Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Barbara Chandler. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Barbara , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I am a small artisan business and there is a lot more competition than most would think in this field. I feel that versatility and finding your niche that stands out is the key to success in this craft. While I do lot of laser work, few include leather in this craft. I hand dye, engrave artwork and personalization, as well as hand stitch my leather items even though I own an industrial leather sewing machine.
My hand stitching journey began with my machine needing a visit to the shop and I had to hand stitch my remaining pieces. The machine came back but the hand stitching remained anyway. I just love the way it looks. It takes much longer but is more than worth the time it takes.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am retired from a career with the Iron Workers Union as the office manager for the area’s union hall. This career gave me an edge for running a business, which is a skill all small business owners should have or be willing to pay for these services.

I have had a love for DIY my entire life! I have always had a sewing machine, made many hand pieced quilts, dabbled in stained glasss, done custom embroidery work….well you get the picture. I am a crafter at heart as was my mother and her mother and now my daughter.

So the years I worked at my public job, I pondered running my own business and what it would entail. So retirement finally arrived in 2019 and so did Covid😬. While spending a lot of time at home, I discovered handbags….completely handmade, very detailed and very time consuming. I decided to sell these at craft markets when COVID restrictions were finally lifted and in this process, I learned a valuable lesson. Few are willing to pay for the amount of time and work that it takes to make something this detailed. Some of these purses would take up to 30-40 hours to complete.

I then discovered laser work, with a small introductory machine and I was hooked. I started with jewelry and small engraved items featuring local themes. Soon I was shopping for a bigger more powerful machine and this craft blossomed from there, and it is a craft for me, as this laser is a cutting and engraving tool only. I hand paint and stain my wood items in addition to assembly. My leather work is hand dyed and hand stitched. I also create many of my own patterns. The newest edition of my work is recreating photos and hand written notes/recipes into engraved images. This is really exciting for me to make something this personal for someone.

An area that is also helpful in small business is to include local themed products. So of course for me that means anything Tennessee related as well as local neighborhood themes. I am also licensed with the University of Tennessee as an artisan crafter, so of course anything UT is a hit!! This is the heart of Big Orange country!

I love every aspect of creating my craft work!! I love working with people to help them leave with exactly what that had imagined and sometimes more than they had hoped.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I believe that working with someone and offering them more than they had hoped to achieve has been the biggest success for my business. Making a customer happy not only has increased my clientele but it makes me happy as well!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I offer products in local stores and this has introduced me to new clients that have reached out with special requests. I have met many new customers and vendors that have become friends. I truly treasure every aspect of this journey.