I'm accustomed to answering "What do you do?" but yesterday Megan Auman (business oracle!) suggested that "Why?" is the more important question.
She says "people don’t buy what you do, they buy WHY you do it" and that got me thinking.
I'll have a cup of tea while you read her article here: http://www.craftmba.com/2011/05/17/standing-out-by-starting-with-why/
There are lots of answers of course.
One is that I pay my bills by selling my work :-)
But *why* do I do precisely what I do? Why do I knit meerkats, why do I put them in costumes? some of that is answered in my "About Me" page here, but the short answer is that I have found my niche. I started knitting all sorts of things, but it's the meerkats that people most often buy, and they like being able to "design their own". Many of my meerkats started life as commissions, some then find many more buyers, some don't.
Megan goes on to say that "companies that start with WHY – a belief, cause, or idea beyond what they make – build loyal fans for life"
I'd be stretching it a bit to say I have a belief or cause behind my kats, but I do have loyal repeat buyers. Maybe I do have a belief? I always say if it isn't fun, I won't do it. I like to think my sense of fun shows through - maybe it's that childlike enjoyment that keeps people coming back? Maybe it's that head-shaking wonder - what on earth will she make next?
I don't know - but as long as it continues to be fun for me and fun for you, here's to the future!
I'm still interested though - Why do you do what you do? Do you really care why people you buy from do what they do?
I'd love to hear your answers!
