We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Angie Reach. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Angie below.

Alright, Angie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues?

Due to the fact I started my business right before covid hit, I didn’t prepare for online business. I was only prepared to be out in front of folks. I had to learn and find help to get a website, use social media for sales, create a newsletter and learn virtual tools. There was no one providing me all the instructions to do it, I had to go out and find good instructions and implement. Although I thought it was painful and I wasted some money, it has been so valuable to me and my business. I’m continue to grow and learn new things, but at better pace than when I first started out. I also have to give credit to some individuals that stepped up to help and they are still with me today.

Angie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m the owner of The Traveling Yarn Yogi, LLC and the driver of Purl the mobile yarn shop. I have been in business for 4 years and fulfilled a long time dream of working in the fiber industry. My passion is knitting and yarn! My business allows me to share my passion with other like minded folks and I do that by traveling from town to town.

My shop is filled with some of the most gorgeous yarn, tools and accessories. We fiber lovers want to feel and squish the yarn, we want to make sure of the true colors for our projects. I provide an outlet for folks to do this. I may pick a shopping center in their town to park, collaborate with a business to park at their business, book private yarn parties, attend the town’s farmer’s market and attend fiber festivals. I also have done individual virtual shopping appointments and virtual shows on Zoom. I also provide classes via Zoom for a variety of topics and skill building. I think Zoom classes give folks a front row seat.

I make myself accessible to my clients via Facebook, Instagram, phone and email. I let them know if I can help them in anyway for them to reach out. Being mobile doesn’t mean I don’t care about my relationships with clients, it’s quite the opposite. I work even harder to make sure they are happy because I don’t have a place they can go to daily.

I work hard to keep up with the latest and greatest of things going on in our industry and if I feel it would be beneficial to my clients then I keep them updated.

Purl really has her own identity. They may not know my name, but they know Purl. It really puts a bigger smile on my face when folks are amazed at the quality of yarn I have, or that I get so much in such a small space. Some of my favorite things to do is to put colors together for a project, I know my inventory and I have that knack for color!

If they don’t call me Angie, then they affectionately call me Yarn Yogi! I love it and the reason my business is named the way it is my love of yarn and yoga. Just recently I’ve officially added Chair Yoga sessions to my booking list. I am able to attend a groups meeting and do 15 min to 30 min of Chair Yoga for Stitchers. I’m so very excited to be able to do this and I thank the lovely ladies at the retreats for being my testers for several years.

I love what I do and make no mistake that while a hobby drove my passion, this business is no hobby. I work more hours and harder than I did in my corporate job of 43 years.

Would you like Purl to come to your event or town? Just reach out to discuss!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My first pivot began 8 months after I opened the doors for the business in 2019. Many businesses had to make major decisions. Being a brand new business owner in the fiber arts industry I really had to step back and then dive in head first in learning platforms, online systems – items that I wasn’t going to deal with in my original business plan. However, I was able to get a basic website up with minimal items, make very basic posts on social media about what I had to in stock to generate sales that otherwise I would have none. During the pandemic many folks took up new hobbies and discovered the wonderful world of hand dyed yarn and sales continued. I educated myself on more platforms and Zoom was one of them. I started offering a free series to my audience = Meet the Dyer and then Meet the Designer. I was making Live posts, something that I was scared to do, but it gave my business a face until I could take the bus out again! Many of the items I had to pivot to are still part of my business today – they have gotten stronger, better, updated and I welcome the opportunity to do Lives!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The best strategy has been to tell my story, be prepared at all times for an opportunity and if they don’t come to you then you make your own opportunities. I’m very supportive of small businesses and I’m always trying to find ways we can partner together, maybe it’s a business I can bring the bus and park to which I can drive customers to their business. If I’m out in public and notice someone knitting or crocheting I’ll inquire about their project and share my business with them. But my favorite is helping folks and making sure they are happy because they will spread the word about me!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thetravelingyarnyogi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetravelingyarnyogi
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetravelingyarnyogi
• Youtube: @thetravelingyarnyogi8774