Make It

Make It Tip #12: Don't Break the Chain

My boyfriend sent me the link to this simple and very effective motivational system used by Jerry Seinfeld of all people and I think it's just what I need to get my butt in gear.

He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker.

He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. "After a few days you'll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain."

"Don't break the chain." He said again for emphasis....

Daily action builds habits. It gives you practice and will make you an expert in a short time. If you don't break the chain, you'll start to spot opportunities you otherwise wouldn't. Small improvements accumulate into large improvements rapidly because daily action provides "compounding interest."

Skipping one day makes it easier to skip the next.

Thank you Jerry Seinfeld! I need to go get a big wall calendar ASAP. It's a simple concept but I see how it can be so effective. Among my goals, spend an hour every day on working to launch rifferaff, do 30 mins of some physical activity (yoga, running), drink two Nalgene's full of water. What are some of your goals that you want to do everyday?

Make It Tip #11: Your day job's not so bad

So, of course you'd be a craft superstar by now if it wasn't for that pesky day job. That's a given. But before you start writing your resignation letter and scheduling all your doctors appointments (you know, to make the most of your health/dental benefits while you have them), take a step back and think about some of the advantages of having a day job. For me, that includes a free monthly public transit card, absolutely necessary since I am car-less.

#1 You're employed.
This is not to be underestimated. The current unemployment level in the U.S. is 4.7% and right now, if you've got a day job, you're in that other 95.3%; that's a nice place to be. That means you have a steady paycheck, job security, the aformentioned benefits (not to be underestimated), and vacation/sick time. ALL of these things go away when you quit. This is not to say that you shouldn't quit your job to follow your dreams, but simply that you should be thankful for what you currently have and make the most of it. Take those vacation days, you've earned them, and once you're self-employed it's significantly more difficult to take time off.

#2 You've got an automatic customer base.
Assuming you're on relatively good terms with your co-workers, you've got a readymade customer base for your homemade items. Anytime an office-related function demands a gift or card, use it as an opportunity to show off your own creations. Also, it should go without saying that if you make clothing, bags or jewelry, you should wear your own designs constantly. You are your best representation of your brand, why not represent it 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week.

#3 Use of the office postage/copy machine.
Now this tip is on the hush hush, but it's a good one. Do not abuse this privilege and you can get some major mileage out of it.

What are some resources you make the most of at your day job? Share 'em in the comments.
[Dwight from The Office picture via http://blogs.nbc.com/office/]

Make It Tip #10: Stop talking and get crafting. Make time for projects.

52 projects is a cool blog all about projects and tips to assist project-makers, like us.
This tip could not have come at a better time for me: Making Time for Project Making.

I've mentioned before how the irony of writing a blog about crafts is that my post-work free time goes into that and I have less time for crafting myself. With that said, I know if I were to make better use of my time, I'd probably be able to fit in all the things I want to do in a day, or at least be prepared when the weekend rolls around so I hit the ground running.

I think alot about how to balance work, my blog, and my desire to craft and build a crafty business.

Looks like I've found my first mistake:

Instead of talking and talking and talking about your project idea, just get to work. Procrastination is a huge time magnet, and it sucks up a lot of energy...Just shut up and get to work. The momentum you create just by getting started will move you up and over the challenges that you might be confronted with as you make your project.

Get rid of cable. I have to say, I have already been following this tip ever since I've been on my own post-college. Mostly a lack of cable was a choice made for financial reasons, but since I've gone without I can't say I miss it (ok, that's a big lie). But I can wholeheartedly say that not having cable most definitely frees up more time in my day. Now instead of just plopping in front of the tv when I come home, I find other ways to entertain myself, because frankly there's not that much of interest on the six channels my antenna picks up. I will say I really wish I had tv so I could watch Project Runway (I've never seen it!) which everyone tells me I'd love. I have gotten really into renting an entire season of a tv show and spending a weekend (usually in the winter) vegging out in front of the tv and watching the whole thing (I highly recommend watching the first season of LOST this way).

Wake up an hour earlier than you normally do. Oy! Are you serious? Umm, next!

Go to 52 projects to see the full list of suggestions. While they may not all work for you, you'll definitely find a couple of tips that you can start to incorporate into your daily activities.

Make It Tip #9 - Don't fear the Law

Nolo is an amazing - and free! - resource for small business owners, here's why:

Nolo is the nation’s leading provider of do-it-yourself legal solutions for consumers and small businesses. Our goal is to help people handle their own everyday legal matters -- or learn enough about them to make working with a lawyer a more satisfying experience. [Source]

They have entire sections devoted to small business resources and copyright issues for artists.

Extensive information on starting a business.

Bookkeeping and Accounting Basics

A resource center totally devoted to e-Commerce.

Copyrighting your work

Consigning your arts and crafts

This is just a small sampling of what they offer on the site. Bookmark Nolo now. If you're intimated by legal-talk, this is a great site to walk you through the basics.

Make It Tip #8 - Paper or Plastic

My time at ArtBeat got me thinking about rounding up more tips for craft fair survival. Today the topic is paper vs. plastic, cash vs. credit cards. When it comes to taking payment for your goods at a craft fair, what's best for you?

Every resource I consulted recommended being prepared to accept both cash and credit. Your goal at the fair is to sell as much as possible and by not accepting credit cards (or cash) you are automatically narrowing your potential sales. For whatever reasons some people only feel comfortable paying with one or the other, and you should be prepared to accomodate both.

My first stop when researching this issue is Craftster.org. Lo and behold, there is an entire discussion thread in the forum devoted to the issue of credit cards at craft fairs. Commentors on this thread provide the following recommendations for credit card related transactions: ProPay, Thompson Merchant , and Ship n Fast.

Here's a great introduction to craft show credit cards from indiecraftshows.com, which I have found to be a great resource. Check out their other article about craft show success for newbies.

It's safe to say that most of your sales will be made with cash, so make sure you have enough money on hand.

When the big day comes, here's a checklist, to make sure you don't forget any of the essentials.

I love hearing first person accounts of other's experiences at craft fairs, here's a good one.

Make It Tip #7 - Etsy is your friend

Etsy is an amazing resource for any crafter of any skill level, located anywhere in the world who wants to sell any of her handmade goods. The site is so extensive and so amazing I have been intimidated to write a post about it, because I know I'll inevitably leave something out. So instead, I'll speak a little on my personal experience with the site and encourage you to go check it out for yourself if you haven't already.

Etsy let's you set up an "etsy store" which is your very own web presence which you can use to sell your crafts. Your etsy store has it's own web address which you can put on your business cards or your blog to allow people to see your items. The site pretty much allows anything handmade, from furniture to edibles to handmade supplies (yarn, beads, etc). If you made it by hand you can sell it on Etsy. It's extremely cheap so even if you don't make any sales for a while, the cost of maintaining your etsy site will not be prohibitive. Everytime you list a new item, it costs $0.10 and if that item sells, Etsy takes a 3.5% commission. Other than that, you pay nothing.

I have an etsy store at rifferaff.etsy.com. I hesitate to even put this up here because I haven't updated it in sooo long. (The irony of starting a blog about selling crafts is that it eats up the time I formerly spent on crafts so now I have nothing to sell! Ha!) I have made some new pieces recently but I'm planning to build a light box to take some good quality pics before I put them up. Etsy makes it very easy to set up your site and start selling, but it's still up to you to advertise your product and get the word out. Just because it's on etsy does not mean customers are going to automatically find you. You still need to promote your goods via your blog, your family and friends, and any other venues you have at your disposal. This was something of a rude awakening for me. I put some of my first pieces up and assumed anyone searching for "earring" would find me. Umm...no. A recent search for "earring" turned up 910 pages worth of results. The newest items appear on the first page but items are added so often and so quickly that you won't stay on the first page for long. The site is rapidly expanding with tons of new sellers joining daily. This is great news for the arts and crafts scene but bad news for individual sellers who want to make their product stand out. You just have to work that much harder to get noticed.

The forums are extremely helpful as are their "Interviews with Featured Sellers" which always appear on the home page. I recommend going through old interviews and skimming some of the Q&As, especially the answers to: "Any tips on selling handmade stuff?" I also regularly look at the list of top 100 sellers and visit their sites to get inspired and to see how they photograph their items, how they personalize their stores, and how they price their goods, among other things. Etsy has lots of other cool features like co-production contests and Alchemy and the Time Machine but I'll just have to save those for another post.

Etsy just turned one year old June 18th and already it's an essential element of the online arts and crafts culture.

Further Reading:
http://readymademag.com/feature_23_etsy.php

Make It Tip #6 - How to Sell in Stores

Sorry for posting later than usual today. I try to write my posts the night before and then put them up the following day but I simply had no time to do that last night so I'm trying to sneak in this post from my work computer.

Luckily this is a juicy link that has lots of good info and should keep you busy for a while since I probably won't get a chance to post again later today.

Alicia from Posie Gets Cozy whose studio I showed you in this entry is not only a talented blogger and crafter, she's also a store owner, which means she's right up there with Lotta Jansdotter as one of the people I want to be (or at least whose careers I want to emulate). If you haven't explored her blog you should do so because she has alot of great info and even has an entire category - Owning a Shop - dedicated to a behind the scenes look at her store, Ella Posie. That's where I found the links below, a two part series on how to sell your handmade goods in stores. Alicia knows what she's talking about, she's both a crafter and a store owner so this is a MAKE IT Must Read. Hmm...maybe that should be a new category. Enjoy!

Selling your Handmades to Shops - Part 1

Selling your Handmades to Shops - Part 2

Make It Tip #5 - How To Write a Press Release

I actually write press releases occasionally at my day job, but I've never been taught the proper way to do so. When I have to put one together, I usually delete the old information and, keeping the same template, enter the new information.

This article from a site I recently discovered called craftrevolution.com is all about how to write and distribute a proper press release.

For starters:

Use the proper setup… Most press releases are between 200-500 words, and no more than a page long—since most editors and reporters are pressed for time to the 9th degree. Print your release on company letterhead or use your company's logo, and right underneath in the page's upper right-hand margin, put the words "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" in all caps (or "FOR RELEASE ON…" if you want the media to hold off on releasing your information until a certain date.) On the right-hand side, list your company's contact info (name, phone number, email/website/mailing address, etc.). Add your headline underneath, then begin the body of your release with a dateline (for example, "CHICAGO, Illinois--March 2, 2004"). After the end of your press release, type either "-30-" or "###" to indicate the story's end.

I always have "###" at the end of my press releases but I never know why they had to be there. Now I know!

Craft Revolution has a couple of pages dedicated to indie business articles and indie business resources that are definitely worth checking out as well.

Make It Tip #4 - Building a web presence - Part 2

To blog or not to blog?

A blog (short for web log) is a great way to easily and quickly establish a web presence. Basic blog services require little to minimal HTML knowledge to get started (though HTML allows you more options for customization). There are free and low cost options which allow you to register, log on and get your first post up within minutes if you so choose. Blogs exist for every subject matter imaginable and I've already spotlighted a few of the hundreds (maybe thousands) of craft and design-related blogs that exist.

Stevie of Truche has a Blogspot blog.
Nikki of nikkishell uses Typepad.

So what's the difference? And which one is right for you.

While there are numerous options to take advantage of when deciding how to start your blog, the two most popular are Blogger and Typepad.

I tried both services to determine which was right for Make It. Though Blogger had the important advantage of being a free service, Typepad offered a user-friendly interface, more customizeable options (for someone with little HTML knowledge), the ability to easily create a three-column blog, and a "Categories" feature.

The "Categories" feature was especially important because I want this blog to serve as a resource. The ability to assign categories to different postings allows readers to search the blog not only by date and keyword, but also by pre-assigned categories like "Make It Tips" and "Jewelry."

If you will mostly be using your blog to post pics of your latest projects and news about upcoming events or sales, a Blogger account may suit your needs perfectly, http://mleeprints.blogspot.com/ is a great example of this.

I used this article as a reference when comparing the advantages and disadvantages between Blogger and Typepad services: http://blogging.typepad.com/how_to_blog/2005/02/more_on_blogger.html

Make It Tip #3 - Building a Web Presence - Part 1

As Cheryl mentions below in the Stitchpixie interview, she used Go Daddy when she first started out to set up her webpage.

Go Daddy is just one of several sites you can use to register your domain name and host your site.

Register.com lets you look up any domain name to see if it's available. If it is already taken, you can search their records to see who has registered it and even make an offer to buy the name directly from them if you absolutely must have it.

OK, so you've found the perfect domain name, now what?

Read up on HTML and CSS to familiarize yourself with the tools that are used to build websites. Even if you end up hiring a designer, or begging a designer friend for assistance, it's worth it to educate yourself about the basics. Who knows, given your creative spirit, maybe you'll turn your newfound web expertise into a second career.

www.w3schools.com/ has very easy to follow tutorials for all kinds of web-building technologies. Instead of just telling you what to do, the tutorials encourage you to actively follow along and learn by actually writing the code yourself. There's no better way to learn than to jump right in and do it yourself. I highly recommend this site.

If writing code just isn't for you, don't fear, you do have a great option in the form of Moonfruit. Moonfruit is a site builder that will host your site for free (in exchange they'll put ads on your site) or for low fees you can get a more professional ad-free site with e-commerce capabilities. Using Moonfruit you can create your site totally using their drag-and-drop software, no HTML needed at all. I have personally used Moonfruit and can vouch for their user-friendly interface. I discovered them on the "info" page at craftyasschick.com, which looks amazing and was totally created using Moonfruit. Check it out to see what kind of a site you can create using this software. Moonfruit offers different levels of membership but if you just want to try their system out they do have a free option that let's you test the waters as long as you like without any pressure to upgrade.

Do you have a webpage? What did you use to create it? Leave suggestions, recommendations or warnings in the Comments section.