Handmade and Regifting...a match made in heaven

Well, maybe not made in heaven.  But they sure do go well together.  Like hand-in-hand.  Two peas in a pod.  Bread and butter.  Handmade and regifting.

To have a variety of gift type items in my shop for this big shopping season, among other things, I crocheted some rustic wine bottle cozies.  I paired them up with handmade leather gift tag pockets I purchased from and are made by our teamie Greg of Wood Bone & Stone.

So, I thought I would be clever and promote them as the gift that keeps on giving, over and over and over again.  For years to come!!  Just buy a new bottle of wine and pass it on.  Part of my tagline for them is "let's make regifting the 'in' thing to do".  Cute, eh?

Not that I thought I was being oh so original, but I did think it was kind of clever.

You know that old adage that there isn't a new idea under the sun?  It's true.

Turns out there is a site called Regiftable.com.  Not only does their fun site have a Regifting 101 page.  They also have regifting stories, regifting forums and they even created a National Regifting Day on the third Thursday in December, apparently the most common day for office holiday parties.  According to their very scientific research, 4 out of 10 people target their co-workers as the recipients of their regifts.

You can even have a Regifting Party!  See their Official Regifting Party Rules here.  Sounds like fun!

This got me to thinking about how can we, as a team, be part of this old/new, economical and eco-friendly trend.

I'm still thinking...

Here is what I thought.  Every two weeks, we will have a thread discussion called "Regifting Day".  This is where everyone will post an item they made that they think are regiftable items.  Part of the goal is to get our creativity in gear to come up with new items.  Items that are eco-friendly (reusable packaging) and economical (regiftable items).  Or suggest something to other members an idea we think would fit in with their line of work.  And just have fun with it getting ready for the holidays.

Start thinking now what you have or could make that would fit this theme.  It can be an item, packaging, or anything else that could be regiftable.  And no!  Not everything is regiftable.  :)

I'm not one to fall onto all kinds of trends.  But this is one bandwagon I do want to jump on.  I hope many of you will too.

So come on back to our discussion and tell me what you think about this.  I want to hear your thoughts and ideas.

OMG! A Negative Feedback!!

Positive.  Neutral.  Negative.  Feedback.  Those are our choices on Etsy.

But Etsy feedback is kind of weird.  The feedback a seller leaves for a buyer is invisible to the public so you can't see what feedback has been left for them.  But you do see if they have a negative as a buyer.  You just don't know for what and why.

Seller's feedback on the other hand is right there in all its glory for the whole world to read. So as sellers, we sure do care what that feedback says about us, our product and our customer care.

You can only leave one feedback.  You cannot leave any additional feedback, to explain a questionable feedback left about you as a seller. Are you confused yet?  I'm not surprised.  If you get a negative, the only recourse you have is to ask the other party to 'kiss and makeup'.

You read that right.  I did not make that up.  If someone leaves you a feedback you feel is unfair, you can ask that person to 'kiss and makeup' so you can have it amended to more positive comments.  The only people I want to kiss and make up with are my family.  And even then...nevermind...  

Many sellers feel a neutral is as bad as a negative.  I think it depends on if there is an explanation or not.
Most customers aren't into the whole feedback thing as much as we are and don't think neutral is negative.

Then there are those on Etsy who feel that a negative feedback is equivalent to the kiss of death.  And while I would not be happy with one, I don't think it means the end of your Etsy career or that you have to sell one of your children, even though that might be a viable solution for some.  I have made many purchases from sellers who had a negative.  Even when they had more than one.  I look at the ratio of positives to the negatives.  The higher volume of sales, the more the odds go up of running into a negative from time to time.  And I carefully read any negatives.  I can tell if someone is too hard to please, has an axe to grind or is just never going to be happy with anything.  So if you really want that item, but the seller has some negatives, read what they are and decide if it's a risk or not.

But then there are, in my opinion, the worst kind of feedbacks.  No information at all, just the little plus, minus or circle symbols.  If you really want to hurt a seller, leave them a negative or a neutral without explaining.  Slightly better, but still not great in my opinion, a positive with just enough information to make you curious but not really tell you anything.

For example:  "This is soooooooo cute!" and then a string of little characters denoting all kinds of emotions, none of which I really know the meaning.  Feedback like this and blank ones are totally useless to me.  Although if it's positive, that's more encouraging.

I want to know about the qualilty of workmanship.  Was the item accurately represented in the listing and photographs.  How well was it packaged and how long did it take to receive.  Was the seller helpful in answering any questions?  Things like that are what will help me decide on whether to purchase or not.    And that is the kind of feedback I want my customers to leave about me so other prospective customers know what to expect.  

So what should you do when you get that dreaded negative?  I feel that as the seller, accepting people's money for our products, it is our responsibility to bend over backwards and go the extra mile to ensure we end up with a happy customer.  I know there are times where this may be impossible, but if you don't give it everything you've got, you have failed that customer.

Giving it everything you've got does not mean you sell the farm to appease a grumpy malcontent who spent $5 and is now griping that you overcharged shipping by 30 cents.  Of course, there are times where the customer is absolutely wrong and nothing you do to appease them works.  That's when you cut your losses and move on.  Most of the time, however, if you react politely, calmly and show a real willingness to work to fix the situation, you will convert an unhappy customer to a happy one.  That is worth their weight in gold.

But please don't ever run to your blog and publicly rant about a customer by name, trashing them and insulting the town they live in because you're upset they left you a negative without contacting you first and copy/pasting their messages onto your blog, posting it to your facebook and tweeting it repeatedly, even two months after the fact.  That happened once. Really!   I saw it very recently.  Nevermind the unbelievable unprofessionalism of this type of behavior.  It downright smacks of vindictiveness.

One of my purchases, this past winter was less than positive.  The item arrived and was not sized properly at all and the craftsmanship was poor to mediocre.  Then I read their policies that they do not accept returns.  My bad for not reading this before making my purchase.  Anyway, I decided I had to leave a negative and explained why.  This seller later contacted me and offered me 15% back on my purchase if I would change my feedback to a positive.   Well, I said no thanks to their bribe.  Even if I got 15% back, I couldn't wear the article without altering it myself and it didn't change the fact that the quality of workmanship was not good. 

We are in business catering to the public.   We have a system where they can and do leave us feedback.  Most of the time it will be good.  But when that one time pops up where there is a problem, even if you're right as rain, smile, do everything you can within reason to remedy the issue and remember that you are the one in the public realm offering a product you want people to spend money on.  If you consistently offer superior customer care, it will be reflected in your feedback and your reputation will build on that and customers will have faith in you and your product.

Just don't sweat the little bumps that come along.  And for goodness sake, don't turn the little bumps into rocky mountains by lashing out at the customer.  Take the high road.  It will pay off and you will be happy you did later on down that road.

So come back to our discussion forum and let's discuss http://www.etsy.com/teams/12389/etsyhandmade/discuss/10976432/

"What Else Can We do?"

Ok, Alex of Woodenaht.  You inspired me in one of our team discussions, where you stated that you frequently ask yourself "what more can I do" or "what else can I do" in reference to your online business, as a way to keep moving forward and improving it.  That's the second time your words have struck a note with me that made me think and actually act on them to work harder on my shop. 

And got me to thinking about this in respect to our team.  So I'm asking "What more can WE do?".  What else can we do to improve our team experience and elevate our team profile.  Well, as I've been looking at and joining some other teams and studying them...there is MUCH more we can do.

Please bear with me.  This is going to be a long post.

Treasuries!  The other teams I've been interacting with are all treasury teams.  I am convinced that this is the way to elevate our team profile and get noticed.  Which means that our individual shops will also get noticed.  And just how does that work you may ask?  Well, maybe not really ask, but are you wondering just a little?  I will attempt to explain.

And as always, I state up front that I am no expert. At anything other than being a non-expert. There are many more people who know more about this and the whole Etsy thing in general than me. But I'm the one with the blog column.  ;-)   So I do welcome all feedback, ideas, and even corrections.  There is a comment box down below just for that.

Back to treasuries.  The next thing I noticed about these teams is that they allow non-member treasuries and in fact encourage them and promote them.  They do this through treasury challenges.  Usually, one member item is featured or the inspiration for the theme and the challenge is to build around that using any listings in Etsyland that fit your theme.  The point is to make the most beautiful treasuries possible and how can you do that if you don't use all the "resources" (code for listings) available to you on the site.

The point of making the most beautiful treasuries possible is to get lots of notice and hopefully, the ever coveted front page spot.  Now wait a minute before any of you bring up the old "front page isn't all that" argument.  I agree!!  Surprising, I know.  But.  There's always a but.  We're not aiming for the front page just for sales.  I know from experience, that is a long shot, usually doesn't happen and disappointment sets in.

Is that the only value to the front page?  Sales?  I don't think so.  What about the exposure?  That has tremendous value.  It's not a 'final destination' to sales nirvana.  It's a tool in our trunk for the journey to sales nirvana.

So back to treasuries.  Again.  And what we can do more as a team.  To help facilitate members make the best treasuries, we are going to start having treasury challenges and games.  There might even be one where there is a 'winner'.  The 'winner' usually gets to be the next featured seller the following week or gets to choose the theme...something like that.  Haven't worked out all the details to every possibility yet.  And we will be allowed to use any listings on Etsy as long as there is one team item in the collection and the team tags are used.

Making these treasures does require time and effort.  My challenge to my teamies is are you willing to at least try it and participate for a month?  Are you willing to put in a little time and effort towards the team goal of raising our profile?  And no, I'm not asking everyone to make treasuries every day or even every week.  Just participate in one challenge for the month.  They are lots of fun and when you see all the activity it can generate in your shop, you might want to join in twice a month.  Or even every week.  If we have enough challenges going, you can select from a variety. Just remember from my last blog article---to generate activity, you have to be active.

Think about this.  Why did you join the team?  What are your expectations?  What did you hope the team would do for you?  And is it turning out as expected?  Are you contributing to the team in a way that benefits you as well as the whole?  If not, what more can you do?

Ask not what your team can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your team!!! 

(sorry...about that one, but I couldn't resist)

~❤~

Activity

I've been doing a lot of soul searching and trying to figure out how the heck I'm going to improve my shop and my Etsy experience in general.  In that process, I've been reading what I can find on the beaten-to-death subject of tweaking everything til blood shoots out your eyes or your head explodes.

Fortunately, I did learn a couple of new things.  We all knew that tweaking and getting good keywords to use in titles and tags, does makes a huge difference.  We all knew this.  The new thing I learned is they should exactly match to get the best results.  Whatever two-word keywords you use in your title, should be repeated exactly in your tags.  I also learned that shop activity helps.  Even if it's just freshening up your profile or shop policies.  Regular activity seems to help keep you from sinking to the bottom of the "I don't exist on Etsy" pit. 

I was gone for two weeks and not very active upon my immediate return from my trip.  My views tanked.  The past week or so, I've been very busy in my shop.  Listed a couple of items.  Rearranged my listings so that my first page looks more fitting for autumn.  Making treasuries and I even joined another team and became more active in another one I already belonged to.

My views immediately started going back up.  Then I had some little feature, I still haven't been able to find out where, that boosted my views even more for a couple of days. 

Activity. 

Another thing I noticed on one of the other teams I belong to is the nature of their discussions and team participation.  Relatively speaking, we have a very active discussion forum which is a huge asset for our team.  Fortunately, our team allows members to start threads.  Some teams do not allow this.  Only the team leader can post new discussions.  I understand the need for some control, but I think this is very limiting.  I love that we can all start threads.  It encourages, rather than inhibits member participation.  But I would love to see more members joining in.  I don't know how to do that.

We have some great promotional threads going.  Those are important to every team and to all members.  We need those.  The next level is to have discussions that engage members in conversations that are a little more helpful.  I've done that with a couple of posts about suggesting a new item to the shop above you and the tag game where we suggest tags to each other.  Kind of like brainstorming.  Some of the best ideas come out of brainstorm sessions and I've always known that two heads are better than one.

But it all comes back to activity.  The more activity, the more visible you are. 

So don't be afraid to jump in or suggest to someone you know on the team to come join the discussions.  The better our discussion threads are the more people participate.  The more people who participate, the better the quality of our discussions.  More ideas from more sources.  All for the good of the individual which then leads to the good of the team.  Or is it the other way around?

Doesn't matter.  Moving forward is what matters.  Moving forward, being active and remembering that there is always room for improvement. 

Self Discipline...

Something we usually need to accomplish goals we set for ourselves.  Something I am sorely lacking in.

I live with two very self-disciplined people.  My hubby and our youngest son (who should be moving out soon!).  Both were serious and accomplished athletes and students.  Both work out on a regular basis, whether they feel like it or not.  Both are very focused individuals.  And then there's me.

Without a structured schedule, I tend to meander through the day, moving from one unfinished task to another.  I still manage to keep my house under control somewhat.  But my studio!!  That's another story all together.

Right now on my desk, crowding me, is a stack of small pieces of fabric, next to two crochet books.  Sitting on top of the crochet books is a stack of felt I fully intend to use to make some hand embroidered cuffs.  On top of the felt is a salad bowl, with delica beads, a crocheted rag cuff and all the embellishments I plan to sew onto the cuff.  And my camera is sitting precariously on top of the felt next to the bowl.  Along with some instructional DVDs I do plan to watch sometime and the TV remote and a book on bead sizes etc, that I KNOW I need to have at hand for quick reference.  I think it has been 6 months since I looked at it.  That's just on my left.

To the right, is a small finger bowl with an assortment of beads, next to that a spool of thread and a stack of papers with the descriptions of the handmade bags from the Ubushobozi Cooperative in Rwanda that I plan to list when I set up their Etsy shop.  Next to that is a little stack of catalogs I keep to go through to keep up with trends and color inspirations.  Somewhere in there are my embroidery scissors, more beads scattered around, some invoices...I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

So this huge 80 inch wide desktop (really a door sitting on top of sawhorse trestle legs) is now narrowed down to 24 usable inches, just enough for my huge monitor and my keyboard. 

I am now at the point where I need to clear off and organize my things.  And the whole process of clutter will start all over again.

Clutter paralyzes me when it comes to work.  So why do I allow it to creep in?  I have no idea.  It's just how I operate.  But if I want to make this little business of mine work, I think I need to work on being more disciplined.  Under pressure or with a deadline, it's easy for me to get things done.  Like cleaning house when company is coming.  I hate housework.  With a passion.  So I do as little as I can to get by.  Then when we're going to have houseguests, I pull out all the stops and get the job done.   But it's a HUGE job at that point.

Same with my business.  No problem getting custom orders out or bulk orders that have a deadline.  But to just get something done to list in my shop...I have so many little unfinished items scattered through my studio, it's ridiculous.

Today, I'm going to do something about that.  Well, maybe tomorrow.  Because right now I have to go vaccuum, dust and mop.  That's right!!!  Company coming tonight...  :) 

Let's Get Cohesive!

OK.  Maybe we don't have to get cohesive, but does your shop have a chohesive look?  I have noticed that many successful sellers not only have a very distinct look, but their shop is very chohesive.  In appearance.  That means, the items all seem to flow well together, with the banner and the avatar.

For some shops, this occurs by the nature of the items they sell.  They all look alike in some way.  Maybe they're all made from the same medium.  Or maybe they only sell one type of item in many styles and colors.  This creates a natural flow.

But what if you don't have that natural flow?  Does this mean you must have similar items to have a cohesive look?  Not at all!  But I used to think so.  I make all different kinds of items from different kinds of materials in all different colors.  And styles.  Which, by the way, can be a cohesive look in and of itself if done properly.  But it wasn't working for my shop. 

You can, however, create that in other ways.  For examples:  if you use the same background for all of your items and tie that into your banner and avatar, you are creating a cohesive look;  if you use the same style photography for all of your items, you are creating a cohesive look.

It takes some thought and experimentation, but the results are worth it.  Because a nice flow connecting the items in your shop will be very appealing to potential customers as they browse.  It's easy on the eyes, looks beautiful and professional.  All things that make a customer's shopping trip more enjoyable. 

Here are 3 perfect examples, in my opinion, of shops with a very cohesive look in different ways.  You can click on the links below each photo to visit their shops.

Same item in different styles and colors

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BuyGail

Photography style

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/WalnutStudiolo

Same background

http://www.etsy.com/shop/stitchntyme

So go forth with cohesiveness!!  We can carry on this discussion in our team forums.
right here:  http://www.etsy.com/teams/12389/etsyhandmade/discuss/10661957/ 

~❤~

Shop Policies

Since our Monday challenge is about shop critiques, I wanted to touch on one very important piece of the shop puzzle that I've seen so neglected to non-existent in some shops--shop policies.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen a discussion on any given selling venue, about a seller who made a custom order without any requirments up front, then the customer 'disappeared' and the seller was left with an item that was made with very specific sizing, customizing, or styling that may not be an easy sell to someone else.  Or their package got lost, or damaged, on its way to the customer who is now demanding a refund and the seller didn't know how to handle the situation...because they had no written policies in their shop.

I cannot stress how important it is to have written policies.  Policies that address methods of payment, returns and refunds, shipping times and methods, and custom orders.  You have to know what you can and can't do.  What you are willing to do.  What you are legally required to do.  Many people say that customers never read policies.  It doesn't matter.  If something goes wrong, you can point them to your shop policies.  It's not your fault they didn't read them.

And quite honestly, while you should have them in written form, they don't necessarily have to be cast in stone either.  Different situations will call for different handling.  Communication with the customer is important in those instances.  I have very definite policies but have been willing to work around them when a special circumstance arose.  That's called customer service.  I prefer to call it customer care.

At a minimum, you need to spell out these things:

• methods of payment accepted
• returns and refunds
• shipping methods used

If you haven't gotten around to writing your shop policies, I would suggest that you immediately begin thinking about it.  Read what other shops have written.  Don't be afraid to ask questions.  And know what you can and can't do.  I assure you it will give you some peace of mind.  And if something happens with an order, YOU, not just the customer, will know where to begin and how to proceed with handling it.  You will take the lead.  And you look like a professional this way.  That will instill confidence in your customer.  Something money can't buy.

~❤~

Team Handmade Shops

sylvie's perspective...

While this is still a recent addition to our team, I wanted to touch on our team 'website' to make sure everyone understands how it works.

The whole point of our team is to distinguish ourselves from the resellers and 'large collectives' that flood Etsy searches.  To make it easier for shoppers seeking true handmade, to find us in that sea of cheap mass produced stuff.

So Kathijane formed a team, we all joined, we have a blog for sellers, we have discussions to help each other.  The next logical step was to have a place where a shopper could easily find all of us in one location and browse through our team shops.

We all know how expensive it is to design and build a 'real' website.  And the maintenance that goes with that.  So until that would be feasible for our team to do, we thought this would make a nice substitute, in a way.

The teamhandmadeshops.com site is really a Wordpress.org blog, as opposed to a Wordpress.com blog that is free and limited in designs.  WP.org allows you to have your own domain name and there are limitless templates to design it in a way that it looks more like a website.  This was the perfect answer for us.

Teamhandmadeshops.com was registered and because I belong to a site with cool templates, I had access to those and we selected one that seemed to fit our purpose.

The banner at the top has our team logo with one little change.  We removed the 'Etsy' from it.  It's our feeling that we are not promoting Etsy.  We are promoting our team.  We are a team of handmade shops who just happen to sell on Etsy.  So Team Handmade Shops became the logo, to match our domain name and it also coordinates with the team tag we use.  There are items from different sellers included on the banner.  They were selected randomly because they have a white background and for no other reason.  They are not clickable and therefore do not promote any one above and beyond others.  It's easy to change it out from time to time, so if you would like a chance to see an item of yours on the banner, make sure you have some items with an all white background.

Below the banner going across horizontally are categories.  We used the same exact category list Etsy does.  I added leatherwork to it because we have several leaterworkers on our team and this will help them turn up in searches for leather.  As time goes on we can add other categories that could help other special items turn up in the searches.  Remember, this isn't Etsy.  It's Team Handmade and we can add whatever we want.  We're all about helping the team and its members.

Below the categories are special themes.  Color and style blocks.  The photo representing each theme is a static treasury.  That means it cannot be clicked on to show the actual treasury or the items featured in it.  It is a screencapture of that treasury and links to a teamhandmade search of that particular theme.  Again, care was taken that no individual or item is promoted or featured above and beyond anyone else.  It's just to represent that theme on our team.

When you click on the link, you arrive on Etsy on a search for 'teamhandmade red'.  Every member who has items tagged with 'teamhandmade' and 'red' will turn up in that search by relevancy as that is the default search on Etsy.  Every theme is set up the exact same way.  This gives us all a chance to be found by shoppers looking through teamhandmade shops.  Now you know the importance of tagging appropriately.

One thing I noticed is how skimpy some of the searches turn up to be.  That's because out of 680 members or so, only a small handful are tagging with teamhandmade.  It's not mandatory for any member to do so.  But it helps all of us if we all tag with it.  It behooves those of us who are aware of this and tagging with the team tag, to tag all of our items with it.  That will help a lot.  Then as we become more high profile, our hope is that other members will notice and want to tag their items with 'teamhandmade'. 

And that's all there is to it.  Oh, that, and now for the real work----promoting it.  Set a link to our website anywhere and everywhere you can.  I am now in the process of making some stickers and little moo-size cards for Team Handmade Shops that will have the site on them.  More on those next week.  But really, the hard work of promoting this now lays ahead.  This was the easy part.

I still believe that we can rise above all the resellers and 'large collectives' as a group.  If we can do that, we will all benefit individually.   So onward and upward as they say.  (I never knew who the 'they' was though) 

What About Packaging?

My apologies to our members who sell and ship larger items as this week, it's about small packaging.

I recently took part in a discussion that asked if packaging was important. I can't remember if it was directed at sellers or buyers, but everyone chimed in.

Throughout the conversation, two things stood out above all else.

1) most buyers did not care for fancy packaging as they felt it was wasteful and they were likely paying extra for it. All they wanted was to receive their purchases safe and sound.

2) jewelry makers felt that jewelry should be presented nicely in pretty packaging. And as a jewelry maker myself, I have to agree with this sentiment.

But it's also important to me, as with others, to be thoughtful in selecting packaging materials. What is the happy medium? I think I found a good solution. It works for me anyway.

About 5 years ago, I watched an Etsy tutorial on how to make Origami folded paper gift boxes. It was so simple it's ridiculous. I immediately knew this was the answer for me.

I make decoupage cuffs. So I purchase lots of paper. Sometimes pads of scrapbooking paper. But not all sheets are conducive to making a bracelet. The sheets I don't use, get folded into gift boxes. And often, they coordinate with the cuffs made from matching paper. Perfect!

For filler, I use shredded paper my hubby brings me from his office that he has by the garbage bagfuls. Then I tie it up with a raffia ribbon.

Because I already have the paper, get my filler for free and raffia ribbon is not expensive, I don't charge for the giftboxes. They are leftover paper and completely reusable, so no waste. And they look beautiful! No added cost for my customer, they actually have a little something extra they can regift and they get a pretty package that makes us both happy. It's a win/win for sure.

This packaging can be applied to lots of smaller type items. A 12x12 sheet makes a 4.5 inch x 2.25 inch square box. The 8x8 sheets make a smaller one, of course, for those tiny purchases. I also salvage and reuse absolutely everything my orders come in, right down to peeling the labels off the bubble mailers so I can reuse the mailer. This helps keep my costs down which is passed on to my customers.

Reach Out and Touch Someone...touch their heart ~❤~

sylvie's perspective

I had planned to write about something more business related this week.  But when I saw Kathi's Monday Challenge, I knew I had to put it on the shelf to post this instead.

Back in February, I wrote on my own blog about this very subject and thought it was quite pertinent to Kathi's message.  I wanted to share this in keeping with her theme.  I've altered it a little to remove the parts that aren't pertinent, but here is the bulk of my post back in February:

Imagine my surprise when I received this message in my inbox yesterday morning.

Subject:  Inspiring

Dear Sylvie! I have not been inspired by anything in such a long time! Your work is truly magical! Your life sounds like a fairy tale although raising three boys has many challenges. I know because I have three boys of my own, 11, 9, and 4. They are wonderful but have usurped so much of my time that I have put aside my true desires to create for too long. I have a degree in fine arts, my true love, and jewelry making was always one of my favorites. I have ideas for pieces all the time but never act on them! After getting lost in your work, I think that will change! Thank you for sharing your creativity with us. It is truly appreciated and inspiring!

Sincerely,

I have never met this person either in real life or online. She signed up the same day she wrote her message, on a venue I sell from. I cannot tell you how much this touched my heart.   And made me think. 

How often have I sent an unsolicited message to someone simply to tell them I love their work, their writings inspired me or their photography was moving.  A few times, but maybe not nearly enough.  Her message particularly means a lot to me as I have been experiencing a difficult time, and this was the perfect pick me up right now.  A totally random act of kindness.  Or was it?  I think often the 'angels' in our lives or 'good karma' come at just the right times when we need them most.

And that brings me back to this message.  How this negative experience makes me appreciate her message so much more.  Why wait for someone to 'need' your support to give it? Why not let someone know when you find their work beautiful? I am here to tell you what a difference you can make.

You have no way of knowing when a stranger is going through a difficult time in their life and how big an impact a few kind words can have.  How reaching out to them, can pick them up when they're feeling low.  When I read or hear words like this message, I know I am headed in the right direction with my work and to know I touched someone in a positive way is absolutely the best part of that and one of the big reasons why I keep going.

So don't hesitate!   When you see something you like, tell the artist.  When you read someone's words that inspire you, write to the writer.  If a photograph moves you, let the photographer know. 

 Reach out and touch their heart.   You may be giving them encouragement when they need it most.  Or maybe just reaffirming for them they are doing good work.   

In any case, it will make you feel even better than them. I promise!

~❤~ 

Let's Touch on a Touchy Subject...

sylvie's perspective

...from the ❤

Pricing...

It's been a regular topic of discussion all these 5 1/2 years I've been selling on Etsy.  And has recently come up in some topics of conversation I've been part of here and elsewhere.  Pricing is an inescapable part of selling, whether it is handmade products, services or even supplies.  Being no expert on the subject, I can only discuss what my experiences have been and what I've seen others tell about their experiences.  What is undeniable is that we all have to contend with pricing our product.  But why is discussing the subject sometimes so touchy?

Because it's a personal thing.  Even though we are in business, how we price our items is an individual personal experience and different for all of us. 

Let's start with how we define ourselves.  Some are self-described hobbyists.  Others are artists by the true definition of the word, with formal training in the fine arts.  And then there is that wide middle ground between the two, where the vast majority of artisans fall.

So just what is a hobbyist?  This is what the dictionary says:  hob·by:  noun. an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation.

I know many hobbyists and even started out as one myself.  I think this describes many of our beginnings.  A love for making and creating.  So we keep making and then start giving away our creations.  Then people start telling us we should be selling them.  So we find a way to sell.  But how to price?  This is the fork in the road that separates the hobbyists from those who wish to make a profit. 

Most hobbyists I know state they just want to recoup their cost in materials.  This formula is easy:  2 x 'X' = Selling price.  Which is fine.  For the true hobbyist.  Because while that formula recoups your cost in materials, it also ensures that you will lose money on every single item you list and sell.  You may be recouping your cost in matierals, but what about the listing fees?  The sales fees?  And the packaging for shipping?  What about overhead?  Your hourly wage.  It's fine if you know all that when you price.  After all...skiing is a hobby too.  And it costs money.  We all have hobbies that cost us money.

On the other end of the spectrum there is the seller who's bottom line is a profit margin.  They are selling to pay their bills, put food on the table or simply to earn a living wage.  They might have items hanging for sale in galleries or boutiques.  It is imperative that they make a profit from their sales.

And what is a profit margin?  pro-fit-mar-gin:  noun.  the amount by which the revenue from sales exceeds costs in a business.  These sellers already know how much profit they need to make.  Pricing will be based on that.

Then there are those who fall somewhere in between.  And where prices vary wildly from what I've seen.  How do we put a price on an item we have created with our own hands.  What value does it have?  How much are people willing to pay for it? 

I am one of those who does want to make a profit, is not making a living from those sales but am beyond the hobbyist stage.   The only way I have been able to price my items in such a way that I cover all of my costs, pay myself a modest hourly wage and still make a profit is by using a formula.  This formula is for jewelry makers but I think can be adapted to other types of product.

It's pretty simple:  (materials + packaging) x 4 + (hourly wage) + 10%

Example:  ($5 + $1 = $6) x 4 = $24 + $10 (1 hr at 10/hr) = $34 + $3.40 (10% overhead) = $37.40 selling price.

Because I don't want to pay selling fees on the packaging, I have taken that element out of the formula.  But you can see how this works.  Now the formula doesn't mean this is the price you MUST sell your item at.  It is a price that ensures you are making a profit.  But you can adjust it up or down, depending on the type of item you created, the venue you sell from and who your target market is.  Better yet, it also gives room in the price to go down to wholesale price and still make a small profit. 

I can't tell you how many times I've seen sellers in the forums state that their prices are already at wholesale.   So what happens if a wholesaler inquires about purchasing in bulk from you.  Most of them expect 40-50% discount off your price.  If you're at wholesale already, you have no room to give the expected discount and that wholesaler will move on to the next person and you have missed out on what could become a lucrative aspect of your business.

So as you can see, there are too many variables for us to all have the same pricing on our items.  And I have barely scratched the surface.  But if you aren't a hobbyist and are serious about making a profit, don't sell yourself short.  Do some research and use a formula.  It's the only way to really guarantee you are covering your costs and paying yourself more than $2/hour. 

Here is the source of the formula I use:  http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com/jewelry-pricing-formula.html

Etsy even recently had a pricing workshop but I did not attend.  They do have a pricing worksheet here:  http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/files/2012/05/TheArtofPricingWorksheet.pdf  You have to scroll down quite a ways to get to the worksheet part.

As I said, I'm no expert on the subject and only know what I have studied and experienced.  And that's what each of us should do.  Look at different formulas, be honest about your product, know who your target market is and consider the venue you sell from.  These are all important aspects of what your final price will come down to.  It's OK to experiment and adjust the prices.  It's the only way to find price points that work for you and the market you are targeting.  Just remember two things:  1) It's easier to start a little high and come down than the reverse.  2) buyers often associate price with quality.

And that's all I have to say about pricing.

The Ripple Effect

sylvie's perspective

...from the ❤

We all know what 'the ripple effect' means.  It's the stone thrown into a body of water that causes a circle of ripples that continue growing outwards into infinity, or until they reach a solid body that stops them.

How does that pertain to us as individual shop keepers and us as a team?  Because June is Treasury Blitz month where proper tagging is so important, and for the purpose of this article, I'm going to focus on our exposure within Etsy and tagging to be found.

Let's start with individual sellers.   We have shops that have been filled with our creations.  Some of them get lots of attention, some don't get any and there's a whole bunch somewhere in the middle that get some attention.  Why does one item get more attention than others?  We use the same technique.  Similar materials.  They are all photographed in the same style.  What makes the difference?

I think one big difference is in what people are looking for.  And keeping Etsy exposure in mind, those people in particular, are members who curate treasuries and Admin looking for items to feature in their variety of promotions like The Finds, for one example.

It starts with trends in general.  Etsy admin are looking for hot trends in the world of just about everything.  They bring news of what's trending to Etsy and publish them for us as guidelines.

Curators hope to curate a treasury that will make the coveted front page.  So they very smartly, study Etsy's trend suggestions and venture out into the vast sea of sellers and look for items that fit their chosen theme.  I think color is one of the most often used search terms.  So if a curator is looking for items that are mint green, even if you have a beautiful mint green hand dyed silk scarf in your shop, unless mint green is one of your tags, your item will not be found.  If your item isn't found, it can't be included in that gorgeous mint green treasury that was just on the front page.

But.  If your mint green scarf is tagged properly, it can be found.  If it can be found, it can be featured in that gorgeous treasury.  If that gorgeous treasury is featured on the front page, your item will get huge views.  If your item gets huge views, your shop is getting views.  If your shop has the team tagline, the team gets some views.  The ripple effect.

How do I know this?  Because I have a cuff that is tagged with blush pink and blush peach, one of the hottest color trends for the past month or so.  I didn't know it at the time I tagged it such, but I found out pretty quickly as this little cuff has been listed for just 2 months and in the last six weeks has been featured in 90 treasuries.  One of those treasuries made the front page a couple of weeks ago.  I got 1739 views in under 2 hours.  Now it didn't sell, but the exposure has been invaluable and continues today.  And since I joined this team and have a little tag line in my announcement, the team is gaining some exposure from this too.  The ripple effect. If we all strive to get the most exposure possible, we benefit individually.  As we each benefit individually, the team benefits.

For those who are looking at their items and thinking, "I don't make the types of things that are trendy."  You don't have to fill your shop with trendy items.  No one does.  And some artists/artisans make very classic items that are timeless.  But for those others, find a way to make a few items that would fit one or two of the trends.  Then tag your listing appropriately.  That's all.  You don't have to change everything you make.  You just have to include a new twist to a few items.  The thing I like about that is it forces us to be a little more creative in a way we hadn't thought of before.  This is a good thing because often that's how new ideas are born.

So say what you will about the front page.  I see people naysaying its importance all the time.  They always fall back on the "it doesn't guarantee sales" mantra.  Of course it doesn't guarantee sales!  Nothing does.  But they are missing the point.  Sales are great, yes.  But the exposure is what matters first.

It's a process.  It would be wonderful if everyone featured on the front page got immediate sales from their experience.  But it doesn't happen that way.  I hoped, but knew, my cuff likely wouldn't sell from front page exposure.  And even being in 90 treasuries, it still hasn't sold.  But that's OK.  Right now it's my best free advertisement within Etsy.  That has value that seems to be overlooked by those using 'guaranteed sales' as the only gauge of the front page's worth. 

The difference in my attitude from the naysayers is I understand the value of that exposure I've gotten and continue to get from this one cuff.  From that one hour on the front page, I have seen my shop stats go up since then and the number of treasuries other items are being featured in is going up.  This is how you build a business.  One brick at a time.  I don't know if my sales will increase or not.  None of us knows that as there are too many other variables.  But working towards that goal is the process that will give us the best shot at it.  And I have yet to hear a successful seller say that "it doesn't guarantee sales" as a reason to discount front page exposure.  They're successful because they can see beyond that.

So don't discount something because 'it doesn't guarantee sales'.  Look at what else it has to offer you and go after that!  Make the most of every feature and tool that is available.  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  And when you gain, your team gains.  The ripple effect.

So go forth and make waves!

Jammin' 101

Every once in a while I want to post about something that has nothing to do with business.  And since June is just about here, that means strawberries in my neck of the woods.  And every year, strawberry jam is the first in my jammin' adventures.

It's fun, it's rewarding and soooo delicious.  No matter how much I make, it is usually all gone by the time the next season gets here.

Many of you may already jam, if my  suspicions are right.  But if you have never jammed before...there's always a first time.  Here ya go...




Start with fresh strawberries. Usually get them the same day you plan to jam or the day before at most. Six quarts made three batches of eight 8-oz jars, for a total of 24.



Instead of cutting the green top off, use a straw that you push up through the bottom of the berry and it pops the top right off. Easy!

Gather your tools. I have a steamer instead of the usual water bath method. I like it better and think it's easier. This is a Weck steamer/processor.

Food processor to chop the berries. But you only pulse intermittently so you don't totally puree them. You want pieces and even a couple whole berries.

LUNCH!

 

 

 

 

Mix 7 cups of sugar (yes, 7!) with 4 cups of chopped up strawberries, 1/2 tsp of butter to minimize foam and heat to a rolling boil. Then add 1 packet of liquid Certo pectin, return to a rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minutes. Remove from heat and skim off the foam.

Pour the cooked strawberries into your jars that have been washed in soapy hot water. Put your lids on the jars and process for about 10-12 minutes.



Et voila!! Perfect confitures de fraises. :)

❤☮❤☮❤☮❤☮❤☮❤☮❤

You Are the Key

sylvie's perspective

...from the ❤

I have been a seller online for 5 1/2 years now. It has been a great learning experience. And really, I've learned that there isn't much I can't do on my own to succeed at it.  If that's what I want.

Some years ago, a topic of discussion caught my eye and what got me thinking about all of this.  Apparently, the venue had been promoting sellers offering sales, discounts and free shipping. The author as well as many others, felt that this somehow denigrated artists and their work by cheapening it and the handmade movement in general. That by promoting sales and/or free shipping "puts pressure" on other sellers to offer similar discounts and likened the marketplace to a flea market where people could shop for 'cheap'.  No offense to flea markets!!

As the conversation progressed, many comments revealed a general consensus that whatever venue you sell from has a responsibility to its members to educate the public about the value of art, the uniqueness and worth of handmade and to promote the site as such. In their opinions, the site had been doing the exact opposite thereby hurting their selling endeavors to succeed as sellers of handmade.  Sound familiar?  This was 3 years ago.

While it would be nice for our venues to help, as I'm sure we all know by now, they will advertise, promote and operate their business as they see fit even if we don't agree with those practices. But do those practices really affect the success or failure of our individual businesses or of the larger handmade movement?  Well, maybe not necessarily.  But I do respect the concerns brought up in that discussion and understand the fears expressed about the face the venue was putting forward.

I don't know if merely promoting sales, discounts and free shipping does in fact cheapen the value of handmade. In my opinion, the vast underselling on a regular basis does much more harm in this regard.  What I do know, is we, the business owners, are the one factor that can make the biggest difference.  Hard work, relentless promotion, introducing our customers to the value and worth of handmade, with or without the help of any venue, is what we do to make that difference. This is where our energy will have the most direct impact.  Not by waiting for the venue to do what we think it should do in order to help us succeed and spread the love of handmade.

That does not imply that certain expectations of the venue are unreasonable.  In earlier years, asking for changes, and sometimes with the volume turned up really loud, is what has gotten many good features implemented on the site. But is never a guarantee that we will be listened to or that our concerns will be addressed and alleviated.  Especially of late.

Recent happenings are far more damaging to the value of handmade than promoting sales or discounts.  The site appears to be taking a direction more conducive to larger and high volume sellers in the form of  'collectives', much to the detriment of many smaller competing shops.  There is absolutely nothing we can do about that.  This is when you decide it's time to direct your energies where they will have the most direct impact on your business.  A sentiment that pretty much gave birth to this team.

Some may disagree with my point of view, but I feel that it ultimately won't matter what any venue does or doesn't do as far as promoting sales, discounts or otherwise, because it is completely out of our hands. Only we can effectively achieve success.  Or not. Even with one hand tied behind our back.  Who knows your business better than you do?  The venue is just that--a venue.  A place to set up shop.  . 

So if we just keep rolling up our sleeves and tackling whatever comes at us and make it work to our advantage, even collectively, we can pretty much accomplish whatever we want.  You just have to want it badly enough and believe that you can do it.  I know, because there are plenty of successful sellers who have proven you can make the system work for you.  Finding that formula is the trick.  But you are the key.  You are the one variable that can and will make a difference in your own experiences.

Our team is structured to help each of us become our best and make the system work to our advantage.  With so many smart, creative and caring people, I'm certain, together we will find the way to elevate all of our businesses which in turn also elevates the love and value of handmade.  Here's to us!!!

Brand Image

Sylvie's Perspective

               ...from the ❤

Do You Have a Brand Promise?

I have seen this subject come up frequently in online discussions and at those times, I had honestly, never thought about it.  After doing a little research and 'studying' shops with an obvious brand image and promise, I now understand how important it is to have that branding.  This also fits in well with part of our team mission and member certification--to present shops/businesses that elevate the value and worth of handmade.  Having a professional demeanor and image can immensely help us achieve that goal.

I am still not well versed enough on the subject to give advice to anyone, so will let some of the online experts do the talking.

Let's start here, with one definition I found:

The brand promise is what audiences are assured of receiving as a result of their relationship with the brand.

And another from Brain Trust contributor: Jean Wilcox, Co-author of Abullard's ABC's of Branding :

A brand promise is the statement that you make to customers that identifies what they should expect for all interactions with your people, products, services and company. It is often associated with the company name and/or logo. Sometimes also called a "tag line," here are three examples of brand promises following a name or brand:

• For a heating and air conditioning company:  ABC Heating and Air -- "We're not comfortable until you are."
• For a tire company:  Dave's Tire Company -- "More than tires, we deliver peace of mind.
• For a fine dining restaurant:  Carl's Steak House -- "Our food is the best, but the memories we help you create are even better."

One more definition by Christine Hendricks, Director of Brand Strategy:

A brand is a promise a company makes to its customers, which must be delivered upon consistently with every single interaction.

I'm sure you now get the gist of what a brand promise is. And the importance of having one for your business as well as a brand image.  They are tied together. It's an identity of who you are, what your product is, your customer service and what your customers will come to recognize and know you by. It also should convey to people who are not yet your customers, what they can expect from you.

Sounds simple but it's not been that easy for me to create a brand image or promise. That's because I was all over the map with my work. There was no cohesiveness or balance between my creations and my image. I was trying too hard to be everything.  And it wasn't working, but that doesn't mean it can't work for someone else.  In the right hands, a menagerie can be a brand image in and of itself.

So I took the advice of some very successful artist/artisan friends, who, by the way, all have successful businesses with very defined images and brand promises--let your work dictate what your brand is. In other words, look at your work and draw from those elements to create your brand identity. From that, your brand promise will naturally develop. And because you reached inside of your work, in essence, you, it will honestly represent you and your image.  Some of you may already have a very clear idea of what you want.  Just go with it!

It definitely is something to seriously consider.

So I end with this last, and my favorite definition of a brand promise that I believe happens to fit in perfectly with our team mission.  Also can be applied to the recent happenings at Etsy, where many feel that they broke their promise to us:

From Garr Reynolds :

Brands are Personal--

The greatest brands of all — that is, the greatest brands to you — are much like a trusted friend. In a sense, we judge brands by asking ourselves the same kind of questions we would ask about people we know or are thinking of doing business with. For example, we might ask: Is he authentic? Is he reliable? Is he honest? Can I trust him? Does he make me feel better about myself? The bonds we have with our most trusted friends, are bonds based on a promise. Our relationships with brands are not (usually) as strong as those with people, of course, but if a brand breaks a promise, you can bet that customers will feel betrayed, anger, and take their business elsewhere. Great brands have distinct personalities and people choose brands, more or less, that match their own unique personalities.

❤☮❤☮❤☮❤☮❤☮❤☮❤

About Me

Sylvie's Perspective

               ...from the ❤

About Me

Hello, I'm Sylvie, also known by my business name Albina Rose or Sophie as my hubby and friends like to call me.  It is my absolute pleasure to write a weekly feature on our team blog.  Mostly, I'll talk about the different aspects of being an artist/artisan, on and off Etsy and all that entails our handmade adventures.  I'll include my experiences, others' experiences, things I've learned along the way, links to a variety of sources that address the subject at hand, a few tutorials and on occasion, I'll throw in little anecdotes, recipes, or observations about life. Maybe even a little team challenge from time to time.  My hope is to keep it light, informative, interesting and of course, fun.  But first, let me tell you a bit about me.

Albina Rose
1895-1988

I was born into a family of creative people who work with their hands. My father, Ray is a master carpenter and a barber, my mother Anita, a seamstress. The first anscestor we have been able to trace back on my paternal grandmother's side of the family is Olivier Quesnel. He was a master amorer who emigrated from St. Malo, France to Montreal, Quebec in the 1690s. I come from a long line of his direct descendants who worked with their hands. The love of handcrafted art, working with my hands and creating is in my blood, literally, and goes a very long ways back.

My maternal grandmother, Albina Rose, taught me how to crochet at the age of 9. I remember sitting on her front porch helping her tear fabric into strips, sewing them end to end, rolling them into a big ball and watching her crochet them into rag rugs. I still have my little rug I made that summer. After she passed away in 1988 at the age of 93, all I asked for was her well worn wooden crochet hook. I still have it today and my business is named after her.

When I was 11, my mom taught me how to sew on our dining room table where she did all of her sewing. She used to supplement our family income by sewing for other people.  Often well into the wee hours of the night.  I was in seventh grade when I made my first "outfit". A plaid tweed poncho with fringe and a pair of matching bell bottom pants. I wore them all the time! My mom made all 3 of her daughters' and even her daughter-in-law's wedding dresses. All the grandchildren have worn pajamas made by their Noni and at the age of 80, she is still sewing, but now for the great grandchildren. After learning how to sew I took right off and just couldn't get enough. I made all of my own clothes until I was in my early 30s.  That's when I had to devote my time to raising our three little boys under the age of 4.

My dad had his workshop in the basement. As a little girl, I loved going down there to help him in any way I could. To this day, the smell of freshly sawn wood puts me back there with him. When we were little, my siblings and I never got upset if a toy broke. We always said "Daddy will fix it!" And he always did. To this day, he can fix anything. In recent years, in his late 70s, he has built 3 woodstrip canoes, one for each of my siblings. And for me a woodstrip kayak. We will cherish those forever.

On my 28th birthday, September 17, 1983, I married the love of my life. Howie has been my biggest supporter in everything I do. He is my rock, my anchor, my guiding light. Our greatest accomplishment together is our 3 boys. They are now in their mid-twenties, forging their paths in life and we are very proud of the young men they have grown into. We live in Western New York on 8 peaceful wooded acres. My studio loft is surrounded with windows and I have the best views of the woods where I can see all the wildlife right from my desk working at the computer, or in my wing chair doing handwork or at my sewing machine, sitting right in front of a window.  I am blessed in life and very grateful for those blessings.

In the mid-90s I taught myself how to beadweave and fell absolutely in love with jewelry making. In the years since I have learned many different techniques and eventually combined many of them together creating something totally unique.

Anita

Ray

I am completely self-taught and the only problem I have is that I always want to know more and more. But there are only so many hours in the day, so I am learning to direct my focus on perfecting the techniques I have already learned. My jewelry is handcrafted for the free spirit. Enchanting, magical, romantic...I am inspired by, and my love of nature, faerie tales, faeries, romance and fantasy is infused in every piece I make. I love what I do. Each item I create is done so with love, joy and meticulous attention to detail. I am a perfectionist by nature and in some aspects of my life that can be a detriment. But in my handcrafted work, it is a MUST! My hope is to create little treasures that will release your free spirit, leave you feeling unique, enchanting and maybe even a little romantic.

I hope someday I'll be sitting on my front porch teaching some eager little hands how to sew, crochet, or beadweave.

❤☮❤☮❤☮❤☮❤☮❤☮❤