Crochet for Easter from Joyous Crafts

Last year I was fooling around with some Red Heart pink yarn and came up with my Crochet Bunny Peep pattern, available for free on Ravelry.  I was contacted by Heather, an owner of Joyous Crafts, to become the exclusive maker and seller of the bunnies on Etsy!  Aren't they wonderful?!

She hand crochets them from pure Peruvian Highland wool yarn and stuffs them with pure wool as well.  Each little peep stands 2 1/4 inches tall and 1 1/4 inches wide at the widest point.  Her Etsy listing is for a set of four little bunnies in light blue, pink, butter cream, and dusty purple.  She's also got some in acrylic yarn as well.  They are already made and ready to be shipped as soon as you buy them!  She's got so many cute items in her shop, it's really worth checking out for her sweet crochet :-)

Thanksgiving 2013 and Ready to Save?

Happy Thanksgiving!  The holiday season is here, hard to believe how quickly it arrived.  But after spending a good part of yesterday cooking (and cleaning up behind all the cooking), Phyllis is ready for some feasting today :-)  We hope you too are settling down to a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration today (and Happy Hanukkah as well to celebrants).

And to sweeten the holiday, Many Creative Gifts is offering some savings on crochet patterns for Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday -- just use coupon code Cyber2013 on our Ravelry store, and you will get 15% off your entire purchase until 11:59 PM EST on Monday, December 2nd!

We've also just introduced crochet kits for our Beaded Owl Pin and the Turkish Love Knot Bracelet!  They are now available in our Etsy shop, and you will receive 10% off with coupon code CYBER2013.  The savings won't last long (also ending December 2nd), and this will be our last promotion for the year.  The kits include everything you need to make Phyllis' crocheted creations, and they will make great stocking stuffers!  So go place your order before it's too late ;-).

Thank you so much for following the blog, visiting us on Facebook, and providing support year after year.  We really appreciate your interest in crochet and our offerings, and we hope to continue bringing the best of crochet to you for many years to come!

Being an Etsy Seller

You know, MCG got its start on Etsy!  It was, and still remains, the place for crafters and artisans to sell their wares.  I especially loved the Alchemy function, where you could find requests for custom made items and bid on fulfilling them.  That's how I ended up making an axolotl for a woman in Canada who had lost her pet axolotl.  I never did find my notes for the pattern (a crocheter on Ravelry had asked me), but considering he (and he is a he, I researched the differences!) was made from a handspun yarn, etc., he really was meant to be unique and the only one :-)

But, I digress.  This post is about evolution and adaptability, both of which are positive spins on change, which sometimes can elicit negative feelings.  Sometimes, change really is good.  For example, I have not particularly kept up well with my Etsy shop.  Since I now concentrate on making patterns rather than the items themselves, I post the patterns on Ravelry, though I can't bring myself to close my Etsy shop because I've been on there since the beginning in 2005!

So, why not also post patterns on Etsy?  Well, putting aside the costs associated with doing that (which are a bit more than on Ravelry), the biggest concern for me was that a pattern purchaser on Etsy would not have access to the pattern immediately - she or he would have to wait until I was able to make it home to my computer to send the pattern electronically (though I have had a few purchasers request hard copies mailed to them).  Maybe it's just me projecting my desires onto others, but if I find a pattern I like, I want to be able to download it right away and get started (or at least read and play around with it).

Well, the other day, I was looking around on Etsy (it still remains my home page and a great source for pins to my Pinterest boards) and I saw a pattern that I clicked on and was given the choice to purchase it as a digital file!  Whoa, instant downloading available on Etsy!  A game changer?!  I won't know til I try, but obviously it's time to rethink my Etsy shop :-)

The bigger point here is you just have to be open to change and to be willing to rethink and adapt to changes, many of which turn out to be good.  And just because something didn't meet your needs in the past doesn't mean it's not worth reconsidering in the future.  Sometimes, it's worth giving second chances (or even thirds ;-).  Your business plan (or life plan) is not a static concept -- it has to bend, grow, change and adapt as the world around it does all those things.  It's easy to get caught up in whatever actions you're currently pursuing and just stick to those, but do take the time periodically to step back, do a little research into what new things are out there, and then think about what (positive) changes you want to make to adapt!

Starting a Crafts Business Part Time, Post 1

As a number of you already now, I started Many Creative Gifts in 2005 as a part time way to showcase my crochet items, mainly on Etsy.  I'd make a baby hat or some type of crocheted accessory and post it on the site and wait to see what would happen.  Etsy was in its infancy, and I'd get a decent amount of views and interactions with potential and actual customers.  I also made good use of the "alchemy" feature by searching for customers who were looking to have customized crochet items made for them.  It was an eye opening experience in terms of learning about proper pricing and meeting someone's very specific needs and desires in a final product. 

Now, though, I'm not sure a person new to Etsy could achieve the same experience.  There are sooooo many vendors on Etsy now, I'm just not sure exactly how any one particular vendor can stand out, unless he or she has a very specialized niche that pushes them up the list in a Google search.

So, where to start?  I'm not discouraging an Etsy shop (or one of the other arts seller platforms); I'm just suggesting you have a very specialized angle if you go that route.  Otherwise, consider these possibilities:

1)   Go local – make it known to your family and friends that you've got something you make that you would like to show them.  No pressure, but if they like it, would they like to place an order for themselves or as a gift for someone?  See how that goes.  Although you might not get the same kind of honest, possibly harsh, feedback that you would from strangers, it's a gentler, less scary starting point.  And, frankly, if they are smiling and encouraging you but not willing to fork over some $$ for at least one item, then that's telling in its own way too.

2)   Stay local for a bit – you really might have better luck in local crafts shows and stores at first.  Despite the ease of buying things online, the shopping experience is still best had in person.  Especially if you are in the fiber arts, potential customers like to see the colors in real life, touch the product and get a real feel for it, especially if it's a wearable.  So, take advantage of that and find ways to display your wares.  And be sure to make a few things that you can either carry around with you to show off or wear yourself – that's often how you will get questions or reactions.  Keep business cards and other "swag" with you to hand out to help people remember you and know how to contact you in the future because, even if they are not ready to buy that very minute, you want to leave a good impression for the future.

3)   Start blogging and create a Facebook page – I know, there are a million blogs and pages out there, but again, you've got to start somewhere.  Just like the literary agent  encouraged me to do, start letting people know what it is you do and what it is you have to offer.  Put up some pictures of your products and explain a little about either your creative process or why you created what you did, etc.  The handmade movement has started to evolve from just offering the product itself into presenting a story, a whole package, the whole you.  I'm not saying come up with a sob story to tug at people's hearts because, frankly, it's still about the product in the end.  I'm saying be authentic and just share a bit.  Again, you don't have to spill the beans on all your personal details, just give people a small window into why you and your offerings might appeal to them.  You and your products are unique in some way, and you need to share that.

Ok, that's a lot of information for now.  More will come :-)

Emptiness

The title refers to my Etsy shop -- it is now down to two active listings, which will expire next week!  I have (sort of) done this on purpose because I need to revamp the shop and figure I should do it on a clean slate.  Of course, how this revamping is going to occur is not totally clear to me yet, but I have a week in which to figure it out ;-o

I still struggle to figure out how best to spend my limited crafting time and what products frankly will appeal to the most people.  I think a lot of people struggle with the dilemma of making what they want to make versus what will actually sell.  Of course, you're always hoping that the two will be one in the same!

Right now, as far as actual crochet projects go, I'm intrigued with crochet techniques that yield knit-looking fabrics.  I'm testing out some different ways to create "knit" and "purl" stitches using a crochet hook and incorporating those stitches into a few projects that I've got pictured in my head.  I know we're just starting summer, and it is my favorite season, but my mind is already on scarves and shawls, though I just got this cool ribbon-like yarn that I think would actually work well for a summertime cover-up, so maybe I should work on that before getting sidetracked by scarves and winter garb!

Speaking of summertime days, I think I'm going to get out there and enjoy it -- I can crochet when it's dark outside!

Benign Neglect

Here I am, pontificating about how to run a small crafts business and my Etsy shop looks like *&^$#.  I've been neglecting it, but you will soon discover, it's impossible to stay totally on top of all aspects of your business.  So, choices have to be made, and you have to stop and step back often to assess where you are spending your time.  Early on, I think you have to spend your time establishing your presence in your field.  Ironically, that means a lot of time on the computer (for us creative types, that hurts; but, think of it as just another aspect of being creative).  People need to know you exist before they can even think of buying your rhinestone widgets!  As that starts to fall into place, then you need to start making strategic choices about how you spend your time.  Of course, time needs to be spent actually making your product, but then, back to the computer to let others know your latest designs, etc.  For me, I've been concentrating on coming up with crochet patterns (as opposed to the actual items themselves, but I'm glad to make custom orders ;-)  Thus, I've been spending more time on Ravelry (a community of knitters, crocheters, and designers) posting patterns than on Etsy posting real products.  And, I probably need to step back and think about whether that's a good use of my time or not (I think so, but I do need to think about how to optimize my Etsy shop presence -- any suggestions more than welcome!)

In conjunction with figuring out how to optimize your time spent on your business and establishing your presence on the web, you need to figure out "who you are", "what's your message" and how best to express these answers.  Most business mavens will tell you that you need to formulate a mission statement, tag line, etc.  Don't get caught up in the jargon or formula -- just think about what it is you are trying to do -- "Rhinestones for a shinier world", "My mission is to create the shiniest rhinestone widgets to brighten your day" -- just try to say whatever it is that motivates you to create what you create. Believe me, it will resonate with your customers and yourself much more if you just let it come from your heart.  You will be more motivated to keep creating and getting your message out, and your potential customers will feel your vibe and energy!

Speaking of vibe and energy (or lack thereof), time to go to the day job ;-)

Dipping In a Toe

So, back to entrepreneurship.  Last post, I was talking about being sure that this is really what you want to do and are committed to do.  Well, I'm going to take a step back here because I think there are some things you can do to test the waters before you really have to commit to anything.  Now, another disclaimer -- I'm talking mainly to creative, artistic types who want to explore whether they can make some $$ from their artwork.  I think many of my basic principles should be applicable to others too, but I don't want to lead anyone astray either.

Let's say you make incredibly beautiful (or at least that's what your mom and friends say) rhinestone widgets.  You've given them as gifts and made some custom order for friends who have been more than happy to reimburse your expenses for materials.  But, will anyone actually buy these things at a retail rate?!  Well, with the internet, it really doesn't cost much to find out!  And, that's what I mean by "dipping in your toe".  Exactly how you ask?!  I'd suggest three basic steps:  1) set up a blog, 2) set up Facebook and Twitter accounts, and 3) list your widgets on Etsy or another one of the crafts selling sites (more on this later).  And, link them all together.  Except for listing fees on Etsy, everything else shouldn't cost you a dime, but should afford you ways to let the world know about your rhinestone widgets and how people can buy them.

The blog should be your hub -- these days, with all of the functionality offered on blogspot and wordpress, it's almost as good as having your own (expensive) website (though, you might want to at least reserve the name you want to use for your potential business, and there's yet another topic for a post!). 

The Facebook and Twitter accounts are a way to make connections to others who can get the word out about your product.  Start with your friends, especially the ones who say they love your work -- well, have them say it out loud to their friends and provide testimonials that you can use on the blog so that potential customers don't have only your word for the greatness of your product.  I'll warn you, at first, you feel like you are shouting into a black hole.  Your updates and tweets are going into an empty forest where they and the falling tree are not heard.  But, amazingly, a wonderful person who is not your mother or already a friend actually responds, "likes", or starts following you.  It is indeed a happy day!

Ah, and yes, exactly where can people go to buy your product?  Etsy is the big kahuna marketplace for all things crafted, but there are others who are trying to establish similar models (small or no listing fee and a cut of the purchase price on the back end.  I'll post more about the pros and cons of such services next time).  Nothing like getting an email telling you that an item has sold and to "ship now".  And, once you get over the shock, you really had better be ready to ship!

Ok, I've given you some tidbits to think about, and I'll be following up with more details and more ideas soon.