August 14, 2008 at 9:27 pm (I Love ETSY)
Tags: blogging, blogs, business, crafts, etsy, HANDMADE, how-to, i love etsy. jewelry, marketing, selling
Passion Earrings
I see this topic come up a lot in the forums on ETSY, “Is it really that important to have a blog?”, or “Does it really bring traffic to my store?”. To blog, or not to blog, is really about personal preference and what you as a small business owner are trying to achieve by having one. I blog because I love to write, I l love to advise, and it makes me feel more connected to my customers, family and friends, and potential customers.
What can you blog about? Just about anything. I like to make about 85% of my blog revelant to my business, whether it be how-to’s, market news, promotions, or discussions. The other articles I write are more personal or revolve more on what is on my mind. One of my main focuses on my blog is advising people on a different array of topics from why sell jewelry all the way to fraud prevention and protecting your information.
Make your blog unique, make it personal. I like to think of my online shop and my blog as my “online home”. I want people to come and visit me, and I don’t want to scare them away with blinking pictures and a jumbled mess.
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August 14, 2008 at 4:42 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: America, crafts, Economy, etsy, Gas, HANDMADE, jewelry, life, Small Business
Polymer and Nature
Gas has dropped a few pennies, but for small businesses all over the country those few pennies can not make up for some of the losses they already experienced. Those “future” small business owners dreams of opening shop, or expanding to other cities have been put on hold just because they can dip to far into their budget. I know I am one of those aspiring owners. Spokane is a nice market to sell my craft of beaded jewelry, but my hopes of returning to Seattle, my hometown of 22 years, has been put aside because I simply can not invest the $80.00 it would take to drive their and the $80.00 back, the $80.00 to setup my booth, and the expenses it would be to eat, and sleep. I would probably walk away from the two day fair at a loss. I moved here to Spokane a little over a year ago, and I was fine with the $2.45 a gallon price, but now I just can not afford to drive at a $4.05 a gallon rate.
I know I am not the only small business owner who is feeling this pinch at the pump, and I know I am not the only small business owner who has tried to cut out costs in other areas of my business to make up for the loss that gas is eating at the profits of my company. Driving locally also has taken it’s toll. The funny thing is my head gasket of my 2001 Dodge Neon blew back in July and that’s when I first started noticing how much the gas was taking its toll. I was literally confused on where all this extra money was coming from, and I realized it was my gas budget that I wasn’t using at that time since I was out of commission on my car. Who would of known? Does anyone pay attention to how much they really are using?
The recent trends in the Economy are reflected at the pump, and it is no surprise that the price of the gallon may just keep climbing. So what does that mean for the small business owner? For those who are determined to be successful and manage their money wisely they will make it through. For those who are investing in traveling, and losing money because of it, may struggle and may eventually fold. My hopes for the future are a new energy resource, American just needs to be weened off the addiction to oil. It is harming small business owners – and everyone else in this country. As a small business owner, no one will be able to afford to buy anything I offer if they can not afford to feed their family, and get to work unless there is change.
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