Heather Hutchison Harris is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has been sewing for most of her adult life and is self-taught. She started her career as a social worker and then special education teacher, and sewed as a hobby. She enjoyed teaching her friends and family how to sew and thought maybe she could combine her teaching background with her love of sewing and turn it into a business. She started working on a business plan and seeking help from various small business resources the city had to offer.
After two years of learning what it takes to be a small business owner and a lot of hard work, Handcraft Workshop opened its doors in December 2013. The fabric boutique and sewing studio is a place for people to discover the joy and satisfaction of making something tangible by hand, for members of the sewing community to gather and meet, and for people of all ages to have fun in a creative workspace.
Heather’s favorite part of running her business is the community she is creating. She loves meeting so many people who love to sew or want to learn how to sew. She also enjoys having the opportunity to share with others her passion and love of her craft.
Heather came to Entrepreneur Works through our Technology Solutions Plus program. She relies on her iPad, which runs her POS system, for her day to day operations. However, it was badly in need of an upgrade. Through the technology planning, workshops, one-on-one consulting, and technology grant, Heather was able to not only upgrade her system but learn how to better market her business online. She found the program very helpful and values the one-on-one guidance she was able to receive.
“Technology Solutions Plus was a great opportunity for my business!”
You can visit Heather’s Handcraft Workshop at 7224 Germantown Avenue.
You can apply for our next Technology Solutions Plus cohort by August 15, 2016!
