The Craft Entrepreneur

Building Your Web Site: A Primer for Crafters and Artisans

2012-01-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

Join us for a two-hour workshop that will give you the information you need to build and maintain a profitable web site for your craft or artisan business. The session includes:

· A Dynamic Web site: Not Mission Impossible.

Having a great looking web site that works hard for your business is not tough to do. You just need to remember five simple rules.

· What Makes Web Sites So Important to Crafters/Artists

Learn what artists and crafters have that so many other web sites don’t, and what can you do to exploit it to build your brand.

· How A Web Site Can Uniquely Help You Succeed in Your Business

The three things your site can help you do.

· What Are The Elements Of A Great Web Site?

We break down the elements of a web site, and learn how each promotes our business and engages our customers. Learn what annoys most customers. And learn how your web site can help you connect with your customers.

· How Do You Decide What Kind Of Web Site Do You Need?

What are the different types of web sites that you can create and how can each work for you? Do you create your own or hire an expert? Answer these 10 questions to find out. How do you ensure security for your customers?

· Working with a Developer – and Not Going Broke.

· You’ve decided to hire a professional developer. How do you make sure you are getting your money’s worth?

· Web Analytics – what the numbers mean.

Your web site is up. How do you track its progress?

· SEO Optimization – Building Your Site So that It’s Seen

Tags. Key Words. Metadata. What do they mean and how can they help you?

March 3, 2012, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

$50 non-refundable

Location: TBA

If you are interested in registering - email info@baysoapofmd.com

Coming Soon:

· Personal and Business Branding

· Mobile Payment Systems and other Cool Technology Tools

· Transforming Your Craft Table into A Profitable Retail Space

Craft Entrepreneur Business Workshops Set To Begin

2011-10-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

The Craft Entrepreneur will be holding business workshops for crafters and artisans starting December 1, 2011. If you're interested in signing up, stay tuned to this blog for more details.You can subscribe and get our blog feed directly to your computer.

Or send your e-mail address to baysoapmd@me.com

Our four-course series will include:

-   Building Your Web Site: Primer for Crafters and Artisans
-   Personal and Business Branding
-   Mobile Payment Systems and other Cool Technology Tools
-   Transforming Your Craft Table into A Profitable Retail Space

Is Google Wallet the Next Step in Mobile Payments?

2011-10-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

by Jonathan Blum, Entrepreneur Magazine | October 11, 2011

When it comes to reinventing the way people pay for goods and services, Google is ahead of the pack with its Google Wallet Android application, available on the Sprint Nexus S 4G phone. It allows users to transfer money directly to merchants using a smartphone app that runs on devices that are enabled to accept "contactless" payments.

While other, similar systems -- such as Exxon and Mobil's Speedpass program -- exist, Google Wallet is the first major deployment of the technology with wider retail functionality. And although the service is still largely in the roll-out phase, and it isn't perfect, it does offer some tantalizing possibilities for businesses considering the future of mobile commerce.

What is it: Google Wallet lets consumers to pay for goods and services by using virtual credit card information stored on a smartphone that communicates wirelessly with a nearby payment terminal. The transaction works by tapping a smartphone against a special reader -- for now, MasterCard PayPass -- that merchants install at their point-of-sale terminals.

Google Wallet doesn't change the relationship between small businesses and their financial institutions any more than an old-fashioned leather wallet. It's just an intermediary. A transaction processed using Google Wallet still goes through the traditional route including banks and credit card companies.

There are no added fees for accepting Google Wallet payments, but merchants will still pay the same credit card company transaction fees.

What you might like: It's an interesting new way to accept payments that fits the way smartphone-tethered consumers live their lives. Google Wallet also opens up promotional opportunities. Consumers will be able to use their phones to redeem "Google Offers" -- Google's version of daily deals. Small businesses will be able to offer customers digital loyalty cards through the app.

What you might not like: Google Wallet is still in the early stages of deployment. For now, the only virtual credit cards supported are a Citibank MasterCard or a Google Prepaid card, although users can add money to a Google Prepaid card using any credit card.

A business also needs the infrastructure in place to accept payments. That requires upgrading your point-of-sale with a MasterCard PayPass terminal, with varying cost.

The app is only available on the Sprint Nexus S 4G right now. So, presumably a fraction of your customers will be immediately able to use the service.

Bottom line: Google Wallet is a lot like many things Google does: It's a marvelous idea that is a step or two ahead of its time. For businesses that serve a niche market, with dedicated smartphone-using customers, there could be near-term upside in supporting the technology.

STEER CLEAR: Nothing Consumer About This Company

2011-09-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

Imagine chatting on your cellphone with a client and about to close a big wholesale deal and the line suddenly goes dead.

Your first instinct may be, "Did I pay the bill?" But you did. Then, is the phone broken? No, it's fine. So you find a landline and call the cellphone company and they tell you that you were in danger of going over your allotted minutes, so they suspended your service.

That is the policy of Oregon-based Consumer Cellular. They just terminate your service without much warning if they think you're on track to go over your minutes...they just cut you off.

A company endorsed by AARP, the organization that advocates for the 50+ crowd, touts its service as one that is senior friendly. It markets older model phones - many with poor voice quality like the Nokia C3. And they just started pushing a touchscreen Motorola Android phone that recevied borderline reviews from the technology critics.

Basic monthly service charges range from between $10 and $60. Data plans are roughly $10 a month.

When Craft Entrepreneur questioned Consumer Cellular's policy about suspended service to push customers into a higher rate plan, the customer service representative said the goal was so that the company didn't "get stuck" with high bills.

But here's the kicker: Try to cancel your service and you can't. You have to agree to a higher rate plan FIRST so Consumer Cellular can bill at least one month at a higher cost before you can terminate.

For artisans and crafters who depend on reliable, cost-effective service, you may want to think twice before considering Consumer Cellular. The unreliability, scam potential and lack of respect for customers gets the Craft Entrepreneur's "STEER CLEAR" recommendation.

It's Not About Your Art...

2011-09-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite books and one that has become a bible, of sorts in my arsenal of business books, is Howard Behar's "It's Not About the Coffee."

Recently I encountered a man who has been working with people in a human resources capacity and who has failed to realize that it's not about what jobs he finds them, or even how many companies he signs up for the staffing agency. What matters is whether he goes the extra mile and shows the people he comes in contact with that they aren't just assets or revenue, but people. He should want more for them than he wants for himself. Until he does that, he'll never find success or significance in his work.

The same goes for artisans. It's not just about your work. Your business is about making your employees, clients and customers feel comfortable, appreciated and valued. That is what separates Craft Entrepreneurs - and other small business owners - from the Big Box stores. With that perspective, it leaves room for others to truly appreciate and trust your work.

It's really not about the coffee.

It’s Not Enough to Be Noticed

2011-08-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

How do you want to be perceived by your potential customers?

by Lauron Sonnier

(Success For Women Magazine) - In today’s noisy, cluttered marketplace, you need to stand out to get noticed. If you just want to make a scene, you could run naked in the street or punch a customer in the nose. While those antics may land you in the morning headlines, they wouldn’t do much good for your business. Clearly, getting the desired results isn’t just a matter of standing out, but of doing so in a way that serves you. Read.

Cloud Dancing: Storing Your Real Business in a Virtual World

2011-08-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

We're introduced to it every day but few actually know what it means. Cloud computing. It's the new technology buzzword.

Why is it important for artists or crafters to know what it is? Well, many of the computer applications and programs that we use to make our lives easier than a traditional brick and mortar store has its basis in cloud computing.

According to Network World.com, it is basically this: "a style of computing in which massively scalable IT-related capabilities are provided 'as a service' using Internet technologies to multiple external customers." Clouds are marked by self-service interfaces that let customers acquire resources at any time and get rid of them the instant they are no longer needed. The cloud is not really a technology by itself. Rather, it is an approach to building IT services that harnesses the rapidly increasing horsepower of servers as well as virtualization technologies that combine many servers into large computing pools and divide single servers into multiple virtual machines that can be spun up and powered down at will."

So what are the pros and cons of using cloud computing applications?

If you plan to use an application or program that uses cloud computing - especially if your customers' credit card and other personal information is at stake, you may want to consider the privacy issues, security, and notification policies. What happens if the cloud is disabled for a period of time? Is your information backed up somewhere else?

According an article in BusinessWeek magazine written by Karen Klein, cloud computing and storage has a fixed cost advantage. "Software provided online is upgraded and maintained by the provider, so the small business owner does not have to purchase the newest version of a software program or download fixes and patches.... The fixed cost allows business owners to plan rather than be caught off-guard when a costly software or hardware upgrade must be purchased."

But experts say that many small firms do not have the budget to invest in adequate on-site security and backup systems, leaving their business data vulnerable to theft, loss, hackers, power outages, and natural disasters Chad Barr, president of CB Software Systems, a Web services consulting firm in Shaker Heights, OH, told BusinessWeek.

"With your company documents, customer relationship management, and shopping cart data stored in password-protected, secure sites online, it's not necessarily a disaster if a sales rep loses a laptop or there's a break-in at your headquarters, Klein wrote..

But at the same time, you are trusting your business records, database - including proprietary information - and legal documents to a third party whom you hope is backing up your data securely, it said.

A Learning Proposition

2011-08-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

Starting this fall, the Craft Entrepreneur will be offering workshops for artists and crafters who sell or want to sell their products.

You will get important information on building a great web site, product branding, reaching customers in a cost-effective way, pricing your product correctly, and using social media to build your customer base. We will have speakers who will provide critical information on licensing, product liability and venue insurance.

These sessions will be held on-site initially, but will be available later for download on the blog.

Stay tuned here for our schedule!

Craft Entrepreneur Profile

2011-08-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

Kathy A. Gambrell talks with the Craft Entrepreneur about her Montgomery County, Md., wholesale and retail bath and body products business Bay Soap of Maryland with the Craft Entrepreneur.

When did you start your business?

I started soapmaking in 2005 and opened the business in 2006. It started under another name, Chesapeake Bay Bath and Body, which everyone told me was much too long. I officially changed the name in 2010.

What do you make and what makes it unique?

We wholesale and retail handcrafted soaps and bath products. We use the oils, butters and botanicals from Maryland and around the world to create a rich, aromatic bathing experience.

How did you begin making your product?

It actually began as a hobby. I bought some melt and pour soap from the craft store as a way to entertain my young son, who was then about four years old.

What made you decide to provide your product to the general public?

It was a natural progression. I was giving my soap bars away to friends when, around Christmas time, someone asked me to make a couple of gift baskets for her to give away as gifts. The light bulb went off.

What process do you use in making your product? How long does it take to create your product?

Our soap are made in what some call the Old World method. We use oils and butters combined with sodium hydroxide, or lye. We had essential oils and botanicals, then pour them into molds, that we insulate for up to 48 hours. After that we pull the soap out of the molds, cut them into bars, and allow them to cure, or dry, for four to six weeks.

When did you do your first market? What made you decide to do a market?

When I became serious about selling my soaps, I looked around for a small market that I could participate in. I found a Strawberry Festival that was held every year and signed up. It was completely trial and error, but I managed to make more than $300 that day. I was stunned, and I have returned every year after that. I keep working to make my products better and to create new ones for more variety. I add a few products every year in the spring and in the fall.

What factors do you use to decide what market to do? How many do you do a year?

In the beginning, I did any market that asked. I quickly learned that was not a very cost-effective thing to do. Shortly after the Strawberry Festival, I was asked to do the local county fair. I was told they'd heard about me and they didn't have anyone else in the product category. It was nine days and it typically drew more than 250,000 people. I was so flattered that I was asked, I happily plunked down the $600 fee to participate. It was my worst move ever. I wasn't ready. My product wasn't ready. That, coupled with the fact that we were in the most horrible location that had no foot traffic at all, we only sold to three customers in three days. And there was another body products vendor who was better positioned and was doing incredibly well. We pulled out after the fourth day. I lost a huge amount of money. Our lesson was that we weren't invited because they loved our product. They invited us because they wanted to sell booth real estate.

Now, I am much more judicious about what shows we do. We set a cap for table or booth fees and stick to it. We have to have verified attendance numbers before we go outside that cap. So we do a lot more research on a show now before saying yes.

What is the most unique market experience that you have had?

That had to be a Washington, D.C., tourist site we did this year. They have a fundraiser each year, and it's very expensive to participate, more than $300, plus another a portion of the sales. It turned out to be a great event. They even had a place for vendors to go to get change so we didn't have to leave to go to the bank. It was an incredibly well run event that focused on making sure the vendors had everything they needed - even free parking.

What makes a great customer?

Anyone who truly appreciates the hard work and passion you put into your product.

Who is your business hero?

That would have to be Richard Branson. He brings such energy and passion to every venture he engages in. And I think having each of his businesses separate from the others is a brilliant move, as well. I wish I had his sense of daring and adventure when it comes to business risk.

What is the best part about being a Craft Entrepreneur?

No limits. I can do and create whatever I want. If something doesn't work, I can go back to the drawing board and figure out how to do it better, or work towards some unique innovation. There is no

How do you process your credit card payments?

We just started using Square. Love it!

Do you use any unique technology to reach your customers?

My son. He and his friends typically fan out during the larger shows and pass out samples, coupons and business cards.

Do you use social media?

Facebook. We share our promotions on Facebook and like to engage with our customers there.

Do you care to say how much revenue your business generates?

Nope.

Do you have employees? If so how many?

Right now, one part-time person, but during the busy season, we add more people.

Do your employees get any special benefits?

Free soap!

Do you support any charities with your business?

I support the Treatment and Learning Center in Rockville, Md. They help kids with learning issues. They are kind the parents and treat the kids with respect. That is huge with me.

How much does your business donate to charity annually?

We branded one of our Body Butters this summer and are giving 50 percent of the proceeds from the sale to TLC.

What is the one thing you want people to know about your business?

We work hard to do what we love for people we care about - our customers.

What You Need to Know About the Risks of Mobile Payment Apps

2011-07-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

Learn how you can protect your business when it comes to point-of-sale systems for smartphones.

As much as the Craft Entrepreneur loves Square and other mobile apps that allow for easy credit card processing, especially at craft and art shows, we do need to be wary of security concerns. This article by Dan O'Shea illustrates how to stay savvy on e-security issues.

(Entrepreneur Magazine) - The first way to answer this question is with another question: How badly do you need to use a mobile phone point-of-sale app right now?

Most of the mobile POS apps released by companies like VeriFone, Square and others in the last 18 months employ a card swiper accessory that connects to a smartphone, though some may require a merchant to input customer credit card information using the phone keypad. The potential benefits: You unchain yourself from the cash register and the equipment and connectivity costs associated with a fixed, dedicated POS solution.

But Gary Glover, director of security assessment at auditing firm SecurityMetrics, says that for now, the apps carry risks for small-business adopters.

The new mobile apps should not be confused with other wireless POS systems, Glover says. These older systems--the kind that allow you to pay at the table at a restaurant, transmit credit card info over a dedicated Wi-Fi connection--do not have general internet access or share their connections with other devices. Mobile POS apps can be downloaded to any smartphone and use the same OS as other apps without firewall protection on a device that's always connected to the internet.

"The back end [the swiper] may be secure, but it's the phone part of the app I'm not so sure about," Glover says. Adding to the uncertainty, the PCI Security Standards Council suspended its certification of mobile POS apps last November to further study them and ensure enough security protections exist.

"Until I know what controls are in place, I don't know if I want to use an app from an unknown--though maybe from someone like VeriFone that is established," Glover says.

If your business depends on using mobile POS right now, Glover advises the following:

Stick with experienced POS vendors with trustworthy reputations.
Stay tuned to what the PCI council does to develop a vetting process, and do your own due diligence to evaluate apps.
Consider putting the app on a controlled set of phones--don't just allow your employees to use it on their personal phones.
If you're operating a storefront business, you may want to stay with private, dedicated Wi-Fi POS device for now.

Mobile phone POS apps should not be dismissed, Glover says, and could in fact trigger a major shift in how merchants get paid. In particular, the app from Square (a company co-founded by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey) could shake up traditional payment processing because, like PayPal, it can turn anyone into a payment-processing merchant.

"It's a brilliant, revolutionary idea," Glover says. "In the long run this is the way the world is going."

Carving Out A Good Foundation

2011-07-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

If you're just getting your business off the ground, or you're not quite sure your art - or craft - is ready for prime time, you may want to spend a few minutes with the Small Business Administration Web site.

While the Craft Entrepreneur is not completely fond of the SBA's tighter-than-tight lending requirements - we think it stifles businesses that just need that little push and it doesn't really help the "true" small business owners like jewelry makers, pottery artists, painters, metal workers, and soapmakers, just to name a few.

That said, the SBA's online courses are a good place to start getting that foundation on how to run a business. The courses walk you through writing a business plan, permits and licenses, daily operations and even how to sell your business.

Look towards community groups, business incubators or other online programs like Ladies Who Launch, or iTunes University for more in-depth study but this is a cost-free place to start.

Top Business Books for Crafters and Artists

2011-07-20T15:00:00.001-07:00

32 Ways to Be a Champion in Business by Earvin 'Magic' Johnson

I honestly didn't think I'd like this book when I bought it but Magic Johnson has so many incredible business properties that I was intrigued to see whether he could really explain how he did it. It was a refreshing read - even giving specific information on how to buy an existing business - something I had not seen in other business books. He also talks about branding and how a company's image reflects the owner - and vice versa.

Girl's Guide to Building a Million Dollar Business by Susan Wilson Solovic

This title is a great primer for anyone, male or female. As the head of the highly successful SBTV.com (Small Business Television), author Susan Wilson Solovic is an authority on making money and building a thriving business. Now in The Girls' Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business, she shows women how to gain the confidence and knowledge they need to become successful entrepreneurs. The book features interviews with powerhouse women like Gayle Martz, President & CEO, Sherpa's Pet Trading Company, and Taryn Rose of Taryn Rose International.

Ladies Who Launch; Embracing Entrepreneurship and Creativity As a Lifestyle by Victoria Colligan and Beth Schoenfeldt

Simply put. I love this book. It delves into the mental gymnastics involved in taking the leap into entrepreneurship and the life as a creative being. The authors’ mantra is that you should create your life as you want it. There is a Web site (www.ladieswholaunch) and an entire launch program based on this book.

Country Living The Mom's Guide to Running a Business: Strategies for Work Success and Family Balance by Michelle Lee Ribero

This book takes the best business profiles from Country Living Magazine and expands on them. These women talk about how they manage home and family while creating their special work spaces and pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams.

Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success by Russell Simmons and Chris Morrow

This hip hop mogulchanged music and fashion culture with his introduction of Phat Farm and Baby Phat clothing lines. A faithful yoga practitioner, vegetarian and savvy businessman, Simmons talks about creating your company in no one’s image but your own.

Brewing Up A Business: Adventures in Beer from the Founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Sam Calagione

I read this book in a day. I’d visited the Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware while on vacation but had no idea of its meager beginnings. From Calagione’s start in his basement making tiny batches of artisan beer for friends to the hysterical mishaps as he’s trying to deliver his product to distributors, it reminds me a lot of myself trying to get my own business off the ground. He has sage and useful advice on building a community around your product.

EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches by Dave Ramsey

We’re recommending this one and it doesn’t hit the book stores until September 2011. Personal finance guru has become a staple in our household. His no-nonsense, no debt philosophy resonates with millions of devoted fans. His book, Financial Peace, and his financial sobriety program Financial Peace University preaches personal fiscal responsibility amid out-of-control consumerism. No doubt his newest work, Entreleadership will give the same tough love to business owners.

Tech and Craft Collide For DIY Cool

2011-07-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you find things that are awesome...and other things are just, as my son would say, wicked awesome.

Enter Connect Design and its iPhone 4 DIY case. It's a glorious techy-crafty hybrid where you cross-stitch your own case using one of several pattern designs.

The synergy speaks for itself. The Craft Entrepreneur asks, however, when will they have one large enough for our iPad?

Taming Your Work Style For Harmonious Home and Studio

2011-07-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

A very good friend of mine recently went back to work in an office, more out of necessity than desire. We chat via e-mail regularly about our preferred work environment. She is more of a solitary worker, able to spend large amounts of time barricaded in her home office and banging out projects.

Me, I like heading to the local Starbucks or diner and tapping into my creativity with the background hum of baristas churning out coffee or prattling conversation between two people in the next booth.

Crafters are, by nature, a different sort. Our work defines who we are. And many of us like to have it around. All around us, much to the chagrin of family and friends. My son has been stepping over boxes filled with newly packaged soap, freshly made body butter, table displays and wrapping paper since he was three. But I've been trying to, of late, reign in the chaos. Moving my office and workspace to the bottom level of our home and drafting plans for a full-blown workshop.

Separating work life from personal life has been the focus of a lot of discussion, especially with more and more people setting up home offices, workshops and studios. So how do you keep your crafting life from taking over your home space?

Here are a few tips:

1) Ask your family what bugs them. If it's the boxes of yarn stacked in their bedrooms, or the dining room table covered with beading projects, then there may be a problem.

2) Define a work area. Do you have a bedroom, basement area, or even a corner in the laundry room, you may want to dedicate to your crart?

3) Design a work area. The new craft room furniture and organizational bins, boxes and shelving allow anyone to custom design a work studio even on a budget. Martha Stewart has a new line of craft room furniture, and the Container Store is organizational nirvana.

4) Periodic purge. Set a schedule for going through your crafting materials. Pitch, swap or sell items you don't need.

5) Control the spending urge. You're in the craft store or online and you see that one "perfect" item that would make your project better, your customers happy, will increase your sales. But in reality it is costing you money when you don't use it. So my new rule of thumb is, if I don't plan to use it within the next 72 hours, I can't buy it.

Protecting A Successful Marketplace

2011-07-16T17:47:00.001-07:00

The Craft Entrepreneur stopped by the Fenton Street Market in Silver Spring, Md., today and discovered the vibrant showcase for handmade goods was being threatened by plans to raise the fee the Market is charged for using its space in downtown Silver Spring.

Here is Hannah McCann, founder and president of FSM wrote on her blog about the battle to keep the Market alive:

"The Fenton Street Market has activated a formerly empty expanse of concrete in our downtown with a vibrant, community-based enterprise that stimulates the local economy (read the results of our 2011 economic impact study showing we bring more than $1.9M a year to downtown Silver Spring). And yet, it has been suggested to me by the county personnel charged with contracting the space that the community might benefit more from the Plaza being used as a putt-putt golf course next summer. I just want to make sure you read that: a putt-putt golf course on the Plaza next year. Most aggravating to me, I’m being asked by some who have done the basic math on our business–60 vendors a week x $40 a booth space x 30 weeks a year–why we can’t afford $35,000 or more a year in rent."

With the recession in full swing and a lot of businesses suffering under the weight of not being able to access small business loans, crafters need the support of the community more than ever including the local government. Crafters who have a boisterous business, ultimately hire help to keep their product lines flowing. That hiring helps keep the economy moving forward.

President Barack Obama in his Startup America initiative said in January that "Entrepreneurs embody the promise of America: the idea that if you have a good idea and are willing to work hard and see it through, you can succeed in this country. And in fulfilling this promise, entrepreneurs also play a critical role in expanding our economy and creating jobs."

So the Craft Entrepreneur wonders why the Montgomery County government, Council and County Executive would go against the basic mission of the federal government to give entrepreneurs every chance possible.

Top 10 iPad and iPhone Apps For Crafters and Artists

2011-07-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

The iPhone and iPad have changed how artists and crafters do business. It's easier than ever to track money, create presentations, manage time and organize files. Here are 10 apps that take your artisan

MONEY

Mint.com

This free app helps users to manage their personal finances. An Intuit product, it brings all bank, loan and investment accounts into a sleek application for iPhone. Users are begging for an iPad version, but this is a great start.

Square

Square allows users to accept credit card payments using their iPhone or iPad. The app is free, as is the card reader. User is charged a fee per transaction. Perfect for accepting payments at the local flea market or getting your pal to pay back that loan!

CRAFTS

Vogue Knitting

The Vogue Knitting iPhone app is a complete digital organizing, tracking and planning app for the active knitter. Keep all of your project notes, multiple row counters, needle and crochet hook inventories, yarn stash and swatch info with you when you're out knitting or buying supplies at the local yarn store. Never buy an extra row counter or duplicate needles again! $3.99 in the iTunes App Store.

iStitches

The popular Stitches CD Volume One has been formatted for easy, on-the-go use! 300 Stitches for needlepoint or any type of needlework are arranged both alphabetically and by stitch type: Straight, Diagonal, Crossed & Tied, Eye, Decorative or Darning Patterns.

ORGANIZATION AND TIME MANAGEMENT

Dragon Dictation

Get those flashes of inspiration while on the road? Well, Dragon Dictation is a free, easy-to-use voice recognition application powered by Dragon® NaturallySpeaking® that allows you to easily speak and instantly see your text or email messages. In fact, it’s up to five (5) times faster than typing on the keyboard.

Keynote

Keynote Remote lets you control a Keynote presentation on your Mac, iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch from another iPhone or iPod touch in the room. While you present, view your current slide and presenter notes in portrait, or the current slide and next slide in landscape. Swipe forward to advance and swipe back to return to the previous slide. Keynote Remote, just .99 in the iTunes App Store, works with your Wi-Fi network, so you can control your presentation from anywhere in the room. Keynote Remote can use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth when connecting to your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.

Bump

Bump™ makes sharing with people as simple as bumping two phones together. Just pick what you want to send, then hold your phones and gently bump hands with another Bump user. And now, you can message with your friends who aren't near you -- just add them as a friend inside of Bump and start messaging immediately -- it's kind of like a long-distance "virtual bump". Free.

SlyDial

Need to leave a message with someone but don’t want to get caught up in a long conversation. Enter SlyDial. It’s a wonderful little voice messaging app that allows you to call someone’s mobile phone and be routed directly to their voicemail. So now you can spend time in your studio creating and not on the phone! Requires a paid subscription.

Evernote

Evernote turns the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad into an extension of your brain, helping you remember anything and everything that happens in your life. From notes to ideas to snapshots to recordings, put it all into Evernote and watch as it instantly synchronizes from your iPhone to your Mac or Windows desktop. Free.

Sales CRM EZi

Sales CRM EZi allows anyone in sales to manage and track your sales opportunities on your iPhone. It can also produce a realistic sales forecast. Perfect for crafters with wholesale clients.

Choosing A Web Designer Without Going Broke

2011-07-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

I’ve been working on a project: the total overhaul of my Web site. So it requires that I take advantage of lessons learned in past web site projects.

To move my business to the next level, it was time to have a professional Web developer transform my site into a sleeker, user-friendly experience for my clients. But my goal in doing so was to avoid being sucker-punched when it came to cost and my ability to control my site once the design was done.

Two years ago, I hired a Web designer in Canada to design a user-friendly site which could be updated on a daily basis. The National Collegian, an online newspaper that had the aim of culling the top news stories from the nation’s campuses, launched in 2005. It was my first “Web baby” and I spent countless hours obsessing about the look and feel that I wanted.

Having a nearly two-decades long career in journalism, I had done layout and design for community papers and was excited about taking that challenge to the Internet. I had found the Web developer through a professional organization and figured that because of that relationship, she would be the perfect person to create my vision.

I asked for a hip, sleek site that I could update easily. What I got was a clunky site that I had to twist into a pretzel in order to update. I clocked four hours one night trying to figure out the system that had been designed for me at a cost of more than $2,000.

The Web designer’s answer to my dilemma was a $200-a-month maintenance contract in which I would e-mail my changes to her and she would update the site. Less than efficient, and hardly cost-effective. After a month, I took the site down and sucked up my financial losses.

In retrospect, I believe the mistakes made were two-fold. I was not able to articulate my requirements for the project – and she knew I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, hence the ability to take advantage to some extent.

It was a hard lesson to learn, but it wound up being a godsend when time came for me to hire a new developer for my site. Sometimes you have to fail in order to learn.

A first lesson was learn what they are doing so I know what I need to have done. Not being an expert by any stretch, I decided to, at the very least, learn the basics.

My initial site was created through a Web development site that allowed me to create my own Web site using pre-fabricated templates. It gave me a “do-it-yourself” lesson in content and design, and helped me articulate what I wanted and how I wanted my store presented to the world. It wasn’t perfect, but it was my vision.

I learned about stock photos, content, HTML code and e-commerce basics. I got lessons in domain names and Web hosting. I found out that not all such “do-it-yourself” sites are created equal. I had read about a local firm, FreeWebs.com and practiced putting a site online there at no cost, but the capabilities, of course, were limited, so I moved over to Homestead.com., where I found a home for my site for nearly a year.

It was functional and eye-catching, but I wanted more. I found a designer I could work with through a referral from a friend.

The first order of business was a conversation. I explained quite explicitly what I wanted and stressed that I had to have the ability to easily update my own site. That was not negotiable. I insisted on a contract with target dates and benchmarks. The new designer was a great listener and said quickly said none of my requests were unreasonable.

And so far, it’s been a totally different experience. The site so far is on track to being what I want for my clients – a user friendly online Bay experience, and what I want for me, easily updatable. I can’t wait to unveil it later this month.

So the lessons learned? Here they are:

1) Get a referral for Web developer who had done the type of work you need done.

2) Make a list of the specific requirements for your site. Draw a sketch of each page, if you have to. Determine what items are negotiable and what are not.

3) Have a conversation with the developer about each item on the list and listen to what they can reasonably do, and not do. Get cost estimates and decide where you want the money to go – a great-looking store front, for example, or a larger database.

4) Ask for target dates and bench marks for each phase of the project. Make sure they are specific and written into the contract.

5) And ask to see the work as it progresses so that you can re-direct a vision gone astray, or scale back a project that may be overly ambitious.

Upcoming: The Creative Connection Event

2011-07-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

This sound like a great event!

Square Biz

2011-07-05T09:01:00.001-07:00

I so love my Square.

A few months ago, I was working a craft market when very nice gentleman came to our table with his two daughters. They bought about $50 worth of bath salts, soaps and bath oils for the kids' mother. He paid with a credit card, so I whipped out my imprinter, ran his card, wrote down his zip code to process it later via an online credit card processing Web site.

Later that evening, after the market was over, I pulled out my two dozen credit card slips and
started entering numbers, expiration dates and zip codes - only to have his and two other credit cards decline. It dawned on me that I had no recourse for couping payment on what was more than $200 in product.

I put the question of what to do to my fellow soapmakers on The Dish forum and they told me about Square - a device that would allow me to process credit cards on site from my iPhone. I went online, signed up and my Square card reader arrived a few days later.

It is the perfect synergy. I can process credit card payments on site. Square deposits the funds directly into my business account the next day. The iPad app for Square is a virtual cash register. I upload photos of my products..and a tap on them moves an item onto the checkout form. It calculates the sales tax and how much change I need to give back. It could not be easier.
It also allows me to text or e-mail a receipt to the customer.

Square gets five stars from this Craft Entrepreneur.

Tory Burch Assists Aspiring Entrepreneurs

2011-07-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Tory Burch launched her fashion label in 2004 from her Upper East Side apartment. Now she has a chain of boutiques in cities from Manhasset, N.Y., to Manila in the Philippines. She also has partnerships with upscale department stores like Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, and four outlet stores.

Burch -- who is known for her elegant handbags, brightly colored tunics and cute ballet flats -- is in the midst of opening an enormous new store on Madison Avenue in New York City this September.

Despite her success, she still recognizes the difficulties that small businesses face and believes big businesses should help them.

The fashion mogul responded to questions about what she's doing to assist aspiring entrepreneurs, discussed her trek to success, and gave advice to small businesses owners looking to take their ventures.

Read more here.

Artisan With Class

2011-07-03T05:08:00.000-07:00

My iPod is my favorite piece of tech and I have it with me everyday - and not just for the ability to play Bob Dylan songs as I'm zooming down I-270 on my way to yet another market.

I discovered iTunes U. More than 800 universities like Stanford, MIT, Yale, Oxford and UC Berkley distribute lectures on podcasts that you can access for free. I love the word free. It also includes content from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Public Library and public radio.

This is particularly great for small crafters like me who want to get better at innovation and marketing. To keep pace, it is necessary to become as saavy in how to run a business as in how to practice my art.

Find courses on small business and entrepreneurship in the Apple iTunes store. Click on iTunes U. Here is a link for the courses at Oxford University.

Business As A Craft

2011-07-03T04:14:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I was in the my local Safeway, and while passing through the magazine aisle, I discovered a copy of "Where Women Create," a blissfully colorful publication that spotlighted women artists and their studios. I spent about 20 minutes sitting on the floor in the aisle perusing its pages, before plunking down the cash to buy it.

I've bought one other copy since, and pick it up whenever I need inspiration. In its pages, I found a regular column that talked about the business of selling your art and crafts. It was the first I'd ever seen. Normally I get my information on how to run my business from business magazines and books.

I own a bath and body products business that I started in 2006. It began as a hobby but blossomed into a venture for which I have higher aspirations. For the past three years, I have been packing up my wares and heading out the markets to meet my customers - some who turn up visiting my online store - and others who prefer to buy from me directly. I have learned how to discern what markets are good venues for us and what markets don't work, no matter how good they appear to be. Case in point, one of our markets this year had tons of people visiting and showing up for the community experience. But none of them bought anything. So we decided not return.

There is no primer for making that sort of decision. It's that entrepreneurial "gut check" but information abounds for out to reach out to customers, the best way to take payments, how to protect client information and what's the best way to create new market opportunities.

I decided in this blog to regularly pull together really important innovations in business that would help artisans and crafters, especially those who sell at markets during the year.

So visit often...subscribe...contribute and give feedback.