Behind the scenes: what our yarn and fiber clubs mean for Sheepspot

I've been blogging a lot about various aspects of the Sheepspot clubs and what I hope they will mean for you: a painless way to squoosh, sniff, and work with the wool of some fabulous breeds of sheep. So I thought today I would say a little bit about what I hope the clubs will mean for Sheepspot.

I started Sheepspot as what's called in entrepreneur-speak a "bootstrapper." I have no investors and no partners, and while I have taken on a bit of debt, so far I've managed to fund the company entirely with periodic infusions of my own cash. 

Fiber businesses are seasonal. Most knitters and spinners, understandably, are more likely to buy wool yarn and fiber in the fall and winter than in the late spring and summer. But shearing happens in the spring, which means that my biggest wool costs come just as sales are slowing down, and processessing bills from the mills tend to come at the end of the summer, when sales are slowest. The result is a real cash-flow crunch from the late spring through the early fall.

It's my hope that the clubs might ease this crunch; upfront payments can go to shepherds or be set aside for processing costs, while the monthly payments will make at least some of the company's income more predictable.  

I'm a little self-conscious about writing this. Perhaps it's inappropriate, or too much information. Or, on the other hand, perhaps it's useful for you as someone who cares about Sheepspot and its future.

Feel free to let me know in the comments.