Liz Constable, founder of Book Art Studios.
Liz Constable of Book Art Studios is an entrepreneur who creates hand-made books and offers book making classes.
When and why did you start your business?
I was creating books as a hobby downstairs in the garage, while I was operating a career coaching business upstairs in my
home office. One day I said to a client who was wearing a gorgeous patterned top, 'if you ever decide you don't want that top anymore, can I make it into a book cover?' It was a defining moment where I realised I wanted to be creating more than I wanted to be coaching. That happened about eight years ago and it coincided with my daughter leaving the nest. I think I threw myself into Book Art Studios to give myself a new challenge and as a way of getting over empty nest syndrome.
How does the business make money?
It's through me working hard to be creative in all aspects of the business and generating a variety of income streams. I'm constantly on the lookout for any opportunities, and always pitching to businesses. I'm really well networked and enjoy building working relationships, which is a huge part of my business. I've created books for Coca-Cola, Al Brown, Fonterra, Pernod Ricard, Beca, AA and ASB among other corporate clients, but I also create books for general members of the public wanting books for all kinds of occasions - weddings, new babies, graduations and so on.
Alongside those commissioned works, I produce off-the-shelf books - which I primarily sell through Trade Me - and I do mail-art projects, which are custom-made paper-based projects for clients that can be sent by post. I also self-published a book in March called One Small Drop, which I'm taking to the Frankfurt Book Fair next month.
In terms of services I also run bookmaking classes nationally, do one-on-one creating sessions at my studio, run journaling evenings at others' places, and write things like blogs and newsletters for small companies.
What trends are you seeing in the market for handmade products and how are they impacting your business?
I've always had a leaning towards creating books to look as if they're really old and I've noticed an increase in products on the market taking this approach. Generally it's an exciting time to be in the handmade arena, because the trend is booming worldwide and that brings more interest to my business; I'm creating some wonderful international networks as a result.
What has been the biggest challenge in growing a business based on products you've made by hand?
Finding the right market, which is people who will appreciate and pay the asking price without trying to haggle. I used to work in a gift shop where people would complain if we brought in stuff from China. On the other hand they would complain about the prices of handmade items. What they were saying was 'I want handmade products at Chinese prices'. I learnt a valuable lesson as a result: you can't change the minds of this group of shoppers, but you can change your market.
Time is always another challenge. I've learnt the hard way that when you have a big order on the go it always takes much longer than you would imagine. It doesn't matter how big my studio is, I always end up working in a postage-stamp sized space.
What advice would you have for other makers wanting to build a sustainable business around their creations?
- Keep the day job while you're building up a business, and market stalls are good initially to test the market for your products.
- The Big Idea website has loads of free advice, seminars and support for creative people and I'd also advise generally joining groups and actively promoting others' work online.
- Be as creative as you can in all aspects of your business - I can't begin to tell you how many boring business cards I've collected from creative people over the years.