Something amazing has happened! We just had our 10,000th sale on etsy! It’s a wonderful milestone especially when we are on the cusp on so much growth. I want to celebrate all our wonderful customers but first I think it’s time to tell you the story of how Cubit’s started in the first place.
You see, I wasn’t always self employed. I used to work for other entrepreneurs. I had a habit of getting jobs managing other passionate small business owners businesses, and then getting gloriously fired. It happened more than once. Ok, it happened a bunch, I actually don’t know anyone as good at getting fired as me.
As I left my last exit interview, I knew I wasn’t going back. I had a little spring in my step as I packed my office and my swing-line stapler into a banker box and headed down those stairs. I was done working for other people. I had enough good ideas and it was time to turn one of them into my own business.
The only bad part about getting canned when I did was that we had plane tickets to Paris booked for the next week. 3 weeks in France, Italy, and Austria, all paid for and no cancellation insurance. Although I had no foreseeable income there was nothing else to do but go. It was when I found myself staring out the train window counting all the little kitchen gardens along the tracks and picking oranges at Versailles I started to figure out where I was really going.
We’d been growing a tremendous amount of food in our apartment’s back yard in the Leslieville neighbourhood of Toronto. Watermelons and giant squash on the parking slab, peppers in window boxes, tomatoes taller than the fence. We lived there for 6 years and saved a lot of seed. We gave it away. We used our art backgrounds to design cute envelopes for the seeds we shared. We had friends over and weeded the herbs with them before dinner. We got a dog who ate all our carrots and picked strawberries daintily with her teeth. Or something like that.
So I decided to turn my hobby into a business and start selling the seeds that we were saving. Then we decide to have a baby and start a business at the same time. Hilarious! I’m not really sure yet if I recommend it.
I went to the Toronto Business Development Centre and took courses under the Ontario Self Employment Benefit. They were really grumpy about me being pregnant but it all worked out. I started Cubit’s with a website designed by Dan Sampson and a picture of Hazel by Adam Swinbourne. Our first customer came on the very first day we launched and was a total stranger. I have no idea how that happened but I still have a photo of her package.
So our landlord went terrible and we quickly moved our 7 month pregnant family and garden (I dug up every plant before my gardens got sodded over) to some new digs. The business started, Rebecca was born, I answered piles of emails, & life as we know it began.
Now fast forward to a weekend visit in “the county“. Long story short; We decide to buy a barn and now we’re really doing it. Buying a barn along with 13+acres and some giant buildings I can barely open the doors to. We’ve been growing there for a few years and it’s working, it’s all coming together. Although I wouldn’t have guessed when Ryan and I first met in Sculpture Class at OCAD at the ripe ages of 18 & 19 that we would end up farming, I have to say it’s the best bad idea I’ve ever had.
In the last 5 years, we have hand folded about 100,000 seed packs. No really.
Now here’s you chance to win 24 packs of some of the last lovingly folded packs ($90+value).
To celebrate our 10,000th etsy sale it’s important to me to pay it forward and share the small business love. Please swing by these 5 Canadian etsy shops and click on the heart near the top right hand corner to favourite them. Earn extra entries for voting for our “small business big wish” and by sharing your favourite etsy shop in the comments for an extra entry. If you’ve never purchased anything on etsy use this link to receive $5 off your first purchase: http://etsy.me/1iw19IN
Contest open to residents of Canada and the USA excluding Quebec until November 27th, 20313.
Planning on buying some seeds this spring!!
I think we should trade because I am very jealous of a certain kindergarteners dress and think you should make a few with foxes
After christmas.
Oops my fave etsy shop is Milo & Ben
StacyHuntDesigns is my my favorite… she did our save the dates and wedding invites earlier this year
Cubits of course!! seriously, not just sayin’ that!
My friend Amaryah’s reclaimed wool makings: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sewoiseau
By the way, I enjoyed this post before I realized you were giving something away! It’s fun hearing about how people wind up doing something they really love to do! Thanks for being inspiring
Thanks Jon, I just want to spread some small business love around 😀
Awesome beginning and what a great milestone!
Apart from Cubits, I’d have to say my favourite etsy shop would be Sewfunky.
bought your seeds for the first time this year; can’t wait until next spring to start growing some more things. I had a constant supply of lettuces, herbs, and other greens throughout the summer and into the fall, thanks to you! congrats on all the sales!
Congratulations on all of your sales! I love that you are helping maintain local seeds and diversity.
Favourite etsy shop would be https://www.etsy.com/shop/kateszabone who makes beautiful ethical jewelry.
What a story. You followed your gut and now look, 10,000 sales later.
Inspired
Congratulations Laura and Ryan, I remember you both at 18 at OCAD and I remember thinking you had a wonderful anything can happen energy. All you guys were so much younger than me, and I remember being so impressed by your openness and confidence. Ryan, as much fun as he had, still so so responsible with a camera and the work. You a whirlwind of creativity and ideas. Talking really fast, lol. I bet you are a wonderful team. Good Luck with everything in the future,
from an old old friend,
terri
My favourite etsy shop belongs to an old friend of mine – My Little Lion Designs. https://www.etsy.com/shop/MyLittleLionDesigns
Congrats!! I’m super excited for you guys!
My two favorite etsy shops are yours and this shop.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/PumpkinPantsShop, I’m a sucker for great girl clothes and fun tomatoes! I can’t wait to get in my seed order for next year.
P.S. the rafflecopter would not load for me.
brightlife toys is my fav store!
Pick a fav! How could I! I do know that Cubits is one!
I just bought the cutest rodeo clown skirt from Two Frilly Freckles on Etsy a couple of days ago.
Oh well, I did all that even if I’m from Italy 😛
Just wanted to say congrats and well done. I was moved by your story…
Looking forward to buy new seeds this spring
Congratulations!
New commenter here – I stumbled across your blog/company recently when I began looking into amping up my wee urban garden this spring by starting from seed.
Thank you so much for sharing your incredibly inspiring story. And thank you for passing along the Etsy love – you’ve helped me with my Christmas shopping! (I’ve already made a quick purchase of some lovely little things for my daughter from From The Seeds)
All the best,
Karen