Photo submitted by Addison Sanders

Addison Sanders’ crochet creations are put on display. “I was kind of getting into crochet, but I knew that I liked crocheting stuffed animals,” Sanders said. Sanders sells amigurumi (crochet stuffed animals) because she thinks it’s more fun than making clothing.

With a half finished project in hand, Addison Sanders (10) walked to the Hobby Lobby checkout to buy the yarn she needed to complete it. The cashier complimented it and asked if she sold her crochet items anywhere. Having to tell the cashier ‘no’ made her think – maybe this was something she could do. 

“…that’s kind of where the Etsy shop came from. Some random cashier at Hobby Lobby,” Sanders said. 

Sanders started crocheting because she had the time and because she wanted to do something nice for her baby cousin. Inspired by her aunt’s love for dinosaurs, Sanders decided to crochet a dinosaur as a gift for her aunt’s baby shower. 

“I was like let’s make something special for my aunt, because she’s pregnant and pregnancy sucks,” Sanders said. 

Starting a business can be difficult and comes with many challenges to overcome. One issue she had to figure out was how to make herself appealing to buyers. Not knowing where to start, she got advice from her dad and from watching videos online. Sanders had to manage her time with athletics and academics, too.

“…I was just like, oh my gosh, this is gonna be a lot…I have to actually commit a lot of time and effort into this,” Sanders said. 

Sanders sells crochet stuffed animals on her Etsy store: Thumperscreation. This business wouldn’t be Sanders’ first job, though. Being a part-time ref and reselling her old books and clothes keeps her busy throughout the school year. At the moment, there haven’t been any sales, but Sanders is hoping to change that this winter when she starts her store up again. She is planning to save up in order to help achieve her future goals. 

“I know that I want to go into the medical field when I get older, and that’s years and years of schooling…I kind of just want that little bit of padding to be there,” Sanders said.

Working through all of these struggles and finding the right balance of her time has given Sanders a new appreciation for small business owners. 

“Because I know the struggles of actually running a business now, every time I see someone trying to start their own business or being successful in their businesses, I always feel proud of them,” Sanders said. “…Because I know that it took a lot of bravery and determination to get to wherever they might be at the moment.”