We recently connected with Sarah Omura and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, thanks for joining us today. Would you say you are more focused on growing revenue or cutting costs? We’d love to hear how you think about these two critical drivers

As a one person business I have been more focused on growing my business incrementally so I am still able to perform all the tasks necessary without getting overwhelmed. Being a one person business means wearing all the hats and being an expert on many different aspects in the business from website development to sewing.

I love getting really deep into the nuts and bolts of ways to grow my revenue in a cost effective way so I tend to delve deep into a subject. I throw all my extra time into developing one aspect at a time and when I have the fundamentals figured out and am able to put it on autopilot I move on to the next thing. I also focus on ways to improve organic traffic to my website rather than paying for it as I want this growth to be natural and low cost.

My brain can handle one ‘big’ thing at a time on top of running normal day to day operations. For example recently I have been spending a lot of time learning about SEO for my website and making big improvements to my rankings on google. Once I have the basic improvements made I can then start looking at improving specific content around my keywords for future.

I am planning on a putting a lot more effort into Pinterest next and delving into my neglected Pinterest account next. In this way it doesn’t get too overwhelming and the growth I see from these platforms builds.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

SO Handmade provides eco-friendly travel toys for children.

Being a Mother to two children I develop toys that I see the need for in mine and my own children’s lives. These fill the gap between organization and fun and give children the chance to explore their own imaginations and engage in self-directed play; especially on-the-go!

I create safe, portable and practical toys that can be taken out and about. These help to keep kids entertained in sometimes very confined spaces without always resorting to giving them electronic devices.

SO Handmade is a truly unique business that provides parents with an alternative to screen time. Many busy parents are looking for ways their kids can be kept entertained and engaged when out. I believe my products benefit the children who play with them as well as the parents who can relax while their children play happily.

I believe in doing everything possible to safeguard our planet for future generations that is why I source organic materials. Additionally, I use eco-friendly recycled packaging. All my products are CPSC safety compliant.

I started SO handmade when my children were toddlers to make toys for them to use out and about. I wanted to create an alternative to using electronic devices to keep our little ones entertained so I designed and developed products for them to use on the go and in tight spaces. My products are aimed to inspire their creativity, imagination, and help them appreciate the world around them.

I am inspired by my own kids and their imaginations as they are constantly coming up with new stories and games while playing with their own playmats. I also get a lot of inspiration from my customers who give me great ideas for future products to inspire their little ones.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Like many busy Moms I started So Handmade as a side hustle when I was at home with my first child. As he grew into a car mad toddler I noticed how he wanted to bring his toy cars everywhere we went and that’s how my first product came into being. As a stay at home Mom of two I needed an outlet for my creativity and I was always making and sewing.

I started small with a few local craft shows and listing a couple of products on Etsy. As the kids grew up I was able to devote more and more time into my business, increasing my product line and the sales channels. I feel that in this way as I have added gradually it has been more sustainable in the long run.

Once my kids started kindergarten I have been pretty much full time in So Handmade save the usual sick days/ snow days and school holidays! It has enabled me to be home for the kids when I need to be and given my creativity an outlet.
Since going full time I have had even more growth.

Milestones have included opening my own Shopify store add to Etsy. I joined an artists collective store Railroad St Collective in Great Barrington MA where we all share the rent and shopkeeping duties. This is a wonderful way to connect to customers and to get feedback for new products and ideas.

Have you ever had to pivot?

As many small businesses when the pandemic started, I was really worried about how my business would fair in these uncertain times. All my craft fairs were cancelled and wholesale and online orders completely dried up. I rely on craft fairs for most of my income so having none for the foreseeable future was very worrying.

After Etsy asked sellers to start making masks, I decided to try my hand at making them. I used the materials I had on hand and tested out a few different patterns and styles using my family as guinea pigs. I found one style that worked well for adults and kids and focused on this one using the fabrics I had in my stash (I am so glad I am a fabric hoarder!)

I listed the masks on Etsy and my website and was completely blown away by the demand for masks. During this time, I was able to make 500 to donate to essential workers in New York City. I made many masks for the local community, friends, and family. Through Etsy and my website, I had over 2500 orders for masks.

I focused wholly on masks for a few months but I was able to combine mask making with my So Handmade products throughout the rest of the year and finally get back to my normal fare once the manufactured mask supplies began to enter the marketplace.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sohandmade.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sohandmadellc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SOhandmade/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYg2Exoxa-f5v_8HTD5EZrA
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sohandmadellc

Image Credits
Qiana K Photography for credits for product shots