Today we’d like to introduce you to Ray Creates.
Hi Ray, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi! My name is Hannah, and I’m a 16-year-old small business owner. I started my business when I was 11 or 12 years old selling handmade bracelets, jewelry, and charms made out of rubber bands to my family and neighbors, but as I grew, I wanted a place to have my own shop. My parents help me set up an Etsy store with the name Ray Creates just as the pandemic hit in early 2020, which was great for my small business because more people were shopping online and were able to discover my shop. As I continued to gain support from my friends, family, and followers on social media, I discovered that people were making plushies and stuffed animals out of yarn through a crochet method called Amigurumi. I had been using a similar method with rubber bands to make small toys, but I wanted something that was easier to use and more accessible, so I went to the store and got some yarn for my first crochet project, which was a bee. From there, I learned different crochet methods and gained more experience, and I began doing markets and craft shows. I now have over 1200 followers on Instagram, and I’m growing on TikTok and Facebook and beginning to grow my content on YouTube. I’ve grown a love for crocheting & crafting, but also a love for the entrepreneurship and content creation that comes with being a small business owner!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For me, it hasn’t been too much of a struggle growing my business over the past few years. However, being a teenager and not having the same privileges as adults running a small business can make it quite challenging. I remember when I first started on Etsy; it was hard to know what to do because there were a lot of rules & regulations with age, as there are in most online resources for small businesses. Even as I’ve gotten older, there are still barriers, such as not being able to have my own PayPal until I’m an adult. They might seem insignificant to others, but this makes having a large online presence and trying to grow my business as much as I can difficult at times and is something I want to help educate people on in the future. Having more opportunities for teenagers to learn about money & finances and how to use it in a small business would’ve helped me a lot with my small business and would help a lot of upcoming teen entrepreneurs.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a fiber artist, and I crochet! I make plushies, animals, accessories, and even clothes out of yarn and sell them in my online shop and at craft shows/markets! I’m most proud of when I work on a project or prepare for an event, and it goes really well because it gives me the feeling of accomplishment and pushes me to keep going. One thing that sets my work apart from others is that I’ve been crocheting since I was 13, and I’m only 16, while most other people start their businesses as young adults or older. Another thing that sets me apart is having my own style and brand and my love for growing my business through content and social media.
What do you think about happiness?
I love being able to make other people happy with what I make because it makes me happy in return. Knowing that something I made with my own hands gives other people so much joy is such a good feeling, and it’s a huge source of motivation for me. Another thing that makes me happy is just creating, no matter what it is. Crocheting is a huge source of happiness, but even when I get burnt out with crocheting, it’s good to have a backup hobby that I can go to and take a break. Everyone has the ability to be creative, and I think everyone should create things more often.
Contact Info:
- Website: raycreates.carrd.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raycreates__/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RayCreatesShop
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/raycreates__
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@raycreates905
- Other: etsy.com/shop/raycreatesshop
