The Comeback Story Cut File – DXF, PNG and SVG

When I quit my 9-5 job back in December 2019, I thought I was on the track to success. I had big plans and even bigger goals for my business. Before putting in my two weeks notice I tested and analyzed living on my small business income. The countless spreadsheets told me I could make the leap – no problem.

Then along came the unexpected COVID-19, and I have stumbled.

I’m telling you this as a way to be transparent and not for sympathy. I talked so much about quitting my job, that I want you to know where I stand today.

I can afford to give my cut files for free because of the ads that you see while on my site. Those ads make up a large portion of my income. I use my ad money to pay my mortgage, put food on the table, cloth my kids and the occassional splurge.

The ad income saw a big hit in May.

Many companies were waiting to see where things were going with our economy so they temporarily stopped advertising. Therefore the ads that were being displayed weren’t bringing in as much money.

Over the past few months I’ve caught myself questioning the decision to leave my job. The ETSY shop I started selling from in January 2020 took the biggest hit of all. Market on Main St. went from $1000 deposits per week to a whopping $8.73 deposit this week. Yikes.

The silver lining is that opening that ETSY shop was never in the plans. It was one of those decisions I made on a whim and BAM it ended up working out better than imagined. I opened the shop with my boys and the agreement was to give them each $1 per shirt we sold.

I wanted to teach them something my parents didn’t teach me… how to manage money and business. The agreement was that they would help clean screen print screens, package, come up with designs and occasionally we would get Dunkin Donuts and declare a staff meeting at our dining table to discuss income versus expenses.

Our shop has made 579 sales since January. While we sat and planned things out, our initial goal was to sell 30 shirts per month. On average, we have sold around 100 shirts a month. I’m blown away. We had to open savings accounts for my 12 and 11 year old boys.

Today the kids and I ventured out to a nearby town to grab ice-cream. The shopping plaza was a ghost town. I sort of expected it since today was the Fourth of July, but this was different. A few businesses were closed for the holiday, some closed since mid-March and others closed up and gone as if they never existed. My heart is hurting for all of these small businesses that are struggling or won’t make it.

Over the past few months when I caught myself second guessing my decision, I have immediatly felt upset that I let my thoughts go there. This is just a rough patch. What would I have done with my kids had I been working? Who would have been with them 24/7 since March 15th?

Today I declare The Comeback Story.

June ad numbers are in and I was happy with where we ended up. As far as our ETSY shop goes, I’m thinking we may put it on vacation mode for a bit to give me more time to focus on areas where I want to expand. YouTube and more in-depth tutorials are two things I can’t seem to find enough time for but remain on my to-do list.

With half the year behind us, I hope it’s time for you to write the 2020 Comeback Story too!

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The Comeback Story Cut File FAQs

What can I make with this cut file?

Cut these files onto any medium you prefer. The things you can make with a Cricut or Silhouette are endless. Make mugs, cups, shirts, onesies, tote bags or basically whatever your heart desires. 

I have put together a list of adhesive and iron-on blanks and 35 ways to use adhesive vinyl to give you more ideas. My Vinyl Direct has a whole bunch of vinyl blanks you will fall in love with.

Where can I buy vinyl?

I buy from a handful of different places to get my hands on new products when they come out. I love Happy Crafters because the girls are always so willing to help and they have quick processing time. Waiting around for items to ship is the worst! I also like to purchase from My Vinyl Direct and Expressions Vinyl. Both of these places offer the typical colors and types of vinyls and both have an array of fun prints staying on top of new trends.

Can I sell items I make using these cut files?

Yes, the cut file is for personal and small business commercial use. You may NOT sell the digital files themselves but you may sell items you create using the cut file designs. Please tag us with your creations on IG (@poofycheeksblog) and we may share on our own feed! 

**You may not use this design for sites such as Amazon, Café Press, Zazzle etc.

Do I have to enter my name and email each time I want to download a new cut file?

Yes. The form tracks cut file popularity and how many times cut files are downloaded.

Download The Comeback Story Cut File