Interview With Subscription Box Entrepreneur: Surprise Box Club

At Creative & Coffee we have covered a lot of the technical aspects of running your small business over the last couple of weeks. Whilst getting advice on the mechanics of running your business is fantastic, I also find it useful to learn about the journeys of small business owners.

Not only is it interesting in it’s own right but I love to see how people’s individual experiences have shaped and created their businesses. So today I wanted to share the story of Triinu, girl boss in charge of the Surprise Box Club. I will let her tell you all about herself below and share her wisdom which I hope you will find both interesting and helpful!

So, without further ado, please let me introduce Triinu of the Surprise Box Club:

 

[su_dropcap style=”simple” size=”5″]H[/su_dropcap]ello, I’m Triinu. I’m half Estonian, half Scottish and I live in a typical wee village in Central Scotland alongside other crafters and musicians. It’s the perfect place – I love being surrounded by so much natural creativity.

I originally trained as a silversmith & jeweller and over the years have branched out into many other crafts. I have 3 children and love being a mum. I always say that I’m a full-time mum and a full-time creative entrepreneur which in reality doesn’t really add up but I make it work. I’m lucky that my children love crafts too so they take a real interest in my business. I have purposely created a business that incorporates my passion for crafts so that I have a job that I love.

What is the Surprise Box Club? 

Surprise Box Club is my way of being able to spread the joy of crafting! I have been busy creating exciting jewellery making kits and craft kits with super clear instructions (both written & video). By joining in the fun, subscribers will receive a box of crafting goodies every single month! Each month I send them a jewellery kit & a craft kit; they will build up a collection of pliers (no extra charge for these); in month three a cool charm bracelet project begins with more charms being added in subsequent boxes; and to make sure this truly is ‘happy mail’ I will be popping other crafting surprises into the boxes throughout the year.

At the moment there is the opportunity to win a pair of handcrafted (by me) sterling silver and Swarovski pearl earrings.

Who is the Surprise Box Club’s ideal audience?

Surprise Box Club is both for people who are already into crafts and for those who like the idea of crafting but don’t know where to start. I’ve carefully put together my tutorials so that beginners can follow them but so that they are still fairly challenging. These boxes are for grown-ups but I imagine that teenagers would enjoy them too. Indeed, crafting is such a great bonding activity for mother and daughters to do together.

Where did the inspiration to start it come from?

I’ve been running my own jewellery business for the last 12 years and as part of this I have been teaching wirework classes. I absolutely love teaching! It’s a wonderful feeling when someone comes along, a little bit nervous but then becomes totally immersed in what they are doing. They relax, lose track of time, and create the most fabulous piece of jewellery that they are so proud of. It’s a wonderful feeling for both of us. With Surprise Box Club, I can teach a much wider audience so this was my main source of inspiration for the idea. I also love to know that people are receiving exciting post rather than just junk mail and bills.

What’s been your biggest, business related challenge so far?

Trying to do everything on a very tight budget! It’s doable though. I’ve been negotiating on supplies; promoting my business for free through social media; and was also delighted to receive a grant from Skills Development Scotland for social media training that I did through the amazing @finwycherley

What are the main differences you have found between starting your own business and the traditional 9-5?

The positives are being your own boss; making your own decisions; working flexible hours to suit; and no commute. The main negative difference is not knowing when to stop and switch off. This is something I am working on but even so, the positives outweigh the negatives.

Do you have any tricks or tips on managing a work/ life balance?

Time management is key to keeping your work life from spilling into your personal life. Write a daily achievable action plan. I wouldn’t write one for the week as things change & new opportunities crop up so you need to be flexible.

Write ‘Day Off’ or ‘Afternoon Off’ clearly on your calendar and stick to it. Don’t burn yourself out. Sometimes you just need to stop. You’ll be more productive after a break.

If you could give aspiring business owners and bloggers one piece of advice, what would it be?

Be you. Be authentic. Trust your intuition and go for it! Tell your story – not your pitch – and show your passion for your business idea. If you are passionate about your idea then this will be infectious & inspiring to others.

What is your favourite inspirational quote? 

 

'If you are going to doubt something, doubt your limits.'Click To Tweet

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Some very excellent advice! I hope you will all join me in wishing Triinu the very best with her new business venture. If you’d like to check out her website, you can find it here.

Or you can come hang out with us on Instagram, @supriseboxclub and @creativeandcoffee, where our little Creative & Coffee community chills out and chats about all thing small business life (and pink).

What’s your favorite inspirational quote? Drop it in the comments below and let’s get inspired for the day!