🧵 What I’ve Learned from Crochetpreneur: Lies About the Crochet Business

I recently watched another video from Crochetpreneur titled “Lies They Tell You About the Crochet Business.” It was both insightful and encouraging, especially as someone who’s working hard to grow a crochet business from the ground up. Lie #1: "Just Open an Etsy Shop and People Will Buy" This is one of the most common things people say when you mention starting a crochet business. And honestly? I believed it at first. The idea sounds easy—list your crochet items on Etsy, and sales will start rolling in. But in my experience, it didn’t work that way. I’ve tried Etsy more than once, and each time I walked away with zero sales. I now understand that it wasn’t just about having a product—it was about having the right SEO, the right messaging, and the ability to stand out in a very crowded marketplace. At the time, I didn’t even know what SEO meant, let alone how to use it properly. Plus, Etsy has a lot of fees—listing fees, transaction fees, and processing fees—which can quickly add up. For someone just starting out with limited resources, it’s just not feasible. That said, I still use Etsy as a customer, especially for crochet patterns I want to try. But as a seller, I’ve learned it may not be the best platform for me—at least not right now. Lie #2: Crochet Businesses Only Sell Products and Patterns This was another big myth I believed. I thought if I wasn’t selling finished crochet items or writing patterns, I wasn’t really running a crochet business. But Crochetpreneur opened my eyes to other options. You can grow your business through: Writing a crochet blog Creating YouTube videos or tutorials Teaching others how to crochet Becoming a contract crocheter or virtual assistant for other makers Selling digital downloads or offering crochet services There’s more to this business than just selling a scarf or a pattern! Lie #3: You Have to Be on Every Social Media Platform This one hit home too. I really tried to be everywhere—Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter)—but the truth is, I couldn’t keep up. It was overwhelming, and I felt like I was spending more time managing social media accounts than actually crocheting. Now, I focus solely on Facebook, where my audience is most active and engaged. Yes, I technically have accounts on other platforms, but I haven’t posted in so long I don’t even remember the logins. And that’s okay. Quality over quantity. There are other lies that I chose not to discuss. If you would like to see this video, you can find it in YouTube. Just type in Crochetpreneur and a lot of her videos will pop up including this one. Real Talk: I'm Not Getting Sales Right Now Here’s me being honest—I’m not currently getting many sales. And I’ve realized the problem may be in my messaging. Am I not being clear enough about what I offer? Am I not showing the value of handmade items? Or maybe I’m just not asking for the sale directly enough. These are all things I’m reflecting on and working to improve. Growth takes time, and I’m in this for the long haul. I’ll be doing some serious evaluation and learning how to be a little more "salesy" without losing my voice or authenticity.