Daughters Turn Skills Into "Weekend Cash"

Daughters Turn Skills Into Weekend Cash SPECIALTY/SERVICES FARM SHOW Contributing Editor Lorn Manthey is proud of the way his two adult daughters have found ways to make a little extra cash during their free time He recently told me how they developed their money-making sidelines Kelli Manthey and her friend Rachel Gore started R & K Chicago Bride a sideline business doing hair styling and makeup for weddings “There’s a big demand for unique hairstyles and makeup for brides and bridal parties ” Kelli says “Rachel and I started by styling for a few friends We realized there was potential so we wrote a business plan and started networking and looking for ways to get our name out there ” The girls established a website with a gallery of wedding photos descriptions of their services background experience and a blog They connected with a national organization called “The Knot” that has a wedding website produces an annual publication and does special events for brides-to-be “I think someone could set up a business like this anywhere and probably do several weddings a year ” says Kelli Today Kelli and Rachel do more than 20 weddings each year “We want to make our clients look and feel spectacular on their special day ” says Rachel About 4 to 6 mos before a wedding the girls do a styling trial with the bride and her attendants and collect a down payment The day of the wedding Kelli and Rachel travel to the wedding location to do hair and makeup for the bride her attendants and sometimes flower girls mothers and grandmothers “Our pricing is somewhat less than a full wedding party would pay to have the work done at a salon ” says Kelli kelli manthey@gmail com; www randkchicagobride com Katie Manthey Prose is an energetic stay-at-home-mom who puts her artistic skills to good use making handcrafted greeting cards and hand-knitted infant hats and headbands She started making all 3 items as a hobby and now sells them through home parties What happened is that Katie used to make her own cards for birthdays showers and thank you notes “One of my friends said I should put together a collection of note cards and sell them at a party ” Katie says Her first “handcrafted card party” put a couple hundred dollars in her pocket Over the next two years she and her friends have hosted about a dozen parties where she’s sold several hundred of her handcrafted cards “It’s a fun hobby for me and a great way to make extra money ” says Katie “Card prices range from $2 50 to $4 apiece and they sell in sets or individually ” After her daughter was born Katie began also making infant headbands and crocheted baby hats of cotton and wool “I tried selling all my handmade items through craft stores and at art fairs but there was little or no income after paying a commission or spending a day sitting at a show ” says Katie Home parties are better because it’s a social atmosphere where women can visit have a light snack and they tend to buy more Handcrafted hats sell for $16 to $24 and infant headbands are $9 Contact: klprose3@yahoo com; www etsy com/shop/DragonflyDezigns

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.