Quilting and Patchwork

Do Quiltmakers & Quilt Businesses Need Resumes?

by Mary Emma Allen on October 2nd, 2007

I saw this question asked somewhere, “Does a business owner need a resume?”  (And in a way, a quilter is a business owner if she/he is utilizing the art in a way to earn an income.)

Immediately I thought, “No, only someone applying for a job needs a resume.”

Then I began pondering some more  and it’s application to quilters.  Customers/clients often ask for referrals.  This information may not be in the strict sense a resume, but will provide information that helps them make a knowledgeable decision, just as an employer refers to the traditional resume.

1. If you have a service type of quilt business…. making quilts, wall hangings, machine quilting, and doing other quilting tasks ….your customers usually will want a description of what you offer, a summary of your experience, and often referrals.    They may have been referred to you in the first place and want this information to expand upon what they were told or to confirm it. 

2. If you make quilted and fabric products, either to sell outright in a shop or over the Internet, customers often will want to know your background and the quality of the product.  (For instance, you may see these designated by stars or customer ratings on web sites.)

What type of “resumes” are we talking about where customers/clients can find this information?

*Brochures, bookmarks, flyers of various types

*Web sites or blogs

*Press releases, either in print media or online

*Interviews

(For instance, the interview at Work From Home Momma, gives  a glimpse of my background from which somoene could seek additional information.  This wasn’t done with the purpose of promoting me.  But as I was thinking about interviews, I realized that any interview likely gives background, informal resume type of information and could be used a referral.)

*Referrals - word of mouth from customers/clients

*Ratings - for instance, authors often find their books rated or reviewed on book store and book sites.  Items they sell over the Internet may be rated, too.

These are a few of the methods  quilting related business owners can use to let customers/clients (current and potential) know about their products and services.  Even though they’re not what we think of as the traditional resume, they are necessary for home business owners in developing a loyal customer base. 

Can you think of more?  Can you share experiences about how these “resumes” helped you?

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POSTED IN: Businesses, General Quilting/Patchwork