designing mom

Share and Brand your name all at once.

2008-10-28T13:09:00.006-05:00

A new up and coming boutique recently asked me a zillion questions about advertising- that we'll save for another post.

One of my suggestions for low cost advertising is to share a button for your business with friends, bloggers, anyone who wants it. We do this here. To get things rolling we introduced this 'word of blog' method to our customers and readers with a giveaway. Anyone that added our button and let us know about it was entered to win a great prize. Lucky for us, most have them have kept the button up and more are added daily.

how to:

1. You'll need to make yourself a beautiful and quite attractive button in a photo program like Photoshop or the like. Standard sizes tend to be 125x125 or 150x150 pixels. (If you can't make your own, there are some good designers out that who will help you out. Shop with recommendations and caution! If I had the time, I would love to help you. I can recommend folks. Contact me.)

2. Be sure to save your button as a graphic (i.e. jpg, etc.) Use a generic term like, blogbutton. (You'll see why later)

3. Now bear with me because I AM NOT techie at all. Laywoman's terms here- You need to upload your graphic to your server. This works differently for everyone. I save mine to my images folder on the server we use. In the same place all the other images for our site are located.

4. Next copy this code and substitute in your URL, name, and button's location.

5. Now that you have written your first bit of HTML code give yourself a pat on the back. You can use this to post HTML code in your blog, site, etc. allowing your button to appear live. If you click on it, it will link to the URL you have directed it to.

6. To share this code in print method as we do here so that people can copy the code and place it where they want you'll need to rewrite this:

Whenever you want to change the image of your button, you simply have to save a new graphic under the same name, i.e. blogbutton.jpg Once you upload it to the server and replace the old image, all the sites hosting your button will automatically be updated too. Brilliant I know!

Questions? I'm not sure how much more help I can be, but feel free to post them below.

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

My mom taught me to share.

2008-10-28T13:06:00.003-05:00

Maybe it comes with old age, but recently we have been getting lots of emails from new and fellow designers/business owners seeking help. I am eager to share what I know because so many have shared, and still share, with me. My own personal Pay It Forward movie if you will.

Keep the questions coming. I will always do what I can, and hopefully more.

Go for it!

-Designing Mom, Resa

The Mogul Mom

2008-10-06T12:10:00.003-05:00

I'm totally soaking up this new site. Full of AWESOME advice from someone with real experience. Plus she'll help you out, via email. Bookmark this one asap!

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

E-Commerce Carts

2008-10-06T11:50:00.003-05:00

Last week we relaunched our website. It was intended to be a summer project, that lasted through September.

When we started Resa Design online in 2005 we did it all ourselves. My husband had some basic knowledge that got us started. With our experience in graphic design, some software, and PayPal, we were on our way. It worked great for a start up. It was even kind of pretty. But it was becoming more evident we needed a new system, and fast. Something that worked for us and not us for it.

So after lot and LOTS of trials, asking loads of online store owners what they liked and didn't like about their carts, we landed on X-Cart. So far so good, but we are just getting through week one. Take a look for yourself.

Don't ask me about all the programing. This was well beyond my knowledge base. We hired a web company, Simply Profound. I did enter and set up all the products, designed the basics of what we wanted, and we did our own photography and photo editing. Since I know my way around the codes enough, I am able to make some changes here and there, but our web master still helps us out.

In the market for an E-Commerce software/shop? Here are a few others we looked at and actually tested out:

Once we've gotten used to our new cart a bit more, I'll do a review of it, and the others we tried. Hopefully this will help you navigate the sea of options. And if you can't do it yourself, I HIGHLY recommend Simply Profound. Dave was so wonderful to work with and really knows his stuff!

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

How to write a press release.

2008-09-27T16:34:00.002-05:00

I've been trying to write a press release all day. This is not my area of expertise. Why I didn't call Google for help sooner, I don't know. But finally did, and found this site quite useful.

Do you have any useful Press Release tips or experience to share?

Go for it-

Designing Mom Resa

HARO: Help a Reporter Out

2008-09-17T11:54:00.003-05:00

Have you tried HARO yet? If not sign up.

It's easy, and you'll receive three emails a day from Mr. Peter Shankman (well known PR professional) with story queries from all kinds of reporters (major news, print, blogs, etc.) If you feel you can help, you respond to the individual request with a pitch.

A great way to get publicity for you, your business, or a client! (Did I mention it's free?)

I was recently quoted on iParenting.com about how my babies smiled when they were kids. You just never know what a reporter might be looking for.

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

How to Drop Ship your product online.

2008-09-14T12:17:00.008-05:00

A reader sent in this question to me recently:

Q: What does drop shipping mean? And how do you do it?

A: Great question. I had that one once too!

First let's define drop shipping.

It's my experience, and I'm not an expert, that drop shipping is when a retailer sells a manufacturer's product, but does not ship it them-self. Typically the retailer will contact the manufacturer and place an order to be shipped to the buyer. Then the retailer pays the manufacturer an agreed upon price for the item.

Why do people do this?

First off, it's a great way to try out products in a store and see how they are received. Second, although the retailer doesn't make the type of profit they would from selling and shipping the item them-self, they do make a profit and have little to no overhead on this product. Third, it's usually the only or best way to sell custom items that need the manufacturer's attention before shipment.

Do we drop ship Resa Design products?

Yes, we offer our products this way to many retailers. It's USUALLY a win win for us. We get brand exposure and sales, and the retailer makes a profit and does all the marketing. When it doesn't work for us is when there is a lot of work in the initial set up, the retailer is hard to work with, and when the exposure is less than desirable.

How do we drop ship?

Over the years we've developed a few ground rules to help us navigate the sea of drop ship requests, because they do flood in each week. (I think this is because of the rise of online shopping, more people desiring to work from home, and the ease of setting up a basic online store.)

Our first move is to collect as much information as we can about the retailer; i.e. buyer's name, site address, resale ID, location, start date of store, phone number, email, and why they think we are a good fit for them. This is usually in the first email from the retailer.
Then I check out the store itself. Having a store front to show me and how it looks is very important in my decision. If there is nothing to see, I'm more likely to say no right away. If the design is not our style or professional, I'm also likely to say no. This is only because we want our products sold to a certain market. We have worked hard on our branding and our customers expect to have a 'unique' product, not something that can be found on every block.
Next I look at the time in business. We're in our fourth year now. I know how much work this business takes. I have also seen so many online retailers come and go. It is a lot of work for both the retailer and us to set up our products for drop shipping in another store. When we were starting out, we said yes to retailers very quickly. I was anxious to get our name out there and make more sales. We are not at that place anymore, so we can be more selective. Currently we look for a store to be open for at least 6 months and/or doing more than 20 sales a month.
Resale ID. Why is this important. It's not hard to get one, but it's easy not to. If a retailer is serious about what they are doing, they will take care of this. If they don't have one, we will pass them by. (And some states do not require it.) Links: Great link for Resale ID questions.
Finally, the answer to 'why us' is important to us. Answers like, "I really like your shirts", are not really what I'm looking for. (And no, I'm not going to tell you what I'm looking for b/c that would be too easy!)

What I do next is contact the retailer with a Yes or No. If Yes, we send them our line sheet and drop ship agreement. (A line sheet is your price list and terms. Our drop ship agreement is a form where we collect information on shipping, what products they want to list, how to best contact them, and that they agree to our terms.)

After this usually the retailer will pull our photos from our web site, save them to their server, and then set them up for re-sale. When one of their customers orders our product, the retailer emails us the order and shipping address. We ship the product and bill the retailer for the product and our shipping costs. And that's it. Sale is done.

In my circle of manufacturing friends, a 30% profit for the retailer is typical. Other arrangements can be made on a case by case basis. And we have done this. It does make for some more record keeping but it's good to be flexible with your retailers, especially if they are going to bring you a lot of business.

Lastly, be sure it's worth your time and effort. We process our drop ship orders just like our regular customer orders. They have to be shipped in our normal time frames and as if the order was coming directly from our store. If you can't keep up with the extra demand, drop shipping might not be for you. If you can, it's a great way to get your product exposure, fans, and most of all sales.

We look forward to answering more of your questions. So keep them coming. You can email me directly at rtroyer AT resadesign DOT com (remove spaces and type as standard address).

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

Saving Money on your Babies and Toddlers

2008-09-14T12:15:00.004-05:00

Check out our guest post here on saving money on your babies and toddlers.

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

Giving from your business is fun!

2008-08-27T15:24:00.009-05:00

I love to give!

I love giving gifts. I love giving to those who are in need or just really would appreciate something I can offer. I just love giving. It brings me so much joy to help make someone else's day.

This week we teamed up with Operation Shower. We gave away over a dozen of our products for upcoming gift boxes they are sending to six families across the nation. We're working out a way to continue working with them in the future too.

This is not the first time we have done charitable giving. We really are fortunate to be able to bless others with our products, or the sale of our products. Sometimes there is a benefit for us, like publicity, sometimes not. If it's a cause we truly believe it, the benefit for us is simply the helping. The rest is just bonus.

Is there a way your business can give? Even if you can't afford to give, there is always a way you can give back- time, collaboration, skills, extra supplies. Sometimes it's a stretch to give, but it always feels great in the end.

Make a plan or keep your eyes open for an opportunity. Set a goal to give something before the month is through! (and if you want, let us know what you did! we'd love to hear.)

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

Just when things were slow, POW a big day!

2008-08-19T15:16:00.002-05:00

Things have been a little on the sluggish side for my business the last two or three weeks. This was actually a bit welcomed after 7 intense months. The problem with slow times though, is that I start moving slow too. Seems like when I've got 20 things to do one day, I move very fast and get all or most of them done. In contrast, when I have 2 things to do, they might take me all day.

By default I was a procrastinator in my younger years. I called it the Passarella Theory (my maiden name). What needs to get done, get's done, and the rest will get done later. As a wife, parent, and now business owner, this doesn't work so well for me. What I have learned is that when there are down moments it's a good time to get ahead, because you never know what might come around the corner.

So that's my new theory. I'll call it the Troyer Theory: Keep going, even when the race is over, you never know what might be waiting for you around the next bend.

My evidence to support this theory.... a HUGE order came in today. I was just chugging along for the past few days. Getting orders shipped, cleaning the studio, working on our new web cart...all on the to do list. Then today I left for a few hours, and POW, a 120 piece order dropped into my in-box totally unexpectedly. Am I flustered? No, because everything is in stock, folded nicely, and ready to be shipped. Couldn't be easier.

So if you've got a slow week going on, take a few minutes to get a few extra things done so you won't be freaking out when a big blessing, (maybe by way of work), comes your way.

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

Simple Startup

2008-08-16T19:37:00.006-05:00

I really enjoy magazines. They fit into my life. Short articles. Quick tips. And you can start reading on any page. A few of my favorite business magazines are, Entrepreneur, Inc., and Fast Company.

I found this article inspiring as I caught up on my reading today. It's about a "simple startup" called Salus. They are a natural and organic bath and body store who's main presence is online, but they also have a brick and mortar in Manitou Springs, Colorado. I always enjoy hearing about husband and wife teams who are successful. This is just that story.

Here are a few other articles I've enjoyed lately:

The Customer Is the Company (Threadless [clothing])

Tall Order (Starbucks)

Moms CAN have it all, they just can't do it all.

Millionaire Moms' Secret to Success.

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

20 USA Working Moms in Bejing Olympics

2008-08-14T11:12:00.007-05:00

Need some inspiration? Try tuning into the Olympics.

I am soaking up as much coverage and reading material as I can. We've even found multiple lessons from the Olympics for our four year old. And with help from a Chick-fil-A we've all got a few Chinese terms down.

But aside from the 'uber' creative opening ceremony and awe inspiring world record wins for our team, watching women (and men) achieve the goals they have worked so hard for has been inspiring to me as a business owner and a parent.

Yesterday my husband's Sports Illustrated arrived. Mr. Phelps was again plastered on the cover, but the story of a few of the USA moms in the olympics is what really caught my attention. Some days I find it incredibly hard to balance work and motherhood. I know many of you feel the same. I was encouraged to read the accounts of a few of the twenty moms who are also Olympic athletes in Bejing. Many of them seem to feel the same stress and have figured out how to make it all work.

It's a quick read. But I'm confident you will find it inspirational and if nothing else, give you a little more respect for the women you see in HD each night over the next week.

"We've all found a way to make the children part of what we're doing," says (Melanie) Roach, who met Torres, Gotay and Nuveman in the Olympic Village last week. "[When I came back] I struggled with the idea that I was encouraging moms to leave their children to pursue their dreams, but then I realized the opportunity I had to inspire other athletes not to put off having children.... I think we've shown women can come back stronger, physically and sometimes mentally." -Sports Illustrated

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

image courtesy of NBC Olympics.com

A few more inspiring Olympic Mom links:

Olympic Mom Photos

Sports Moms Juggle Duties

Finch Longs for Home While Going for the Gold

Jennie Finch: The Face of Women's Softball

Baby Boost

The Baby Business is Big for Ashville Mom

2008-08-11T11:50:00.003-05:00

I found this inspirational article on Dane Carlson's Business Opportunity Blog.

It's a great interview with Julie Hogan, owner of multiple companies and a millionaire. She gives some great tips on starting your own business.

Take two minutes and read the interview for yourself. In the meantime, here's a great quote,

"Taking action is actually painful for most people.

This limits your competition, so go for it!"

-Julie Hogan

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

Lessons for Starting a Business with Cash

2008-08-09T13:07:00.002-05:00

Thinking about starting your own business? Check out the helpful tips I shared at ChristianPF.com

Lessons include:

What do do with your idea.
Funding with cash.
Where to start.
Getting help.
Sitting on your idea,
and a few others.

Be on the look out as I continue to share with you lessons we've learned along the way.

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

Intellectual Property

2008-08-06T15:59:00.003-05:00

Need a patent, trademark, copyright?

We've found this to be a great resource for all these issues.

The Mom Inventors Handbook is also a helpful tool (for most of your start up issues and questions too). This is a go to book for me.

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

Free Shipping Supplies

2008-08-04T09:10:00.005-05:00

If you ship USPS Priority Mail, did you know you can get free shipping materials delivered to you door? Obviously they are not totally free, because you are paying higher and higher shipping fees, but this service will save you money on packaging and trips to the post.

Check out this link to USPS supplies and order your free Priority Mail boxes, envelopes, tubes, labels, and other shipping forms now. The online selection is far greater than our local post office. (Shop carefully, some of the packaging has prepaid postage on it, so it's not free.)

Don't forget to save yourself time and gas by printing your postage online and scheduling a carrier pickup. (Did you know they get paid extra to pick up your packages? I'm guessing my carrier LOVES me!)

The skinny on USPS:

USPS is usually the cheapest way for us to ship our goods under 7lbs. After 7lbs we usually quote UPS as well.
USPS has cheaper Express (overnight) delivery and we have found Priority Mail to be cheaper and faster than UPS Ground.
We've never lost a package (business package that is) with USPS. When you ship Priority Mail and print online you will get free Delivery Confirmation. This is useful to check on your shipment.
You can not print 1st Class Postage from USPS.com but if you use PayPal you can print your shipping from their site and you will have options for 1st Class Postage. (Look for more on shipping with PayPal in a future post.)
What you can't do is track your package mid travels (like you can on UPS and other services). Usually the packages get there so fast I don't even have time to track them.
You have to schedule a Carrier Pickup at least one night before you need it. (this is free)

How we make it work for us:

We have a postal scale from our local big box store.
We use the free Priority Mail boxes as much as possible. We also use padded envelopes, and standard shipping boxes.
Pitney Bowes has the best deal we can find on postage labels (to be used with USPS online postage). We used to cut and tape, but there is no time for that now.
When possible, we schedule carrier pickups and set our boxes out in the morning for our wonderful carrier.
The kids make great package movers. They love to stack up the boxes in our mail bag or at the front door for the carrier. Boxes are great for building and math lessons, plus the labor is free!

With the rising cost of shipping, we are glad to have opportunities to save money for our business and customers.

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa

Etsy :: Buy and Sell Handmade

2008-08-03T17:16:00.007-05:00

If you have created a handmade item that you would like to sell, check out Etsy.

Etsy is the place to "buy and sell all things handmade." The market is more modern and a little funky, than country or kitchy, but there is something for everyone. It's super easy to set up your own store and start selling right away. We know quite a few designers that sell exclusivly on Etsy and are making a small fortune doing so.

Etsy is a great option for those of you who are not ready to invest in a web site and/or don't have the desire to keep up a full fledged site of your own. We (Resa Design) use Etsy as a marketing tool and for sale items. Although I don't spend a lot of time on our Etsy store or promoting it, we do a few orders there every month.

The skinny on selling with Etsy::

Sign up: Free to set up your own shop or for a user id if you just want to shop Etsy.
Listing: 20 cents per item to list it in your store. Listings stay 'live' for up to 4 months, or until the item is sold.
Selling: Etsy charges you 3.5% of the purchase price on each item sold.
Payment Transaction: Etsy does not serve as a payment gateway, you'll have to use PayPal or another option. These fees are outside the scope of Etsy, but will still apply.
Click here for more on Etsy fees.

Our thoughts:

I love the look of Etsy. It's super clean, easy to navigate, and very user friendly.
I found it was very easy to set up my store and maintain it as needed.
There are lots of ways to promote your Etsy store, that I don't take advantage of, so I can't say much except to check them out.
Even if nothing ever sells, which I would highly doubt, you can list 5 items for $1.
No software, so web designer, no sales reps needed. The way I see it, Etsy is nearly giving their services away!

Have an Etsy store to share? Questions about our Etsy experience? Thoughts about Etsy? Leave a comment below.

Go for it!

-Designing Mom Resa