My friends and I came up with some goals for ourselves at the beginning of this year and I just wanted to update on how it is working. Half of the year is passed now so thought it would be a good time to review and see how I'm doing.
Goal #1 was: Talk about your craft.
How I'm doing: Not much better. I really have a hard time talking about what I do because compliments embarrass me for some strange reason. One or two compliments are fine but more than that and I feel uneasy. Maybe it's because I know lots of people can do what I do and I don't want them to think I am bragging.
How I am going to improve: I give up! I am just going to talk to anyone that will listen. If someone says they need a gift for someone I will ask them if they have checked my web store for a gift yet. If someone says somebodies birthday is next month I will tell them to check my web store. From now one my signature question will be: Have you checked my web store?
Goal #2: Craigslist
How I'm Doing: I bought more off of craigslist than I sold, which isn't a really bad thing because I got some great deals!
How I am going to improve: I'm not. I made some great sales on ebay. I think it will be my quick sale place to go. It took alot of time and energy because I tried to upload 12 items a week
to sell. If and when they sold I then had to pack and ship items out and replace the items I sold with new items for sale. Very Time Consuming! So I decided to modify my efforts a bit and scale back by only selling on ebay during holiday seasons.
Goal #3 was use pay per clicks: I emptied my Etsy shop in January of this year with the idea to revamp it. I then sold most of my items on ebay. Well as soon as I closed shop to remodel my personal world took a bit of a down turn leaving me no time to work on my shop. I just got back to listing items again in June. I only have 21 items at this moment so for me using ppc right now isn't an option. As soon as I have two pages of items listed I will return to ppc.
Goal #4 Join more forums.
How I am doing: Ok this one I have down pat. When I started re listing my web store items I also joined Twitter, started contributing to crafting forums and commenting on blogs that interest me. I added my web address to my forum signatures and have gotten some clicks on my store.
Goal #5 post a video to youtube.
How I am doing: Not doing! I just haven't had the time, but I did research a bit to see how others have done their videos. I came across alot of simple but extremely informative videos.
Goal # 6 add an email signature:
How I am doing: This one is a no brainer. I have always done this. I stopped while my store was closed but now have added the signature back to my emails. I use Google Analyzer and find that I have recently have gotten several new clicks for the email signatures.
So there you have it. I will revist my goals in January and make new ones for 2010. By the way did I tell you about my store on Etsy? I now have free shipping in the United States, and if you need a unique gift for someone special check me out! www.glasslady.etsy.com
Friday, July 17, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Let's Get Our Crafting And Arts Supplies Organized
Ok we all know that when we create we tend to become focused on our project and not the mess we are making. The more we make the more we clutter up our studio or work space. Once the clutter takes over, we find ourselves without any available workspace for finishing projects not to mention starting new ones, and our favorite crafting tools seem to have disappeared underneath intimidating piles of mess never to be seen again. Let's try to eliminate the clutter and keep only what we need to complete all those half-finished projects.
I think the best time to organize your craft room is on the night before your trash is picked up. That way when you throw away everything in your trash pile it will be taken away forever the next morning, and you won’t be tempted to bring any of it back in the house.
I also think you should make a trip to the store to buy everything that you will need to organize your supplies. Trash bags, bins, see-thru plastic boxes with lids, compartment boxes, labels, markers and cleaning supplies. Take a day and just look at your area and decide how you want it to look. What would be the easiest way to get the job done so everything can be accessible and easy to put away when you are finished. Make a list of all the items you will need and don't forget cleaning supplies. I like to shop for these items only (no groceries, clothes, diapers, etc.) and then come straight home and get to work.
Ok let's get started:
Line up your new (or already have) bins and containers on the floor. Label them temporarily with what you will be dividing them into. You will also need a trash can for trash and a bag for donations. Each crafter will be different and have different needs. So if you paint you will need labels for paint, brushes, brush cleaners, patterns, and anything else that you use where someone who sews would need different labels. Or you could be like me and do all kinds of crafts.
1. Gather up all of the items around your craft room and sort every item into containers based on type of craft, such as sewing, scrap booking or knitting or types of items.
2. Make sure you are honest with yourself. If it is trash, throw it away. If you haven't used it in 6 months or more, donate it. If you have duplicates you don't need, donate it. If you aren't as excited about it as the day you bought it, donate it.
3. Now that you have everything in a bin, trash bag or donation bag take care of it. Take the trash straight out to the road. Load your donation bags straight into your vehicle. On your way home from work drop it off at the Good Will or Salvation Army.
4. Clean your craft area by dusting off flat surfaces and vacuuming the inside of drawers. Dusting walls, washing curtains or blinds, wiping intake vents and anything else there is to clean. Once your area is fresh and clean smelling you will feel alot better.
5. Look at your bins. Are they organized the way they need to be? All like items together? If not organize them now.
6. Place frequently used tools in drawer organizers, organizing each drawer by type of use or type of craft.
7. Place unfinished projects into clear bins. Place the bins on low level shelves near your work area for easy access and so you can see them every time you enter the room.
8. Type up and print labels in large print that you can read from across the room and then stick them on the outside of the bins.
9. Organize your bins with the heaviest closest to the floor. The most frequently used closest to your work area. Or on shelves that are chest high for easier access.
10. Remove any unneeded furniture from the room that is taking up creating space. I find empty space helps my creativity.
11. Now that everything is put away, sit down and look around. Is everything in it's place? Should something be moved closer to your work space? Make the final adjustments and enjoy your newly organized space.
12. I suggest that you start on those unfinished projects. I find once I get them finished and moved to where they go I feel better (less guilty, because someone somewhere is waiting to receive that finished project) and more creative.
Now it will be easier to put items away because it will go in the bin with it's name on it. If by some force of nature or act of God your room starts to get messy again try this idea to clean it up. Every time you walk into the room put 10 items away. Try to walk into the room at least twice a day even if you aren't creating that day. You will be surprised how easy it becomes organized again.
For me the most important part of staying organized is keep the trash can near by and empty it often. That usually takes care of 50% of my clutter.
Don't forget to check me out on Etsy. I now have free shipping. Don't forget I am re-organizing my shop and adding new items weekly so come back often. If you have any suggestions or ideas don't hesitate to contact me. www.glasslady.etsy.com
I think the best time to organize your craft room is on the night before your trash is picked up. That way when you throw away everything in your trash pile it will be taken away forever the next morning, and you won’t be tempted to bring any of it back in the house.
I also think you should make a trip to the store to buy everything that you will need to organize your supplies. Trash bags, bins, see-thru plastic boxes with lids, compartment boxes, labels, markers and cleaning supplies. Take a day and just look at your area and decide how you want it to look. What would be the easiest way to get the job done so everything can be accessible and easy to put away when you are finished. Make a list of all the items you will need and don't forget cleaning supplies. I like to shop for these items only (no groceries, clothes, diapers, etc.) and then come straight home and get to work.
Ok let's get started:
Line up your new (or already have) bins and containers on the floor. Label them temporarily with what you will be dividing them into. You will also need a trash can for trash and a bag for donations. Each crafter will be different and have different needs. So if you paint you will need labels for paint, brushes, brush cleaners, patterns, and anything else that you use where someone who sews would need different labels. Or you could be like me and do all kinds of crafts.
1. Gather up all of the items around your craft room and sort every item into containers based on type of craft, such as sewing, scrap booking or knitting or types of items.
2. Make sure you are honest with yourself. If it is trash, throw it away. If you haven't used it in 6 months or more, donate it. If you have duplicates you don't need, donate it. If you aren't as excited about it as the day you bought it, donate it.
3. Now that you have everything in a bin, trash bag or donation bag take care of it. Take the trash straight out to the road. Load your donation bags straight into your vehicle. On your way home from work drop it off at the Good Will or Salvation Army.
4. Clean your craft area by dusting off flat surfaces and vacuuming the inside of drawers. Dusting walls, washing curtains or blinds, wiping intake vents and anything else there is to clean. Once your area is fresh and clean smelling you will feel alot better.
5. Look at your bins. Are they organized the way they need to be? All like items together? If not organize them now.
6. Place frequently used tools in drawer organizers, organizing each drawer by type of use or type of craft.
7. Place unfinished projects into clear bins. Place the bins on low level shelves near your work area for easy access and so you can see them every time you enter the room.
8. Type up and print labels in large print that you can read from across the room and then stick them on the outside of the bins.
9. Organize your bins with the heaviest closest to the floor. The most frequently used closest to your work area. Or on shelves that are chest high for easier access.
10. Remove any unneeded furniture from the room that is taking up creating space. I find empty space helps my creativity.
11. Now that everything is put away, sit down and look around. Is everything in it's place? Should something be moved closer to your work space? Make the final adjustments and enjoy your newly organized space.
12. I suggest that you start on those unfinished projects. I find once I get them finished and moved to where they go I feel better (less guilty, because someone somewhere is waiting to receive that finished project) and more creative.
Now it will be easier to put items away because it will go in the bin with it's name on it. If by some force of nature or act of God your room starts to get messy again try this idea to clean it up. Every time you walk into the room put 10 items away. Try to walk into the room at least twice a day even if you aren't creating that day. You will be surprised how easy it becomes organized again.
For me the most important part of staying organized is keep the trash can near by and empty it often. That usually takes care of 50% of my clutter.
Don't forget to check me out on Etsy. I now have free shipping. Don't forget I am re-organizing my shop and adding new items weekly so come back often. If you have any suggestions or ideas don't hesitate to contact me. www.glasslady.etsy.com
Well today is Wenesday July 15th, the year is half over and I sit here wondering where it went. I just wanted everyone to know that Etsy is having a Christmas in July sale so check it out. And I now have free shipping in the United States in my shop!
Now is the time to get some of that holiday shopping out of the way!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
I'm slowly coming back!
I'm trying to make a come back slowly. I don't want to jump back in and fall down right away. I'm still working 10 hour days Monday thru Thursday and 8 hours a day on Friday and Saturday. That really doesn't leave much time for me to blog and re-set up my Etsy shop:
www.glasslady.etsy.com . I'm getting it back together a little at a time. So check back on Monday mornings to see what's new. I plan on creating during the week and listing on the weekends. It seems like the best time to list besides lunchtime. I seem to get more hits on the weekends and during lunch than any other time that I list items.
I haven't done any craft or art shows in a few months but have signed up for Christmas Under The Palms in Edgewater Florida on the second Saturday in December. I have sold most of my items on Ebay and have to get creating so I have enough to sell for the show.
I have lots of new ideas rolling around in my head and have decided to branch out to other crafts and arts. I want to have a good mixture of items to sell. I don't want to limit myself to just painting on glass anymore. I'm sure it will remain my main stay and top money maker but I feel a change coming on. I am still selling my wine glasses in a nearby shop. With the economy the way it is those sales have dropped off a bit. That's another reason why I need to get my stock up....the economy will be bouncing back soon. I want to be ready.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
New Business Goals For 2009
Today I sat down with some friends and talked about our business goals for the new year ahead. We know the begining of the new year will be a challenge for us all who are trying to sell our wares but we are praying the economy recovers quickly.
We all agreed that in order to get more business we need to concentrate on marketing our items. We came up with a couple of ideas that we are going to try and I would like to share them with you. These ideas are nothing new I'm sure as you read this you will say to yourself "I knew that" but hopefully now you will try it if you haven't already.
1. Talk about your craft! This is something I actually did very little of this past year except during the holidays. I did work alot of hours at my day job which caused my craft to suffer. I will carry at least two business cards with me at all times ready to hand out to a stranger that I have started a conversation with. I will talk, talk, talk about what I make to people I have never seen or talked with before. I will also share with my co-workers and my family all of my new designs this coming year.
2. Craigslist.com! I only did this one time in the last year but some of my friends have done it numerous times and have brought a lot of traffic to their websites this way. For the most part Craigs list is free. Need I say more? Check it out.
3. Use pay per clicks. This is something I did last year too and made enough sales from it to pay my google adwords bill. I only turned it on during the weekends when most people are online just looking around. I just didn't use it enough. This year I am going to use it to it's full potential. As a matter of fact I have it turned on right now as I type this. There are plenty of PPC sites out there and they are easy to use. They really don't cost as much as most people think, There isn't any joining fee, you only pay when someone clicks your ad. So what do you have to lose by trying it for a month. You can turn it on and off when you want.
4. Forums. They are free to join and there are many out there. They allow you to put your web address in your signature link so people will be able to check you out when you post to a forum. I found that when I posted daily to forums during my lunch hour starting on Monday by the following weekend I would have a sale by someone from that forum. Then it spreads, they tell their friends and show your item to them and then their friends want what you have for sale too. So I will be back on the forums during my lunch hour.
5. Youtube. My friend said that she made a video of her doing her craft with her website address scrolling across the bottom of the screen. She said it's easy to do, gives you a lot of exposure and she has made several sales from this. So this will be another adventure I will try in 2009.
6. Email signature. Now this is something that I have seen work. I added My website address and a couple of pics of my newest items at the bottom of every email I sent out. I have a tracking counter on my site that tells me where people link to my site from and about 1/4 of them were from an email link that I sent. What I did was started really looking at what kind of mail my friends and family forwarded to me. I found it was mostly dumb jokes and silly pics. So I started sending the same thing to them knowing they would forward it to everyone on their mailing lists and so on and so on and so on. I don't know why I took that signature out of my emails but it is going back in.
Well hope this works for you. I know these small changes will work for myself and my friends. I hope your business prospers!!!
We all agreed that in order to get more business we need to concentrate on marketing our items. We came up with a couple of ideas that we are going to try and I would like to share them with you. These ideas are nothing new I'm sure as you read this you will say to yourself "I knew that" but hopefully now you will try it if you haven't already.
1. Talk about your craft! This is something I actually did very little of this past year except during the holidays. I did work alot of hours at my day job which caused my craft to suffer. I will carry at least two business cards with me at all times ready to hand out to a stranger that I have started a conversation with. I will talk, talk, talk about what I make to people I have never seen or talked with before. I will also share with my co-workers and my family all of my new designs this coming year.
2. Craigslist.com! I only did this one time in the last year but some of my friends have done it numerous times and have brought a lot of traffic to their websites this way. For the most part Craigs list is free. Need I say more? Check it out.
3. Use pay per clicks. This is something I did last year too and made enough sales from it to pay my google adwords bill. I only turned it on during the weekends when most people are online just looking around. I just didn't use it enough. This year I am going to use it to it's full potential. As a matter of fact I have it turned on right now as I type this. There are plenty of PPC sites out there and they are easy to use. They really don't cost as much as most people think, There isn't any joining fee, you only pay when someone clicks your ad. So what do you have to lose by trying it for a month. You can turn it on and off when you want.
4. Forums. They are free to join and there are many out there. They allow you to put your web address in your signature link so people will be able to check you out when you post to a forum. I found that when I posted daily to forums during my lunch hour starting on Monday by the following weekend I would have a sale by someone from that forum. Then it spreads, they tell their friends and show your item to them and then their friends want what you have for sale too. So I will be back on the forums during my lunch hour.
5. Youtube. My friend said that she made a video of her doing her craft with her website address scrolling across the bottom of the screen. She said it's easy to do, gives you a lot of exposure and she has made several sales from this. So this will be another adventure I will try in 2009.
6. Email signature. Now this is something that I have seen work. I added My website address and a couple of pics of my newest items at the bottom of every email I sent out. I have a tracking counter on my site that tells me where people link to my site from and about 1/4 of them were from an email link that I sent. What I did was started really looking at what kind of mail my friends and family forwarded to me. I found it was mostly dumb jokes and silly pics. So I started sending the same thing to them knowing they would forward it to everyone on their mailing lists and so on and so on and so on. I don't know why I took that signature out of my emails but it is going back in.
Well hope this works for you. I know these small changes will work for myself and my friends. I hope your business prospers!!!
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