Here at AMDG Ventures we think that one of the great ongoing attacks against the family and the authority of the husband is a wife and mother in the workplace. While we know sometimes circumstances are such that this has to be borne, the Internet has provided not just an opportunity for remote work for many, but the chance to start businesses that involve the whole family, and provide ongoing opportunities in other fields.
Untapped Possibilities
In this occasional series we will share business ideas that we think could do well and offer some tips for positioning in the market. We are also willing to offer any Catholic working on these ideas a free 30-minute coaching session (click here). Let’s dive into our first in this series: rosaries and veils.
Product: hand-made rosaries and/or veils.
Why: in a market full of machine-made products, something artisanal easily stands out; furthermore, you’ll have your own story to share about why these products matter to you and why you choose to make them the way you do.
How: there are many different materials you can use, both for the rosaries and the veils, and don’t underestimate the power of the material to tie in with your process and the story. For example, in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, olive wood is a popular material to use for everything from crosses to rosaries. There’s a reason for that, apart from their durability, there’s that direct connection to the role of olives in Scripture, not least of which during the Passion and the time Our Lord spent in the Garden of Olives.
Perhaps you’re fascinated by the cycle of the liturgical year and want to create veils that not only match the colors of the changing seasons, but also feature matching designs as well. Everything in a church should help us keep our attention on Our Lord, which is why you can even see the fine attention paid to the bottom and sleeves of an alb, very often only visible briefly, if at all, not just to the faithful, but to the priest himself.
Where: you don’t have to be in the developed world to sell to the developed world. Wherever you live, you can put up a website. Almost anywhere, you can arrange for reliable shipping around the world. You don’t need an office or a studio. Your living room and a modest basket of materials is all you need to get started.
Even if you don’t know how to make these things yourself, there are countless aids in the form of articles and videos out there to help you. We’re in an era of “no excuses” when it comes to information.
Getting Started
While it’s easy to say “right now,” we tend to look at a structured approach. Start with your own why to graft on top of the “why” for rosaries and veils. Then develop your own niche, i.e. what kind of rosaries do you want to see more of or wish we had more of? Or perhaps, what are your favorite kinds?
After you’ve done that, do some research into materials cost and create a few that your friends and family would be willing to “test drive” and critique. Once you’ve got that feedback, you’re ready to start selling, whether in-person and word of mouth, or online through smart organic SEO.
