my crochet at Hoooked.etsy.com but after some miserable craft show experiences (bad weather seeks me out), I've decided to stick primarily with Etsy. I do sell locally at a small store but have plans to continue solely with Etsy after the end of the year.
ID- Hmm...I'm sorry to hear about the bad craft shows, but it sounds like you know where you want your business to go. What is one of your favorite items in your store?
Hoooked- I can be such a girly girl when it comes to scents and absolutely love the Sweet Pea, Lavender, and Lick Me All Over Soap.
ID- It's too bad we don't have the technology to smell the computer. Where do you gain inspiration for your items?
Hoooked- Everywhere! We are bombarded by scents everywhere in our daily lives and now when I smell something fantastic, I want to make it into a soap that someone can experience in the shower.
ID- Do you feel like you have found a niche for the items you sell?
Hoooked- Not yet, but I get closer with every sale.
ID- Where do you see your shop in 5 years?
Hoooked- In 5 years, I see Hoooked having a much larger variety of soap. I want to expand, expand, expand! By then, maybe I will have finally started listing the lip balm and other bath and body products I've been making.
ID- That's the key, isn't it? :-) What advice can you give your fellow team members?
Hoooked- Right now, I would suggest including the color of your items in your titles and tags. This is extremely important if you want to be picked up for treasuries. Overall, I would suggest readying your shop as much as possible for change. Try and prepare for the unexpected and be prepared to adapt at a moment's notice.
Tara, That is great advice! Thank you for giving me this interview. It was a pleasure getting to know more about you and your shop.
OK, everyone, you know the drill. Got take a look at Hoooked Bath and Body, add to your circle and leave a comment if you like! Thank you!
Great article Hoooked. And inspiring as I want to learn how to make soap too -- just haven't gottent started. Looks like fun. Good luck with sales!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Thanks to you both :)
ReplyDelete