May the Makers Come Together: The Beautiful Challenge of Running a One-Woman Handmade Business

The many moments that make up making

Hello!

May's begun, and I've been in hiding. Actually - not. My parents are visiting us from India and I haven't seen them in two years, so I've been indulging in my time with them and letting everything else fall to the way side. Do I apologise? Nope! I'm absolutely loving this time where I get to restore my soul on a whole different but extremely fundamental level!

May also means that it's been a whole month since I registered Meraki By Hand as a brand of its own, and signed up as an official small business owner. So this pause that I've taken has allowed for some questions and thoughts and ponderings to float up to the surface. Simply put, running a small business is often romanticized—early mornings with coffee and creativity, days filled with passion-fueled work, and the freedom to be your own boss. And while all of that holds true in moments, the reality is often far messier, more complex, and deeply humbling. When you’re a one-woman show—like so many of us in the handmade world—you’re not just the creator. You’re the planner, the photographer, the copywriter, the accountant, the customer service team, and the social media manager.

At Meraki by Hand, the overarching mission is to pay homage to the makers of the handmade—to preserve old, traditional crafting techniques in a fast-moving world that too often forgets its roots. It’s a mission that means everything to me. But carrying it forward as a solo business owner comes with the weight of juggling every moving part, every single day. There are days when making—the very heart of what I do—takes a backseat to admin work, content creation, or packing and shipping orders. There are moments I stare at a blinking cursor, trying to write a caption that feels authentic, or spend hours trying to photograph one handmade item in just the right light. And then there’s the pressure of growth, of algorithms, of trying to be seen in an ever-busy, endlessly scrolling world. But here’s what I’ve learned—and what I hope might encourage other makers walking the same path:

1. Reconnect with Your Why

Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I return to the reason I started. For me, it’s about honoring the hands that came before mine. Every stitch, every piece I make carries the essence of a tradition that deserves to live on. When you reconnect with your purpose, the chaos begins to feel more meaningful, more rooted.

2. Small Steps Are Still Steps

Some days you’ll accomplish ten things. Other days, just one. And that’s okay. Consistency matters more than perfection. Focus on progress, not productivity. That’s how legacies are built—slowly, intentionally, one handmade piece at a time.

3. Batching Is Your Best Friend

When wearing all the hats, batching similar tasks (like content creation, packing orders, or planning out emails) helps reduce mental load and increases focus. Setting aside specific days or hours for specific types of work can prevent burnout and make your week feel more manageable.

4. Celebrate the Tiny Wins

Every sale, every kind message, every comment from someone who gets what you’re doing is worth celebrating. These moments are reminders that your work is reaching people—and that it matters. Keep a folder or notebook filled with these wins to revisit when motivation runs low.

5. You Are Part of a Bigger Picture

Even in solitude, remember—you are not alone. Every time you choose to make by hand, to tell a story through your work, you’re contributing to a global movement that values craftsmanship, sustainability, and cultural memory. You’re keeping alive traditions that might otherwise fade. That is no small feat.

Running Meraki by Hand is one of the hardest and most rewarding things I’ve ever done. It’s a quiet rebellion against mass production, a steady rhythm of creation in a world that often moves too fast. ITs been a deeply frustrating journey as well, especially in moments where I feel there are just way too many balls in the air and I honestly do not know if I can keep them all flying. Days are filled with multiple well-wishers and advice-givers who have 50 suggestions to make at the drop of a hat of everything I am NOT doing. Or worst of all: my own mind telling me I'm not producing, I'm not making, I'm not creating, I'm not typing, I'm not posting or advertising fast enough. That I just don't have it in me to make this into my living. But that is when I need to remember that being a small business owner means wearing all the hats—but also weaving all the threads together into something that feels whole.

So to all my fellow makers: stay the course. Take breaks when you need to. Breathe. Rest. But don’t give up. Because every handmade piece you send out into the world is more than a product—it’s a legacy. And its existence depends on us.

xN.