From Trying to Make Ends Meet to Making Over $12,000 in the First Month!

Nicola is the owner of the Crafty Club - a kids arts and crafts club in Wales. She runs in-person classes, workshops, parties, and she sells creative kits. 

When she launched her classes and workshops her business TOOK OFF!

 She taught over 800 students and made over £10,000 (that's $12,000) in the first month! 

Watch Christelle’s interview with Nicola below or keep reading to find out how she did it.

 Nicola's life before: 

Nicola, mom of 4, used to work as a childminder, but didn't like the long hours and always felt stressed.

“Before, I was always trying to make ends meet. Being self-employed, I had so many jobs and so much going on.

I was always stressed and never appreciating what I had. I felt like I didn’t want all these plates spinning… so I just smashed them all”.

 How she transformed her life: 

With lockdown and the arrival of her new baby, she took a step back from work. This allowed her time to slow down and reflect on what she really wanted.

Nicola stumbled across CCC Academy at just the right time.

She dived right in, using the CCC roadmap to get her logo and business must-haves in place and planned her classes using the done-for-you CCC lesson plans. This saved her tons of time and accelerated her journey to success.

When she launched her classes and workshops her business TOOK OFF!

She now works a lot less than she used to and she’s earning double the money.

That’s what we like to call ‘working smart, not hard.’

"I still keep looking at my bank account and think, wow!"

“The income has given me the boost to push my club forward even further, to buy supplies and grow.”

 A few learnings from Nicola: 

1. She has her customers pay upfront for classes (ensuring stability with income and cashflow).
2. She runs 6 classes per week in different areas, but each week she only selects one craft activity to use for all (keeping planning and prep to a minimum).
3. She runs her club on her own terms, around her family's schedule. 
4. She involves her kids in her business (more on that later 👇).
5. She offers a membership plan option (similar to Netflix or a gym). This ensures that Nicola receives recurring income month after month, giving her business great stability. 

 Her number one tip: 

Nicola’s number one tip for those who are just starting out? Build an email list and reach out to your contacts. Building an email list is The #1 Marketing Strategy Most Craft Club Owners Overlook. According to studies, email is 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter. And it really worked for Nicola!

When she sent emails to her connections she realized how many people were yearning for a creative outlet like this for their kids. She targeted those she knew had a database of potential clients and gave those contacts a trial class for free.

News of her crafting club spread like wildfire, and now she teaches over 200 kids per week!

 Getting the kids involved: 

The best part of running her own club and being her own boss is that Nicola is able to involve her family in her business.

Her daughter helps her pick which crafts they’re going to do each week, and her 14 month old boy goes with her to the holiday clubs. “We call him ‘Dobby’ - he just potters around and the kids love him. He is such a happy baby, but that must be because I’m really happy”. 

To read more about involving your family in your club, check out our blog episode 3 Tips on How to Run an Arts & Crafts Club Around Your Family’s Schedule. 

The biggest takeaway? Happy mom = happy kids.

When you are thriving, your kids will too.

 The best thing about running a club: 

We asked Nicola what her favourite thing is about running a successful arts & crafts club and we LOVED her answer:

“When I leave my club, I come out of there feeling like I’ve changed somebody’s life. I get in the car feeling so proud of and loving what I do. And that happiness reflects on every aspect of my life.”

Ready to get started with your club? 

Join our next #GetStarted Workshop and start your own club, just like Nicola's!

Click here to sign up: https://www.creativecraftingclub.com/gs-live-workshop-signup