Cobble together a business solution

Do you ever feel stuck in your business and just wish you could talk to someone that had been there, done that? When you are an army of one business, sometimes you get stuck on a topic and then you are just that- stuck. For many of us our only co-workers are short and furry. And while they may adore us, they really don’t have great business advice.

Most artisan business owners are also pressed for time. When you are stuck on hard business challenges, researching and assessing options is overwhelming. For each business, the definition of what is a hard challenge is different. We all have such different backgrounds. Implementing solutions can be even harder.

New ideas for existing problems

Last week I came across an idea that piqued my interest. If you’ve read Handmade Seller, you will recognize this name. Emily Kerr-Finnell is also part of Wholesale in a Box. She was recently featured in the magazine. 5 Questions with Emily Kerr-Finell from Wholesale in a Box Emily has a unique skill for creating innovative solutions. Micro and small businesses in the artisan industry pose their own challenges.

Traditional consulting arrangements are not practical for many micro businesses. Their simply isn’t the revenue or time available. I’ve experienced the same things as a small independent publication. There are also solutions like Fiverr or Upwork. These solutions also pose their own challenges. You are left trying to figure out if the person really knows anything about your industry. Sometimes you could really benefit from just an hour of time from someone who has been there and done that. The problem isn't that you are averse to investing in your business. The problem is finding experienced people from our industry so you know it won't be a giant waste of time and money.

At the same time, there are experienced artisan business owners that would love to be able to help problem solve and provide creative ideas. Business owners that understand that a rising tide lifts all ships. But it has to be balanced with their existing business. They might have a limited set of hours available, but then how do you find people that want the help and will actually show up?

Creative solutions emerge 

This is where a new solution has emerged called Cobble. I reached out to Emily to ask her some questions about this new platform to learn more. “Cobble is on-demand consulting for indie business owners by indie business owners. Inspiration + help from folks who have been in your shoes.” It is a curated marketplace of business owners from the artisan and craft industries. 

I asked Emily what drove her to create this new marketplace? “I am regularly stunned by the brilliance, deep experience, kindness, and ingenuity of these indie business owners I get to work with. At the same time, there are so many newer business owners (or folks newer to a certain aspect of business) who want guidance on a particular topic and would really love 30 minutes of coaching from someone who has been in their shoes (but also achieved a level of success). This can be really hard to make happen in a way that feels useful and focused. Yes, there are Facebook groups or informal chats but that input can feel hard to trust and hard to turn into effective action.

I really believe that there is no single path to business success and there are no “answers” to the right way forward. But by talking to experienced people in a focused way, you can avoid blind alleys, expensive mistakes, and losing hope when things get hard.”

How does it work?

Cobble is a new platform and is a new business model for artisan business consulting. Since it is brand new, they are taking a careful measured approach. To test out the concept, the program is only open for a limited time. This allows time to see how well the initial idea is working in practice. Its also an opportunity to determine what changes they might need to make. Emily shared “this is a new model, so we're going to see how it's all working, get feedback from everyone in the community, and then (likely) reopen with tweaks and refinements. The popup is currently open. Sessions will run until 3/14/25. But session dates/times are limited so I recommend getting in and reserving your spot as soon as you can.”  

How do you learn more?

I am excited to follow along as Cobble gets started. It's a new and unique concept to provide on demand consulting for our industry. Learn more about their unique approach. See if this is the solution you are looking for to help you get unstuck and find creative solutions for your business challenges.