Infinity Macrame
Interview #34 - Infinity Macrame
This weeks blog post is a late one but one that is definitely worth the wait! It has been a crazy couple of weeks, especially with getting back into work, exams coming up and finalising assignments. This is probably why I haven’t been as active as I normally am but don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere!
I have so many exciting ventures coming your way and if you’re a business owner that is currently reading this, make sure you are following my Instagram account as I have some exciting news to come in the next couple of days. We are in the midst of cold weather and even though it definitely didn’t seem like it today, the coming days are sure to show it. So sit back and relax on your Sunday morning while you read about the amazing story of this next business.
I had the pleasure of interviewing the owner and artistic mind behind the business, Infinity Macrame. They are a small little business, located in Ballarat, Victoria creating products using macrame as well as other earrings and an abundance of wall hangings. For those that don’t already know, macrame is a form of textile that uses a knotting technique to create the delicate and intricate designs you can see from Infinity Macrame. I had a lovely time chatting with the owner and it is amazing at what she has created since starting her business.
MEET TILLY!
Tilly is the owner and artistic mind behind the beloved textile creations and clay products that you see. Tilly has had Infinity Macrame up and running since July 2019 and has since grown to have a passion and artistic crave towards creating products. She initially created her business as a venture to raise money for a school trip to Africa that is meant to be going on at the end of the year. Still being in school, Tilly is currently 16 years old and is proud that she has been able to give herself the opportunity of creating independence and helping her gain valuable life skills.
Out of all the business owners I have had the opportunity to, Tilly is by far the youngest business owner that I am yet to write about which is amazing in her sense.
Before officially creating her business, she started making cat beds with the macrame style and her two cats had the privilege of using them as well as others who started to buy them for themselves. The trip to Africa that is planned was her main goal with the business as this was the main reason for selling her creations. Even though there is a chance that the trip might not go ahead, Tilly’s business has never been about a money-making venture but rather something to help raise money and give it to those less fortunate.
When starting to get into making the business, Tilly is self-taught into making macrame and with the help of a few YouTube tutorials and heaps of people out there that will teach the technique making it not that hard to pick up. There was a lot of Pinterest researching and looking for inspiration when starting the business and by just doing this, there was so much more than Tilly was able to learn. From creating new and unique pieces to looking at the different techniques that can be used in the macrame style, she was able to take inspiration and utilise it for her own style.
Tilly’s age, because she is younger than most, doesn’t let her stop what she is doing and loves what she is able to do. As she is still in school, every spare minute she has is spent focused on perfecting her craft. Through the mixing of colours and figuring out the sort of patterns to use on different wall hangings, coasters and cat beds allow for the creative juices to flow which is why this is Tilly’s favourite part of the creative process, as well as coming up with new designs.
Unlike others that I have interviewed, Tilly’s inspiration was herself. As a young 16-year-old, there are sometimes limited options for work while also doing school. So because of her already limited time after school to not be able to get a job, she started to make her own things on the side and it all blossomed from there. Along with this, it would also be very beneficial that she is able to be more financially stable in a sense that from doing this at a young age, she is able to learn more about the value of money and how it all coincides with the world around. The business did start out to make some small savings on the side but soon turned into something bigger where she is now able to raise money for a good cause.
With this inspiration in mind and her self motivation, she hopes that her business can represent a lot of young people that are currently doing business. There needs to be more representation and more light given nowadays that teenagers especially can start their own business and that the age limit shouldn’t be considered a negative but rather to turn it into a positive.
What tips would you give a young teenager for starting their own business?
“I’d say just go with it and find a mentor. If there is someone out there that is older than you and doing the same or similar thing, then they will definitely be able to help you and get set up and to show you where to go. But it is hard, it’s hard to sort of navigating around all the age limits and how to get your money in and find suppliers and stuff but it’s definitely worth it if you get a chance to do it”
Before starting the business, there was quite a bit of doubt that she had about whether or not people were actually going to buy her products, more specifically the cat beds, but this is completely normal when anyone is starting a new business. There is always going to be that sense about whether or not people will actually like the products but when Tilly evolved her business into doing the wall hangings and now more recently the car earrings, the doubt fades away as the thought of people not wanting to buy them decreases. A lot of time and effort goes into making each macrame products. For example, Tilly told me that her longest design took 8 hours! I think that Is both crazy and amazing at the same time! This just proves that the quality and perfection that she puts into each customers order is always at 100 percent. As long as her customers are happy and that they are able to make their room look better with a wall hanging that Tilly believes that she has done her job and that is all that she wants back. The fact that people are enjoying her macrame and that they like them is all that matters.
How would you describe the business in one sentence?
Unique, handmade products from the heart, made for you and your home
Thank you for tuning in again for another week, another business and another blog post. I hope that you are reading all the way to the end which makes it all that much more worthwhile. Please make sure to show your support to Tilly by clicking this link HERE for her Instagram or the button below to her Etsy store.
To get regular updates on my blog and all that is to come, follow my Instagram and like my Facebook page with the links all over this blog as well as subscribe down below to keep in touch and stay updated on the happenings of my blog. I have exciting businesses coming your way and you don’t want to miss what I have in store!
And I love to hear your feedback, it helps me improve on my writing and finding out on what you want to see in future posts. Click Here to let me know what you think!
© copyright 2020 - Business Anthropi - republishing of any material is not permitted, contact me for authorization. All images shown have permission to be used by Business Anthropi