Remarkable Small Business: Case Study 2 URLIN’ J’S ROVING YARN COMPANY Elevator pitch: Purlin’ J’s Roving Yarn Company is Kingston, Ontario’s mobile yarn truck. Think gourmet food truck, only selling yarn instead! Purlin’ J’s satisfies the modern knitter’s craving for beautiful yarns when she/he is most relaxed and inspired to create something beautiful: at a music festival, studio tour, market or retreat. We were founded in 2013 and operate out of a former fire truck, a 1982 Ford step van, nicknamed Lil Dorothy. It is owned and operated by Joan Sharpe, aka Purlin’ J!

Secret sauce: The truck at the very least is a curiosity. Everyone, knitter or not, wants to come on-board to see what it’s all about! Most especially though, yarn lovers yearn for the “squish factor": the ability to feel and “pet” fibres and bask in the range of colours. With the Purlin’ J’s brand, I strive to create a carefully curated selection of yarns, including luxurious hand-dyed yarns created right here in Ontario, and other “fascinating fibre paraphernalia”, in a small-scale, flexible, and novel retail environment that is responsive to the market. The truck can travel to communities where unique yarns are simply not available. But my regular customers also appreciate the personal shopping experience.

Culture: I am the sole owner and operator, plus I have support and help from my family and friends and this means a lot to me. I’ve been lucky that I’ve had the ability to launch the business and test it while still working full-time. But the best thing about the yarn truck is that it’s fun, welcoming, and non-intimidating. I’d like to think that just by coming on-board, someone might get the spark to try working with yarn or fibre, if they’ve never done so before. Knitting is a proven stress-reliever!

Challenge: Meeting demand – I’d love to take the yarn truck to all the places it’s invited, but fuel costs and wear-and-tear add up! I’d also like to have more time to think about long-term strategy and ways to scale the business. I have more innovative ideas that I want to explore, but only so many hours in a day.

Advice: My creative background helped me visualize the business in action while still in the planning phase. I was then able to articulate my vision to everyone who helped me at start-up, especially my graphic designer! Remember that everything you do is essentially about satisfying your customer’s wants and needs. I have a bookkeeper so I don’t get bogged down by paperwork. I prefer to apply my time and energy to the more creative aspects of the business: social media, buying, visual merchandising, and event planning.

Exit Ticket: Would you invest in Purlin’ J’s Roving Yarn Company? Why or why not? Explain. (1-2 paragraphs)