Creative Places to Inspire Your Next Steps: Foggy Notion

Living in the Inner Richmond, I love being able to purchase gifts just steps away from my apartment. Alissa, a long time SFEtsy team member, has owned Foggy Notion since 2011 and is a supporter of anything hand-crafted. It's a great "off the beaten path" stop for any visitor of San Francisco. You're sure to find something unique and beautiful.

What I find inspiring about Alissa and her shop is the importance that she puts on getting involved with her local community. Alissa is extremely involved in her local merchant association & you can often find her walking Clement as she hops from one shop to another. Her dedication to the health of her neighborhood, combined with her love for local arts & her life as a maker creates a beautifully rich story with loads of great advice for anyone looking to inspire themselves in the next step of their business.

First, I just wanted to say that I completely adore your shop. You're amazing at keeping a clear brand aesthetic while showcasing several makers in your shop. When you are you looking for a new maker to add to your selection, what is your process?

At first I sold my own goods, friends' work (like Shelter bags), and a few small local companies like Juniper Ridge that I knew about and admired. Relationships with vendors are super important to me.  The shop is really small so I carefully curate it with I only things I truly love and want to look at every day made by people I enjoy corresponding with.

Products come to me in so many different ways! I get lots of email every day from makers that want to be in Foggy Notion. For apothecary companies I request samples and try out everything myself. I decide based on quality, aesthetic, scent, packaging, price, maker's location...it all has to be perfect for the shop! Social media can be helpful - I check out who's following Foggy Notion on Instagram and sometimes it's a maker that fits. I've discovered some makers (like Odsy Workshop) through local events like West Coast Craft, Renegade Craft Fair, and SFMade. I've also found a couple of vendors through Etsy Wholesale, including a greeting card line made in San Francisco. Sometimes I just meet people socially - I met ceramicist Caitlin Deane and raw chocolatier Wild Omen at a women's gathering we all attended. Sometimes I just search online for specific items I want to carry. And although I haven't had much luck at trade shows and gift fairs, I did find one of my favorite small apothecary companies that way (Molly Muriel).

-If a maker felt like they are a good fit for your shop, what process would they take to approach a shop like yours?

Emailing me directly with good product photos and a short bio works great, with links to website and social media. If you're interested in wholesaling send terms and prices. Make sure your product is retail-ready - cute hang tags and good packaging can make a big difference.

-You're very involved in your local neighborhood community. Tell me about about your current work with the Inner Richmond Business Association.

Although the Clement Street Merchants Association is actually the oldest merchants group in the city, when I opened Foggy Notion I had vaguely heard of it but no one reached out to me and there weren't really any pubic events happening. It clearly needed some new energy and fortunately it was welcome. Cynthia Huie of Seedstore and I decided to reinvigorate it, so we reached out to other businesses like Park Life and Green Apple and set up regular meetings to discuss bringing community-building projects to Clement Street. So far we've helped to create the parklet on 3rd & Clement, established the Farmers Market, and organized events like the Holiday Stroll and Sidewalk Sale.

Even though I've lived here since 2004, opening a business in the Inner Richmond has made me love it more than ever. I feel so much more connected to the community, the neighborhood, and the city. I love meeting neighbors that come into the shop and enjoy working with other business owners and our district supervisor's office to make our neighborhood an even better place to live. New projects on the agenda for 2015 are a mural and Inner Richmond Movie Nights.

a pic of Alissa with other Clement Merchants,
members of the Argonne Community Garden, and Supervisor Eric Mar 

-For local makers looking to open up their own shop/studio business...How did you find your current storefront? What attracted you to the Inner Richmond?

My house is directly across from Richmond Plaza, this weird mini-mall type building that sat mostly empty for years. I was staring at it out my window every day and thinking about how I wanted to move my sewing studio closer to my house (it was in the Outer Sunset) and finally I just thought, I should open a studio RIGHT THERE and have it be a retail shop, too. The space was so plain and institutional-looking but I thought it had great potential, so I got some help making it more cozy and inviting. A lot of times I wish it was a little bigger but I love the high ceilings and lots of windows. We get great natural light.

My advice to potential business owners would be to just look around on foot, be inquisitive about empty spaces, and be open to a weird or non-traditional but potentially awesome location. Walk around a neighborhood, take note of which storefronts are empty or closing, and try to get in touch with the owner or talk to nearby businesses. Don't be afraid of a space that's a little different - it's probably a lot more affordable than one that is more obvious! We're not right on Clement but we have great foot traffic. Now that we've been here a while we have lots of regulars and more people find out about us every day through word of mouth and travel guides like Lonely Planet.

Proximity to other successful businesses is huge for us. The Inner Richmond has no shortage of awesome shops, restaurants, and bars. I love being on the same corner as Green Apple, which is a legendary and amazing literary destination which attracts people from all over Northern California. If people don't know the Inner Richmond and ask where we're located, "the same corner as Green Apple" or "2 blocks from Burma Superstar" work pretty well! 

Foggy Notion is pretty unique to the neighborhood - when we opened, the Inner Richmond didn't have anywhere to buy the kind of products I was interested in carrying: organic skin care, high quality bath & body items, soy candles, wildcrafted teas & chocolates, home wares and accessories, and local honey.  Our customers really appreciate that they don't have to leave the neighborhood to get these kind of things. Our location also allows us to carry specific brands we might not be able to in a different neighborhood. Honestly our location is perfect in so many ways it's hard to imagine Foggy Notion being anywhere else! I feel really grateful to be part of such an awesome neighborhood.

If a shop or maker would like to get involved in their own local community, are there resources that you would recommend?

If you have a shop, definitely reach out to the local merchants association and see if it's something you might be interested in being a part of. It's much easier to make things happen with the help of other businesses and the support of the city. Even if you don't have a brick-and-mortar shop some of them welcome small business owners. Groups like SFEtsy or SFMade are also helpful for meeting other makers.

I love that part of your shop is dedicated to your own sewing studio. Can you tell the readers a little bit about what you make? 

At first my studio was inside Foggy Notion but I moved everything down the hallway to a separate space we share with Save My Seat upholstery. My personal output has never strayed from recycled materials but I'm reaching out to other options. In the past I've made recycled t-shirts and vinyl wallets, but since I opened Foggy Notion I've been primarily making tote bags from my collection of antique Army duffel bags. I love how durable the material is and how much history and character has. 

How do you balance both time for making & running a business? What advice would you give someone who feels like they don't have the time to do both?

Honestly time management is challenging for me and something I'm constantly working on. Nothing gets done unless I do it myself. Having a background in DIY and punk rock has been very valuable! Accepting that not everything will get done and not being too hard on myself about it is really important to my state of mind.  Also I go through phases with creative involvement that usually coincide with my focus on other things. Taking time off from making to focus on running the business side of things (especially during busier times like the holiday season) has allowed me space to think about design, materials, and efficiency for when I dive back into making.

How did you find SFEtsy? What part of SFEtsy has helped you within your own business?

I found SFEtsy through Etsy's website many years ago. Although I don't always post to the email group I read all the member's posts and frequently learn about events I'm interested in or supplies people are selling. It's comforting to know that in a big city like San Francisco there's a community of creative folks who want to help each other out.

Foggy Notion isn't too hard to find if you're looking for her amazing collection of items. You can find them on Facebook, Her website & at 275 6th Ave.

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

Savvy Entrepreneur: Hobby vs. Business

found on Pinterest via shopperelias

I work with a number of clients whose goal is to take their business from something they do part-time or on the side to a level of steady, reliable income. This doesn’t necessarily mean a full-time 40-50 hour a week job that’s supporting the family, but they do want their efforts to have a level of value and they want to feel pride in saying this is my business.

They come to me because they think they need marketing and sales help and usually they do. However, the first issue I see in many of these clients is not that they haven’t embraced social media or don’t know how to approach retail accounts, but they still don’t treat their business as a business. It’s very hard to put forth an image you don’t fully embrace yourself.

How you view your business and treat the time that you spend on it makes all the difference in jumping to the next level. It’s a matter of doing things right, taking it all seriously, and giving it the respect you both deserve.

Talking About What You Do

This is often the first place this lack of faith can be seen. Clients will talk about what they do in an offhand manner, diminishing its worth. They use wishy-washy language or beat around the bush when asked what they do. Or the worst offense they don’t actually tell anyone what they’re doing, friends and family included.

Embrace this business you’re creating, tell people how excited you are, how much you love what you’re doing. It’s ok to say you’re just starting out or you’re still small, but then share where you’re going, what big plans you have. Put it all out there, let it shine.

Working In Your Business

If you don’t take your business seriously it’s often hard to find time to get things done because everything else seems more important. You need to set aside uninterrupted blocks of time to work in and on your business. It’s ok if you only have time from 8-10 in evening or Saturday afternoons, but you need to commit and let anyone know who might interrupt you that you need to do this. If you take it seriously they will too.

Hobbyists do their work in short bursts of time on the bus or in front of the TV. Not to say you can’t do that also, but as someone running a successful business you also need to have work hours, a time when things get done on a regular basis.

Giving It Space

You also need a designated work area that is yours alone. You should not be spending valuable time each day setting up and breaking down the materials you need to work. Not only should you be able to leave projects that you’re in the middle of, but you should also be able to create an area that inspires you and helps you focus on what you do.

I’m not saying you can’t work from the comfort of your bed or kitchen table, I do it at least once a week. But you also need to have an area with everything you need to run your business - materials, tools, computer, good lighting and a comfortable chair. You should want to go to this space everyday. You can’t build a successful business if you hate going to the only place you have to work on it.

These shifts in attitude take effort and time, but practice each day thinking of your business as you want it to be. Take it seriously, give it the space and dedication it deserves, and I promise it will grow into something beautiful you can be proud of.

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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 how to work with her.

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

Savvy Entrepreneur: Push Through The Slow Times

Have sales been feeling a little stagnant lately? Have you hit the after-the-holidays-before-the-spring slump? It's normal; things tend to slow down a bit in January, February and sometimes, even March. Regardless of being normal, this may cause mild or even severe panic for some of us. I'm here to tell you to take a deep breath, take a few, and calm down. All you need is a new perspective.

The slow times do not signal the end of the world, they are temporary, just a part of the cycle and something you can use to your benefit. Instead of focusing on the amount of money coming into your bank account, look at the extra time you have since you're not filling orders.

This is the time to focus on making your business better, getting things done that will allow you to run more smoothly when sales pick up again. This is the time to focus on the things that get pushed aside when you’re busy. I promise all that hard work will pay off in sales. You just need a little patience.

Have you been meaning to update your website? Now is the perfect time to take new product shots or rewrite your product descriptions and about page. Block out an hour or two a day and within a week or so you'll have it all done.

Or maybe you've been thinking of expanding into new markets. Spend the extra time you have researching these markets. What problems can you solve, how do they get their information, what key points need to be addressed for a purchase to happen?

Keep in touch with your customers; sometimes they just need a little nudge. This slow time is perfect for reaching out with an update on your shop, new things you’re working on, or even a special sale just for them.

Collect inspiration for new products or a website refresh. Read new blogs, waste an hour or two on Pinterest (you know you can, I now give you permission), go shopping out in the real world. Your brain and creativity needs to be fed just like you do. Find some tasty vittles.

Keeping up with Facebook and Twitter is one of the first things to get neglected when you’re busy, so get back in the conversation and make some new connections. Participate in a Twitter chat, see what topics are trending, find some new competitors and “listen in” on their conversations.

Use this downtime to work on your business, give yourself a little creative refresh, or connect with customers and peers. Soon enough things will be moving again and you’ll find yourself wishing you had just a fraction of the time you have now.

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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 how to work with her.

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

Savvy Entrepreneur: Build A Plan For Success

Business plans bring up all sorts of feelings of dread. We picture thick tomes full of graphs, spreadsheets, and endless paragraphs on marketing segements.

Today I want to you think about writing a different sort of business plan. This one is solely for you and will only take a couple hours of your time and will provide clear action steps for growing your business.

The Big Money Picture

Start with the big picture in money, what does your business need to make and how soon does it need to make that? There’s a time and a place for vision and mission statements, but right now I want you to get straight to the point. Focus on the business you want to build and how long you have to make it work.

 List out all your possible expenses - rent, utilities, travel, marketing, employees, etc. and what you want to pay yourself to come up with a monthly income.

This number might seem scary big, but you want this to be a sustainable business, not a hobby. You need to pay yourself well, invest in the business (marketing, rent, conferences), and still have a cushion for the unexpected.

You also need to know how long you have for the business to reach this level. Do you only have 6 months of savings or do you have a 2-year runway?

The Right Now Picture

Now let’s look at what's already coming in. List all the income you know you can count on and estimate what you’ve been averaging for all the revenue streams you have. Be as specific as you can even if you need to guess at averages.

If you’ve got revenue streams that you’re still building, but haven’t brought anything in yet, don’t forget to note those too.

What’s the difference in these two numbers? Are you thousands off or only hundreds? This will give you a better idea of how hard you need to work, how far you need to go, and how long it will take you.

Where’s The Money?

Now let’s look at your time spent to bring in that income. What are you doing right now that’s bringing in the most money? Can you devote more hours to it? What are you doing that’s bringing in the least amount of money? Is it worth the effort, do you need to charge more, or are you still working to prove a model?

You might see that custom work brings in great money when you get it, but you’re not booking much. Instead you’ve been focusing on marketing your online store. It might be time to switch your efforts toward booking more custom projects. Or you might see that for the time investment craft fairs and trunk shows just aren’t cutting it. You might need to cut the number you commit to drastically and invest your time in securing wholesale accounts instead.

Building A Plan

Now that you’ve got a clearer picture of where the money is coming from and where your time is best spent build an actionable plan to get your numbers where you need them to be. Start with modest goals, but set them high enough to challenge yourself and keep things moving forward.

You might need to slowly extract yourself from the parts of the business that aren’t making money, before you can invest more time into the areas that are. Do you need to learn more about sales or gaining retail accounts? Set goals like increasing your revenue by 20% or booking 2 new clients next month and build from there.

Numbers are hard to ignore, so taking a good look at them will give you a pretty clear picture of what’s working and what’s not. It’s easier to build on what’s already working than add new strategies, products or services that haven’t been tested.

What step can you take next month to get you closer to your goal?

This is the kind of work I do with my clients, because sometimes it’s hard to do on your own. I help them gain perspective on where they are, where they want to go, and what paths will get them there. If you’ve got big goals this year send me an email and I’ll tell you how I can help.

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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 [at] lightboxsf [dot] 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!

Who's Your True Fan?

I recently read the original article that Seth Godin and Chris Guillebeau have referred to many times, "1000 True Fans" written by Kevin Kelly back in 2008. Since then I haven't really been able to let it go. It brought up two core ideas for me that are extremely powerful when trying to get a perspective on your business model and ideal client. 

Let's start with the business model first. Kelly's premise is that if an artist has 1000 true fans that support him by spending $100 a year, the artist can make a decent living and not have to worry about appealing to the masses. While a valid and interesting argument there are many ways to debate its merit. I won't bother with poking holes, instead I want to focus on the numbers. Ugh I know, I promise to keep them simple.

To me the idea of having 1000 true fans or ideal clients for my business seems like a high number. We're not talking mailing list subscribers or blog readers, we're talking people who buy what you're selling regularly. But I'm also not an individual artist, I'm a consultant. So I played with the numbers a little and thought, what if I had 200 ideal clients that paid me $500/year? Same end number and that seems much more doable for my business model. That's 2 e-courses or only 5 in-person sessions. I can see that happening.

Then I started thinking in terms of clients, what if I'm talking to someone who sells t-shirts at $25 each. They would need 1000 true fans to buy 4 t-shirts a year to make those numbers, is that realistic? I'm thinking that might be a little high, but what if they sold something else at a $50 price point? Do you see where I'm going with this?

Playing with the numbers is this way gives you a whole new perspective on how many people you need to reach and what you need to sell them. Maybe you really only need $50,000 a year or even less, or perhaps your work sells for $100-$500. Play with the numbers the same way to see what that really means in terms of items/services sold and total number of customers. You might even begin to find it fun.

The second idea that stuck with me was the definition of a true fan. Kelly talks about it terms of someone who loves everything you do and buys it all, he was focusing a lot on musicians. But I started to think, who is that person who would be so excited by every course, e-book, and workshop I could think of that they would sign up? What would I have to give in terms of information, support, and/or guidance to keep them coming back? I'm still working on that answer, but I'm pretty sure it'll help me grow the business.

Imagine who that person is that would want to own every piece of jewelry you make or would be so excited by the colors of yarn you dye that they buy some of each. Can you picture who they are? Do you know why they love what you do so much? Do you know how they found you and why they keep coming back? You are certainly on to something if you can answer those questions.

There is no solid right answer to either of these ideas, but I'm sure that if you even attempt to answer them both for yourself you'll gain some serious insight into what structure your business needs to take and who's going to support it.

I'd love to hear some of the answers you come up with.

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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 [at] lightboxsf [dot] 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!

Time Travel

My mind has been in the future a lot lately. Creating a future vision for your business is the first week's lesson in our e-course. The chaos at Lightbox SF has settled down a bit and we're planning to get some bigger, long term projects underway. I also see the holidays quickly approaching and I'm starting to think about what I want next year to look like.

We often hear advice telling us to stay in the present and focus on the here and now. And most of the time I would agree, having your head too far into the future makes you miss the amazing experiences and opportunities that are around you right now. However, when it comes to reaching goals and making big things happen, you have to be able to imagine the future.

Taking the time to create a vision of your business in the future, or any part of your life for that matter, makes it tangible. You can imagine how you'll feel when you get there, who you'll interact with, what it all looks like and suddenly the path getting there seems clearer. It makes it all more real when you can see the picture in your head.

So yesterday I was reading a blog post and saw a reference to this website futureme.org. It couldn't have come at a more perfect time. It's a simple website that allows you to send an email to yourself in the future. You schedule it for when you want it sent, a few days, a few months or a few years into the future, say what you have to say, and hit send.

It was a great reminder that while looking to the future for a path helps you get where you want to go, looking to the past for how far you've come helps keep you moving. We often forget to acknowledge all the hard work we put in and only focus on what we're going through or heading towards. Here's to taking the time to appreciate the past, present and future equally as we build the businesses and lives we truly crave.

Visit futureme.org and write yourself a note about what you hope you accomplish in the next 3 months, then sit back and see how close you come.

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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 [at] lightboxsf [dot] 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!

Your Ideal Customer

In many of my past articles I've talked about looking at the customers you already have to define your target market. As I've been coaching some key clients lately and doing a bit more reading of philosophies on target markets I've had a bit of a shift in thought.

Instead of looking to who you're already reaching, I challenge you to define who your ideal customer is. Not only the key characteristics of who they are and how they buy, but why they buy from you and why you want to sell to them.

Why, you ask?

Because I've come to believe that defining your target market is really not all that different than choosing the career you want to have. I coach clients to follow their passions and dreams, not look for the easy win. I coach them to imagine the biggest dreams possible and then figure out how to reach them, not settle for what comes your way.

Using that same philosophy to define your ideal client means you'll be serving someone you understand. You'll be able to create exactly what they need. They won't be able to help but buy it. They'll feel like they found the perfect item or solution and tell all their friends.

But even beyond just simply buying, you'll be able to communicate in a way that resonates. You'll connect over a shared experience or concern. You'll be more than just a jeweler, knitter or illustrator, you'll be that amazing person who sells the most amazing ____. It's called creating a niche.

Why force yourself to appeal to people you don't understand? This may mean alienating some previous customers. This may also mean it takes you a little longer to reach those who you really want to, but in the end you will understand them so well that serving them, producing new products will be as easy as dreaming.

So here's your challenge. Dream up your ideal customer. Who are they? Why are they attracted to what you make? Why must they have it? Why will the buy more and tell all their friends? Now look at what you're already doing. How can you change the wording on your website or tweak the presentation of your product to speak directly to this ideal customer?

Now go do 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!

Connecting With Customers - What Marketing is Really About

For many marketing still has the slimy connotation of trickery, of being talked into something. In a way I get this especially given that many see advertising as synonymous with marketing. You might have seen the recent YouTube video where the ball girl makes an amazing catch and the later disclosure that it was produced by an advertising agency for Gatorade. Stunts like that definitely leave us a little jaded.

While the obvious argument is that not all advertising needs to be such a set-up, I would also argue that marketing is very different than advertising on many levels. I define advertising as talking at your customers and marketing as talking with your customers or connecting with them.

There's nothing underhanded in marketing. You're defining a customer base, identifying their needs and communicating how you can satisfy them. You are letting them know that you have something they already wanted and were looking for.

To do this successfully you need to know who your customer base is, where they're searching and you need to communicate the value that you offer. Marketing is explaining why they would want to choose your product over a competitor's. I see the ruffled feathers again, you're thinking sales, talking them into buying your product. Stop!

If you can clearly state the benefits of your product or service and how it's different, not necessarily better, than the competition, not only does the decision become clear, you leave it completely in the hands of the customer. If you've communicated well and they don't choose you, it only means they weren't the right customer in the first place.

Marketing is telling the best possible story to the most interested person. To market well you need to find your unique story, your target market and then connect with them by sharing that story.

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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!

Customers - You Can Learn So Much From Them

Shelly and I have been taking on a lot of new clients lately, yeah for us, and it's made me shift my focus a little on what it is people are really looking for when they come to us. This is great because it's allowed us to focus more and also kickstart the development of a few products that have been gathering dust.

I bring this up for two reasons, first I think we can all learn from our customers when we listen to them, but this shift has also given me some insight into how and why people buy.

Learn From Your Customers

I want to encourage you to really look at what your customers are buying, what sort of feedback they give, and what they're general comments are. This insight will not only allow you to continue to produce meaningful products that sell, but will help to define your target audience.

Knowing who you're selling to allows you to find new needs you can fill, reach more of your audience, and more successfully market your business. If you realize that everyone who's buying your jewelry is over the age of 40, looks at your $60 necklaces as impulse buys, and lives in Marin County you'll know you're wasting your time trying to get into a hipster Mission boutique. Yeah to knowing where to focus your energy.

Additionally if you start getting feedback that buying your notebooks makes customers feel good because they're buying sustainably and they get tons of compliments about their great taste, you can use that in your marketing to attract even more customers who want to feel that way.

Ask for feedback, interact and be sure to note both what's working and what isn't. You may find that your favorite items just don't sell, but that little trinket you created to use up some scrap is your biggest seller. Use that knowledge to help you decide how to best put your creative energy to use.

Observations on Buying Habits

I can't profess to tell you that I know the secrets of why and how people buy. If I did I would be laying on my private beach in Mexico drinking a beer and eating guacamole instead of writing this blog post. Just saying. However, I have noticed a few things in the last year in trying to second guess my clients and give them what they want.

People really like something tangible they also like added value. Many of you are selling a product and are already working in the tangible, but I challenge you to also create a tangible benefit. Besides your product what do customers get from choosing you? Are you solving a problem? Do you fill a need? Do you confirm their image as cutting edge, a foodie, or socially conscious? The benefit you find is your added value and the answer to the question, "Why buy from you and not your competition?"

Those of you selling a service know this is sometimes a harder problem to solve. If you're offering consulting or coaching the results vary based on the individual and how much energy they put in, but if you can structure your services in such a way that you can offer tangible results if steps are followed the value of your service becomes more clear. And don't forget the added value part. You also have a distinction from your competition, key into the customers that want that benefit.

To put it simply you need to be as clear about what people are getting for their money as you can. Be sure to let them know about the additional warm fuzzy feelings, boost to cred, and self-care that come along with the purchase.

30-Minute Consults

If you're struggling with how to figure this out for yourself, Shelly and I can help. A lot of what we do is provide the outside perspective to look at your business and really key in on those added values and target market.

On Saturday, April 30th we're offering 30-minute free consultations between the hours of noon and 2pm. Book your session to get some initial insight and feedback as well as discuss how we might be able to help you further. Just send me an email and we'll book your time now.

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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!

SEO for Crafters - Part 2

In part 2 of SEO for Crafters I’ll show you what you can do with those keywords you’ve spent so much time researching.

How many keywords did you come up with? It’s honestly only reasonable to be able to optimize for 5-10 words or phrases. But don’t worry if you came up with a list of 50 or more, your work wasn’t in vain. If the words and phrases on your list are related you can pull from them now and again to keep things fresh. You may also decide to optimize specific pages for different words.

To optimize your website or blog for a word or phrase means to use it in key places that allow search engines to find that word on your site. You probably have a friend who uses the same expression over and over again like “cool beans,” or “totally, man.” When you hear that expression you can’t help but think of them. Optimizing has a similar effect. You will strategically use words and phrases repeatedly in your text and titles. The more you do this the more search engines will associate your website with those words. The search engines are looking in five main areas: titles, descriptions, main copy, links, and urls, to find those keywords.

Titles and Descriptions

Search engines place higher importance on words that are formatted as headings and titles, so use your keywords in titles and headings for your pages. To have the full impact you can’t just bold the text or make it bigger you need to format it as a heading or title.

If you use a platform for your website that does behind the scenes coding for you, you probably have optional fields for descriptions, both for pages and posts. I recommend filling them in. The descriptions should read like normal text as they will be seen on the search page below the link to your site. If you have a compelling, to-the-point description it will help entice people to choose your link over others.

Main Copy

The main text of your website is also ranked, but not as high as titles. First and foremost use natural language, you want people to be engaged with your text so they read it all, come back for more and even share it. But do keep that list of keywords in mind and pepper the words you’re focusing on throughout the text. This may mean that your website in general is optimized for one phrase while specific articles are optimized for different, but related phrases.

Links

Links are important for many reasons, but in this context you want to link specific words in your main text to a related article on another website. So from this point on no more “click here”, instead use keywords to describe what you’re linking to. For example at the bottom of this post there’s a link to a cheat sheet for all this keyword information, I use the words, “using keywords in SEO” as a link not “illustrated cheat sheet” because they’re more specific and descriptive.

URL

You should have control over the urls for your pages and individual posts. Make use of keywords here too. Don’t ever settle for the default random number that’s generated with some blogging platforms. If your platform generates a url from your title that’s great because you’re already using keywords, however you might want to tweak it to either make it shorter or really focus on the right words.

All of this boils down to is having a few words or phrases that are descriptive of what your website is about and using them in a natural, organic way in the titles and text of your site.

To help you with this week’s tips here’s an illustrated cheat sheet for using keywords in SEO.

Next week we’ll focus on authority, the final part to SEO for Crafters.

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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!

Marketing Your Art By Telling Your Story

In preparation for our upcoming workshop Shelly and I have been spending a lot of time talking about what branding means and how to define it for yourself. Our discussions have brought up some really interesting ways to approach one of the biggest questions a creative entrepreneur has to answer. So I thought I’d share a few thoughts to get your mind working and give you an idea of what our upcoming “Marketing Your Art By Telling Your Story” workshop will be like.

I used to think branding was just about logos and colors. While this is definitely a part of the mix, I now know that branding is also about an experience. So that’s one way to approach defining your brand. What sort of experience do you want your customer to have? Are you about luxury, convenience, or solving a problem?

Brand can also be about lifestyle. This is where knowing your target market comes in. Your messaging, packaging and interactions with the customers need to support their lifestyle. Are you targeting busy, working moms or active, outdoorsy college students? Not only are their needs different so is what they’re attracted to.

While creatives and artists are often very closely associated with their brands, creating a brand identity can also be about creating the best version of yourself. Your target market will often view this as the idealized version of who they want to be. Everything that you do surrounding your product or service can make them feel as though they are achieving that ideal.

There’s a lot to think about when creating a brand identity. Some of it is about external factors and perfect personas, but a lot of it is about your unique qualities and passions. By using what is uniquely your story you can stand out in the marketplace. In our workshop, “Marketing Your Art By Telling Your Story” we’ll help you find that unique story and show you how to use it to create a personalized marketing strategy.

Both Shelly and I will lead this 3-hour workshop and we’ve limited the attendance to 15 people so that everyone will get plenty of individual attention. You’ll gain a greater clarity on your brand identity as well as developing action items for a purposeful marketing strategy.

When: Thursday, March 24th 6-9pm
Where: a.Muse Gallery, 614 Alabama St.

Sign up now to be one of the lucky 15 people to attend this workshop!

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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!

Building Your Support Team

The theme of networking, making connections, and amassing groups of great supportive people around you has been coming up a lot lately for both Shelly and I. In the last two months I've been asked to join 3 entrepreneurial support groups, have made some amazing connections with like minded folks and witnessed the power of community manifest itself in a few kick-ass projects.

It started with a presentation at Noise Pop by WilloToons, Don't DIY Alone. That got me thinking about how many collaborations I'm already a part of and how much I enjoy working that way. Then I started noticing posts by some of my favorite bloggers talking about how to use connections and building community. For the last week and a half I've been following The Right-Brain Business Plan video summit and I'm amazed by the community that has sprung up around Jennifer Lee and her book. It's not just people who bought the book and love what she's doing, it's peers who want to help spread the word and be a part of this awesome conversation.

It's a somewhat stereotypical trait of both entrepreneurs and artists to be the lone wolf struggling quietly by yourself, but I see that image changing for the better. Surrounding yourself with like-minded, supportive people can help you in so many ways.

I'll go back to those entrepreneurial groups. It's amazing how motivated you can feel after hearing all the amazing things others are doing all on their own. It's also a great way to get advice from people who "get it." And sometimes just being able to dump all the frustrations, fears, and overwhelm into a group that has been there keeps you going forward.

Collaborations are a great way to get your creativity flowing. There are so many projects out there to jump into for a fun jump start. But also think of what you could do if you asked a few creative friends to help you build a website, organize a craft fair, or post on each other's blogs. We should all be making use of the talent that surrounds us.

Use Twitter and Facebook to connect to others doing similar things. Comment on blogs to build relationships. Call up your friends and go to events where you can meet amazing people in person. Ask other entrepreneurs to form a group that meets once a month for drinks or coffee. But whatever you do, don't go it alone.

What communities, collaborations or groups are you a part of? How have they helped you?

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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!

Is Your Website Marketing For You?

This is the last in my series on “Are You Ready To Market Yourself?” and this week I’ll focus on building marketing into your website. Once you get customers to your website you need to keep their attention and turn them into loyal consumers. Does your site do that?

Tell Your Story

I can’t stress how important this is. You are unique and the story of why or how you do what you do is worth sharing. It’s what will set you apart from your competition. So make sure you’re telling it on your website, especially in you about page. In the first piece of this series I linked to a great article on writing your about page. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend you go and read it.

But who you are should also come through in the language you use in your product descriptions and how you explain your shop policies. Let it all be personal and let it paint a picture of you. If customers get to feel like they know you just from visiting a few pages on your website then you’re doing it right.

Share Your Successes

Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn, after all this is your website. Put links to any press you’ve gotten or Esty treasuries you’ve been in. Make pdfs of the magazine pages or take screenshots of blog coverage. Any little mention is worth sharing.

Testimonials are another great way to get customers to trust you. If they can read the words of “someone like them” it’s that much easier to make the leap to purchase. Most people like to be followers rather than leaders, testimonials let them know they’re not the first, but that they’re also joining a very satisfied group of people.

If They Want To Talk About You Let Them

I also highly recommend setting up a page for the press, not to be confused with a page that shares the press you got. I call ours “Newsroom” and it’s where I post press releases that I send out to the media. You can also set up image galleries for writers to request specific images to use. If a writer stumbles across your blog make it easy for them to find all the information they need, your store, something about you, events that you’re participating in, etc. This can be in various places around your website, but if you pull it all together for a writer you make their job that much easier and they’ll love you for it.

Be Social

We are curious and social creatures by nature, we want to connect and know more. Make it easy for people to find you on various social networks. If you use Facebook to share sales and giveaways let customers know that and make it easy to like your page. Something like “To be first in line for monthly discounts make sure to like me on Facebook” works really well. Same goes for Twitter make it easy to follow you and give visitors an idea of what types of things you tweet about.

If you send out a newsletter make sure the sign up field is above the fold of your webpage and tell customers what they’re in for. If you make it seem exclusive or give the preferential treatment, people are more likely to sign up. Give away an ebook, share newsletter only tutorials, or give subscribers advance notice of sales or trunk shows.

If there are any other social networks you belong to share those too. It might be your Flickr stream that entices an undecided buyer because they saw that you went to the same town in Mexico that they did earlier in the year. Or perhaps your bookmarking of articles on fringe artwork in Delicious allows a writer to see your paintings from a whole new perspective.

In short let your website be your flashing beacon of everything you are and offer and let it shine with your personality.

In case you missed the previous articles in this series, here’s the links:

Are You Ready To Market Yourself?

Branding: It's All About Experience and Benefit

What Does Your Website Say About You?

Customer Service - Do You Know What Your Customers Experience?

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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!

Customer Service - Do You Know What Your Customers Experience?

In my third follow up to “Are You Ready To Market Yourself?” I want to talk about customer experience. In the original piece I listed things to think about that pertain directly to your website, but in looking back on it now I should have mentioned customer service in general. I realize very few of us are in the position to have a store front where we’re dealing with customers directly, but there are so many facets of what we do that are still customer service. Every time you respond to an email, answer the phone or mail out a purchase you are providing customer service. How does it measure up to the image that you want to create?

So going back to the original question of whether or not you’re ready to market yourself, I’ll take it one step further and ask, What would happen if your business doubled overnight? Will the systems you’ve created hold up? Do you need to worry about your website crashing or running slowly? Will you be able to handle all the sales and inquires in a timely manner?

While a doubling of sales overnight is an unlikely scenario, looking at your business from an outside perspective will help you see where holes and soft spots are. My fiancé is in the mobile game business and when they get close to launching a new product, they hire people to play the games with the intention of breaking it. They are looking for a link that doesn’t work or that crazy series of actions that shuts things down. What would these testers find on your site or in your customer experience?

Website

I will go here first because it’s often our first point of contact with our customers. Last week’s article gave you a lot to think about regarding the look and design of your site. So let’s take it a step further and really look at how the customer engages with your website. Is it primarily set up as an online store? If so, is the checkout process easy and secure? Are descriptions of the items easy to find, up to date, and useful?

Maybe your website is more personal and focuses on your blog and you process. Is that clear from the start? Is there an easy link for people to find what your selling whether it be products or services? Do they have to fill out a form to ask you a question or can they just click a button and type away?

It should be as easy as possible to find the information that you want them to find. Actively direct customers to your store or to sign up for your email list, whatever your main objective is. Assume two-thirds of your visitors will never get to the bottom of your first page and most will only scroll down an inch or two.

Email

What happens before and after the purchase is just as important as the checkout process. Maybe someone is interested in custom work and they send an email inquiring. Do you have a standard reply that answers all of the basic questions? Does it set you up to continue the conversation? Do you check email often enough to respond with 24 hours or less?

This last one is probably the most important. People are generally impulse shoppers and if they don’t get the information they need to decide to purchase within a day they usually move on.

If you are clear in all of your communications and give as much information as you can up front you will make the experience easy and pleasant for your customer and they will be more likely to part with their hard earned money.

Phone

If you give them the option you will undoubtedly get people who will just pick up the phone instead of emailing. You do not need to feel tied to your phone, but you should have an outgoing message that makes it clear they’ve reached the right person, that sounds professional, and even gives them an idea of when you will get back to them. It is perfectly ok to say something like, “I am unable to return phone calls until after 6 so please leave me a number where you can be reached in the evening and the best time to call.”

I won’t harp on phone skills, but will say be professional, make sure there are no obvious distractions when you call back, and be prepared to get all the information you need to go to the next step.

Packaging

A friend of mine ordered her wedding dress from a major retailer online. It was already stressful to her that she wasn’t able to try it on first, but she loved the photos and was pretty sure this was the right dress. However when it arrived it was crumpled in a bag and poorly folded into the cardboard box. She almost didn’t try it on because she was so disappointed in how it arrived.

I tell you this because it matters.The packaging is part of the experience and it’s more than just ensuring that what’s inside is protected. Does your customer feel like they’re unwrapping something very special when their order arrives? Is the packaging distinct enough that they know exactly what it is before they even look at the label? Think of the Tiffany’s blue box, it almost doesn’t matter what’s inside. You don’t need to spend a ton of money on the packaging, but make sure there is some obvious care and the personality of your brand shines through.

Complaints

I hate that I have to bring it up, but it’s the ugly part of doing business. Someone is always going to be unsatisfied and complain. They may do this by phone, scathing email, or vicious comments on your website. However, if it is a public complaint your other customers will notice how you handle it more than they’ll notice what was said.

You do not necessarily need to buy into the adage, “The customer is always right,” but it will serve you well to find out what they want and do your best to give it to them. Often all a customer needs is for you to notice that they didn’t get what they wanted, sometimes an apology is in order, sometimes a replacement, and sometimes just kind words. Be as gracious and humble as you can and you may even convert them into a loyal customer because they know you will take care of them.

Boy Scout’s Motto

I have my own addition to it, but it serves me well, “Always be prepared for the worst case scenario.” If you take the time to imagine the worst and know how you’ll respond, you will come out of any situation looking gracious and professional not harried and overwhelmed. Go through the buying experience from a customer’s point of view, ask your friends to test certain features or read through your prepared responses. If you find yourself getting the same questions over and over again, set up a Frequently Asked Questions page. It will make you and your customer’s happier.

What systems have you implemented to make your customers feel special?

Here are links to the other articles in this series:

Are You Ready To Market Yourself?

Branding: It's All About Experience and Benefit

What Does Your Website Say About You?

Is Your Website Marketing For You?

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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!

Branding: It's All About Experience and Benefit

Last week I asked the question, “Are you ready to market yourself?” and laid out four areas for you to focus your attention and ask the question, “Am I putting my best foot forward?”

Over the next four weeks I want to dive a little deeper into each of those areas. So we’ll start with Branding.

To many branding is what large companies like Coca Cola and Nike do, but it’s just as important for an individual artist. Your brand is the experience you give your customers, it’s what sets you apart from your competitors. Your branding, notice the difference, are the tools that you use to convey this experience like your website, storefront, and packaging.

Why is this so important? It’s how people remember you, it’s what makes you stick in their mind, and it’s what makes them want to recommend you to friends.

The basics of branding is choosing a business name, logo and color scheme then carrying that over to a website, marketing materials and packaging. But it’s so much more than that. What experience do you want to give your customer? What is your mission or vision? Is that also carried through in all your branding?

Let me give you an example. If you own a shop that makes high-end bath products, soaps, bath salts, lotions, etc. The experience you might want to give you customer is one of luxury and special treatment. But if your website is hard to navigate and customer’s questions are only responded to once a week, that’s not very special or luxurious.

I’ll take it even a step further to say how you present yourself reflects on your brand. Most of you reading this are the ones who sell your own products either at fairs, trunk shows, or to your wholesale accounts. If you make fashion forward jewelry that you’re selling at trendy boutiques and at trunk shows in hip lounges, you better look the part. A slumpy t-shirt and running shoes won’t cut it, even if you’ve been up since 6am setting up your booth. I think you get my point.

It’s about the whole package. You need craft the first impression you give your customer through your website, store or fair booth. Then the customer needs to feel good purchasing the item, either because they’re doing something nice for themselves or someone else. And finally they need to be able to put on those earrings or use that soap months later and get that feeling all over again. The experience.

This may seem like a lot to think about, but I promise if you take the time to really define your brand you will stand out head and shoulders above the rest. Start by answering these few questions in as much detail as you can and then think about how you can carry that concept through into everything you do.

What Are the Benefits of Your brand? (List adjectives that best describe the benefits of your brand. What type of experience or feeling do you provide or what need do you fill?)

What Differentiates You From Your Competition? (What benefit or value do you provide that your competition doesn’t? What are you doing that no one else is? Why should customers choose your product/work over the competition?)

What Is Your Business Identity? (Loosely begin to think of your overall company identity – your logo, packaging, colors, stationary, etc. You want to create something that is not only instantly recognizable as “you”, but also has a feeling that goes with your product. People buy things because of the way it makes them feel – Is it a luxurious treat, good for the environment, or giving back to the community? Does it make them feel more hip, smart, or cutting edge? Consistency is key!)

What are the key benefits of your brand and how do you communicate them?

Here are links to the other articles in this series:

Are you ready to market yourself?

What Does Your Website Say About You?

Customer Service - Do You Know What Your Customers Experience?

Is Your Website Marketing For You?

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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!

Are You Ready To Market Yourself?

At the beginning of a New Year a lot of small businesses make the decision to step up their marketing efforts by investing more time and money in advertising, social media marketing, and related avenues. It’s a great time to do it, the rush of Holiday sales is over, you’ve got a fresh new perspective on a brand new year, and if you do any business related reading it’s what everyone is talking about; how to get ahead in the year ahead.

I also fully support a well-planned marketing strategy. It keeps you on top of goals and ahead of the game for holiday marketing and special opportunities. Unfortunately all the buzz about getting more traffic, making more sales, and reaching more clients can get in the way of the real question. Are you ready to handle them? Are you putting your best foot forward?

First impressions are key and a customer’s first experience in your store will greatly influence whether they come back or tell their friends. So what does it mean to be ready? Here are some key areas and resources to make your website and your brand ready for the world.

Branding

- Is your logo distinct and representative of your overall vision?

- Is your logo easy to read and memorable?

- Do you have a website address that’s easy to find and easy to remember?

- Do you have a Unique Selling Proposition that is clearly stated?

- Do you have a blog that tells your story?

Website Design

- Is your website attractive and easy to navigate?

- Does your website carry through the image of your brand with colors and fonts?

- Do you have professional photos - sharp, true to life colors, details of products?

- Is key information easy to find - how to contact, store policies, payment options?

- Is important information clearly presented in readable text and easy to find pages?

- Do all your links work?

- Have you proofread your copy?

Customer Experience

- Can your customers find your contact information easily?

- Is it easy to purchase items or services?

- Is the checkout process easy to follow?

- Are there unnecessary steps or information asked for?

Built in Marketing

- Do you have an about page that tells your story?

- Do you have links to any press you’ve gotten?

- Is it easy for a blogger or magazine to share information about you - photos, links to your store or blog?

- Can I sign up for a newsletter?

- Can I find your Facebook or Twitter pages?

- Do you share any other social media networks you belong to?

The goal of marketing is to attract customers, but if you're not ready to give them the best experience then it's time and money wasted. Put your best foot forward from the beginning and your customers will keep coming back and tell their friends.

Are you ready to market yourself? Can you answer yes to all these questions?

This is part one in a 5 part series, here are links to the rest:

Branding: It's All About Experience and Benefit

What Does Your Website Say About You?

Customer Service - Do You Know What Your Customers Experience?

Is Your Website Marketing For You?

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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!

Why You Should Be Using Social Media

The New Year is all about roundups, 10 best lists, and predicting trends. I’ve been reading a lot of these articles lately, but one in particular stood out to me. Part of it was timing, just having lead my second Social Media for Artists workshop, but also because I often forget, being so immersed in social media, that still not everyone is using it. And by everyone I mean businesses.

The article... 30 Social Media Predictions From 30 Social Media Pros. A lot of interesting takes on what the year ahead has in store. But what stood out to me most was the general notion that social media will finally come into it’s own. Predictions #3 - Social media will become mainstream and #6 - Social media will no longer be something the “cool kids” are doing, said it best. What I find surprising is that not everyone is using this tool to its utmost value already.

I teach about its accessibility, about its over all value, and about its power to build loyalty and trust with customers. All of this for free and just a little investment of time. So I ask again, why isn’t everyone using it?

These predictions gave an idea of what the answer might be. The majority of businesses still aren’t sure what they should be doing and if it’s worth it. So I want to try to convince you it is worth it and also convince you that the sooner you jump in the more established you’ll be when the rest catch on. It’s still possible to use social media as a leg up over your competitors.

So back to the convincing part, I promise not to go overboard, but here’s just a few things that might sway you.

1) Your target market is somewhere online, you just need to find them.

2) Engaging in the right conversations is much more effective than traditional marketing. If you become a part of the conversation your target market is having, you build a relationship, you become a friend.

3) Some of your competition is using social media, but there’s a good chance they’re not doing it well.

4) Social media is the way your customers are communicating. You need to be using the tools that they are and be present in the conversations they have.

5) Using social media with a plan can save you both time and money. Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr are free and have millions of users you can tap into.

6) Social media allows you to gain insight into your industry, your competition, and your customers. This allows you to respond quickly to needs and problems.

7) Social media broadens your reach with less effort. I repeat millions of users, not to mention the ability to find target markets you may not have thought of.

8) Social media allows you to create relationships, which lead to loyal customers. Wouldn’t you rather buy from or recommend someone you’ve had a conversation with, even if it was only online?

So I urge you, get into the conversation, make it a part of your marketing strategy and use it to the best of its ability. If you need a little help getting started we have a great workbook you can go through at your own pace.

I’d love to hear what successes you’ve already had with social media.

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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!