This cute little caterpillar was just begging to be stitched onto a card! I love to stitch greeting cards, so I thought I’d try my hand at adding a few beads to the mix. I think this little guy turned out perfect. He’s ready to display or be gifted to someone for spring! Supplies for [...]

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Usually paper and scissors go hand-in-hand, but not for this project. We’re tearing paper and layering the pieces to make colorful landscapes. Each one turns out completely unique and beautiful, and all you need is paper and a glue stick. Choose a background paper and tear a strip from your first color. Leaving some paper [...]

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A seller who’s brand new to the biz or even an old pro in the crafting world will occasionally run into a financial term they don’t know. It’s nothing to be ashamed of; there are so many and we don’t all have accounting degrees! Here’s a quick list of some of the more common financial terms you may encounter during your time as a craft seller.Revenue: This is all the money you earn before taking anything else into account. This money can come from sales of your stuff, investments, or even donations to your company.Expenses: That $30 for yarn? The shipping costs that seemed to go up last month? The gas it cost to drive down to the post office four times a week? Those are all expenses – anything it cost you to run your business. They fall in two categories, direct and overhead costs:Direct Costs: Anything that you paid out to physically make and deliver your product to a customer. Includes material and shipping expenses like boxes and stamps.Overhead Costs: This covers all the other expenses you pay to run your business, like paying employees and making sure you have electricity powering your office.Net Profit: This is how much money you’ve actually made after you’ve deducted your expenses. You also subtract any returns you had that otherwise wouldn’t be on your sales sheet. The remainder is the total amount you’ve ACTUALLY made.  It sometimes helps to think of net profit in visual terms – as the actual money you’ve caught in your net and get to keep.Financial Statement: This is a complete breakdown of everything going on financially with your company. It covers how sales are going, how much you paid for various expenses, among other things like:Assets: An asset is anything your company (or you) own that adds value. This could be computer equipment, a sewing machine, or even your car if you mainly use it for your business.Liability: If you took out any loans or otherwise owe money, it’s counted on your financial statement as liability.Financial statements are great for you to keep track of exactly how well your craft business is doing. You may think you can keep it all in your head or on separate sheets, but in the middle of making items and selling some information can definitely be lost.Also, if you have investors or interested companies looking at you in the future, you’ll want to present an accurate view of your growth. Financial statements are the best way to do that as they cover everything financial involved with your craft store.Have you run into any other flabbergasting financial terms during your time as an online seller?  Let us know in the comments and we’ll play Webster’s Dictionary for you!This guest post was brought to you by Outright.com, the simplest way to manage your small business finances online!Main image courtesy of 401K

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The latest video of the Kids in the Craft Room series is live! This week I’m sharing the best adhesives for kids, as not all glues are created equal. In today’s video, you’ll hear a little about each of my adhesive choices and what they can be used for. This will help you get prepped for [...]

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Want more visitors to your online store?  Of course you do...we all do!  So, how do you get them...the answer is increasing your search ranking or search engine optimization (SEO) so people searching Google will find you.Here are 4 tips to increase your SEO and drive more traffic to your online store:Tip #1: Name the product image files that you upload into your product listings with a specific and relevant file name related to your product as it will help you in search rankings.  Files with titles from camera default like "IMG050426.jpg" do nothing for you and it might be better to rename an earring image to something like "white_crystal_earring.jpg" as every little bit helps so rename your product image files before uploading.Tip #2: Add hyperlinks in your product descriptions and blog posts to other pages and products in your store and others.  For example, adding 1 or 2 hyperlinks to another product or related post or a fellow artisan's page allows Google to recognize your site as one with valuable content and propel your search status higher.Tip #3: Use keywords for your target buyers in your product descriptions and titles...don't go overboard, but be descriptive and relevant and the more you use them, the more Google will notice and in time your search rankings will improve.Tip #4: You don't need to be a SEO master in order to bring traffic to your store...sit down with your peers and brainstorm related topics that your target customer would search for on Google and you'll end up with the best keywords to use in your product listings and blog posts.What are some other ways that you increase your SEO...we'd love to hear your ideas!

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I wanted to share a few of the fun things I’ve been writing elsewhere lately. It’s a little of this and a little of that, but all things I’m loving right now! Instagram and the #PhotoADay Challenge: It has been so fun to be a part of this #photoaday challenge, created by Fat Mum Slim. [...]

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I’m highlighting a few Mother’s Day handmade gifts we’ve posted in the past, helping you find a few last minute ideas. Or you can visit our Mother’s Day project page for all our favorite tutorials! P.S. many of these will work for a fun gift for teacher appreciation week as well! Plantable Greeting Card Homemade [...]

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I get a little too excited about kitchen tools.  I’m kind of a geek that way.  I’m also a practical kind of gal, so instead of perfume and flowers for Mother’s Day, I prefer small appliances or gadgets to add to my collection. I get asked a lot about my must-have kitchen items, so here [...]

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It’s never been a better time to sell handmade products! Thanks to sites like Meylah, you can create an online store and sell your products all over the world.  But, you still have to get those customers to find your online store...so how do you do it?Marketing can be expensive and is often a gamble until you figure out which tactics work for you. Before spending your hard earned money on marketing, try this mix of 10 very affordable and easy ways to attract new customers:1. Create a NewsletterKeep your shop in the minds of your customers by landing in their inbox. Don’t just sell - share news, special offers and tips to make your content valuable. Free sites like MailChimp can help you get the most out of your newsletter.2. Get InvolvedJoin the online creative community by commenting on other artisans' blogs. Choose artisans making products that will appeal to your customers so that once you’ve built rapport you can share each others' content and even trade products to use as props in product photos.3. Use Your NetworkYour friends and family are great resources. Ask them to help by sharing your online store through their social media accounts.4. Say Thank YouEncourage new customer to become regulars by adding a coupon or special discount to every new order you ship.5. Reward ReferralsWhen someone sends a new customer your way reward them with a coupon or special discount. Publicize your referral program on your store and blog. You’ll be surprised how much this little incentive encourages people to share.6. Print Business CardsAdd a few business cards into each order for your customers to share with friends, and always carry a few in your bag or wallet. You never know when you’ll meet a potential customer.7. Wear Your ProductIf your product is clothing, jewelry or any other wearable art – wear it! The compliments you receive will boost your confidence and offer an excellent opportunity to share your brand (and your business card).8. Get ListedThere are lots of directories dedicated to promoting handmade products. Search on Google for “Handmade Products Directory” or something similar then click through each site to find those best suited to your products.9. Host a GiveawayEveryone loves the opportunity to win so host a giveaway. Collect email addresses from all entrants so you can reach them again after the contest with your newsletter.10. Share Your ExpertiseBusy bloggers are always looking for guest posts, so offer them free content in the form a crafty tutorial or case study. Send a clear, concise email outlining what you have to offer and be specific about why you think it will appeal to their readers.I hope these tips help you build your customer base, and I’d love to hear about other creative ways you’ve found to market to new customers.Andreea Ayers works with creative entrepreneurs to help them get media attention for their products and to increase sales by getting their products in stores. For advice, insight and lots of free resources, check out her site LaunchGrowJoy.com

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What is total choice? Total choice is not something you have to earn or go looking for...just as you are right now you have total choice in your life and business. Being aware of this remarkable thing means having that awareness for options that can create the business of your dreams.Living with total choice means knowing you are responsible for the great things you brought to your life and for the circumstances that just seem to “happen to you.” Granted, there are scenarios in our life we simply don’t plan, BUT you have the choice to either react without believing you have options, or respond with choice. When we react we truly believe we are the bystanders in what is happening around us, taking any possible control for what comes next away from us. Here is the best part—you have options, always! There is no, “can’t”, simply you chose to or chose not to.How does this impact my business? There are so many wonderful ways having awareness around total choice can impact your work. You have choice around your worth or lack of worth, you have choice around time or lack of time, and you have choice around success or your lack of success. It’s not really a matter of “trying harder” rather a matter of giving yourself credit for what you do and do not have yet. Powerful, right?Practice the following exercise...you might choose to think about your business or you might choose to think about your life in general. Grab a piece of paper and answer the following questions:Are you satisfied with the way you currently spend your time?Are you doing what you’ve chosen to do?How much time do you spend on obligations imposed by others?How much alignment is there between what you want and what you do?What is the single most important thing you can do to bring your activities in line with your vision?What you do next is up to you, after all you are at total choice, remember?Here’s to having and loving choice!As a Certified Life Coach Andrea is a qualified active listener. It is her role to hear the things that are not so obvious, clarify their meaning, and support you through your endeavor. Meet Andrea at Aleda Fitness.Main image courtesy of Scarygami

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