Superstar Knitter Gus Baxter on Why "Failure" Is a Way to Gather Data, Then Come Back Smarter

In a world dominated by fancy cowls and appliquéd fingerless gloves, what’s a male knitter to do? Or, in this case, what’s a man to knit? 

Gus Baxter fell in love with the art of knitting only a couple years ago, but he had a tough time finding masculine patterns that suited his style. So, out of need, he began designing his own.

Today, his business GCB Designs offers a range of handsome patterns and projects that knitters at all levels can choose from. Gus also teaches classes on his craft and publishes pieces on knitting for men. We talked to Gus about how he discovered his niche business, his secrets for successful time management and why he believes in the power of optimism.

Name: Gus Baxter

Business: GCB Designs

Started: 2014

What inspired you to create your business?

I began knitting in January of 2014. As I became more and more engrossed in the fiber world, I realized it was missing a variety of masculine-looking patterns, which were more to my taste. So, I began designing my own.

In June of 2014, I entered my first design contest and I won! I was ecstatic. Through that experience, I learned how valuable my creations are within the knitting and fiber industries. I learned that I could create nearly anything I put my mind to. 

In the fall of 2014, I focused all my time and energy into designing and worked to create my own business, centered around knitting, designing, teaching and publishing.

Who was your very first customer?

While I had sold patterns at my local yarn store, I consider my first online pattern sale to come from my first real customer, Annie. 

Annie and I started following each other on Instagram, where she posted a lot of photos about her personal knitting projects and spinning. We interacted quite a bit and became Instagram acquaintances. When I posted about a recent design, she was the first to purchase it.

When did you know your business was going to work out?

I’m never completely sure that my business will work out! There are good months and bad months, but I remain confident. I have strong drive and ambition, I’m never satisfied and i’m always looking for the next big thing. I seek out new things all the time. 

To me, everything is a learning experience and any "failure" is a way to gather data and come back smarter and stronger.

What has been the biggest surprise so far after starting your own business?

The biggest surprise is the amount of hours I must put in to see forward movement! In order to get noticed by both consumers and companies, there's a huge amount of product development, marketing and patience required. 

I spend a lot of time developing my social media channels, which has been the best way to share my product with consumers.  I’ve learned that it’s best to be patient and avoid getting burnt out. Working hard at my business will eventually pay off.

What is the biggest lesson you've learned in pricing?

I price my products and services based on the knitting and pattern industry’s accepted prices for online sales. I also price the classes and events that I run based on the same industry accepted prices. 

What I have learned is that the amount of work that goes into a single pattern — sketching, designing, calculations, knitting, drafting the pattern, photo shoots, editing photos and finally creating a finished pattern — is not always reflected in the final retail price.

What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day for me starts early in the morning. I sit down with a cup of coffee and break down my day. I create daily time-blocking schedules to help me successfully complete my to-do lists for each work day. 

I work from 9am to 12pm, take a break for lunch, then return to work from 1pm to 5pm. My time blocks are filled with designing and sketching new pattern ideas, writing up patterns, editing my layouts, editing pictures, handling business emails and phone calls, knitting samples for my patterns, preparing future social media posts, outlining future events and gathering data for other projects. It’s a long list of to-dos and it has all proven very time-consuming.

I like to say that I keep a strict 9am to 5pm schedule, because I think having strong boundaries between work time and relaxation time keeps me feeling refreshed. Still, work can creep up on me and I do often work straight through to 8pm!

If you could go back in time, what’s the one thing you would do differently when starting your business?

If I could go back in time, I would work at a more gradual pace in building my business. I would explore more of what is out there. I would ask more questions along the way.

I’ve learned that quality is better than quantity and reflecting that requires a lot of time and a lot of patience. I hadn’t realized all of that when starting up — I was too eager to get off the ground and go, go, go.

What would you like to learn today from a community of other small business owners and self-employed professionals?

Today, I'm interested in learning how to better market myself. New technologies and social media channels surround us, which can be so useful when used correctly. I would like to learn the art of using social media to better network and market my business.  

Let's all help Gus out with his question! 

Do *you* have social media tips that he can take back to his business?

Where are you making meaningful business connections online? Do you have expert tips for how Gus can best use social media to market his business and reach more new customers?

Share your thoughts and stories with us in the comments below. :-)