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

Jenna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

I believe that the biggest challenge to profitability in my industry as a small handmade business owner is competing with larger companies. A lot of clothing at places such as Walmart or Amazon employ crafters overseas who are under-compensated for their skill and their time. Thus, the consumer is able to access items made by hand (any crochet item that you see in a store for example is made by hand as crochet cannot be replicated by machine) through these companies at a price that handmade businesses are often asked to match. In order for me to make a livable wage through my handmade business, I must overcome the conception that by pricing items higher than similar items from large companies I am trying to make a quick buck. I must set myself apart from large companies by using higher quality materials (sourced locally or secondhand if possible), focusing on durability, and providing insight into the process of making my pieces. Whenever possible, I try discussing the nature of handmade items with customers; no other hands can make exactly the shape I can make on a wheel because no other hands are built exactly like mine. No other fiber artist has my exact tension or method of holding the yarn. Perhaps I make a unique shape or choose unique colors that reflect parts of myself, or perhaps I am able to channel parts of the customer through their wishes for the design of their item. This is the nature of handmade items and the best aid against the competition of larger companies.

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?

My name is Jenna and I am the owner and sole member of Jenna Scheuer Handmade. My primary business is creating ceramic and fiber arts products which I sell at handmade markets, wholesale to businesses, or sometimes stock on the shelves of other small businesses (check out my current coffee cup selection for sale at Stride Coffee Stop in Ann Arbor!). I am very partial to making ceramic drinkware as that is what I enjoy using most myself; as for crochet and knit, I gravitate towards tiny and cute or giant and huggable stuffed animals as well as wearable clothing.

Currently, since I am a one person business running out of my apartment, I don’t have a website for direct to consumer sales; however, that is a big goal of mine, and when it happens, it will certainly be announced on my Instagram account, @jennascheuerhandmade.

I started crocheting when I was a teenager, but didn’t take it seriously as a craft until around 2020, during the pandemic. At that time, I was finishing my last semester of college as a newlywed and I started a king sized throw blanket made with single crochet stitches to help with the anxiety of all the change. About a year ago, I taught myself how to knit from a YouTube video. I’m definitely not at the same level with my knitting as with my crocheting, but I will continue to face the challenge project by project. I tend to use crochet to create stuffed animals, bag charms, bags, and accessories, while I use knit to create wearables, such as socks, sweaters, shirts, cardigans, etc.

I picked ceramics up when my husband purchased a small Amazon pottery wheel a few years ago for my Christmas present. It was an investment of time and money to learn, but free videos on YouTube came in real handy. Through a lot of trial and error, I’ve come to a place where I feel confident in the pieces that I produce. My ceramic style is vibrant, well fitted to the hands, and takes inspiration from nature.

What sets me apart from other small handmade businesses in these fields is my versatility. Most handmade businesses focus on durability, high-quality materials, and heirloom quality products, and these three things are incredibly important to me as well. However, I believe that my ability to create what the customer wants in the medium they would like sets me apart. If a customer would like a unicorn dragon plushy made out of cotton yarn held double with polyester plush yarn, then that is what I will do. If the customer is looking for a checkered glaze, speckled stoneware cup then that is what I will do. If you were going to buy something for a handmade price, you want to end up with a high-quality, beautiful item that fits your needs, your style, and your vision.

I take a lot of pride in the works I produce, but a few things that I am particularly proud of include my dedication to sourcing materials that are handmade or local and producing items that stand the test of time. Of course, I am as much of a fan as anyone of trends, but what I would like is to make those trendy things more ethical to consume and longer-lasting. I also take pride in my ability to learn new skills if needed to complete products and projects for my customers.

I’d like any potential customers or followers of my work to anticipate collections of unique ceramic and fiber arts items to release on my future website or through Instagram. I’d also like them to anticipate order forms for custom projects and a catalogue for easy reference. And as for now, I currently have stock for sale at Strider Coffee Stop in Ann Arbor and I restock as needed.

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

As a single-person small business, my most effective strategy for growing my clientele is word of mouth.

With the rise of AI and the millions of businesses on Etsy which are run by drop-shippers, people want to know that their handmade product is truly being handmade. Social media can be helpful for sharing some of your making process and growing your brand, but most of my sales come from people I have met personally at craft markets or who heard of me from a previous customer. Because of this, I am able to better tailor the products ordered to their requests and I am able to build a lasting relationship with the client – when they have a birthday or baby shower coming up, they think of me and the elephant plushie they ordered from me at a Christmas market.

Word of mouth also helps me to feel like I’m part of a community of customers as well as other businesses whom I get to meet at the events rather than one account in the endless sea of instagram.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Jenna Scheuer Handmade, as a business, was primarily “funded” by gifts. My business doesn’t require expensive rentals or warehouses or manufacturing, and thus the funds I needed to start producing pottery and fiber arts products were very small in the grand scheme of businesses.

The biggest investments so far have been my pottery wheel, which cost about $600 and was a combined gift from my husband, family, and friends for Christmas before I’d ever started the business. Secondarily, raw materials such as clay and glazes can add up quick, but with my small output right now (being stocked in a single shop, with more to come, means only a few restocks every so often and can consist of 50 lbs or less of clay) the cost of materials is always covered by the total order cost so far. Other investments I’ve made personally in my business include crochet hooks, interchangeable knitting needles, yarn, stuffing, booth fees for markets, and rental fees for kiln space, all of which come out of my own pocket or from a pool of proceeds from sales. Since this isn’t our family’s main source of income, I’m able to save slowly for any costs and not invest beyond our personal limits; for example, I’m currently saving to purchase my own kiln.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @jennascheuerhandmade ; @ceramicsbyjennascheuer
• Other: I’ll hopefully be creating a website and YouTube channel soon, which will be announced on my Instagram!