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Archived
Business Spotlights - 2006 |
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See also Archived Spotlights
2004 &
2005 |
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January 2006 -
Linda Walsh Originals
Linda of
Linda Walsh Originals is our Spotlight this month!
(*Note from Debbie: Linda is an active member of our message
board community and her patterns are wonderful!)
Here are the Questions and Answers
shared by Linda:
1. Describe your business: type of
business, where you're located, how long have you been
in business, website URL's, etc.
My business is the
design and sales of doll patterns. I am located in
Massachusetts and have been selling floral arrangements
and handmade dolls for several years. I have wanted to
establish a website for the marketing of my doll
patterns for quite sometime and was finally able to
realize that objective with the launch of
LindaWalshOriginals.com
in July of this year.
2. How did you decide on your business name?
In preparing for the
launch of my website, I gave considerable thought to an
appropriate business name. My objective was to choose a
name that was simple, easy to remember, and uniquely
descriptive of my business activity not only at the time
of launch, but suitable for future growth as well. In
addition, designing doll patterns requires my personal
effort, therefore, my business name should be linked to
my personal identity. With that in mind, I selected
Linda Walsh Originals which I believe completely
satisfies my criteria.
3. What were the first things you did to get your business
going?
The first thing I had
to do was to create my doll pattern products. That
involved designing and sewing/crafting the doll, taking
digital pictures, writing pattern instructions, drawing
pattern pieces, and drawing the diagrams. Once all that
was done I used Microsoft Publisher to create the
pattern and to create the .Pdf files that would be used
for my E-patterns. The next step was to educate myself
on the use of Microsoft Publisher for the building of
websites.
Fortunately, my
background in Computer Sciences was very helpful as my
next step was to learn HTML and Javascript so that I
could incorporate them into my website which would allow
me to utilize the various free Internet services for
mailing lists, guestbooks, etc.
Once I had the
website built I had to decide where to have it hosted. I
wanted to retain control of my website, updates, and
code so I decided that I would make the changes on my
computer and then transfer them to my hosting site. I
did extensive research on hosting websites, advertising
on the web, search engines, affiliate programs, etc.,
before I embarked on actually publishing my website.
4. How long did it take you from the time you decided to
open your business to your Grand Opening Day?
I'd say about a year.
5. What was the best thing you did to get your business
going?
The best thing I did
was to do research on how to establish a business on the
web. This was very important as it helped to establish a
framework for me. I learned that it would take about a
year to a year 1/2 to establish a presence on the web so
I was prepared not to get discouraged too quickly. I was
pleasantly surprised when I sold my first E-pattern
within two weeks.
6. What was one thing that you did that you would advise
others not to do?
Because of all the
planning and research that I did there is nothing major
that I would change if I had to do it over again.
However, I would strongly suggest that anyone embarking
on establishing a website not get discouraged too
quickly and too easily. You've got to get your URL and
name out there. That takes time and patience. Your
website presence is not going to happen overnight. It's
not like "A Field of Dreams" where "if you build it they
will come." It's more like "if you build it, make sure
you advertise, advertise, advertise."
7. How do you network? What do you find works the best?
I belong to several
primitive, sewing, doll, and Victorian forums. I've met
some wonderful people through the forums and some
wonderful people who manage the websites where I
advertise.
I'm still gathering
statistics on where my referrals and sales are coming
from. Hopefully, with the appropriate amount of time I
will be able to see where my customers are coming from
and what works best for me. In the meantime, I'm trying
just about everything.
8. Do you advertise? If so, what type of advertising
works the best for your business?
I advertise with
several online malls, several craft magazines,
participate in link exchanges, topsites, online
directories, plugboards, and use my Linda's Blogs to
advertise my website. I also use several other
marketplace websites and craft shows as an adjunct to my
main website. It's too early to tell which of these will
work best.
9. Do you have any advice to give someone thinking of
getting into their own business?
I'd say define your
niche first and then just give it your all. And BE
PATIENT.
10. What type of products do you find are "hot" right
now?
For my pattern
business I'd have to say E-patterns versus regular print
patterns.
Thank-you Linda for
sharing your spotlight with us! I wish you much continued
success!
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February 2006 -
Scented Seasons
Victoria
of
Scented Seasons is our Spotlight this month! (*Note
from Debbie: Victoria offers wonderful soybean candles, bath
& beauty, and many other gift products. She also has a
totally flat rate shipping that is wonderful!)
Here are the Questions and Answers shared by Victoria:
1. Describe your business: type of
business, where you're located, how long have you been
in business, website URL's, etc.
We are a
soybean candle and handmade soap business located in
Valparaiso, IN. We have been in the candle and soap
business for three years. Our website is
www.scentedseasons.com
2. How did you decide on your business name?
It took some time to
come up with our name Scented Seasons. We just would
start by rattling off different names, checking on the
website for duplications and finally it just popped out
of my mouth.
3. What were the first things you did to get your
business going?
The first thing I did
to get the business going was to corner a family member,
have at least a dozen fragrances on hand and give my
sales pitch. I mean, what can they say, they are family,
right. I'd also have several dozen boxes of candles in
my car wherever I went. It actually became a joke after
a while at parties. They all knew sooner or later, I'd
be inviting people to "look in the trunk" of my car.
Next thing you know, another sale!
4. How long did it take you from the time you decided
to open your business to your Grand Opening Day?
We
decided almost immediately to have an "open house" at
our home to get our product out there. It was so
successful, we now have 2-3 a year.
5. What was the best thing you did to get your
business going?
A few of the best
things we did to get things going were to put all monies
we made right back into the candle business. Iwouldn'tt
take one penny for myself. Another thing, TAKE CREDIT
CARDS. We waited about 9 months to do this. How many
sales did I lose in those 9 months, probably quite a
few. It was one of the best decisions we made. Also our
website was a wise choice.
6. What was one thing that you did that you would
advise others not to do?
The one thing I would
advise others not to do is talk to others about future
ideas, new products you might be coming out with and
just sharing too much private information.
7. How do you network? What do you find works the
best?
We network by putting
our website on our labels, customers giving a candle as
a gift, office people at schools passing on information
on to others on our fundraisers and so on. Word of mouth
is the best advertising.
8. Do you advertise? If so, what type of advertising
works the best for your business?
We do not advertise
in magazines or newspapers at this time. We do advertise
online at Faithful Friends Online and pass out our
business cards everywhere.
9. Do you have any advice to give someone thinking of
getting into their own business?
Advise for someone
wanting to start their own business, have fun, set goals
and never give up!!!!!!!!
10. What type of products do you find are 'hot' right
now?
I really don't have
an answer to this one.
Thank-you Vicki for
sharing your spotlight with us! I wish you much continued
success!
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March 2006 -
Nonni's
Niche
Nancy of
Nonni's
Niche
is our Spotlight this month! (*Note from Debbie: Nancy makes
adorable personalized gift products including videos from
pictures!!)
Here are the Questions and Answers shared by
Nancy:
1. Describe your business: type of
business, where you're located, how long have you been
in business, website URL's, etc.
I have a family oriented web site, with a
variety of products including Personalized Children's
Books, Photo Calendars, Custom Photo DVD's and more. I
am located in Fair Lawn, New Jersey and have been in
business for a year and a half.
2. How did you decide on your business name?
I take care of my two granddaughters all week long. The
oldest one named me Nonni all on her own before she was
two years old! It just seemed 'right' when I was trying
to come up with a business name!
3. What were the first things you did to get your
business going?
I did a lot of 'surfing' on the internet,
trying to find the info I needed. When I found Debbie
(of Faithful Friends Online), everything started to fall
into place!!! We hit it off right away, and thanks to
her, she made the start of my dream of an online
business come to life!! Debbie not only directed me to
the company I needed to purchase my license to sell the
personalized books, but she also told me she could build
my web site, and then put me in touch with Cheryl (of
Prim Graphics) for my graphics, which are awesome!
While working with Debbie and Cheryl
designing my web site, I registered my business name, obtained a Tax ID number,
rented a PO Box, opened a business checking account, and started ordering my
supplies!
4. How long did it take you from the time you decided to
open your business to your Grand Opening Day?
About a month.
5. What was the best thing you did to get your business
going? Simply put, the best thing I did was finding
Debbie!!! She not only directed me to the people I needed to contact, but she
was a wealth of information on what to do and not do. I benefited from all her
experience!!!
Other than that, start with all your family
and friends. Send out an email to everyone you know announcing your Grand
Opening and give them a discount voucher! I also designed and printed a lot of
coupons for my Grand Opening and put the discount voucher number on it and gave
them out to people and to my family and friends to give out to everyone they
worked with.
Word of mouth is the best form of
advertising, and it's free!
6. What was one thing that you did that you would advise
others not to do?
I started out my website with only PayPal
as a method of payment. I later added ProPay to be able to accept all credit
cards. I would advise everyone to have both from the start.
7. How do you network? What do you find works the best?
This is where I slacked off.
I didn't start networking and truthfully haven't yet. Right after my business
started and for a full year after that, I was going through a bad family crisis.
It was overwhelming, and kept me from being able to keep my head straight to run
the business the way I wanted. But I plan on starting now!
8. Do you advertise? If so, what type of advertising works
the best for your business?
I haven't really done any advertising yet.
I didn't have a lot of money to start with, so I never seemed to have enough to
do any paid advertising. But I am now looking into advertising with Super Coups,
which is a large mailing that goes out to homeowners in my town and surrounding
areas.
9. Do you have any advice to give someone thinking of
getting into their own business?
Keep a clear head, be organized, and take a
lot of deep breaths to stay calm...it is overwhelming in the beginning! And one
of the most important things is the same advice that was given to me: it's a
very exciting time but when you start looking into all the supplies you need,
don't over buy! Start out with just what you really need you can always add
stuff later, because there's nothing worse than being stuck with a lot of
inventory!!
10. What type of products do you find are 'hot' right now?
Well, that's a tough question. There is so much out there and different parts of
the country are into different things. However, I think that anything
personalized and anything geared towards children will never go out of style!
Thank-you Nancy for
sharing your spotlight with us! I wish you much continued
success! |
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April 2006 -
FourPoint Moms
Kimie of Four
Point Moms offered these wonderful recipes on our community
forums. She is one of our newer members and is enjoying
networking with us on the board. I thought that it would be
great to share these in the newsletter especially since
Spring Break is coming up soon. Thank-you Kimie!
Creative Doughs to Make in
Spring!
- Or any Time of the Year!
Children love to make things
and they love it even more if it's something messy.
The ideas in this article do not have to be totally messy,
but please make sure you have a drop cloth under the table
because a mess is usually inevitable with some of these
doughs. Only one of these is edible but the rest are
still awesome to make and create with!
White Bread Dough2 Slices
of White Bread
1 Tablespoon of Elmer's Glue
Tear the bread into crumbs.
Mix in the glue. Use a fork to mix until all the bread
is moistened. Knead until pliable. Dip your
fingers into the water to make it more moldable. Dries
in 3 days. Wet dough keeps for a month in an air-tight
container in the fridge.
** This is a great dough to
make little creatures out of. My children love to make
little snowmen for my Mom's Christmas village. They
also like to make polar bears, penguins and mice with this.
It can be painted when it's dry and because of the glue, it
doesn't stink or mold. Maybe your child can make beads
and then string them together for a nice Grandmother's Day
gift! Make sure you are the one holding the stringing
needle though unless your child is old enough. Another
great idea for this dough is to make little things for
dollhouses such as food pieces and decorative things.
No Cook Dough1 Cup of Flour
3/8 Cup of Hot Water
3/8 Cup of Salt
Food Coloring (optional)
Combine the flour and salt.
Add water and stir. Knead for about 5 minutes.
If you are adding food coloring, do it now and work it in.
Plastic gloves are also optional but great if you are using
a dark color. Dries in 5 days. Stores for 1 week
in an air-tight container in the fridge.
** This is a great dough and
has a lot of uses! As long as the things made aren't
too thick, it'll keep for a long time. Sometimes the
thicker pieces tend to dry with bubbles and will crack
eventually. This is a wonderful dough to use cookie
cutters with. Maybe you could use an Angel cookie
cutter. Make sure if you are going to hang them that
you put a small hole in the top. How about doggie bone
shapes? What a wonderful addition that would make on a
holiday tree! Or you could even cut out some hearts to
put atop Valentine's gifts. There are so many great
uses for this dough! It can even be painted if you
don't want to use food coloring. Trying smooshing
several colors together to make a kaleidescope blend!
Play Clay1 Cup of Flour
1/2 Cup of Salt
1/2 Teaspoon of Cream of Tartar
1 Cup of Water
1 Teaspoon of Oil
Food Coloring (optional)
Mix all ingredients together
over medium heat. Stir constantly until it holds
together. Dries in 3 days. Store in the fridge
in an air-tight container for up to four weeks.
** This is almost exactly
like Play-Doh. It's awesome to use in so many ways!
We usually make up one big batch and then separate it to add
colors. If you have a lot of little clear air-tight
containers your child can see the colors. Talk to your
child about what colors could be used to make things.
Usually the back of the food coloring boxes will show you
how to mix colors to get other colors. This could be
used as a wonderful color lesson! This is a great
pliable dough that can be used for a lot of things and it's
totally re-usable for up to a month! If you are going
to dry your children's creations, be careful that they are
not too thick. They will crack if they aren't able to
dry inside all the way.
Kool-Aid Dough2 Cups of
Flour
1/4 Cup of Salt
1 Tablespoon of Alum
1 Package of Kool-Aid (unsweetened)
1 Tablespoon of Oil
1 Cup of Water
Mix it all together.
Dries in 4 days. Stores in the fridge in an air-tight
container for up to four weeks.
** This is one of the easiest
ones to make but it gets messy depending on what color
Kool-Aid you are using. My kids like to use the
"Magic" Kool-Aid because it actually changes colors as they
mix it in. You can make a lot of colors with all the
different flavors out there! This is a great dough to
make decorations out of! Is your child attending a
special birthday party? What a great gift he/she can
make! Form the dough into flowers and poke a hole to
put a string through! Make lots of beads and string
them together for a beautiful one of a kind necklace!
Make sure you ask your child what they want to make!
You should make a special something for your child also.
Cornstarch Clay1 Cup of
Salt
1/2 Cup of Cornstarch
1/3 Cup of Water
1/4 Cup of Cold Water
Food Coloring (optional)
Heat salt and the 1/3 Cup of
Water over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Stir until
disolved. Remove from heat and add cornstarch and the
cold water. You want to keep stirring until it has the
consistency of mashed potatoes. Knead for a minute and
then let cool. If it's sticky, work in more
cornstarch. Add food coloring if you'd like.
Dries in 4 days. Stores in an air-tight container for
2 weeks in the fridge.
** This is an awesome dough!
It's great if you are going to use cookie cutters!
Without food coloring, this dries perfectly white so it's
wonderful to make all kinds of things with! You can
even color the creations with markers when dry.
Play Clay Ornaments2 Cups
Baking Soda
1 Cup Cornstarch
1 1/4 Cup Water
Mix and cook over medium heat
until it's like mashed potatoes. Put on a plate and
cover with a damp cloth until cool. Roll out flat and
cut out with cookie cutters. Put a hole in each for
hanging later. Let them dry overnight. These can
then be painted or colored.
** These are great and we
make them several times during the year. Because there
are so many wonderful cookie cutter shapes available, you
can always find a use for these adorable ornaments.
Here are some of our ideas! New Year's - We cut out
babies and put in googlie eyes before they are dry.
Then we decorate these with glitter glue with whatever year
it is and pass them out to friends and family.
Valentine's Day - We cut out several different size hearts.
We usually personalize these with special friends names and
we attach them to little bags of candy. St. Patrick's
Day - We cut out various shamrock shapes and decorate them
in an assortment of ways. These are great to decorate
gift bags for parties. There are so many events,
holidays and happenings to use these. These ornaments
are great because you can push decorations down into the
dough before it dries. You can also paint these or
color them with crayons or markers.
Peanut Butter Clay1 Cup
Smooth Peanut Butter
1 1/2 Cups Powdered Milk
3 Tablespoons Honey
Please be careful with this
dough and allergies. Some children cannot have the
ingredients so please ask before making this dough with
someone else's children.
Mix it all together in a bowl
until smooth. Form into yummy shapes and gobble them
up!
** My kids love to make this
one. We use carrots, celery and raisins to help
decorate. This is really good to make and eat!
It's quite pliable but will get sticky after it's played
with for a while. You can make mini PB&J's with this
too! Just make a ball of the dough and poke a hole in
the middle. Drop in a dabble of jelly and munch away.
I hope that you have enjoyed
some of the wonderful doughs that you and your children can
make together. Make sure that you are letting them do
some of the work putting the dough together, depending on
their ages. So much fun can be had on an otherwise
boring day just by spending some quality time together
making a mess.
Until next time, stay clean
and hug your precious little one...
Thank-you Kimie for
sharing your spotlight with us! I wish you much continued
success! |
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May 2006 -
The Primitive Peddler
Lori of
The Primitive Peddler is the Business Spotlight this month.
I just purchased a sign from her and recommend her site to
everyone. She offers wonderful products and has great
customer service. Thank-you Lori!
Here are the Questions and Answers shared by
Lori:
1. Describe your business: type of
business, where you're located, how long have you been
in business, website URL's, etc.
The Primitive Peddler is a web based
family business that began in March of 2004. It is
run by myself, Lori Whiteheart, along with my Mother who
sews and my husband who does the wood work. We
offer a large selection of Primitives, Folk Art &
Americana style decor.
The URL is
http://www.theprimitivepeddler.com
2. How did you decide on your business
name?
I thought long and hard, I knew it had to be
catchy and something that would describe the product and
also have a nice flow.
3. What were the first things
you did to get your business going?
I started out on eBay and after searching on
the Internet came across Prim Mart, an online
marketplace/web hosting site for Primitive Style
websites. After opening up the site, I then took
the plunge and started advertising with Country Sampler
magazine.
4. How long did it take you from the time
you decided to open your business to your Grand Opening
Day?
A little less
than 2 weeks! I was determined and ready to get
the show on the road!
5. What was the best thing you did to get your
business going?
Advertising with as
many places as possible! Country Sampler was
wonderful at getting the business rolling. I also
started signing up with the top site lists, they are
free and another great way to get traffic to the site.
Link Exchanges are also
a great form of free advertising.
6.
What was one thing that you did that you would advise
others not to do?
Not to give up!
In the beginning, it can be a little discouraging.
You open your "virtual doors" and sit there on the edge
of your seat just waiting for that first sale! It
can be a little disappointing, but just keep plugging
along and if your heart is in it and you are truly
determined, you will succeed.
7. How do you network? What do you find works
the best?
I haven't had much time
to "network"! Message boards are a great way to
network, there are tons of information, leads, and
resources there. I try to at least peek at them
every so often when I have a free moment.
8. Do you
advertise? If so, what type of advertising works the
best for your business?
Well as I stated
earlier, I do advertise with Country Sampler and have
found it to be a wonderful way to jump start the
business and to continue to grow as well. There are
several online marketplaces that have proven to be an
effective means of advertising as well.
9. Do you have any advice to give someone
thinking of getting into their own business?
Never give up!
Put 110% into it all the time. Treat your
customers as you would want to be treated and they will
respect you for that and continue to come back.
10. What type of
products do you find are 'hot' right now?
We have been super
busy making berry wreaths, signs and dolls!
Anything handmade seems to really be what everyone is
looking for right now. People tend to really
appreciate the quality of the handmade items and the
great detail work.
Thank-you Lori for
sharing your spotlight with us! I wish you much continued
success! |
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June 2006 - Prim Talk Radio
I'm
thrilled to have Niki of Prim Talk Radio as the Business
Spotlight this month. Thank-you Niki!
Here are the Questions and Answers shared by
Niki:
1. Describe your business: type of
business, where you're located, how long have you been
in business, website URL's, etc.
I have two businesses -
Cinnamon Creations and Prim Talk Radio. Cinnamon
Creations is my primitive craft site which I am
currently changing over to it's new name, Cinnamon
Studios, which will house all of my art work and crafts,
not just primitives. It is a very exciting move for me.
The new will be
www.CinnamonStudios.com until it is up, I will
continue to host Cinnamon Creations,
www.CinnamonCreations.co.uk
Prim Talk Radio is my internet radio show
where we discuss everything Prim! From actual crafting
techniques to business talk. I am very proud to be
sponsored by Shelly of
www.PrimMart.com and our wonderful advertising
sponsors who help to support our site. You can find our
show at
www.PrimTalkRadio.com
We have a new show every Friday and you
can listen in at any time. You can also listen to any of
the past shows from the archives which are listed for 90
days after they air. Each week we have a different guest
I interview about their craft as well as segments from
our resident experts on crafting, life coaching and
business mentoring. Prim Talk Radio isn't just a radio
show, we are expanding the site to include a forum,
great articles on home decorating and business advice as
well as a great photo gallery and free patterns too.
We have
some other big additions coming in the near future as
well so please sign up to our mailing list to be
notified of these fab changes.
www.PrimTalkRadio.com you can sign up on the home
page.
Many
people find my accent funny or 'cute' as I am from the
UK. I actually hate the sound of my voice but am getting
used to it now I am hearing it so much. LOL! I have been
in business since August 2004 when I launched Cinnamon
Creations on the web. Before I started Cinnamon, I sold
my encaustic art, candles and cards via craft fairs and
freebie web sites as well as hosting my own art
exhibition. I also took part in local exhibitions while
I was in college studying for a diploma in General Art &
Design.
2. How did you decide on your business
name?
This is a funny
story really, I chose Cinnamon Creations because I love
Cinnamon Danish Pastries. LOL! I added the creations
part to symbolize the crafts I make.
Prim Talk Radio seemed
the obvious choice as it's about Prims and it's a Talk
Radio Show which is part of a group of talk radio shows
in the Mom Cast Network -
www.themomcast.com
3. What were the
first things you did to get your business going?
In the beginning, I concentrated on
making my crafts and playing around with my web site
which was a mistake - one I still make, lol, because I
just love the graphics so much I am always changing
them.
It wasn't until I joined a business
mentoring group that I really realized that I needed to
learn a lot more about business to succeed. I've been
learning every since.
4. How long did it take you from the time you decided to
open your business to your Grand Opening Day?
I had decided on
the business name in December 2003 for Cinnamon
Creations but it wasn't until August 2004 when I had
everything ready to open. This was mainly because I was
so new to it all, I didn't know what I was doing.
Prim Talk Radio was
thought of and set up within 1 month. I just knew it
would be a real hit and was a much needed and wanted
service and so I went for it with the help of Kelly from
The Mom Cast.
5. What was the best thing you did to get your
business going?
Definitely joining a
business mentoring group and keeping up with learning
about internet marketing. When you are selling on the
internet, marketing is the most important thing. There
are so many web sites on the internet now you need to
make sure your ideal customers find you.
6. What was one thing that
you did that you would advise others not to do?
Spend
all your
time doing everything! You just can't do everything, you
really can't. Making your products or service and
marketing them should be your main focus, anything else
gets in the way. So outsource it to someone else like a
Virtual Assistant. I have started doing this recently
and it really takes the pressure off and frees up your
time to do the important things like the making of your
products and marketing.
Just by networking on
message board, you can find excellent VA's. That is how
I found mine and I feel I can really trust them.
You
don't have to shell out a lot of money in the beginning,
just try a hour per month or whatever you can afford.
You could even get your family or friends helping you
with posting and packing, admin work etc.
7. How do you network? What do you find works
the best?
Networking is so
important. You really meet the best people in your field
by doing this. I have made amazing friendships from
message boards mainly. I haven't tried offline
networking events as yet but I plan to in the future.
Always remember when
you are networking - make friends first, do business
later. You don't ever want to be seeking people out.
Think about the long term and make friends first.
8. Do you
advertise? If so, what type of advertising works the
best for your business?
By far the
best advertising for
me is Word of Mouth and Search Engines. I try to make
sure all my pages are optimized for the Search Engines
so that they pick up my pages and I can rank well for my
chosen keywords, which help me to attract the right
customers.
I've tried
marketplaces which do quite well for me. I'm going to be
trying out article marketing soon for both my
businesses, which will help with incoming links to my
sites.
9. Do you have any advice to give someone
thinking of getting into their own business?
I would
say to join a business mentoring group like
www.mommasterminds.com before jumping in.
When I first started
out I had no clue about business. Luckily, internet
marketing is something I actually really enjoy doing
alongside my creating but for some people it might not
be for them.
You really can't run
a business without business knowledge. There are very
specific things you need to do for you business to work
and become successful and if you are not educating
yourself on this, you will find it very hard to get the
sales you want online.
Also, you need to
prepare yourself to not make money in the first few
years. If you can put up with that, then go for it!
Being in business for yourself is a very rewarding
career!
10. What type of products do you
find are 'hot' right now?
Downloadable/Information
products are the hottest thing on the net right now.
Everyone is searching for great information for their
field.
Especially business
learning material. E-Books and TeleSeminars are flying
right now. It's a good thing to get into if you want to
make money in your sleep! You only need to create the
product once and you can sell it over and over.
Downloadable info
products can be created for any business/niche.
E-Patterns seem to be really hot right now in the
primitive world too.
Thank-you Niki for
sharing your spotlight with us! I wish you much continued
success! |
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July 2006 - Whisper Moon
I'm very
pleased to have Missy Sue of The Whisper Moon as the
Business Spotlight this month. Thank-you so much Missy Sue!
Here are the Questions and Answers shared by
Missy Sue:
1. Describe your business: type of
business, where you're located, how long have you been
in business, website URL's, etc.
My shoppe, The Whisper Moon at
http://www.thewhispermoon.com offers prim art,
hand-poured soaps and soy candles, which we are
currently transforming the line of candles. Whisper Moon
has a magical twist to it because for me, prim is
magic....and I love Halloween, it's my fav time of the
year, I collect and display witchy and fall items in my
household year-round, lol. I just love the feel of that
season, apple cider, crisp breezes and the magic buzzing
in the air. My other website, which will be open soon is
http://www.primowlsoutpost.com . I wanted to
open the Prim Owl's Outpost as another venue for other
crafters and their businesses. I wanted a place
for advertisement, resources and tips, along with fun
contests and such. Basically another community of prim
crafters coming together as a sort of team effort.
And as a newbie in the prim business, I wanted to have
resources and tips on the crafting side and business end
of the "prim" web for other crafters as well. I am
located in Fenton, Missouri on 62 acres with my
wonderful fiancé and my angel of a son. I hope to
open a retail store in an old house here on our property
in the near future.
2. How did you decide on your business
name?
The story behind "Whisper Moon" is quite unusual.
My family and I went to our favorite vacation spot here
in Missouri, Branson. In Branson they have Silver Dollar
City which is just so neat. It is almost like Six Flags,
except for it's all crafts and country. Old time broom
making, soap making, you name it. They have what they
call the "American Arts and Crafts Festival" every year
where all these wonderful crafters and blacksmiths, etc.
come from all over to set up booths. I had just
discovered Primitive style crafting about a year before
and had never seen it besides in magazines and the
internet. Well, I stopped at a booth and there was all
this wonderful prim crafting....I spoke with the woman
for a while about my dreams of opening a shoppe, she was
very nice and while I was making my purchases, she
handed me this little shelf sitter pillow that
says...."When black cats are seen, the moon whispers
it's near Halloween." As she handed it to me she told me
that it never hurts to "whisper to the moon". Something
about it stuck with me, so I promised myself that if I
ever did open a shoppe I would name it "Whisper Moon".
3. What were the first
things you did to get your business going?
The very first thing I did was BELIEVE in
myself. I couldn't do anything without that. The second
I put the thought in my head that I could do it....I
could...lol, all of a sudden it was possible, obstacles
that were once in my way were moved or I got around them
somehow. After that....I started creating things and
then I contacted DIY for my site.
4. How long did it take you from the time you decided to
open your business to your Grand Opening Day?
It took me about two
months I believe or just under. I remember that when it
came time to open it, I didn't want to because I was so
nervous...wondering if everything was right, going and
triple-checking everything, lol.
5. What was the best thing you did to get your
business going?
Again, the best thing
I did was I believed in myself and I just grabbed hold
of my dreams and I let them do the work. I had
always been what you could call a "follower", so by far
the best thing I did was I finally stood up and claimed
my right to my dreams. On the business aspect the best
thing I did I think was that I researched a lot before I
chose my hosting company and before I opened my site.
6. What was one thing that
you did that you would advise others not to do?
The one thing I did
was that I jumped in a little fast. I wasn't happy with
my candle line and wanted to change things, but I opened
anyway, now I'm wishing
I would've waited so that I had a solid line of
products, I don't want the image
of constant change. I do want to spice things up a bit
now and then, but I want
to stay consistent in some aspects. So I would say make
sure you are happy with
what you are offering, if you're even a little
indecisive it's best to hold off.
7. How do you network? What do you find works
the best?
Um, networking for me
so far has just been getting involved in the communities
and with fellow business owners. Being so new at
this, I want people to know that I'm a good, honorable,
trustworthy person and that I run my business the same
way, then I think business will follow. Because word of
mouth will always be the best way to network. I've also
had a lot of fun entering into the swaps and
contests and I think that's a good way to get your name
out there.
8. Do you
advertise?
If so, what type of advertising works the best for your
business?
I have advertised a
little, on Prim Mart and on Shoofly Pie Mercantile. I
think I've had more visitors because of it, but it might
be a little too early
to tell. I've been contemplating advertising with Create
and Decorate magazine,
but that might be in the near future.
9. Do you have any advice to give someone
thinking of getting into their own business?
The only advice I can
give is what I've said a lot during this interview.
Believe in yourself, believe that it is possible, and it
truly is magical, you'll open your eyes one day and say,
well, Oh, my gosh...I really did it. Through hard work
and disappointments, trust that the magic is right
around the corner, waiting. Don't give up, if it's truly
what you want, hang on with all you've got and don't let
it go.
10. What type of products do you
find are 'hot' right now?
The products that I
find are hot right now are the extreme prim dolls, the
cinnabun candles, e-patterns and of course fixins.
There's a lot of new stuff that I've seen lately, but I
think especially the extreme dolls, cinnabun and bakery
candles are hot items. I love them, that's for
sure....lol.
Thank-you Missy Sue for
sharing your spotlight with us! I wish you much continued
success! |
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August 2006 - Kelley's Keepsakes
I'm very
pleased to have Kelley of Kelley's Keepsakes as the Business
Spotlight this month. Thank-you so much Kelley!
Here are the Questions and Answers shared by
Kelley:
1. Describe your business: type of
business, where you're located, how long have you been
in business, website URL's, etc.
I offer items such
as country/primitive rag quilts, runners, placemats,
handstitched pillows and much more. These items are all
handmade by me. I'm a work at home mom and I'm located
in Paoli, Indiana. I've been in business for a little
over a year now.
http://www.kelleyskeepsakes.com
2. How did you decide on your business
name?
My daughters
thought it would be neat to have my first name in the
business name. My goal is to create items which
customers can treasure forever thus the keepsakes part
of the name. I put the two together and I'm glad I chose
this name.
3. What were the
first things you did to get your business going?
I planned
for a very long time. I thought about what type of
products I wanted to market. I started out with
absolutely nothing!! I didn't have a business loan, I
just started out by saving a bit by bit with what my
husband makes. I built up my supply inventory until I
actually had enough to start the business with and make
my products.
4. How long
did it take you from the time you decided to open your
business to your Grand Opening Day?
About a year.
5. What was the best thing you did to get your
business going?
Decided not to be scared
about opening my own online business. I jumped right in
and haven't looked back.
6. What was one thing that
you did that you would advise others not to do?
Give up!! Have patience,
success won't happen overnight. Don't fret about not
getting orders right away. Network and get your name and
products out there.
7. How do you network? What do you find works
the best?
I love the forums I
belong to. They are a great way to meet people AND
potential customers.
8. Do you
advertise? If so, what type of advertising works the
best for your business?
I do some paid
advertising, but I also have joined lots of topsites,
plug boards, exchanged banner links and signed
guestbooks. Those things can really get your name out
there and they are FREE to do. I have Stat Counter (web
tracker) on my site and this gives me info on where my
web visitors are coming from. This really helps me
decide what advertising works and doesn't work.
9. Do you have any advice to give someone
thinking of getting into their own business?
Have lots of patience,
have fun and spend the time needed to attract potential
customers. You also need to offer wonderful customer
service and quality products.
10. What type of products do you
find are 'hot' right now? Rag Quilts!!!!
Thank-you Kelley for
sharing your spotlight with us! I wish you much continued
success! |
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September 2006 - Stacy's
Country Wood Works
I'm very
pleased to have Angela of Stacy's Country Wood Works as the
Business Spotlight this month. Thank-you so much Angela!
Here are the Questions and Answers shared by
Angela:
1. Describe your business: type of
business, where you're located, how long have you been
in business, website URL's, etc.
We offer a unique blend of handmade Rustic Country
and Primitive items as well as wood items made right
here in our very own little Woodshop. :) We are located
in Osceola, in Northwest Indiana about 45 minutes north
of Amish Acres. We have had our Woodshop online business
since December 2005 but started on eBay for 6 months or
so before that ... and are already busy, busy, busy. :)
Come on over and visit us at
www.stacyscountrywoodworks.com and sign our guest
book because we LOVE to hear from our visitors ... and
love to hear any comments or suggestions for our store.
:)
2. How did you decide on your business name?
When we were searching for a name for our store ... both
Steve and I came up with Country Wood Works.
It was something we always had stuck in our minds since
we both were little. Stacy is our Family Name, so it
became Stacy's Country Wood Works! We started out a
little Woodshop, but now we have expanded into other
Country Items and Primitives.
3. What were the first things you did to get your
business going?
We told EVERYBODY who
would listen! Advertised in our local paper, passed out
business cards, hung flyers EVERYWHERE, then started
selling eBay, which is when we really took off!
4. How long did it take you from the time you decided to
open your business to your Grand Opening Day?
I would have to say not long. I did a lot of research in
about a weeks time, then made a decision to open the store.
I would say the whole process took about 3 weeks, but it was
constant.
5. What was the best thing you did to get your business
going? I started out right away advertising on different
sites and marketplaces to get our name out there. I
exchanged banners with TONS of sites, so people would see
us, and then joined a few communities, and I've done well
with that.
6. What was one thing that you did that you
would advise others not to do? I would say, don't close your
doors to anything, always keep an open mind and don't stay
with one particular style because it is what you are used
to. There are so many people out there that like other
things and you have to be open to them too. :)
7. How do you network? What do you find works the best?
I offer a sign up for a monthly newsletter on my site. I
keep my subscribers posted on events happening, new products
and contests, and sales andn try to draw in new customers
whether from eBay or just sending out emails ... my banner
and site URL are on every items I send out ... even my
bills!
8. Do you advertise? If so, what type of advertising
works the best for your business?
Exchanging banners, flyers and business cards in
Prim Packs, belonging to great communities and advertising
on sites and marketplaces. I am just now advertising with a
group in a couple of online magazines and in Creative Times,
so we will see how that goes!
9. Do you have any advice to give someone thinking of
getting into their own business? I would say you have to be
prepared to put your whole hear into it! You have to love
what you do because it is a lot of work. Don't get
discouraged because there are good days and bad. Just be
consistent and keep your name out there.
10. What type of products do you find are 'hot' right
now?
We have sold
TONS of Quilt Racks, Berry Baskets, and lighted candle
boxes!
Thank-you Angela for
sharing your spotlight with us! I wish you much continued
success! |
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See also Archived Spotlights
2004 &
2005 |
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