Today we’d like to introduce you to Belinda West.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started out making things as gifts for friends and family. People would ask if I could sell them some so that they could give them to their family and friends. It has grown from there, I have added items as I have went along, mostly because people have requested them. I started out at small craft shows and am now attending some of the larger shows in the Fort Worth area.
I am also a vendor out at NAS-JRB here in Fort Worth on a regular basis. I enjoy interacting with all of the people that I meet at the shows, both fellow vendors, and customers. And it is always great when I get to see repeat customers that come by to tell me that they absolutely love what they bought the last time and are checking with me to see what else I might have made. I also have an online store, www.onecrazygrandma.com, where the majority of my items are available for purchase.
Everything started out somewhat slow, but 2017 seems to have been a breakout year for One Crazy Grandma. We were invited to participate in the Shop Small Saturday event hosted by the Fort Worth Community Arts Council. With this interview request, we hope that 2018 will continue the trend that was begun in 2017.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There have definitely been some struggles along the way – thinking that the credit card has finished processing, returned it to the customer and realizing that I hadn’t actually charged anything after they had left of course!
Forgetting to update the quantities on the website and receiving orders for items that were already sold. Figuring out how to fit everything in my car and still be able to drive safely. Unloading and having the lid come off of the plastic bin and spill all of my product over the roadway. Trying to figure out if customers would like the fabrics or items that I came up with before I actually made them.
Sometimes it is ‘trial and error’, but I am a firm believer in re-purposing things, If it doesn’t work as one thing, take it apart and try making it into something else.
One Crazy Grandma – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I started out selling scarves and tote bags. The business has evolved over the last 3 years to include a variety of crocheted hats, knitted scarves, tote bags, smaller gift bags, hair bows, microwaveable bowl caddies, and now aprons. We will be adding additional aprons in 2018, as well as microwaveable potato bags, a bag that will attach to a walker and/or a grocery cart that will hold small items, and even an item that will handle feed and water buckets for horses.
While some of the things I make are similar to those that others at the craft fairs make. I seem to think outside the box when it comes to the materials and designs that I use. Customers always tell me that they can feel the ‘quality’ in what they buy from me. The fact that I have several repeat customers makes me proud of the effort that I put into everything that I make.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the fact that you can find anything that you need in the metroplex. It has been a great place to raise my children, and to grow my business. And of course, the worst thing about the metroplex is always going to be the traffic, but I do take solace in the fact that it is not as bad as it is in other places around the country,
Pricing:
- Gift Bags – $4.50
- Bowl Caddies – 3 sizes – starting at $8 Scarves
- Tote Bags, Hats – $15
Contact Info:
- Address: 3515 Sycamore School Rd Suite 125-334
Fort Worth, Texas 76133 - Website: www.onecrazygrandma.com
- Phone: 8174926383
- Email: sales@onecrazygrandma.com
- Instagram: One Crazy Grandma
- Facebook: One Crazy Grandma
- Twitter: One Crazy Grandma
- Yelp: One Crazy Grandma
- Other: One Crazy Grandma
Image Credit:
Stephanie LeBlanc, Frame of Life Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
