Scooter Booties – Featured Mom Small Business

Scooter Booties began with Britt’s love for fabric and textiles. You might call her a fabric addict. The “baby shoe” came from a pair of booties she made for a friend’s baby shower that turned out to be a huge hit.  The pattern has changed some from the original but it was a great starting point for her final product.  Britt is living the life most etsy sellers dream of.  Her Booties were such a hit she was able to quit her day job and sew full time.  Britt does not have any children of her own, yet, but she has plans to adopt and has actually begun the adoption process.  For now, however, Scooter Booties is her baby, and she is very proud of it’s growth.  Britt’s Scooter Booties is our featured small business this week.

 PM: When was your company founded and where are you based?

SB: I started my business in February 2012 and I am located in Fullerton, CA.

PM: How many are involved in your company?

SB: Just me! I do all of the production, which includes tracing, cutting, sewing, cleaning, packaging and shipping each pair. I also handle all the bookkeeping and accounting, advertising, and social media.

PM: What inspired you to start your company?

SB: A few things, actually. My office job was very unfulfilling. It wasn’t terrible, and it paid the bills, but it wasn’t making me happy. I’ve always been a very creative spirit and I’ve been sewing since I was a little kid. The business actually started as a hobby. I would sew after work and on the weekends. Eventually, I discovered that I could make money doing something that I loved! That discovery in and of itself was inspiring, that I could support myself with something I made with my own two hands. And so it began.

PM: Did you have a background in business prior to starting your company?

SB: Not at all. I didn’t even graduate from college. But even as a young child, I always had an entrepreneurial side to me. In the third grade, we had name tags on our desks at school, and I charged $2 to decorate my classmates name tags with art doodles of their choice. It became such a hit, that the other classes heard about it and I had a waiting list! I made money selling handmade paper bookmarks in front of the grocery store, french braiding hair at the farmers market, even selling left over Halloween candy. I was always looking for interesting and creative ways to earn a few bucks, and I usually succeeded, surprisingly! My mom owned her own daycare, and my dad was a salesman. So while I don’t have a business “degree”, I grew up surrounded by business minded people and I think it’s always been a part of me.

PM: Did you run into any problems or resistance while launching?

SB: Fortunately, no. There was a bit of a learning curve to the legal side of things like permits, taxes, etc., because I had no prior experience on how to start a business. But everything was pretty much smooth sailing and I learned as I went along.

PM: How do you get the most out of your day?

SB: Organization. And lists. I have lists for just about everything in my life. Open my purse or peek inside my car, and you will find random pieces of paper with to-do lists of all kinds. I also have a gigantic whiteboard in my office that I write everything on. I’m a very visual person. If I write everything down, then I can easily prioritize what is most important and what can wait. For me, organization is the key to productivity.

PM: How is your family apart of your business choices?

SB: Well, I don’t currently have children. A lot of people are often surprised to hear that, though I’m not sure why? Haha. One thing that really pushed me to turn my hobby into a business was the fact that I’ve always wanted to be a stay at home mom when the time comes. I have plans to adopt, and I’m actually in the very beginning stages of that process. So I have started to try and think of how my business will run when I do become a single mom, because it will definitely change! I won’t have the luxury of working uninterrupted for 8 hours straight. Adoption is expensive, so my current business choices are mostly financially geared. Whereas before I would put so much of my profit back into the business, and now that percentage has gone down because I’m trying to save for adoption costs and set up good financial habits for the extra expenses that having a child brings. Right now, my business is my priority in life, but it won’t always be. So it will be interesting to adjust to the dynamic of making it my second priority.

PM: What music inspires you?

SB: I enjoy every music genre except for heavy metal or opera. My Pandora is always on in my office, and it ranges from Indie to Country to Alternative to Meditative sounds. Currently, I’m really into 90’s Alternative and Hip-Hop!

PM: What is your favorite thing to do when you are not working? 

SB: I’ve become a bit of a gym rat the past 6 months or so! It’s something totally new for me, and it can be very energizing to take a break from fabric and work up a sweat. Besides the gym, I like “chill” activities…..movies, board games, reading, coffee with friends, that sort of thing.

PM: What do you see in the future for your shop?

SB: Nothing too big. I’m pretty content with the way things are going! I never want to be one of those gigantic handmade businesses with 10 sewists and a 3 week turn time. It works for some people, but I prefer the smaller scale and the one-on-one connection that I get with my customers. I would love to double the amount of Etsy listings I have. I am also in the process of adding a solids section to my shop, as I get so many requests for solid and neutral colors. Maybe take part in some more shows and events in my local community. And there is more fabric in the future. Always more fabric :-)

You can use the discount code:  PUNKYMOMS for 10% off in her etsy shop

Follow Scooter Booties on www.facebook.com/scooterbooties and instagram: ScooterBooties