Prospective Clients and Stitchers alike frequently express surprise when learning of GhostStitchers existence. Their comments and inquires range from "how did you think of a stitching service" to "is this for real"? The reactions are somewhat amazement and/or delight. Due primarily to this continuing inquisitive feedback, the decision was made to write this little history of our conception, birth and infancy. Lynda, Carla and Paul started GhostStitchers. The use of first names only best suits their casual business styles, which includes the desire to be spontaneous and relaxed with Prospects and Clients alike. J

Our trio went to lunch on a nice spring day during early June of 2000. Paul confidentially informed the other two that the company for which they had all worked for many years was going to close. This process would take at least a year or two. It turned out that Carla was the last official employee when it did close during April of 2002, which was fitting since she enjoys having the last word. J

They all wanted to continue working together, so weekly "Brain Storming" lunches began. It's true that initially they weren't very productive, so it was decided Paul would step back to fill more of a facilitator’s roll. Both Lynda and Carla were to independently make lists of things they enjoyed for the next meeting. That next meeting was short because Old Sour Puss (Paul) took a quick look at the lists, and trashed them. He told the two to stop trying to make lists of potential businesses, and to write enjoyed activities only.

Lynda and Carla each had about ten to twelve items listed for the next lunch engagement. Paul read them slowly, folded them neatly and tucked them away. They were to produce two new and different lists for their next "free lunch" get together. Armed with the second group of "enjoyed" activities, they learned of the twenty some items each listed, there were four matches. Despite the fact that none of the matches seemed to offer business opportunities, Paul persisted in asking a lot of questions about them.

During the next few weeks, three of the four list matches were discussed, some brief research was performed, and they were subsequently placed on the back burner for possible future consideration. This left the single match created when both Lynda and Carla scrawled the word "needlework" on their respective lists. The first chore was to convince Paul to stop referring to it as sewing! Carla had enjoyed working on a few small Cross Stitch pieces. When it comes to stitching experience, product knowledge and inside industry information, Lynda was and is a gem. At age four and next to her mother’s knee, she actually started her first Cross Stitch project. By early adolescence she was doing Needlepoint, Crewel, Embroidery, Knitting and Crocheting like a pro.

A couple of long sessions revolving around the stitching industry filled the next two meetings. Slowly a "weak link" seemed to appear in the supply chain from raw material to finished product for many potential consumers. While the industry seemed centered on those who loved participating in the craft, the thought evolved that there may be a market to supply the actual stitching for those who don’t have the time, interest and/or ability. And what about all the businesses that must have a constant need for samples? These were questions that needed answers, so it was time to take a look.

While Lynda had never heard of a "stitching service", there was a bit of confidence that these needs must be being met by some organized companies. Nothing was found. Not even a business that was providing stitching service as a value added option. These results naturally beg the question, why can nothing be found? The thinking began to surface that if nobody is filling the perceived void, maybe it doesn’t need filling.

The most common vehicle for conducting business research is information gathering of the other entities already flourishing. Since investigating the non-existent was impossible, the quest became why? Some vague concepts of how the subject venture may function were formulated. Since the service would often be considered as "filling in" for others (like a Ghost Writer) the name GhostStitchers might resonate appropriately. Armed with this lightweight ammunition, Lynda and Carla set out to survey the stitching world.

Via phone calls and e-mails, opinions were sought from Shop Owners, Designers, and anyone else in the industry that would respond. They even encouraged feedback on a few bulletin boards. Thankfully the sincere beliefs and convictions from about twenty-five to thirty generous people were documented. All seemed very sincere and honestly attempting to be helpful. Their positions were amazing similar. The bottom line was "don’t do it, it won’t work". What a downer! The reasons centered on money. It was believed people would not pay enough to cover even meager costs, much less generate a profit.

It was now late summer and time was becoming short. The "Brain Storming" meetings had grown to two or three a week, lasting much longer than just lunch, and had in fact, become planning sessions. The favorite spot was a restaurant with large tables, plenty of coffee and Sweet Potato French-Fries. Does one put salt or sugar on Sweet Potato Fries? And what about the Catsup? One taste was sufficient for Lynda, Paul liked them (uug!), and Carla ate one after another while complaining about their poor taste. J

The threesome was quite disappointed with the market survey results. They had been so excited and confident… but, then again, there are untold numbers of people that have spent decades in the Needlearts Industry, and none of them were found to be offering stitching services as a core business. In spite of the negativity, the tone of their thought processes soon evolved to a "let’s try it anyway" attitude. The first decision was to begin putting together bits of information that one might use for a Business Plan. It was thought that the exercise would shed more light on the possibilities. Time was becoming very short, therefore two elements were considered crucial. A final decision would be made by November 1^st, and, if it was to proceed, the business must be established before year’s end. If either of these events failed, it was agreed that the spontaneous three would move on, never to look back at GhostStitchers again.

Lynda, Carla and Paul all had continuing management and/or semi-management level responsibilities to the "old" business. Work was slowed and it became somewhat obvious to most that a rapid downsizing was on the horizon. Yesterday’s business was providing the resources for investigating the future.

Lynda and Carla began seeking answers to the big questions. Who would buy from them? How would Clients learn about the new stitching service? How is a marketing plan developed for an unknown or non-existent market? Where would the business be located? Could enough computers, office equipment and furniture just be taken from the closing entity and what would the CPA think about that (ownership was the same for both businesses)? Who would do the stitching? How much money will be needed, and where would it come from? What, if anything, would need to be outsourced?

GhostStitchers would need to be launched at least nationally, so one of the earliest realizations was the need of a Web Site. Paul had a relatively strong computer background in business applications (Databases, Spreadsheets, etc.), so he was the natural choice to provide the Web Site. However, designing a Web Site turned out be a whole New World for Paul. Here it was, the year 2000, and he had actually never been online. The next few months passed as Lynda and Carla struggled with issues that had more questions than answers. And then there was Paul, spending an unbelievable amount of time trying to learn about designing a Web Site. One positive was he began to understand that Cross Stitch and Needlepoint are different. J

November started with the little group at their large round restaurant table, with plenty of coffee, and of course after lunch, more Sweet Potato French-Fries. The Business Plan had some gapping holes, due to lack of information. Marketing and availability of Stitchers were the major concerns. Without sound data on the supply and demand, uncertainty was rampant. A list of over one thousand local needlework shops with both mailing addresses and phone numbers had been acquired, and Carla had convincing verbal communications skills. Advertising information had been gathered from several trade magazines. Office space, equipment and furniture had been tentatively arranged. The only Stitchers would be Lynda and a close friend (after opening, an abundance of qualified Stitchers rapidly surfaced). Having a Web Site ready in a timely manner was still a concern. It was impossible to predict marketing costs along with time necessary to start the register ringing. Therefore the financial projections were no more than a shot in the dark. Those early estimates later proved to be hugely understated.

In spite of all the above, our confident three belligerently injected reality with their optimism, and concluded that GhostStitchers was a great idea and they fully intended to make it work. The decision to cautiously "throw a little money at it" was made. Conception had occurred and planning for the birth was at hand.

The biggest task during this incubation period was timing and coordination. If a functioning Web Site was to be part of the "opening", a host company needed to be selected a week or two in advance, after an Internet Service Provider had been retained, which would be after phone service had been ordered. However, someone needed to know that the Phone Company was currently three weeks behind with installations and they wouldn’t even take an order until a location is confirmed. It seemed like office space is required two months before it’s really needed. All this presupposes the Site design had been finished and adequately tested. Timing and Coordination! Optionally, schedule and organization could be ignored, with happenstance permitted to rule the day. Add to the mix, three people with other responsibilities, usually working independently, trying to activate the little details of an unfinished Business Plan.

Marketing preparation was the first priority. Paul designed a temporary database that served for data input of the list of shops around the country. During her "spare time"’ Carla typed over one thousand names, addresses and phone numbers. Everything from spelling to the zip codes needed to be verified and often corrected. What a mess!

Many of the original preparations proved to be unworkable. Classic examples were the Client pricing policy and the Stitchers’ fee schedule. Devising fair, equitable and workable financial schedules proved to be an ongoing riddle for some time. Oh well, ready or not…

Year’s end arrived with everything more or less in place. The old business was spiraling down on schedule, and the new venture was as ready as one might expect. Paul felt there was no place for him in a "stitching" business, so he sought and found employment. His resume was unique. The last time he looked for a job was 1972. J He stayed informed and somewhat involved through Monday evening and Friday afternoon meetings. It was arranged for Lynda and Carla to spend most of their time on GhostStitchers. Hindsight now reveals that the Web Site was hideous, nonetheless it was published on December 26^th 2000 and GhostStitchers was born.

January 2001 was the first full month of operation. Lynda and Carla reported having great fun. Sadly they also reported total income of less than twenty dollars for the month, but they were confident that having initial low revenues was not a problem. On the other hand, Paul believed it was a problem (a big problem). If the fun was to continue, some real revenues would need to materialize. Seriously, everything imaginable was being done to generate interest in and sales for the fledgling venture. Carla was on the phone mornings, afternoons and evenings while Lynda was continually preparing hundreds of mailing pieces and sending e-mails. Ads had been placed in all the stitching magazines. Any thoughts of containing marketing costs were thrown to the four winds. The CPA actually predicted a fast demise (it’s his job to be negative).

Slowly, but steadily, the cash register started to ring! What made it happen is still a bit of a mystery. It was unclear which efforts were bearing fruit and which were ineffective. Nevertheless, pleasure and/or relief abounded. The sales increases within these first six months began to reveal a number of operational shortcomings. If this was to become a real business, some rethinking and new direction was in order. All original efforts, including the hosting of an exhibition booth at the International Trade Show at Charlotte, North Carolina, had been focused on sales. Having Clients brought the challenge of providing service in an efficient and effective fashion.

The first six months showed that a stitching service might well succeed. Even the CPA conceded that the pending demise might take a bit longer than originally predicted. J A look at GhostStitchers’ position provided a somewhat vague vision as to where it needed to go, with the principal struggle being constructing the vehicle to get there. Extensive information regarding each project needed to be readily available. Something had to be done to streamline the intake, quotation and assignment for stitching processes. Monitoring of progress and accountable to Clients was non-existent. And the nagging haphazard manner in which Client pricing and Stitcher fees were calculated still loomed. An all-encompassing computer application was essential.

The robust nature of the type of system called for was well beyond the young company’s purchasing abilities. An application’s development also requires a thorough working knowledge of the in place procedures, and the real problem was, GhostStitchers didn’t have any! While Paul had some rudimentary skills, the task at hand was considerable. An immense advantage to in house design is the ability for constant upgrading and enhancement. The only answer was for him to abandon his current employment to become GhostStitchers first full time employee. Isn’t it called volunteering when there’s no pay or benefits? Be that as it may, now he’d have to discover the difference between Cross Stitch and Needlepoint. J

No longer a newborn, year two began with GhostStitchers in early infancy. Sales were still climbing slowly, but steadily. Notwithstanding a few kinks, the computer system was functioning. It was a tremendous comfort to have fair and equitable pricing automatically available. The initial intake of project specifications was and remains laborious, but the quote, work assignment, monitoring, Client updates, final inspection and shipping is smooth, fast and accurate. The application even predicts the number of days required for completion with uncanny accuracy. Since the System Administration is "in house", the application continues to be improved. As of this writing, the most recent change is an effort to elimination dialing the wrong phone number. One just clicks a button next to the phone number on the screen and the computer dials properly while leaving the user at liberty to pick up the desk phone when ready. Probably not a real necessary innovation, but it sure is cool! J Yes, some days Paul has a little too much time with nothing to do.

Since less time and energy was being consumed correcting errors, there was time to explore true improvements. Throughout the second year many changes in the delivery of services were tested with some being incorporated. One of the good additions has been the Client Progress Reports. Since the computer system is regularly updated with percentage finished information on each piece, an option requiring a couple of clicks to produce a letter reporting progress to the Client was incorporated. Not just e-mail, but a real Post Office letter. This procedure offers the additional advantage of double checking the Client’s address before the database is used to print project mailing labels.

Not all things worked out well

Hundreds of words and letter "kits" were manufactured to be sold through local shops. Similar to "photo to chart" kits, the customer could send in an order form to have a custom chart made with their choice of fonts and borders. Six to eight of them were actually sold. The other seven to eight hundred ended up in the trash. L The good news is that today this custom made Cross Stitch Pattern service is successfully sold here on the Web Site.

One of the most used added services is the "Lay Away" payment plan.

As year three approached, desire for the development of a suitable business culture brought continuing procedural changes, company perception concerns, and issues of a more philosophical nature began to surface.

By the dawn of 2003 some realizations regarding the Web Site had to be acknowledged. During 2002 there had been some updates with attempts at improvements. Despite these marginal efforts, traffic was all but non-existent, which was no doubt a good thing because the site was dreadful. Navigation was barely logical, the content was just strewn about, and the appearance was disorganized and just plain ugly. These confessions brought about serious efforts (that remain ongoing) to develop a professional looking site that is optimized for good search engine placement. A site must be easily found, and then be of some use and/or interest to the visitor.

A respected business reputation beyond reproach must be earned. As 2003 got under way, the new office buzz phase was something like "how did you like being the customer"? Various forms of "the" question was asked any time one of the GhostStitchers’ three just stopped for coffee, to when Carla bought a new car. The joking and chatter frequently turned serious whenever it was thought a GhostStitchers’ Client could and should have been better served.

The words "customer service" sound great! Most envision customer service as taking place during customer contact. At GhostStitchers it’s believed true customer service is unseen and never touted. It’s what is being done behind the scenes that matters. It’s about trustworthiness and ethics! GhostStitchers is often entrusted with people’s treasures. There is a responsibility…

The questions most frequently asked by Clients are how much and how long? An accurate how much has become easy and the Client can either justify or not justify the dollar cost. Inasmuch as the "how long" can not have an exact answer, it commonly serves as the deciding factor. It has become GhostStitchers’ policy to quote the computer-estimated time needed, explain how that may vary, and never make promises. It is felt better to initially annoy some Clients by refusing to promise a completion date, than risk making a Client justifiably angry over a broken commitment.

GhostStitchers’ "simple language guarantee" was adopted early. When the work isn’t right, it’s redone or a full refund is issued, period.

These philosophies were not born out of the inherent generosity in the human spirit; it’s just good business, and the way it should be.

This article is being written in the summer of 2004 and there remains a strong belief that GhostStitchers is still very much in its infancy. Their ultimate market has yet to be approached. Unknown efficiencies and tools for improving effectiveness must be continually sought and developed. That said, business has become very good, and continues to grow at a steady pace. Satisfied Clients from Western Europe, throughout North America, and all the way to Australia use this stitching service. The necessity to be reactionary is being replaced with an ability to become proactive.

There is no dispute that GhostStitchers began with somewhat insufficient and even poor preparation. Awkward initial execution of a half-finished Business Plan is also true. However… J

The favorite question asked by GhostStitchers original three has become: Does it get better than people who love to do the work and customers that treasure the results?

2005 Update

Substantial changes and more subtle refinements of both our Web Site and in house computer application continue. These will no doubt remain ongoing works in progress.

Nearing the end of our fifth year finds us feeling good about our growth thus far. GhostStitchers has made contact with many of the "major players" within the industry. And better yet, several have become repeat Clients. J That said, many Manufacturers, Designers, Design Companies and Publishers remain on our wish list.

As is rightfully so, the entire "Needlearts Industry" focuses on the end user that does or desires to participate in the craft. For some time it has been believed that GhostStitchers’ largest potential market lies within the general public. Here those who do not have the time, interest or ability to stitch for themselves hopefully will be found. And surely untold numbers of prospective Clients simply want to possess the end result, the artwork. They may neither now nor never have had any desire to participate in the craft; they just want Needlearts on their walls, or maybe an afghan and pillows to be envied by their friends and family. The challenge is letting them know that GhostStitchers exists.

In order to test that which we hope is an untapped market, the decision to ignore reasonable advertising cost containment was, gulp… finally agreed upon (the CPA being the lone holdout). One really needs to be seated when first mentally absorbing the cost of the eight to ten word classified ads that appear in national periodicals. The first challenge is guessing in which direction the money would best be thrown. Just what type of print media and in what category does a Cross Stitch and Needlepoint Stitching Service belong? During the fall of 2005 GhostStitchers began running repeated ads in several well-known magazines. It will be well into 2006 before these "marketing" actions can be judged as brilliance or lunacy. K