MEET: Lisa Lam

 

U-Handbag came into being by happy accident. I was running my market stall as a stop-gap whilst trying to figure out what to do with my lack of career. When the idea for setting up U-Handbag popped into my head I had the strongest feeling that this was something that I really had to do. I’ve crafted ever since my mum let me loose with a sewing needle, but I’d never thought to combine my love of craft with my work. It wasn’t until I started U-Handbag that big epiphany moment where it struck me: “Oh I see! This is what I was meant to do!!”. I love my business now as much as I did when I first thought of her.  

 

I’ve always wanted my business to be run by people for people. To me that means, customers know: who owns the shop, who works in the shop and that we are here to treat our customers well. This all might sound obvious, but I’ve been in plenty of shops where this isn’t the case! (Though, I’ve never had a bad shopping experience in an online craft shop). I also love to teach bag making and I feel that teaching is a great way to instill customer confidence in my products and my business. Finally, I think that if your business is online it’s good for you and the customer to be visible and be available (particularly craft businesses). The craft community (especially online) is massive and so interactive. It’s a wonderful place where millions of folks worldwide have the same obsessions as you do. Having a regular online presence means that it is easy to share what you do with others. As a business owner I (of course) tell folks about new products I have in stock, but I also share free patterns, sewing and business advice, aspects of my personal life, join in the craft chat and check out other people’s handiwork.

 

I don’t have a formal business degree, a certificate in bag making, or IT certificates. I’ve learned most about running an online business on the fly. But saying that, I have gained loads of skills from my hotchpotch educational history and my hotchpotch work history. For instance: I completed a course in hand making women’s footwear, this has been essential for bag designing, pattern making and construction; I’ve worked as a play therapist which has been useful for teaching bag making; I’ve owned a restaurant which has been helpful for running this business. My experience running the craft stall was invaluable for giving me an insight into what customers where looking for in terms of handmade items and also what other (stitched goods) market stall holders where looking for in terms of sewing supplies.

 

Setting up U-Handbag was for me a natural progression from running my craft market stall. There was no one place online (or otherwise) where one could source bag making supplies and get bag making advice. Also the set up costs were not crazy high. I knew where to source professional-looking supplies and felt comfortable with working with factories (thanks to trips to the far East with my mum).  

 

I think love is the most helpful thing in setting up your own business. When you love what you do; you will spend the long hours, find the money, educate yourself, pick yourself up when you make mistakes and generally push yourself to make things work. You just have to remember to switch off at times!

 

On a more practical level I’d say that when setting up a business before you spend any money do some research:

The short answer is, tiring! Prior to writing my first book, I’d had lots of lovely feedback comments from readers of my craft blog tutorials. Many of them asking me “when are you gonna write a book?” so I felt sure that writing a book was on the cards eventually, but with a business to run and my lack of knowledge of publishing I never got round to it. It wasn’t until a commissioning editor of my publisher read my craft blog and then approached me to write The Bag Making Bible that I got into book writing. The publisher already had a loose book concept, I added to it a little and we took it from there. I think craft book writing is hard work; there are so many different aspects to bring together to make the final package, but that makes for a wonderful sense of satisfaction when it's all finished. Then if you get nice feedback from readers, it blows you away! If you get the chance to do it, then go for it. Some publishers are happy for you to approach them with book concepts. If you have an established craft blog that they can read (so they can see your writing style) all the better.

 

2 designs from Lisa’s up coming book: A Bag for All Reasons.  

Train Style Vanity Case and The Too Cool for School Satchel.

 

The thing I love most about designing bags are the challenges. I like to make bags which look professional (some might say shop-bought), or I like figuring out how certain features of factory made bags can be re-created on a domestic sewing machine, or I like using doo-dahs like metal accessories on bags and I like figuring out how to use them as design features that are also useful.

 

The thing I like least about designing bags is being limited by the use of a domestic sewing machine.  In my shoe-making course I loved using industrial leather sewing machines (they are strong enough to sew through concrete!). After years of bag making and designing on domestic sewing machine I am used to this limitation and as a consequence I’ve learned tricks to overcome it. I have to work on a domestic sewing machine because most of us don’t have access to an industrial machine – though this means that thick patent leather bags aren’t on the cards for most of us!

 

Thanks! To be honest I don’t have really have favourite designs. I tend to be mad in love with the latest design, until I design another bag and then I love that too. That said, I always really love designs which have almost created themselves. These designs just work, from initial pencil sketch to final making up (without any hitches). My last design to do that was The Graceful Kelly Bag. I designed this bag in my head even before I ordered the frame! Another current fave is the super-duper featured baby bag (with changing mat), which is inside my new book. I was going to keep this bag for myself, but it’s already been snapped up by a UK parenting magazine as part of a big prize fund.

 

 

Up to recently, I was sewing and working in our home office. Now we have a baby on the way in March 2012, my sewing room has been turned into a nursery. So it looks like I will be relegated to sewing on the kitchen table (just like the old days – sigh!). As long as I have access to fabric, slippers, table, sewing machine, music and tea I can work most anywhere.

 

 

My customers and readers are always my biggest inspiration in my design work. I’m lucky that they are not shy when it comes to telling me what they want from their bags! It’s fun taking their requirements, adding my take on what they are looking for and then trying to provide it to them. I’m quite a pragmatic sort of person so I very much like things to have form as well as function. I do love pretty things, but I love them even more if they happen to be useful.

 

Next 12 months will definitely involve learning about how to be a mum! As I work from home I can juggle being a mum and looking after my business at the same time (not sure how yet, but we’ll figure something out!). I want to design more bag patterns and bag making kits. I also want to begin supplying shops with U-Handbag branded products. In 5 years time I see myself still running and loving my business in much the same way that we are now, except perhaps on a bigger scale. Larger premises with space and facilities to run a wholesale side alongside the current retail side would be great. 

 

 

 

Handmade has for a long time been an important part of my life. It shapes much of what I do and the way that I think. It helps us to look more to ourselves for the things that we want in life – that given the chance, we are more resourceful than we think. The whole process of using your hands and brain to bring something into being (as opposed to buying it off a shelf) has always been exciting, satisfying, thoughtful, and just magical! 

 

A good way to wind down is to get a dog! We live by the sea and our dog loves a good swim. Designing bags and purse is another nice way to unwind. I have sketchbooks of idea and doodles, some of which will never see the light of day and others do. It may be work, but it’s actually relaxing. I also love to cook we rarely eat out. Dinner is always a bit of an event in our house so I like reading through recipes, doing the shopping and cooking. Al and I will catch up on our day whilst something is bubbling in the stove/oven and then afterwards Al washes up. I’m sure this cosy set-up will change somewhat when our baby comes along…

 

 

I do use social media. I like to be on Facebook most days. It’s so easy to use and I love how interactive it is. It’s nice to log-in and see what other folks have posted on you wall. With social media, you never need to feel isolated (which you easily can if you work from home).