Starting a Business With IBS

This last year I have spent it making a lot of changes in my life. The biggest is not working a typical 9-5 job anymore. Between the pandemic, my IBS, and a few other things, I decided it was best for me to work from home. This has been one of the best decisions I have made, but I won't lie. It has been hard.

Business opportunities with IBS

One of the projects I began working on was starting a shirt business with my sister. We both are artists (she is so much better than I ever will be), and this has been something we have wanted to do for years and finally had the opportunity, thanks to one of my sister's friends Dawn. We got all the things required and started up. IBS doesn't realize that sometimes I need to work when it decides to flare. Using a heating press with IBS can be interesting. Once you start pressing a shirt, you are stuck where you are until it is done. Let's just say I came close to accidents more than once. It is doable, though.

Another opportunity I was fortunate enough to venture on is starting my own company. I am slowly building inventory to open a business selling knitted and crocheted items. This is much easier to step away from in case of a flare. Yarn is my go-to art medium. I learned to crochet and knit about 10 years ago. I picked up yarn and haven't put it down since.

I have aphantasia, so I can't mentally visualize anything but with yarn, I can graph things out to make them exactly how I want them. It's amazing to me that I can take yarn and turn it into a blanket with a picture or name inside it. Taking yarn and using my hands to create something for someone else to enjoy makes my heart happy. For years I have made Christmas presents and birthday presents for friends and family, but I never took the plunge on selling my items.

Work with IBS

This year we took the plunge and decided to invest in tools that I can use to help me create all things made with yarn quicker and easier on my hands. This year I realized I am actually really talented with yarn, and others seem to love what I make. I guess I realized more than anything that people want to buy things I make.

I haven't officially opened or started up a shop yet. I am working on having some inventory before I feel comfortable opening up shop. In the last 2 months, I made 5 full-size blankets, more headbands and beanies than I can count, and a few more things for Christmas presents. Followed by how much I would sell them for. This gave me the much-needed confidence I was lacking.

Never settle and stay in a job that you don't enjoy. You only have one life to live, so spend it doing what you love.