Small Business Tips

May 15, 2012

Finally a Craft Show Display that Doesn’t Suck

Well, I’m just about ready for the Beloit Art Walk this Friday, and it’s all thanks to an inspiring photograph of Popko’s craft booth. She makes real butterfly jewelry which is just lovely! Her display is rustic, organized, simple, effective! I came across this picture of her craft booth on Pinterest and it was just [...]

Posted in: Authentic Living, Handmade Movement, Natural Jewelry, Small Business Tips

May 3, 2012

Why Handmade Artisans Shouldn’t be Afraid of Copycats

Some handmade artisans are afraid of people copying their work and stealing their ideas (which is something that happens, I know!) but I prefer to thank imitators in appreciation for the sincerest form of flattery: imitation. There are a three main reasons why you shouldn’t be afraid of copycats and can freely share your techniques [...]

Posted in: Arts and Crafts Tutorials, Authentic Living, Natural Jewelry, Philosophical Ponderings, Small Business Tips

April 18, 2012

The One Key to Making a Successful Trade on Etsy

Trading is a really great way for us handmade artisans to be able to afford to own more of the wonderful art that our colleagues make! (Even if our businesses are doing pretty well, it’s hard to afford to buy EVERYTHING handmade!) Of course, there are a few guidelines that can help your Etsy trade [...]

Posted in: Authentic Living, Handmade Movement, Natural Favorites, Small Business Tips

April 4, 2012

Why Does My Natural Jewelry Cost 30% More??

First, I want to say that a price increase for my natural jewelry is not something that I take lightly. Second, the short answer to the price change is that a small business expert whom I trust implicitly gave me some great advice and I took it. (The long answer is the rest of this [...]

Posted in: Authentic Living, Natural Jewelry, Sales and Promos, Small Business Tips

February 23, 2012

Quick Pinterest Tip: What People are Posting from Your Site

I love Pinterest and thanks to an awesome article on Copyblogger, I’ve got a new way to interact with fans of my work! Here it is, the big secret: How to Find out What People are Pinning from Your Site: Simply type http://pinterest.com/source/YOURSITE.COM/ into your browser and sit back and watch! Here’s a screenshot of [...]

Posted in: Authentic Living, Natural Jewelry, Small Business Tips

January 27, 2012

The Book Worth Reading during my Vacation in Mexico

I have always loved reading. When people ask me what sort of books I like to read, my answer always sounds so weird to me: “Well, mostly non-fiction.” Non-fiction might seem like the boring part of the library, but to me it’s always been a wonderland of new knowledge and self-improvement! (I do enjoy a [...]

Posted in: Authentic Living, Handmade Movement, Health and Wellness, Philosophical Ponderings, Small Business Tips

November 17, 2011

Market Your Small Business More Effectively Using This Simple Wall Street Investment Strategy

You feel like you spend all your time marketing your small craft business and not enough time actually making crafts? I know. Same thing happens to me! But you’ve got to get the word out there or nobody will be buying the beautiful things you work so hard to create, right? So, how can you [...]

Posted in: Authentic Living, Handmade Movement, Small Business Tips

November 8, 2011

A New Place to Promote your Nature Crafts!

Do you make crafts from natural materials or create art that’s nature-inspired? Do you write nature craft DIY posts on your blog? Are you always on then lookout for new, more effective ways to promote your work? (Who isn’t?!) Well, there’s a new website on the block that can help you promote your natural material [...]

Posted in: Handmade Movement, Natural Favorites, Small Business Tips

October 29, 2011

Making Art is Hard

“Artists get better by sharpening their skills or by acquiring new ones; they get better by learning to work, and by learning FROM their work. They commit themselves to the work of their heart, and act upon that commitment. So when you ask, “Then why doesn’t it come easily for me?”, the answer is probably, [...]

Posted in: Authentic Living, Philosophical Ponderings, Small Business Tips

October 6, 2011

How to Take More Product Pictures in Less Time

Do you take pretty good product pictures, but feel like it’s taking up too much of your valuable work time? Well, you can increase the efficiency of your picture taking and get back in the crafting saddle sooner with these time-saving tips! 1. Choose Standard Styles of Photograph and stick to them. Pick out types [...]

Posted in: Authentic Living, Small Business Tips