Grow Your Shop Series: Find The Financial Flow

Happy Friday! Here we are again in our second to last part of the Grow Your Shop Series. I'm glad you're here today because I'm talking about money...yay!! First a disclaimer...I'm not the best with it. Just being honest. It's only by the grace of God that I get to keep doing what I love. So for the record, this post isn't a cookie-cutter finance plan to keep your business floating. I believe there are plenty of articles from more professional and more qualified people out there than myself. We'll be talking about the flow of income and how it can help launch your business.

Utilize All Your Gifts

Apart from being an artist I'm also a writer. Having a successful online shop was always my #1 goal but I knew that I needed a financial flow to help build that. A few years back, I started working with Demand Media Studios creating content for various popular websites such as Apartment Therapy and eHow. For every article that was accepted, I was paid $25. That would change depending on topics and sections. That money would then be used to market my online shop, purchase new materials and be saved towards new products. It worked so well, I even got to pay myself once in a while!

Think about your skills...all of them. Do you write good blog posts? Take amazing photos? Are a social media whiz? You can freelance your services to help others and in turn create financial flow back to your online shop. Work with websites who will pay you for content. Sign up to be a stock photo photographer and reap the rewards of royalties every time someone downloads your photos. Ask big blogs if they could use a hand with their social accounts or emails and become their virtual assistant. Branch out rivers of possibilities to lead back towards your financial pool.

Provide Different Price Points

Another way to start a financial flow is by making sure you have a variety of different price points within your shop. For example, I design and sell graphic tees. These are very popular and bring in great financial flow. Knowing my customer base, they are very creative and many are entrepreneurs themselves. So with that in mind, I started providing painted quotes as prints for a lower price. This gives the buyer other options which in turn helps the financial flow. A customer could like a tee but also an uplifting art print and illustrated coffee mug.

Many customers would be more likely to buy from a shop if they see variety in pricing. Think about it. It's pretty psychological. How many times have we been in Target and have gone "Oh that top is great, $20!" then turn around just to go "What? Fuzzy slippers are only $8? Yup that's happening." Both end up in your cart in a heartbeat. Of course, it's Target...they know what they are doing. You can use that same mentality for your shop to create a financial flow. Here's a great article from the Etsy Blog about pricing and the worksheet they provide to help price out your products. It's a tricky game; just try one different things and track the results.

Share Your Brand

A very big myth that I see with many shop owners especially new ones is that you have to have one platform for your shop. For many, it's either between Etsy or Storenvy. I actually have written my own thoughts about the pros and cons of each in this post. If you've read it, you'll know where I'm going with this. Hello Awesome, my shop, can be found both in Etsy AND Storenvy. Now I understand most people don't want the hassel of handling two different shops. That is understandable. But my take is go where the customers go. If you are not having many sales and are struggling to bring traffic to one shop, you should consider opening another one on a different platform to try and bring in customers. I personally have more luck with Storenvy right now but it took a while. Years back I ran a graphic design shop on Etsy that was hopping. You should share your brand across different platforms to provide more opportunities for people to buy your stuff. It's really that simple. You don't have to provide all your products on both unless you want to. Think about the platform and the kind of people it attracts. What do they like? What do they don't like? What are the trends and fads? Don't compromise your work but use what you have to draw them in.

To find the financial flow is to go beyond the normal "list-sell-buy" attitude; where you list, sell for a price, they buy. Businesses rarely just run like that. Let's use Target again: do they really need Starbucks to get customers? No but it helps! Adding a Starbucks is something that pleases the customers and adds a different financial flow. It's possible that Starbucks has to pay Target a percentage to have a kiosk in their stores.

As you can see, there are many ways you can financially help your shop grow. Be creative and think of something yourself! Being flexible is essential to running a business. You've been given infinite resources to do the incredible. Try to get past the cookie-cutter mindsets to find the financial flow for your shop.

Like this post? Check out the other parts to the series:
Social Media Etiquette
Customer Satisfaction Tips

Grow Your Shop Series: Customer Satisfaction Tips

Hey guys! Here we are for the second topic of our Grow Your Shop Series. As a shop owner, customer satisfaction has to be top priority. Actually if you are in the customer service business anywhere, it has to be top priority. I've had my share of real job experiences on the front line whether it was a fast food cashier or bank teller. It can be difficult to separate our own personal emotions and professional obligations. Let's talk about how we can make sure our customers are satisfied without losing what we stand for or the quality of our business.

Be A Servant.

First thing is first, it is part of our job to make sure we are being servants. That's right. I didn't say "slaves" and let me explain. There are two types of people who work with customers: servants and slaves. The slave does everything the customer asks even if it means jeopardizing quality and integrity. They are a people-pleasers and will sell customers a service for pennies to make them happy. This eventually causes lack of passion for their brand and in turn makes it all about the mula. Slaves are more prone to lashing out verbally to customers whether or not the customer was in the wrong.

We don't want to be slaves. You cannot build a business with that mindset. The servant has the customer's best interests at heart, they are passionate and compassionate but also for what is best for the business. Servants accommodate requests according to the high standards they have for their work. How does this make the customer satisfied? Most people prefer buying or working with someone who has purpose yet is willing to be flexible enough to bring forth a product they want. In the end, they will feel good about spending their hard earned money on something you created.

Being a slave will leave you burnt out because not everyone can be pleased (shocker I know!) Being a servant, however, not only takes care of what the customer wants but your business still maintains it's value.

Reputation Has Worth.

We've seen it many times. A very upset seller takes to the internet and publicly blasts a customer. Many of us have done this especially in the early stages when we are learning and have so many high expectations. There have been a few times that I've even seen shop owners respond to negative feedback in their shop with a rebuttal as if they are on trial and are stating their side of the story. 

Let's think about this. How would we feel about McDonald's if they published a statement claiming one of their customers deserved the service they got because they were wrong. Regardless if the customer was in the wrong, it is never professional or right to argue especially publicly.

Your reputation as a shop owner has worth. I personally would not feel comfortable purchasing from someone knowing they are comfortable with humiliating customers just to be right. This creates a web of distrust. Customers will not be satisfied...CANNOT be satisfied...if they can't trust you. We have to be shields. When someone throws bullets, we need to be strong enough so they don't penetrate but are close enough for us to learn a lesson. And we shouldn't manipulate the situation so that the bullets fire back at our customers. How we handle relationships shapes our shop reputation.

Love On Them.

Leave love notes in their packages. Include sweet gifts in every envelope. Thank them non stop, email them to make sure they've received their order, throw them a discount code for next time. Just be nice and love on them! It's not rocket science. It's appreciation. It always feels good to know someone appreciates you. Our customers need to know we do. We can't just assume they will be satisfied because they bought something they wanted from us. They aren't buying a product...they are buying a piece of you. They are buying a part of your brand.

Take some time to make sure things are wrapped clean and include extra goodies. I learned this early especially since people are buying handmade. It's personal. Customers are real people with real feelings, not just numbers on a stats sheet. Do what you can to make sure those feelings are warm and fuzzy. Showing love doesn't cost anything but the rewards are so much sweeter. 

Read the first part of the series about Social Media Etiquette right here.

Grow Your Shop Series: Social Media Etiquette

Hey there! We are kicking off a new blog series called Grow Your Shop, dedicated to all you hard working entrepreneurs out there. While many of you blog, many of you also run online shops (or maybe you would like to). I'm still learning every day when it comes to growing a successful online store but have learned a lot in the last 5 years by getting my hands dirty. From name changes to product launches to social media oops, mistakes happen. The key is to keep taking those mistakes and using them as bricks towards building your goals. Today is all about social media etiquette and how this effects the growth of our brand overall.

What is Social Media Etiquette?
Oh glad you asked! In order to define what it is, let's break down the phrases first:

Social Media = websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. For example, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest...you get it. (I know this seems basic but bare with me!)

Etiquette = the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group.

Social Media Etiquette is the customary code of polite behavior within the context of social networking. Short version: how you should act online. Seems simple right?

The funny thing is, though it may seem trivial, I've come across many different people who are so focused on growing their shop and are not educated in the proper behavior to promote their shop through social media. I've also made some not so great moves when it came to social media etiquette. Here's a few things I've learned.

"FOLLOW ME!"
Time and time again this is what I used to leave as comments with a link to my shop. Not only is this improper etiquette but it really is ineffective. The reader can sense the newbie desperation jumping off the screen. It is not polite to ask for a favor when you haven't taken the time to get to know the person first. And even if you are a huge fan on Instagram and double tap all their photos, it's basically telling them what to do. Come on, we don't like to be told what to do!

Honestly when I see this, it takes every ounce of me not to call the person out on it. You want to gain followers? That's fine! Leave comments about how you really feel about a person's work, how they inspire you, love their style and flair. After you can simply leave a link under your name. That's it. A genuine comment about that other person or their work and then add your shop under your signature. It's professional and puts you in a different category.

LINK VOMIT
It seriously is as gross as it sounds. There have been times I loved a person's shop, visited their Twitter page and was doused with a bunch of links to their products. Nothing else. Social media is about social networking. To mingle, chat, exchange information with other talented folks. It's not just a platform for your self promotion. A good balance helps followers digest things easier. When we keep shoving links, links, links...it will soon get old and mundane. You have to show people you care about what they care about before they care about what you care about. Did you get that? Phew!

A great rule of thumb (mainly on Twitter and Facebook) is to share four other posts or links from other people then one of yours. It might sounds backwards like we are giving them more exposure but being nice always pays off. Make sure you share things you really like. Be genuine. Don't worry about them getting exposure. The reality is that the link to your shop is attached to your social media accounts. Whatever you share will be seen even if it is someone else's and most people will want to check out your profile for more inspiration.

GET ENGAGED
Let's say social media was a big company party. There's Lulu against the wall speaking to no one. Marty is too busy talking about himself that everyone is annoyed. Henry is just plain rude and knows everything about everything. Then there's Justine. She's friendly, shakes people's hands, introduces herself. She asks people about what they do, makes them feel special and keeps the conversation lighthearted. If these four different people were shops on social media, which one would you buy from?

We will automatically gravitate towards the person that is showing interest in who we are. It's selfish human nature. We really can't help it. If your shop were one of the people above, which one would it be? When we break the mindset that our shop is "ours" and concentrate on a target audience, this is when things will blossom. Ask your followers questions. Get feedback on new products. Talk about what they love and share your heart.

Social media etiquette goes so much deeper than just sending your link out to potential customers.  It's a chance to share your story, your knowledge, your journey. To connect with others who love what you love. Don't worry about gaining followers. If you can make the followers you have into friends, more will come. And anything grows when you have good friends.

Where have I been...and where I am going...

 

I feel like a broken record. Here I am, once again, announcing another change. If you've been following my blog and my online adventures, your head is probably spinning and your eyes rolling. I get that. I also get that when people are trying to start a business, they have to go through lots of changes. Many times continually reinventing their brand and streamlining what they do.

I started off this month with devotionals and the plan was to keep posting one every day until October 31st. The truth is, I couldn't say anything at the time, but I was planning my mother's surprise 50th birthday party. This was also on top of weaning my son off of a pacifier. I had soon realized that life was way too short to spend it on things that your heart wasn't in. Before I knew it, three days had gone by without a single new devotion posted...

And I felt guilty. I didn't want to let you guys down and honestly I wasn't even sure if anyone was following the devotions. Life happened and of course that took precedence over blogging.

My heart is always in the Word, don't mistake what I'm saying. But posting a devotional a day made my sweet, intimate meeting with the Lord every morning seem more like a chore. And I don't like that. I don't want that. I don't want to have this blog because I feel other people want me to have it.

I honestly think that God really wants me to share the devotionals with people who seriously want to read them. More one on one. So while I still feel like the Lord wants me to continue writing 31 devotionals in 31 days, I believe He wants me to do them on my own first. Offline. Unplugged. And if anyone truly wants to do them with me, shoot me and email and I can email them straight to you!

Time is precious and I've spent close to 3 years blogging...and it has brought a lot of good and bad. I know I've tried to walk away many times and continue getting sucked back in. But right now, the season is over and moving on...

Why? Well, I'm rebranding my online shop and everything is clicking. I feel different this time around. I believe blogging was a platform for me to learn community, networking and sharing with other people. It helped me see the potential I have as a leader and business owner (while also showing me many, many weaknesses!). And I'm ready to step up to the plate.

This. This is where my heart is at the moment (online wise.) My husband and I have been praying for a house. He works so hard just so I can stay home with our son. If I'm going to do something, I want to do with to glorify God, utilize my talents and help my family financially. We are not really struggling but the load could be lighter. And I want to help make that lighter. I want to help us reach our dream.

My passion is illustration, home decor and writing. Hello Awesome will officially launch November 1st and will include all of those things! Hand-illustrated wall art, decorative porcelain (plates, mugs, vases etc), prints and so much more. Inspirational artwork and gifts, just in time for the holidays.

I can feel it in my bones. This is it. All the roads I've been on have lead to this! I can feel it. So I need all of my strength, my creativity and my focus on this shop in order for it to be the great business I know it can be.

And I'm sorry. I apologize to any sponsor or any reader who feels neglected. The truth is, I am not good at blogging and it is not so much fun anymore. Blogging has turned into a business. It's no longer the heartfelt journaling it used to be. I've started a Tumbler blog for Hello Awesome right here. We will see how it works and if I even want it. Like I said, my focus right now is on my shop. I will promote it via social media and on blogs. But as far as me, sitting down here, writing...that season is over I think. At least for now. And I am okay with that.

My mother's party was this past weekend and yesterday I was so burnt out. It really opened my eyes to treasuring every moment of every day. Don't waste time on something that doesn't make you happy. I can't worry about what people think anymore or what they are saying about me. I don't live this life for them. And they don't control my happiness.

If you want to follow along as I rebrand my business, reinvent my online presence and revamp my shop, I can be found on Instagram and Twitter.

I truly believe that when you do something you love, others will love it to. So I'm off to do just that and I know it is going to be awesome!!

Custom Logo Design Giveaway! {Enter Today}

Yeah, I know this is my birthday week, but I couldn't resist giving something away to a lucky reader!!

 Do you have a business/shop/blog that needs a logo?

Here's your chance to win one for free!!

And not just ANY logo...a custom one, just for YOU.

How? Easy! Just enter the giveaway below and cross your fingers :)

As a primarily self-taught designer, I love helping others brand their shops and businesses. My shop has blossomed this past year and I like to think it's because I take a very personal approach to working with people. Customers need to know who you are, not just what you sell.

A logo can do just that!

 

The winner of this awesome giveaway will get to work with me as I create a custom logo just for them! Every logo is unique and original. I NEVER duplicate the final designs. Every person is different, therefore, every business is different. You won't get a cookie-cutter design that's just manufactured over and over for different customers. 

The winner will receive the logo as two files:

PNG (transparent background/watermark, like the first photo of the post)

JPEG (white background, like the second photo of the post)

Also, the service includes unlimited samples and revisions, so you WILL get something you love.
 This is a $50 value, folks!

As always:

To have ONE entry, you MUST be a follower of this blog. Click "Join this site" on the right toolbar-----> 

Good luck ya'll!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shop Re-Open & HUGE Banner Sale / Discount Code

 I'm backkkk!!! :)

My graphic design shop, This Way Up Graphics, is up and running! To kick off the re-open after being closed for a few months, I'm having a huge banner sale.

Check out the sweet banner I created for my friend Lina's sewing blog, Stitching Adventures!

Check out the sweet banner/blog set I created for my girl Megan over at The Mrs blog!

Whether you run an online shop (Etsy, eBay, Artfire) or have a blog (Blogger, WordPress, Typepad) right now you can get a $5 CUSTOM BANNER or $3 PREMADE BANNER!!!

Many of you may remember back in the day when I broke out with the $5 Custom Banner as I was just launching my shop. Well, now I've been a little bit more successful but I'm bringing back the $5 Custom Banner for a limited time, just for you :)

Oh, and as an extra thank you, use coupon code BLOGLOVE to receive an additional 15% off my other products & services!! (excludes photoshop brushes, clipart and banners.)

Other products/services I offer:

LOGOS

BUSINESS CARD DESIGNS

SHOP / BLOG SETS

SILHOUETTES

DIGITAL PORTRAITS

WEB ADS

So whether you are just starting out or want to re-vamp that tired ol' banner hovering above your page, take advantage of this sweet deal now! Offer ends 5/21

Click here to be directed to my shop or click on any photo/link above

Drawing in the Buyer's Eye

I hope everyone's week is going good! Mine has been wonderful and busy. I have been doodling lately and realized how much I love to draw eyes!

If we think about why the eye is so admired, we have to think about its function.

Without eyes, we cannot see and if we cannot see, we cannot perceive or know what is around us.

These are old sketches from the past few years.

Can you tell what they all have in common?

(Besides being all females)

Eyes have power because they hold the power to see.

Why am I bringing this up?

I want you to think about a customer and their eyes. What colors might be more soothing and appealing? What design elements might spark their interest better? AND what product or item are you trying to sell that will appeal to their eyes first?

I feel sometimes as shop owners we tend to get off track a lot.

We start out simple but then I think we feel we need to "add more."

But often times "more" is not necessarily easy for the eyes of a browsing customer.

I've recently realized this about myself.

I love to decorate and play with graphics. Though Photoshopping the heck out of an image may not be "soothing" to a customer's vision.

I think we have to go back to the simplicity of color and design. That is not to say completely change your style...oh no, that is what makes you, well, you! But sometimes when you are creating and you feel the project is done...but wait, you want to add one more thing...wait no, two more things...try to stop yourself.

A customer's vision should be treated like a newborn baby.

Careful. Not too tight. Not too loose. Not too much light, but never dark.

As the design process flows, try to keep a conscious mind how your product will look to a new customer...a new "baby" :)

Here is what the Book of Proverbs (15:30) says about eyes:

"The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat."

Light can make the heart happy and a good reaction to what we see will leave us satisfied!

Doesn't that make sense?

Too much can make us feel fat, but too little can make us feel hungry.

But with the right combination, a buyer's eye can leave their heart comfortable and filled with satisfaction!

Honey, I'm home!

This is my first post ever on our new blog! Exciting huh?

I have been planning on creating one for a while, but just never had the time. Wouldn't ya know it, I lost my job this morning! So now I have plenty of time!

For the most part, its a scary situation. However, I am a firm believer in a Creator that has everything under His control. To me, losing my job is just what I needed to get a swift kick into the business of being my own boss. My husband would say that I have been in that business for years...but I'm talking about the art business. 

As I shuffled into the house after receiving my last paycheck, I couldn't help but grin to myself. I have been dreaming of this moment, only I was the one who left on my own terms. Yet I can't say it didn't feel good.

For me, I have been creative and artsy-fartsy all of my life. I never dreamed about doing anything else. 

Life and time got in the way, and I found myself sitting in a chair for 8 hours a day bored and angry.

Yes, angry. I knew that was not me. I am not an office type or a 9-5 type. I'm a crazy art geek from Connecticut who started doodling on her schoolwork in the third grade, designed fashion through middle school, took every art course in high school and always knew that she was meant for more.

In life we have to do what we have to do to pay the bills and get by another day. But I am so ready to put my all into this and expand the boundaries of creativity.

Maybe you've been there or are there. You know what I'm talking about because you felt the same way at some point. You had dreams and passion about something. What happened? Why did you let it go?

I can tell you one thing. We are not meant to be on this earth forever, and I don't want to spend my precious moments grumbling and reciting "What if?"

How about these questions: What if you make it? What if your dreams come true? What if you finally love what you do? What if you succeed?

Well then, you win. It may be difficult financially and it may be hard mentally, but the one important thing you will lose if you don't try is your self-worth. Aren't you worth more than just "a job?" Are you worth more than holding a negative rain cloud over your head at a 9-5? Are you worth catching your own dreams?

You may not think so, but I do. Keep your head up, stay positive and remember you are the boss of your life.

So this is my thought of the day for you right now:

*Don't settle on the moon when you can reach for the stars*