Quilter's business doubles in three years with membership
Rebecca Bryan is a quilter writer, author, and business owner behind Bryan House Quilts. She's revolutionized the materials world with a unique fabric line and thread collection while also offering in-person workshops on quilting.
At the start of her adventure, she was searching for a better way to support her family while also making time to pursue her passion for art. Learn more about the ways in which changing to an online subscription membership has brought Rebecca the financial success and peace of mind she sought.
The reason you decided to get involved in knowledge commerce?
The beginning of my quilting career began by publishing my first book, Modern Rainbow Quilts. Then, I started traveling to give classes at guilds and quilt shows around all over the United States. Then, I expanded my workshop offerings with the publication of my second book Modern Triangle Quilts.
Then, my husband took his new job and brought our family of children who were in school to the Netherlands. Living overseas made it unrealistic to travel back to the US to instruct in person!
I'd been thinking about offering my workshops online. However, this change was just the push I was looking for.
What was the very first digital product you introduced? What made you decide to launch it?
The first time I began with my new venture, I decided to begin one of my classes that I taught using the Contemporary Triangle Quilts book, "Design Improv using Triangles". The workshop will instruct the student through a series of interactive activities that lead to them creating their own Modern Triangle quilt blocks. This class was chosen because it featured my most recent book and I realized the extent to which an online class can be as compared to a traditional three-hour or six-hour in person workshop. (See the Equilateral Sampler Quilt, pictured in Rockport, Mass.)
Could you provide more information on the results of your training sessions that were part of a one-time transaction?
I thoroughly enjoyed my entire digital experience with my students. First, I was pleasantly surprised. the experience to be awe-inspiring in the amount of fun I had teaching on camera and via Zoom. It is impossible to overstate how (painfully!) camera shy I used to have been, but stepping out with my students felt so rewarding. In addition, I came to get to know them as we spent time together even though it was a virtual. It was enjoyable!
Thus, I decided offering more online courses that began with a plan of the year program. Quilting is a process that we call the blocks "Blocks of the Month": each month we create an entirely new set of quilt blocks. At the end of the year, we join all the quilt blocks together to complete our quilt. Woohoo! (See Rainbow Remix, my 2018 BOM.)
Why did you decide to offer a subscription based product?
As my catalog of "Block of the Month" programs grew to three at a time, I was able to provide my students with more value and support by housing all of my "Modern Triangle" projects together within one club. In the month of March in 2020 I opened the doors of "Make Modern Triangles", the official club to help quilters design, make, and finish blocks that are blockbuster contemporary triangle quilts.
Within the club, participants have the option of choosing exactly which project they want to make as well as receive guidance and assistance from me as they strive by the desire to "bust their blocks" as they work together with like-minded quilters around the globe. This "Triangle Chatter" community is an absolute delight! Everyday, I'm completely blown over by the work and progress photos our members share.
What did your target audience react to your subscription?
Favorably, I'd say!
They Block of the Month products are such fun programs to create from the perspective of a instructor. However, the whole experience is truly a part of the community; the anticipation of the next stage and the anticipation of watching blocks increase; the remorse when something goes wrong; the satisfaction of completing each step and saying "ta the da!" together! It's all amazing and all part of the camaraderie we all experience together, as a group.
What lessons did you take away about your subscription, which you take to heart running your own business?
Oh, my. The biggest lesson I discovered, on my own was that I do way too much work for myself. This is why I'm always searching at ways to reduce my workload.
When I first started my company, one my primary goals was to be capable of contributing to the support of my family without the need to find a "real" occupation. I started with my children when they were infants with the hopes that my earnings would grow to match that of said "real" job.
I wanted to create an online business that would allow me to spend about 25% of my day on the computer, and spend the rest of my crafting time in my sewing room.
However, as someone who enjoys teaching it was easy for me to get lost in taking everything quilt I created and creating a book around it. As you can imagine, I had a ton of work to do! It also took me out of my sewing space and from my goals.
In order to keep things simple to keep it simple, I am now focusing (mostly!) on my membership and reducing everything down into essentially one offer.
What impact did starting a subscription based product have in your business?
By simplifying and focusing on the development of my membership, my income has doubled for the past 3 years (thanks for the sweet and sweet statistics!). My goal has been achieved to build a business which can provide for my family as well as one that is one in which I'm not tied to my laptop: I can create and produce art.
I am so more relaxed. I feel great about what I'm offering my clients. I am enthralledwatching my members' creations. And I have more time. I am secure. The peace of mind I have frees my time. Although it's not perfect, I know what I'm building as well as how I can make it better, and I can see the growth and development coming within the next couple of years.
As a member, I have less pressure. For the most part, I know my business earnings for the year. And I don't feel like I'm required to present the latest thing I'm working on or design a brand new product that I can sell. It's easy to focus on providing amazing information and connections for my friends and family members, while also developing for myself. In addition, I'm at all times and be flexible enough to take good care of my loved ones.
What helped you get the results you wanted?
My goal was and is always about simplification, so made perfect sense. It's so simple for a business online to become complicated in a short time. This tool simplifies things and I'm here for it. All I require is included in , and with the exception of a few other tools (from the before times when I did not use ), I use exclusively.
What tips would you offer anyone else looking to begin a subscription-based company?
Get a lot of work into your "Beta" version, and make your version "Beta" for more time than you think it is necessary to. I wished I'd kept mine in beta mode longer. Based on your experience, identify your strengths, then take it further. And then spend time and energy polishing and improving what's successful. Keep it simple and stay laser focused on simplicity. And start with your beta now; the longer you sit longer, the more complex the process becomes!