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

Clarissa, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?

How did I get my first client? This is a tough question to answer without mentioning the people that have always supported me along the way of creating DIWyatt Design. The more I started talking to friends & family about starting a business the more the concept became a reality. My first client & sale was from the most supportive friend. I met her from working in property management & we just clicked. My friend wanted a Halloween shirt for her kiddo & I gladly made it & had my first sale! That sale got the ball rolling & helped evolve my business from vinyl tees to wood art.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

DIWyatt Design came to fruition in the Fall of 2019 after tossing around the idea for a year or so. I started my small business making t-shirts with vinyl designs & eventually moved into wood art. My husband & I have always had a love for DIY with many home renos & he has always had a wood shop in every house we have owned. It wasn’t until 2020 that I became interested in creating my own art with wood. With the help of my friends/family & of course our tools I have been able to learn & grow my business.

Most businesses, big or small, have a set path; I like to think I can grow my business into whatever interests me even if it changes. I never want to put my small business in a box that I can only make wood signs. I want that to be able to evolve, I can make wood signs, but I can make them 3d. I can also learn how to do macramé art or be able to share DIY projects we are working on.

I am most proud of the growth of DIWyatt Design, not just in the company, but myself! Three years ago I would never have attempted to do any project by myself & now I can confidently do it & write about this great small business I have created.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

All businesses need money, right?! When DIWyatt Design was just a dream & my husband and I would talk about how to start & get DIWyatt Design on a platform, my end goal at the time was an Etsy page. That year for Christmas my husband put $20 in a picture frame and wrote Etsy or bust; I invest in you 120%. This gift was the best gift! I knew my husband would help me every step of the way funding DIWyatt Design & chasing that dream.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

DIWyatt Design is currently on Etsy & this platform works for me right now. All platforms have pros of bringing an audience to your product that you wouldn’t necessarily have with your own website starting out. There are also cons like the listing fees, transaction fees, & the processing fees. It can be a lot! Knowing about the fees & pricing appropriately is very helpful. Also, actively marketing my own products bringing business to my page to eventually grow to my own site is my current goal.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/DIWyattDesign
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diwyatt.design/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diwyattdesign