#ChooseToChallenge – Mollymoo and Rubytoo
We conducted an interview with Hannah the new business owner of Mollymoo and Rubytoo. She discussed why she started her business, the positives and challenges of starting a business during lockdown and tips she has for new business owners.
Why did you start your business?
I started crocheting as an outlet for anxiety which seemed to become a problem on the birth of my second daughter, counting stitches stopped me from overthinking every possible thing that crosses your mind when you become a new parent, the more I crocheted the less I worried. After countless nights of practising and lots and lots of YouTube videos, I was able to to read patterns make things that looked half decent and my passion for it just flourished. I love being creative so to be able to create things that other people like was a bonus. I mainly made and gifted items to family and friends and started blogging my work via Instagram and Facebook through ‘Molly moo and Ruby too’ but it wasn’t really until December 2020, that I decided that I was going to launch a shop, decided on a product, who to market to, started building up a consistent brand and finally set a date to launch. My headbands are made on a loom knit, so they aren’t crocheted! Everything else is.
Who helped you take the step to set up a business? Was it difficult?
I googled everything, looked at others in my field and did it by myself I ran most bits past dad for advice. so I don’t really know what to say about that. my actual idea of headbands came from TikTok and they were all the craze with crafters in America and I just thought, I could do that and poof – business opened 3 weeks later.
Who is your biggest fan?
My girls, they want all the things I make
How did the pandemic affect your business? Positive and negative?
Completely positive, launched my business during the pandemic and social media obviously has a ripple effect so a few shares etc go a long way.
The hardest part is the work-life balance as I work full time as a project manager and then obviously fitting this in plus trying to make sure I spend time with my family has been hard (especially in the beginning when I felt I had to make a really good impression so was basically trying to turn around orders the same day – LESSON LEARNT!) but kids go to bed and I start my evening work but it’s not work because I love it and it helps me relax so win-win!
What’s the one thing you would share with someone who wants to turn their hobby into a business?
That’s a hard one – if you have an idea just try it, you won’t know unless you try! I don’t know how to word this but I was always looking at other peoples creations and thinking I will never be as good as them but it’s not about that, it’s about finding your own way and I think I am finally finding my feet oh and followers aren’t everything on social media! Once you start producing aesthetically pleasing content they come to you