Creative People To Inspire Your Next Steps: Alana of Etta + Billie

If you had a chance to read over the newest Etsy article about Etta + Billie, you'll know that Alana started her company in 2009 and steadily grew her business until she was able to quit her day job about a year and a half ago. Her story is inspirational, motivating and just down right awesome-sauce. 

I've been watching her business grow for the last 6 years and she's always been such an inspiration for me - like, seriously - she's so ultra-cool. Her passion behind her business is clear, she's super nice, her brand aesthetic is stunning & you'll find that she's got a great business savvy about her. Also, she's a riot! Her warm personality fills a room & I just love her dry sense of humor.

Alana recently moved into her own larger studio space from her home garage - and about 3 weeks ago, we finally met up for some fun. She let me into her studio to make some soap with her and learn more about her technique. You can read about that on my own personal blog... Ylang-Ylang, Etta+Billie & other Curiosities

But, she also let me ask some questions just for SF Etsy & our community to help inspire you to follow your passions & expand your business towards the next step. Plus, I got curious and asked some questions about her products that I think are fun to know for future SF Etsy trivia nights. 

FAVORITE SCENTS, PRODUCT INFO & MORE, OH MY!:

Have your favorite scents shifted since you were a teen or do you find yourself still attracted to the same things?

My favorite scents have definitely shifted since I was a teen. I was very drawn to citrus or ginger scents (or a combination of both) when I was younger and now I love richer, earthier scents like patchouli, cedar and geranium.

What's your favorite product that you sell right now?

My current favorite product is my Bath + Body Oil. It's the perfect multi-purpose product. I use it instead of body lotion, I put a few drops in my hair as a leave in conditioner and use it at night on my face as a facial treatment. I ALWAYS travel with a mini bottle.

BERGAMOT GINGER SKIN BALM

I know my favorite product of yours rotates (because they are all awesome!). Right now I'm digging the Bergamot Ginger Lotion. What's the current customer favorite? 

Customers are LOVING the skin balms right now. Because it's cold and dry, our hands, cuticles, elbows etc are getting extra roughed up. The skin balm works wonders to soften and soothe dry skin.

How often do you test out new products? 

Not as often as I'd like!! About 3-5 times a year. I want that to become a monthly experience.

How do you keep yourself inspired to keep making and producing your product?

Recently, I've been working on collaborations with other makers to keep me inspired. I love learning more about others crafts and figuring out how to create something that captures the essence of another brand.

(you can check out a few of her collaborations with local companies on her website here: Ritual Coffee - Speakeasy Beer - T-We Tea) Also! Her Pumpkin Beer DRAFT Magazine last summer - how cool is that?!

RITUAL ROASTERS COFFEE SOAP

EXPANDING YOUR BUSINESS:

So many of the makers we know struggle to take that first step into wholesale & consignment opportunities. You're a true inspiration to those who are looking to expand their business into that direction... Knowing that you sell all over the US, can you tell us how you found most of these spaces?

That's correct, I do sell all over the US. A large percentage of stores have found me through craft shows such as Renegade. Others have seen my items on Instagram, SF Made and the San Francisco Green Business website. I've also participated in the SF Gift Show.

Display of Alana's products within Egg & Dart

For those looking to move into their own studio like you did to expand their business beyond their garage or home office - what is the most valuable lesson you learned that you wish you had known before you started the search for your current space?

The most valuable lesson I learned is that you have to be very proactive about finding space and have a clear list of must haves. It will make the process a bit smoother and make it a lot easier to say no to certain spaces. At a certain point in my search, I started to feel really desperate which caused me to consider spaces that truly weren't the right fit.

COMMUNITY & FAMILY:

Since the name of your business was named after your two grandmothers - how does your family play a part in your business today? 

My family is incredibly supportive of my business. Whenever they are in town, they are always happy to wrap product, help me make soap or do whatever is necessary around the studio. My dad also is my un-official Southern California coastal sales rep.

Do you have soap boxing parties during the high-volume seasons? 

Every holiday season for the past 3 years has had a weekly soap/product boxing party. It's a lot of fun. We wrap soap, eat a great meal and drink some wine. I'm always looking for people interested in wrapping a few 100 bars of soap in an evening. ;-) (hint hint)

Community is a huge part of the marker scene here in San Francisco - how do you participate? 

I love that my craft has created such an amazing opportunity to connect with other makers throughout the city. I keep connected to other makers through my membership in SF Etsy, participation in events and through a mastermind group of makers called the Creative Business League.

WHAT'S NEXT?!:

What shows are you going to be part of coming up so that the team can meet you in person?!?

I'll be a vendor at the first ever Summer West Coast Craft in June and hopefully get to vend again at Renegade's summer show in SF.
Are your teaching any classes soon so that people can learn some of your awesome tricks?

I have a natural cleaning products class at the Handcrafted Studio School in early May and will likely teach a lip balm or bath product class at Workshop SF in the coming months. Check both sites for dates and details!

WHERE TO FIND ETTA + BILLIE

Her Official Website
Her Etsy Shop
Search for a Retailer Near You
Facebook!
Read about my fun day with Alana here
Her blog features interviews with shops her products are sold in plus totally yummy recipes!

Side note that I'm just SO grateful that our community here at SF Etsy has people like Alana to inspire us to keep going after our passions. Thank you to Alana for taking so much time with me over the last few weeks - I am forever grateful!

Alana in what I like to call her Mad Scientist Attire! 

UPDATE: April 30,2015 
SFetsy is Proud to Announce that Alana Rivera from Etta + Billie is our 1st endorsement as Kiva Zip Trustees. Share or Contribute to her Campaign Here  https://zip.kiva.org/loans/13757/i/jnr

For More Information about SF Etsy and Kiva's partnership: http://sfetsy.blogspot.com/2015/04/we-have-some-very-very-exciting-news-to.html

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, visit Our Team Page about joining SFEtsy!

Step Outside - Breaking Your Stride

It is said that Albert Einstein spoke of insanity as "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." While quotes from genius people may cause an eyeroll from overuse, there’s a reason why we listen to these brainiacs.

Albert Einstein by Frances Marin

I must say this quote really hit home when I read it last week. I had been checking my Etsy shop, looking at stats, hoping for new sales, waiting for something magical to happen when I had an epiphany. I hadn’t added new items to my shop for weeks, I haven’t improved my photos, I often only have one image for my listings (as opposed to the recommended five) and the list goes on!

Lately, I have been gaining more income from art fairs, trade shows and a public art project. It has been great to have various streams of income, but I do want Etsy to work better for me and the key is to stop doing the same thing again and again.

This quote can be applied to not only the technical aspect, but also the artistic perspective. I believe as artists and creators, we should never stop evolving and discovering new territory. When you look at great artists of the past, such as Picasso, or artists of the present, such as Wilhelm Sasnal, their subject matter and styles move around in ways only enabled by their willingness to be bold and try new things.

I had been looking at my shop as if I had been working really innovatively on it. Although I had been working hard, I had not been working better by improving what is already existing or creating new listings. Sometimes we have to step back from ourselves to see what’s not working and what we can change. I know that I have work I have created in the last year that I could be adding and I need to shoot better photos.

You can easily apply Einstein's quote to the items you create and the operation of your Etsy shop. Are you listing and relisting the same things again and again? Are your keywords the same? Titles? Photos? You get the picture. Try crafting in a new color, try drawing subject matter you would never normally draw, try adding a new decorative trim to that bag...

What can YOU do differently?

Original Drawing (sixtythree) by Cari Monster

If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Our Team Captain about joining SFEtsy!

New Column: Step Outside

Hello! I’m Frances Marin, an artist, illustrator and designer on the SF Etsy team. I’m excited to debut a new column, Step Outside. I’m happy to have you join me on my adventure as I transition into a creative livelihood while sharing ideas and experiences along the way. It’s a scary yet exciting place to be, especially since I’m not exactly planning this strategically. I am simply working hard, following my instincts and embracing the unknown. Since finishing art school, I have worked as an art teacher, library page and most recently as a tech worker bee. While I have learned a lot from all of these experiences, I have found myself constantly returning to the the thing that makes me happiest: creatively using my hands.

My giant pile of post-it notes full of plans and ideas.

There were various signs that pointed me to this path. For one, I spent every waking moment living and breathing art and Etsy outside of my 40+ hours a week job. I wrote dreams and ideas down on endless post-it notes that I saved in my pocket and added to the pile when I arrived at my art studio after work. It became quite a nightmare to balance. Though I was making good money and grateful for the day job, especially considering the lackluster economy for the last few years, I found myself unhappy and overworked. I figured that maybe with hard work and determination, I would find myself working on my art full-time in a few more years... but something told me that was just too long.

I feel I’ve had a rocky time trying to figure out how to achieve my goals, but I’m determined to try again and again. I’m not making the money I was at a day job, but it’s so much more important for me to be myself. Eventually, I may need to get a part-time job, but for now I will happily devote my time to art. This column will be about trying new things, following our instincts, making mistakes and learning as we go. Join me every other Wednesday for new and inspiring articles!

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Our Team Captain about joining SFEtsy!

Asking Even: Small Business Resources from SF Etsy

Remember when we celebrated the milestone of 500 blog posts right here?  Many of those posts are all about SF Etsy sellers helping other sellers.  I thought we could use a summary post to make it easy to find these great posts by Genevieve, Jen, Kpoene', Katy, and myself...
Don't forget to check out the growing Useful Links page, Twitter chat transcripts, and use the blog search bar in the far upper left to find more helpful advice from our team.  Please feel free to share other favorite resource blog posts (here and other sites) in the comments below and send your questions and advice requests to askingeven @ gmail.com.

Etsy Listings/Product Description

• 5 Tips for Making your Product Descriptions Rock

Business Planning/Big Picture Thinking

• Build a Plan for Success
• How the Big Picture Makes the Small Stuff Easier
• Does Your Business Sustain You?
• Hobby vs Business
• Recommended Reading
• Who's Your True Fan?

Etsy Checkout and Shipping Options

• What's the Difference between Paypal, Square, and Etsy Direct Checkout?
• Adding Extras to Etsy Listings and Charging for them? (Including Shipping Variations)

Tech and Social Media

• Using Twitter Lists
• SF Etsy Team Twitter Chat
• Using Twitter Effectively
• Five Tips for Great Content
• SEO for Crafters
• Linking Social Media to Save Time
• What does Your Website Say about You?
• Using StumbleUpon to Drive Traffic
• My Top Four Business Apps
• Finding a Theme for Your Blog
• Using Your Blog to Reach Your Goals
• Tech Tools: Pinterest
• Tech Tools: Square

Motivation and Inspiration

• Don't Let Fear Stop You
• Gaining Perspective
• Getting Things Done
• Keeping Your Priorities Straight
• Push Through Slow Times
• Finding a Rhythm
• All Fired Up (a video from TED)
• Time Travel
• Tech Tools: Librivox.org

Marketing, Branding and Packaging

• You Can Judge a Gift by its Box
• Are You Ready to Market Yourself?
• Is Your Website Marketing for You?
• Branding: It's All About Experience and Benefit
• Talking about Your Business
• Writing an About Page
• Writing a Press Release that Gets Attention
• Connecting with Customers - What Marketing is Really About

Pricing, Wholesale and Consignment

• Miss Mignonette - The Price is Right
• Worth vs Cost

Creating Community

• Let's Hear Your Voice! SF Etsy Team-wide Survey
• Create your OWN Craft-Working Event
• Imelda of SunsetShutterbug ~ Neighborhood Business Group Hostess
• Get Support to Keep Your Resolutions
• Customer Service - Do You Know what Your Customers Experience?
• Business Groups Rock!
• Building Your Support Team
• Treasury Team Presents

~Even

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Katy or Steph about joining SFEtsy!

New to SF Etsy:  

Asking Even--a space for your questions on all things crafty

I'm so excited to launch a new column for our SFEtsy Team~ Asking Even will be a space where you can anonymously inquire on any topic.  I (even howard of nadene) will offer advice based on my 20+ years as a crafty business owner, teacher, yoga instructor, non profit administrator, gallery director, and generally try to be helpful person.  All things Etsy, craft shows, scaling your business, creating work/life balance, living in the Bay Area, tech/media use, etc. are fair game.  If I don't have experience with what you ask, I'll find those who do.  I'll also draw on online and local resources to give you references for further exploration.  My hope is that, over time, together we will build up a team created resource for some common questions about small business life in the Bay as well as a fun way to connect on personal topics.  

This column will be an addition to our great community discussions taking place within our Google Group and the awesome posts here on the blog.  One of the differences is that you can be anonymous here.  The other big difference is that your individual questions will reach a wider audience than within our email group and the blog posts will increase our team presence and community.  Thanks so much for joining in!  We can all use the comment space below each blog post to continue the discussions as we like.

Please send your questions via email to askingeven@gmail.com.  

I will try to answer all questions personally as well as post some each week on our blog.  Questioners remain anonymous unless you specifically state otherwise, in which case, please include a link to your etsy shop if you would like it to be attached to the column.  I'm looking forward to your ideas and inquiries!  

~Even 

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Katy or Steph about joining SFEtsy!

The Savvy Entrepreneur: Business Groups Rock!

One of the 3 things I stress to all my clients is gathering a solid, supportive, and like-minded community to help you grow your business. There’s nothing like having people in your life who get it when you’re feeling overwhelmed by keeping you listings up to date on Etsy, feeling run down by craft fairs, or totally jazzed because you just made your 100^th or 300^th sale.

Today I want to share with you the importance of a business group. When Shelly and I first started Lightbox SF we asked a few of our friends who also ran their own businesses if they’d be interested in meeting once a month to talk success, struggles, and general business. We ended up gathering 7 or 8 women to start. We’d meet at someone’s house on a Sunday afternoon for nibbles and wine while we all took turns sharing the good things that had happened over the last month, where we might have hit a roadblock or two, and mining the group’s varied experience to help us solve issues. It was totally inspiring and motivating. I am still friends with all those women even though we no longer meet.

Last month I was lucky enough to be a part of a new group that is just starting up. We are 10 women strong and call ourselves the Success Squad. In our first meeting we all shared where we were at with our business, what we hoped to get out of the group, and our big goals for the year. I am not only honored to be included with such an amazing group of women, but am truly impressed by how creative, driven, and successful they all are.

I share all this with you because I firmly believe finding a group like this is one of the most valuable thing you can do for yourself. While The SF Etsy Team provides all sorts of knowledge and support, there is even more value in breaking into a smaller group that meets regularly and really forms a bond. Not only will you benefit from the collective experience and knowledge, it’s extremely rewarding to have a front row seat to witness others taking their business to a new level.

How do you find this group? Start by asking the other creative people you know, connect with and/or admire if they belong to a business group or if they’d like to start one. If you can find just two people you’re off to a good start and most likely those two people can bring one or two more and then you have a group. I would advise you to keep it around 10 people so that there really is a chance to connect with everyone and time for each person to be in the spotlight without a meeting taking more than 2-3 hours.

These people will become your supporters, confidants, cheerleaders and guinea pigs. They will pull you through the lows and toast the successes. They will be your sounding board and most importantly they will help you see your business in a whole new light.

Do you already belong to a group? How has it helped you?

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Genevieve not only writes The Savvy Entrepreneur she is the Co-Founder of Lightbox SF where she empowers creatives to take over the world. Check out the blog or send her a note.

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

Tech Tools: Square

Welcome to our new Wednesday series~ 
Each week I'll be highlighting mobile apps, websites, and tech tools that are useful for those of us in the small business (or micro business for some!) world.  With the help of our team members, I'll feature tools we can all use as well as some more specialized tech.  You are welcome to post questions in the comments section if you need tech help at any stage.

Please share your experience and ideas for future articles with this submission form.

The highest user rating I envision is Excellent, meaning a must have for nearly all sellers and exceptional ease of use for the intended purpose.  To kick off this series, I'll start with a tool that has earned this rating by my own use for over a year and by many of our members--Square.   We've been discussing Square in our Google Group and it comes highly recommended from many of our team members.  As we look forward to holiday shows, I hope you'll consider the benefits of accepting credit and debit cards from customers.

What does it do?
Square is two things:  an app for your phone or tablet and a small device (that's square).  It allows any seller to process credit cards at any volume for a flat rate.

Why should I use it?
The Square app and the combined device make it easy and fast for your customers to purchase with a credit or debit card.  My experience is that this has quadrupled my sales at shows!  The app is free. The device is free and will arrive by mail if you choose.  You are only charged once you make a sale and the percentage comes off of the sale so there is no billing.  Square works on the iphone, ipad, and Droid operating systems and with all major cards.

My experience is that customers are very willing to use the scanner and then 'sign' on my Droid phone.  They can choose to have an email sent to them as a receipt as well.  You can also process charges over the phone, by typing in the numbers rather than swiping the card.  This is useful for wholesale orders or personal websites at a small volume.

Is there a trial/free version?
The best way to try Square is to go to the App Store or Market on your mobile or tablet and search for Square by Square Inc.  The app is free to download.  You do not need the device to use square, but without it, you'll need to type the card numbers rather than swipe.

Any downsides?
Square charges 2.75% on each transaction. (For comparison, Paypal generally charges 2.9% and 30 cents.)  You do need a bank account for the deposit, this needs to be registered at the website: www.squareup.com.  Square is one of the fastest ways I have seen to process a payment, but at a show, it still may not be as fast as cash, especially if you happen to be out of mobile range.

Have you used Square?  I know some people further use it to capture emails for future mailings and personalize their receipts with product photos.  Please share your experience in the comments!

~Even

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

It's Ok To Not Want To

Last week's post about giving yourself some time away from the chaos and putting things in perspective was inspired by my personal state of feeling overwhelmed by the list of things I want to have done and general lack of motivation to do them. A couple days in Tahoe with no computer and no phone weren't enough for the motivation to kick back in. In fact I came back with a mild tension headache that hasn't left me for 5 days now.

The oddest part about my current state is that I'm not lacking inspiration. We've got some amazing projects underway and I'm getting new ideas about them all the time. I've got two new clients I'm working with and I keep seeing the light bulbs go off when we meet. I even started listening the audio version of Made To Stick by Chip and Dan Heath and my own light bulbs are sparking up all over the place. The thing is my brain is in overdrive, but I just can't seem to act on any of the inspiration. I feel unfocused and totally lacking in energy.

I'm not writing this post because I suddenly found the cure the blasé feeling, I'm writing to remind you that we all feel it. It's part of the cycle of creativity and a part of being a creative business owner. However what I will tell you is the advice I would give any of my clients... It's ok, it will pass.

When you feel any of the feelings I mentioned above or others, no motivation, no inspiration, lack of focus, or even anxious overwhelm, listen to you body. Sit with the feeling and let your mind tell you what it needs. You may want to stare into space letting all the thoughts swirl around, you may want to be distracted by a movie or book to quiet your brain, you may simply want to take a nap or hang out with a friend. Be kind and let yourself. Fighting it doesn't get you anywhere but more frustrated with how things aren't as you'd like them.

So give in and go nap in the sun or watch a few hours of hoarders and most importantly don't feel guilty. Your mind and body will repay you by bouncing back with a renewed spark after it gets the chance to cycle through and recover.

What do you crave on those hardest of days to motivate?

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I encourage comments directly to this post, but also feel free to email me directly with questions, reactions, struggles, etc. genevieve@lightboxsf.com

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

Stop and Smell the Roses

I’m running a bit behind this week for two reasons. I’ve been busy with lots of projects, catching up, and events. I was also struggling with what to write. The overwhelm has me focusing more on to-do lists than nuggets of advice, information or encouragement. But yesterday I was looking back on my past two weeks, searching for that tidbit that would become this week’s post and I found myself reveling in what Shelly and I had created and what my job had become.

In June of 2010, Shelly and I launched the coaching and consulting side of Lightbox SF. (That makes this month a very quiet anniversary for us). It was both exciting and terrifying. We had a lot of theories and had made a lot of assumptions and now we were going to test them. The perfect set up for greatness or serious failure. In this last year I can happily say we landed somewhere in between. We had some amazing successes, met some amazing people, learned a lot about what we really want to be doing, and what just isn’t working.

So when I took a moment to look back at my two weeks the things that were keeping me from getting this post written were helping some amazingly talented artists promote themselves and upcoming shows, the details of organizing different phases of both our 4^th and 5^th 200 Yards photo shows, interviewing gallerists for an article I’m writing for the ArtSpan Open Studios guide, and just generally connecting with great people who will be or are pieces of this great equation.

The fabulousness of it all is pretty amazing. I must say if I didn’t have my job I’d be a bit jealous. Sure we’re not nearly as profitable as we’d like to be and there is always more to do than we can accomplish, but overall it’s pretty damn great. And the best part about it is we created it.

I tell you all that because just the day before I was feeling overwhelmed with my to-do list, wondering how I was going to make some of my current goals happen, and feeling a little down on the state of my bank account. We so often forget to look at our successes, stop and smell the roses if you will. Take it all in, acknowledge what you’ve accomplished and the amazing things further ahead on the path.

Are you about to be a part of a craft fair that you used to attend and think “Some day I’d like to have my own table?” Are you struggling with how to transport your product and set-up to a show in another city instead of struggling with how to let people know you make something? Are you staying up late to write blog posts because you know your readers will notice if you don’t? These stresses are signs of progress and growth; these are the stresses of making something great happen.

This week’s lesson: Take a moment, survey where you are compared to where you were a year ago. The craziness and chaos looks so much better in the light of realizing your dreams.

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I encourage comments directly to this post, but also feel free to email me directly with questions, reactions, struggles, etc. genevieve@lightboxsf.com

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

Dream Big and Then Dream Bigger

I am going to apologize upfront, this post is a little emotional and sappy. It comes from two places: a comment a potential client made during an initial meeting and the fact that I'm getting married in just over a week.

As we were wrapping up our meeting the potential client asked me if we worked with any men. I said yes, but only a few, our clients are roughly 90% female. The she asked if the men we worked with had the same doubts that they deserved to or could succeed that women did. I hadn't really thought about it, but the answer was no. One of the things most of our clients have in common is the fear of dreaming big and the inability to trust that they can have what they want. I'm no exception.

Not only can they not really picture what this dream job they're creating looks like, they don't really think they can ever attain it. They think they'll get close, but never all the way there. In contrast, the men seem to have no doubt they'll get there, they're just looking for advice on how to get there faster.

That brings me to the second reason for being sappy, my upcoming nuptials. My fiance and I have been working on our vows and one of the things that has come up is my self-doubt and the encouragement and support he's given me to do what I want to do despite it. I can honestly say had I not met him I would still be working two jobs, struggling with both and wondering if I was ever going like my work life.

Did you feel the tug at those heartstrings? Just wait there's more.

It's one thing to have the vision it's another to believe that you deserve it. I wish that all of you are lucky enough to find someone in your life, friend, family or spouse that gives you the permission to live out your dreams, supports you through the rough times and failures, and then still has faith that you will succeed, especially when you can't find the faith yourself.

In the chance that you still haven't found that person I want to propose two things. First, try to find it within yourself. We are all capable of giving ourselves this gift. Believe that you are worthy of all you can dream and then dream bigger than you possibly dare. There is no reason you can come up with that will convince me you don't deserve it all. I'm sure of it.

I also know this takes time. You will need to work through fear and doubt and many other scary feelings. You won't know where to begin or what your next step should be. So while you're working to be the best cheerleader in the world for yourself, tell someone else your dream. I bet you'll be surprised by their reaction. Tell a total stranger if you're afraid you'll get laughed at, but I bet you won't.

Or tell Shelly and I. That's why we're here. We want to support you, we want to lead by example and we want to surround you with a community of like-minded, empowered people doing exactly what they want.

I'm going to leave you with that thought for the next two weeks while I go marry the man who has given me the strength to try the things that scare me most.

I challenge you to do the very tangible task of describing this life you're working so hard for. Write the story of your day from waking up to sleep. Who is there? What do you do? Where are you? How do you feel?

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I encourage comments directly to this post, but also feel free to email me directly with questions, reactions, struggles, etc. genevieve@lightboxsf.com

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

Prioritizing Helps Keep You Sane

With the workshop coming up this Saturday, my to do list has gotten a little out of hand. So to give myself a bit of a break I'm going to recycle a little material from the Lightbox SF blog. This one is extremely appropriate given my current state and all the goal setting and motivation that happens at the beginning of the year.

Enjoy, I will be back with fresh content next week.

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This is the time of year when the to do lists seem to grow out of control. Our work lives get cluttered with holiday sales or the at least the effort to make more of them. We see the end of the year looming and want to get just one more big project completed. And then there's the holidays in general, events, gatherings, and family seem to take over any "free" time you might have had.

I'm feeling the pressure myself just writing about it. However, if I take a step back I realize that much of the pressure is self imposed. That project that I want to get done, I'm the only one who cares that it happens next week. The extra workouts I'm trying to fit in to ward off any holiday pounds, is the stress really worth it? Yet there's still that pressing need to get things done, cross things off the list.

Here's a process my fiancé walked me through a few months ago that has worked wonders to help me put it all into perspective and calm the anxious need to accomplish everything-all-at-once-now!

Priorities, that is the key. I write a list of everything I want to do. (This works well for both personal and work lists, but I recommend keeping them separate.) Then I mark them with a High, Medium and Low priority. If you write your lists by hand try different colors, if you're using a to do software they may have an easy way already built in or again you might be able to color code them.

High, Medium and Low

For this to work you need to be honest with yourself in setting the priority of each task. To do that I use these guidelines: High priority means the business depends on it, money, life or death - paying the bills, following up on contracts, or getting a new product launched, etc. Medium priority means the task falls into best practice, something that makes the business better, but isn't crucial to its existence - keeping your Facebook page updated, getting photos from your last event on your website, or researching new packaging. Low priority items are the ones that only you will notice if they get done or not - changing your picture on your website, reorganizing your workspace, or reading all those blog posts you've been bookmarking. You may want to set up your own criteria, but I find breaking it down this simply really helps.

The I separate the tasks that are recurring like updating your Facebook page, returning emails, and keeping up on blog reading. These recurring tasks need to get on your calendar. Are they things you do monthly, weekly, or daily? Put them on your calendar at a specific time, not just with a general day and block out as much time as you need to accomplish them. You may answer email for an hour in the morning and then again in the late afternoon. You might also write in calendar an appointment to do bookkeeping or pay your bills or whatever else needs to get done regularly, but you always seem to forget about.

Putting Tasks Into Perspective

Now that you've got everything prioritized, I want you to set due dates for the High and Medium priority tasks. Be realistic with how long each task will take and when it absolutely needs to be done. I suggest you give yourself some wiggle room with those High priority tasks.

Those low priority tasks are going to wait until you find yourself sitting around twiddling your thumbs or something happens to move them up in priority. Yes, this means you may never get to them. Take a moment to accept this. If they are really worthwhile tasks you will suddenly see that they need to be raised in priority. Until then, I only want you to glance at them once a month and then put them aside yet again.

Not Too Many All At Once

Honestly it's only realistic to think you can accomplish three tasks a day. I know that sounds like a small number, but think about how your days go, unexpected phone calls, urgent emails, you forgot you made a lunch date with an old friend... Things happen that derail you, it's a part of life.

I want you to begin to really follow those priorities, if it's not High, think Life or Death, you'll be ok if it doesn't get done exactly when you want it to. You will, I promise.

Taking It Day By Day

Every High and Medium priority task should now be at least marked with a due date. Now we need to slot them into your calendar. Some may just be marked on due dates, but others may need to have a couple hours here and there set aside to get them done.

Each morning you should look at the list of activities for that day and sort them again in order of priority, but also take into account how easy it will be to check them off the list. I like to take the first two hours of my day and check off anything, High or Medium priority that takes less than 15 minutes to accomplish. Returning phone calls, sending out emails, looking something up, keeping up with social media, etc. Then I have the rest of the day to accomplish those one or two tasks that will take a few solid hours of my time.

After the quick stuff is done I go straight to the High priority task for that day. If there isn't one then I look at the Medium priorities, what has the nearest due date and which one is going to take the most time to complete. I weigh those to decide what to do next. If somehow I manage to finish everything on my list for that day, then I look forward to either try to cross off another High priority task or get a little bit of work done on bigger project that's only a medium priority.

Always Keep In Mind

This may sound like a lot of work for a to do list, but the idea is simple, whatever is most important gets done first. The more you walk through all the steps it will begin to feel like second nature. The simplicity of it is also my greatest comfort when I inevitably begin feeling overwhelmed again. What is the most important thing I need to do right now?

What do you do to keep yourself on track? Do you have a similar system that helps keep you sane when things get really busy?

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I encourage comments directly to this post, but also feel free to email me directly with questions, reactions, struggles, etc. genevieve@lightboxsf.com

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

Not Just For Your Blog: A Theme For Facebook and Twitter Too!

Last week I wrote about having a theme for your blog writing. This week I want to show you how you might carry that over into your Facebook and Twitter posting to create a cohesive message.

Just a little reminder as to why: if you have an overarching theme to your writing, then it’s both easier for you to plan what you want to say and lets readers know what to expect from you. They know where to turn when they’re looking for specific information.

All Together Now

Carrying your theme over to Facebook and Twitter can be done in a few ways. The most straight forward is to continue to offer the same information you offer on your blog, just in bite size pieces. For example you’re a jewelry designer and you’ve decided to write about both your work and where you draw your inspirations. So let’s say you’re working on a new series of rings and you got the idea from a recent art exhibit you saw. Your blog post might go into detail about the artist who inspired you and the look of the rings you’re working on. On Twitter you could post links to the artist’s work or you could write about where you’re getting stuck in the new design. Then on Facebook you could write slightly longer updates of how things are going and your favorite parts of the process. They all go together to create a body of information about your process for the reader.

Separate Lines of Communication

Another way to approach it is to keep the channels more distinct. Your blog is for writing the longer story from inspiration to finished product (this may be more than one post), Twitter is for sharing the articles you’re reading in preparation searching for materials and new techniques, and Facebook is for sharing images of your process step by step. This way the blog is the full story, Twitter is links and Facebook is photos. However it could be the blog is the story of inspiration and design, Twitter is about the actual process - selecting the stones, hammering metal and Facebook might be conversational musings on how things are going, what you’re listening to, how far along you are.

To The Best Of Our Ability

When thinking about how you want to use each of the social communities also think about how others use them. This might lead to a strategy where Facebook is about direct conversations, asking your customers questions, sharing exciting information and getting feedback. Twitter might then be the quick thoughts that don’t require interaction or the sharing of interesting information in the form of links to others and websites. The blog is what brings it all together into a full story that people take the time to read and interact with.

I challenge you to think about how you want to tell your story, what you want to share and how you want your readers and customers to interact with you. Then use all the social platforms for their unique benefits. By taking the time to define all this you will have a more polished, professional image and your customers will keep coming back to you for that information they crave.

If you’re looking for more guided information to walk you through building your personal strategy, download Lightbox SF’s newly released a Social Media Workbook.

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I encourage comments directly to this post, but also feel free to email me directly with questions, reactions, struggles, etc. genevieve@lightboxsf.com

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

It's All About Focus: Finding a Theme For Your Blog

I have been diligently writing and editing the text for a social media workbook that Lightbox SF will have available in about a week. While getting feedback from one of my gracious readers we were discussing my advice to choose a theme or focus for your message. He was a little confused why I was talking about sharing industry news and not about showing the process of their work.

I wanted to share this with you because in discussing it further I wan not only able to explain my point, but convinced him this simple tip was great for beginners daunted by writing a blog because it actually made deciding what to write easier and makes you sound more professional.

Focus Schmocus

Here’s what I mean when I say pick a focus. First I coach my clients to tell their story, share what makes them unique within their market. That is the heart of all successful marketing. Then I tell them to look beyond their art for another passion they have that relates, something they want to share with their readers, an added value of sorts.

Just to make that clear I want you to talk about your work, why you create, the materials you use, possibly even show photos or video of a piece at different stages of progress. But I also want you to have another topic that you write, post and tweet about, something that you are passionate or curious about, something that is easy for you to talk about.

For example one client is a photographer, but also going to school to be a lawyer. When she blogs and posts on Twitter and Facebook she shares her images, how she captured them, what worked and didn’t work, but she also shares tips on navigating the legal side of being an artist. She posts links to articles and websites where solid information can be found. This has allowed her to grow a following that comes to her for both her striking images and her expert knowledge on art law.

I'm Still Not Convinced

And why do I think this is so important? First because it gives your audience something to count on, they know what to expect from you and they know where to turn when they need or want specific information. Second because it makes deciding what to write a bit easier. Having a focus gives you direction and narrows the possibilities. If you’ve chosen a theme that is a great interest to you, you’ll most likely have plenty of material to choose from without doing much research or you’ll already be doing the research because you can’t help yourself.

I’ll use myself as an example. On the blog for Lightbox SF I write the more practical business advice articles while Shelly writes the more inspirational and motivational pieces. As many of you can understand my days often get away from me and before I know it I’m due to post another article and I still haven’t been struck by what to write. All I need to do is think about what have I been focusing on all week with our business. What did I learn or what skill did I make use of? I always come up with something because my day-to-day work is focused on growing the business and using best practices. I’m constantly reading about how others are succeeding at small businesses that I have tons of inspiration. I’m not pulling my topics out of thin air, instead I look to what I’ve been doing that week.

How Would That Look For Someone Like Me?

Let’s say you’re a knitter making fabulous vintage inspired accessories. I would coach you to first write about how you come up with your patterns, what yarn you use, how you came to knitting, but then I would suggest that you also write about your passion for vintage. This might take the form of sharing your favorite finds from flea market expeditions or how to incorporate more vintage items into your wardrobe. The two go hand-in-hand, but offer two distinct focuses for your writing. Then if you were ever stuck with what to write you could either look to a new project you were working on or that set of cordial glasses you purchased last weekend or that mint-condition 1940s dress you’re coveting on Ebay.

The structure not only makes it easier to come up with ideas, but it also gives you room to play. You might even find yourself excited about brainstorming new blog posts and how you can support them with your Twitter and Facebook updates.

Next week I’ll carry this theme idea over to crafting an integrated message for all your social media outlets.

Do you have a theme or focus that makes you stand out? I'd love to hear about it.

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I encourage comments directly to this post, but also feel free to email me directly with questions, reactions, struggles, etc. genevieve@lightboxsf.com

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

Dear Miss Mignonette - The Price is Right

Miss Mignonette - A Savvy Coquette

Dear Miss Mignonette:

I've been on Etsy for 6 months now, and I've barely had any sales. I think that my work is really cute and well-made, and I don't understand why all of my sales have been to family members and friends. I've looked at other Etsy sellers who have tons of sales, and my work is much cheaper.  What gives?

Dear Miss Mignonette:

Last week I had a booth at my first craft fair. It was really frustrating - I sat all day and hardly had any sales! I did have tons of people coming over to my booth and talking to me, but hardly anyone bought!  I took a break and walked around and my prices were much lower than other sellers, and they had people lining up to buy!  What am I doing wrong?

It happens every time - I go to a craft fair and an amazing booth catches my eye.  Here is an artist who has it all: an incredible product, a catchy name, and a booth display that will knock your socks off. I want one of everything - and the super-low prices mean that I can afford it. Yet the prices also put me off, and more often than not I leave empty-handed. You've probably done this too, or had it happen to you.

 I know it sounds counterintuitive, but trust me: your felt mustache on a stick/ narwhal wallet/ Gocco print doesn't cost enough. It is so cheap that consumers are suspicious of it on a subconscious level.

As a former buyer and a craft fair veteran, I've met my share of crafters who are clueless about the worth of their work, or just don't understand its value. A few months ago a lovely, super-talented crafter crossed my path and had the unfortunate luck to tell me that she was charging around $3 an hour for work that, if it were sold at a specialty store, would retail for $200, and even worse, her sales were stagnant. I gave her such an earful that she was too terrified not to take my advice, and now her business is booming.  I won't chalk it all up to re-pricing her work, but once she made it clear that she was taking her business seriously on all levels, the buying public had no choice but to take notice and give her the recognition she deserves.

In retail there is a little something called 'perceived value'; we know that when we walk into a truly amazing store, we are paying for ambiance and  overhead, and that's before we even get to the product,  while stepping into a no-frills discount store means that we don't expect much, therefore we don't expect the products to cost much, or last long, even though they might be high-quality. The same goes for your work.

Let's compare two tee shirts - one from Target, the other from a boutique for a considerably higher price. Both are cute and simple, but  you wouldn't think twice about wearing the less expensive one until you trashed it, while the pricey one would be hand-washed and treasured, right? Think of your work the same way.  The cheaper you treat it, the cheaper it will be treated by the customer.

Let me explain, because I can feel the objections forming:  "I want to sell!  I don't care how much it sells for, I just want it out of my house!  I just want people to have it!  I'm not in it for the money! " Be honest with yourself:  You wouldn't be selling your work if you didn't want to make some money from it. Otherwise, you would give it away and you wouldn't even be reading this. Embrace the fact that you want good money for your art, and you'll be okay with pricing correctly.

The Nitty-Gritty of Pricing

Let's say that you make wire-wrapped jewelry with semi-precious stones, in the shape of signs of the zodiac , and you're getting your materials from a local supplier instead of ordering them online, and you are spending at least three hours per necklace, and by the end of the day your feet hurt from walking all over town to get your materials and you are up to your eyeballs in Virgoes and Capricorns, all in the name of art. That's great.  The bummer is that now you are going to log on to Etsy and try to sell  all of your sterling silver, carpal tunnel-causing, amazingly creative and well-made work for $25. 

How long did it take you to find the materials to make it, and how much did they cost? And then once you found them, how many hours did it take you to actually make the item? And now you're photographing it, writing clever descriptions, listing it on Etsy, and then if it doesn't sell immediately you're going to take it to sell at a craft fair and merchandise it and then sit all day and try to sell it to customers? For $25?

Yikes!

A Numbers Game

If pricing is driving you up a wall, a little time spent with an Excel sheet (or just some lined paper divided into columns) will work wonders in helping you get a clear picture of what your work should cost.

For each new item, open a new sheet in Excel (or find clean lined paper) and create a column marked "cost" , listing all the materials in the item, next to their costs.

1) Materials

Take into account the materials that you had to purchase to make just that item (silver wire, clasp, beads, etc).

Wire-Wrapped Jewelry

COST

Silver Wire     $10

Beads             $4

Silver Clasp   $3

Materials  =    $17

2) Skilled Labor, i.e. how much time did it take to make?

This is a two-part question.

A) Assuming that you work steadily from start to finish of a piece, with no breaks to check your email, walk the dog, log onto perez hilton, or suddenly bake a loaf of bread, how many hours did it take you? 

B) What is the minimum that you are willing to pay yourself?

Picture this: Imagine that you are offered a job selling ice cream.  You have to stand for at least 6 hours a day, ring people up, wear gross latex gloves, and not eat all of your product, and at the end of each day you've only earned $30 before taxes.  You'd quit that job pretty quickly, right? of course!

So make sure that, when you price your items, you aren't paying yourself even less than you could earn by slinging ice cream.

If you are having what i like to call 'crafter's guilt' about paying yourself a fair wage, i find that consulting your state's guidelines for minimum wage are a good guideline.  In California it's $8, but crafting is skilled labor, so if you want to raise your wage,  I say go for it!

Now multiply your answer from A by your answer from B. Awesome!

Time spent = 3 hours

CA Minimum wage = $8

Labor costs = 3x8=$24

3) Now let's think about added costs. 

Are you shipping that item, and do you offer free shipping in your Etsy store?

How long does it take you to list the item?

These little costs add up, but they should be taken into account. For the sake of not twisting your brain into a pretzel, let's say that you do offer free shipping, and that it takes you 30 minutes to photograph, upload, write about, and list an item. If shipping is actually $4.5, you need to account for that in the price of the item, and that 30 minutes that it took to list the item needs to be calculated with the formula that you used in step 2. 

Shipping = $4.5

Listing =  1/2 hr x $9 = $4.5

Added costs= $9

So let's see: For one necklace, materials ($17) + Labor ($24) + Added costs ($9.5) means that your necklace actually costs $50 to make!

Now that you've got a good idea of how much you actually spent to make that necklace, figure out what sort of profit margin you'd like to make (20%, at least, so if your item costs $50 to make, multiply it by 1.2, i.e. $60, or, it you're feeling really punchy, multiply it by 1.5 and charge $75). 

Now you've got an item that is worth putting your name on.

And if all this math is giving you hives, put down the calculator and do the most important (and fun!) step - Research (i.e shopping).

This is something that you should always do when starting a business, but it doesn't mean that you should ever fall out of the habit of checking up on your competition's pricing either. This means not just on Etsy but also in the non-virtual world. See how much similar items cost in boutiques, and department stores that seem like places where your target customer shops, and take detailed notes.

Once you've got all these systems in place, your work will be ready to present to the world. 

What has been your biggest challenge, or solution, when pricing your work?

What guidelines do you use when pricing a new item?

Add your response in the comments below!

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!