When I first opened my fabric shop in 2015, I assumed that my typical customer would be just like me—someone who shops in a fabric store the same way I do.  After 11 years as a shop owner and serving thousands of crafters, I’ve learned just how wrong that assumption was.

Each customer walks through our doors for a different reason. Some arrive with a specific project in mind and know exactly what they need. Others are simply looking for inspiration, something to spark their creativity.

Over the years, I’ve come to recognize that there are various types of customers. When I plan what we offer in our store, I keep all of the different types in mind.  One of these customer types is what I call “The Seeker,” and she’s more important than you might think.

Imagine This Scenario…

Meet Kelly.

Kelly has been thinking about learning a craft for a while.  She loves scrolling through social media and seeing the beautiful projects people create.  She finds herself thinking, I wish I could make things like that. She decides it’s time to learn how to sew, and maybe even try quilting.

Kelly is a Seeker.  She starts where many Seekers start: YouTube.  But after watching a few tutorials, she becomes overwhelmed.  There’s so much information, and she realizes that she’d much prefer an in-person class.

So, she heads to Google and searches: ‘Sewing classes near me’.  The first result is a shop only a few miles from her home, and she clicks through to the website.  

Kelly immediately clicks on the ‘Classes’ tab.  She scrolls through the classes offered, but she doesn’t see a Sewing 101 class.  There’s no Quilting 101, either.   

Back in the search results, Kelly finds another fabric shop. It’s a little farther from home, but she clicks through.  Not only is there a Sewing 101 class for total beginners, but it’s being offered on three different dates over the next few months. Kelly signs up for a date that works for her.

She attends the class and falls in love with sewing.  Over the next few months, Kelly takes several more beginner-level classes at this shop, and with each class, her skills and confidence grow.  Eventually, she feels ready to sew independently.  She invests in a sewing machine, some tools, fabric, and other supplies.  

Which shop are you?

Is your shop Seeker-friendly?  What do beginners find when they visit your website?

In addition to owning a brick-and-mortar shop, I also own a pattern company that provides patterns and curricula to other stores like mine.  I visit fabric shop websites quite often for market research and find a surprising number of stores do not offer beginner classes. 

I can understand why some shops hesitate to reach out to beginners – they can require a lot of attention and ask a lot of questions. They make mistakes and need help fixing them. 

Catering to beginners is a time investment for both you and your staff.  

Creating beginner classes comes with its own challenges.  Even something that seems simple, like determining how long a class should be, can be surprisingly difficult.  A pillowcase might take you 30 minutes to make.  A beginner might need three hours.  Until you’ve taught the class a few times, you simply don’t know what your students will need.

However, once you invest the time to establish a few great beginner classes, you can offer them again and again with much less effort.   Each time, you have the opportunity to welcome a new group of Seekers into your shop.

The Real Opportunity Goes Beyond Class Revenue

The revenue generated by beginner classes is certainly valuable.  The potential revenue that follows can be even greater.   Beginners need everything:   fabric, tools, patterns, notions, and a sewing machine.  When your shop welcomes beginners, you have the opportunity to earn their trust and loyalty:  they’ll look to you as the expert who can help them figure out the right products to buy.

At Urban Sewciety, we’ve intentionally created a very Seeker-friendly environment. Hundreds of students take our Sewing 101 class every year.  Inevitably, some take the class and then head back to YouTube.  Others become our new best customers. 

Take a Fresh Look at Your Shop

I encourage shop owners to take an unbiased look at their own website.  Don’t look at it as the store owner; look at it from the perspective of a Seeker.  Imagine you’ve never sewn before. You’re excited, curious, and maybe a little intimidated.  You search for a sewing class and land on your shop’s website. 

What do you find?  Can a complete beginner immediately see where to start?  Are your classes clearly labeled by skill level?  Do you offer a Sewing 101 or Quilting 101?  

Consider how you can make it easier for Seekers to take that first step in your shop, because Kelly—and hundreds of other potential customers just like her—are out there searching.  

Megan Whitney

Contributor