An Idea Partner

Last week there was a post to inspire you to create your own cheer squad, and it sounds like pretty much everyone has their squad in place. That's great, because we can always use a little support.

Sometimes you need more specific support, to flush out ideas for your business or art. Finding one person you can go over your ideas with is beneficial for you and your business.

My sister is my idea partner. Anytime I have an idea, she is the first person I call. 

I have been working on Embracing Harmony: 5 Days of Creating ME Moments, and I called her as the idea came to me to help me flush our my ideas and create a plan. We also brainstormed the name together.

For me, just having her to throw out words and ideas inspires me, and gets my creative juices flowing.

Our partnership works well together. I can be a up in the clouds creative person at times, and she is well grounded bringing be back to earth when my ideas get a little crazy.

Some traits you want for your idea partner:
• Someone with the same hopes and dreams 
• Good chemistry, so you will work well together
• Easy to talk to and share ideas

When you find the perfect person, create a working relationship. That way you can inspire, support, and count on each other to work out all you ideas.

Do you have a idea partner?

Your Perfect Chunk of Time

I am guilty of filling my to-do list with simple projects that I know I can complete, but may not be beneficial to helping me creatively or growing my business.

With all these simple tasks over time I may accomplish one of my goals, but I am not really making the progress I want to achieve in the time frame I want for success.

Instead of just doing a bunch of little tasks why not try the SAP method.

S - Smallest
A - Achievable
P - Perfection

With this method you choose one technique or skill you want to achieve (not just improve, but make part of your life) and give it a chunk of time to master.

Let's say you want to create a website. Using the SAP technique you can schedule a block of time for action steps everyday, until your website is up and running. That will become your daily perfect chunk of time.

This technique is perfect for those big long term goals you want to achieve, because a real goal isn't practice; it's progress.

"Don't look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That's the only way it happens - and when it happens, it lasts" -John Wooden

Do you have big goal you are working towards this year?

Your Competition

When was the last time you looked at your competition?

I'm not talking about the entire online community that creates what you create, but those few selected artists or business owners that are working in the same medium, style, or have the same product.

Keeping up with what they are doing, their prices, packaging, new products, shows they are attending, will give you insight into what's going on in your industry and with your customer base.

As a jewelry designer when I am looking at what people are selling on Etsy I don't look at the jewelry category.  One because it's just too large, and two because I don't consider everyone who makes jewelry as competition.

I only look at a couple of categories, artists who are making jewelry with hardware and industrial items. By doing this I can see what people are buying and the designs that are selling.

By keeping an eye on what's happening in my niche market, it's easier for me to make plans for my own business. I know the market is big enough for all of us, but by checking out my competition I know what I need to do to make my items stand out.

Now it's time to check out your competition:

• Make a list of other artists or business leaders, who are working in the same niche, that you admire.
• Review their website, and check out their feedback.
•Create a list:
  What do you admire about them or their work?
  What tool are they using to promote their business? (newsletter, social media, etc...)
  What are their policies? Customer service?
  What makes them unique?

Now look over your list, do you notice any patterns? What are they doing you are not doing? Can in incorporate of those ideas into your business?

Checking out the competition on a regular basis should be part of your monthly or quarterly plan. The more you know the better your business will be, and that will guide you to become the business that everyone wants to admire.

How often do you look at your competition?

Stay Productive

It has been challenging lately to be productive. After working hard all summer, I have not been in the mood to put a lot of effort into the things I need to be working on.

I have spent the past the last couple of weeks finding ideas to be more productive, and I ran across a few ideas that are worth sharing.

Write everything down. Do a brain dump of everything you want and need to do for your business. I do this often, I tend to get more done when I see it written down.

Prioritize your list. Important if you have a long list projects. Start by creating a new list. List everything in the order you want to get things done. If you are feeling really ambitious give the top 5 items on your list a date of completion.

Alternate tasks. When planning your day start with a challenging task and when it's complete or at a good stopping point, then start working on a task you would prefer working on, perhaps your creative work. I try to plan my day with business tasks and then a creative task, and I alternate like that throughout the day. Click here for a To-do-list

Don't forget to take a break. When we are online everyday, we are absorbing a lot of information. Our minds and our bodies need breaks. Get up move around, drink water, and enjoy a few minutes away from the computer. I really need to do this one more often.

Stay inspired. Keep quotes, books, and other inspirational items around you to help you stay motivated. I have several inspirational items throughout my studio, and I try to take a moment everyday to stay inspired.

On those days you really don't want to do anything to challenging, and you want to keep your work simple and easy going, those are the perfect days to do busy work. You know that work you know needs to get done, but you don't make time for.

Such as:
Organizing files online and off
Uploading images
Updating your calendar
Hang out on social media sites

Sometimes you just need to take a day off. Then take a day to regroup, read a book, hang out with friends or family, take a nap, or enjoy a day doing nothing!

Share your favorite productivity tip.

Spring Clean your Business

It's the beginning of April, and Spring is starting with a bang. April is the perfect time to do a little Spring cleaning in you business, and to try some new ideas.



Here are some links to get you started:

Blog
How to Write an Evergreen Blog Post
How to Ethically & Successfully Pitch to Blogs
Better Blogging Kickstart

Business
Building Your Creative Business Brand
20 Ways to Boost Sales in Your Etsy Shop
Creative Business Quick Tip

Social Media
It"s So Pinteresting! Etiquette for Etsy Sellers
Using Pinterest - 6 Tips and Tools for Pinterest Lovers
How to Build a Twitter Following

Offline Marketing
Why You Should Sell at Craft Fairs
15 Tips to Increase Your Craft Show Sales
How to Network Offline: Increase Online Sales in Five Easy Steps

There are lots of ideas for recharging your business for Spring. Check out a few of these posts to get you started.

Do you do any Spring Cleaning for your business?

Big Significant Goals

It's a new year and time to be inspired by new challenges. 

I'm not just talking about your goals, but setting big significant goals. Accomplishing one thing (or several) that you have always wanted to do, but were afraid you would not succeed at completing.

I worked on my list over the weekend and I set myself three significant goals I want to accomplish this year. One is growing my blog and the content, I want Everyday Inspired to be a blog full of inspiration for your creative life, business, and life.

My vision board for 2012

To guide me on my journey I created a collage of inspiration for my goals to hang in my work area, as well as a list of my goals for my business journal. Keeping your goals written down, and/or in art form is important for achieving success.

I am looking forward to a new year full of new adventures, and success, how about you?


Have you thought about what you want to accomplish in 2012? Do you have one big significant goal you are striving for this year?

Craft a Plan

What do you want your 2012 to look like?

The Woodlands Small Calendar 2012 by Khristinahowell

With only a couple of weeks left in 2011, it's time to start crafting your plan for 2012.

Take a hour or so and start a list of all things you want to accomplish in 2012. Want to have more fun cut out pictures and words from magazines and create a collage. Once you have your list it will be easy to start your plan.

Use your list or collage to develop your goals for the year.

Typography Handmade Journal Sketchbook by Apperendo

Give each goal a page in your journal or sketchbook, and start listing action steps that you meet you goal over the year.

This is the perfect place to start your planning for 2012. I am looking forward to starting my plan and I think this year I am going to start with a collage. I will share it with you in a couple of weeks.

Are your ready to craft your plan for 2012?

Creative Business Quick Tip

Here is an easy idea you can do everyday in your local neighborhood.

Start carrying around zip locks, or a small decorative bags filled with a business card, a mini flier of your local events or specials, a discount coupon (optional), hard candy or lollipop, promotional items such as buttons or stickers, and any other information that will encourage people to check out your shop online.

Pass out your bags to people you run into daily bank tellers, cashiers, at your kids sports events, hair dresser, leave them at in waiting rooms, take them everywhere you go.

This is one of those out of the box ideas I am going to start doing this holiday season. This is an easy way to spread the word about your business.

What would you put in your pass out bag?

Self-Promotion Routine

Creating a work day routine is beneficial to getting things done. It's easy to let your self-promotion activities consume all your time.

As important as promoting is to our business, limiting our time on these activities is important to our creative spirit.

Try Limiting your twitter activity to 10 - 15 minutes a day. Same with Facebook.  Giving yourself time limits, even using a timer will make it easier to control how much time you are spending online.

Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when planning out your scheduled marketing plan:


• Carry postcards, flyers, and business cards and pass them out wherever you go
• Schedule your blog posts so you can post at least 2 - 3 times a week
• Add new images to Flickr and Facebook
• Engage fans on facebook
• Tweet about a twitter friend daily

When you are creating your list of daily activities give each task a time limit.  Time limits will help you stay on track, giving you more time in your day to do what you enjoy most create. Stick to your plan and within 3 weeks it will be a routine.

Do you have a daily self-promotion routine?

Five Ways to Energize your Business

It's the time of year when business is not the only thing on your mind.  You want to spend more time out and less time working.

Here are five ideas to help you keep working even when you don't feel like it.

Focus on your passion - If your spending your time doing things you don't enjoy, it's time to come up with some creative ideas and inject a little creativity in your business projects.

Work with people you love - Invite family members or kids to your work space and let them create along with you.

Find ways to bring joy to your work - Redecorate your work space, walk around barefoot, or listen to your favorite music. Incorporate things you love into your space and your day.

Invest in yourself and your plan - Even on a tight budget, spend on things that will help grow your business. Invest in e-books, online classes, research new ideas in books from your library, or magazines

Show yourself some love - Don't forget to take breaks, have some play time, and celebrate your successes.

Working does not have to be all work and no play.  Enjoy your work time and love what you do!

What have you done for your business lately?

Your Local Brand

Selling online is a wonderful opportunity to sell your creative endeavors all over the world.

I have been lucky enough to sell Additions jewelry to lots of exotic location. Sometimes it seams weird to think about people in Australia,  Malaysia, and Finland, walking around in my jewelry.

Building your brand locally is just as important as building your online brand.

I owned an art school in my community for several years and taught many children and adult jewelry classes. Being part of the community and teaching classes helped me to sell my jewelry, at art shows, in local shops, and at workshops I taught.

When I am out running errands, or hanging out with my family, people still come up to me and say "hey your the jewelry lady". I taught several classes all over my community and the surrounding communities for years, and I still do occasionally.
 

Here are a few ideas for building your brand locally:

Teach classes - Kids and adults love the opportunity to learn something new.

Do art & craft shows - This is the best way to build your brand locally.

Donate items to local charities - It's and opportunity to share your brand with a variety of local groups.

Attend art openings and community events-  Bring business cards and network.

Sell to local shops - Great way to make money and get feedback from customers.

Sharing your brand locally will benefit you and your business. It's a great way to make a name for yourself, and to share what you do and love with the people in your community.

How do you share your brand in your community?

Review an Old Idea

I am getting ready to have a house full of family for my daughters high school graduations this weekend. I have been cleaning every room and organizing along the way.  

I was cleaning our home office (it's going to be a bed room this weekend) and I stumbled across lots of papers I printed out while preparing to open my Etsy shop.

I took a little break and decided to look through all the papers.  I re-read lots of the great tips on setting up shop,  marketing, and selling.  

Here are a few that I think will make a nice additions this year:

Selling gift certificates - it something I always thought about but never really started.

Doing customer surveys - this is a great way to find out what my customers are thinking.

Refer a friend program - I recently found an Etsy application that can help set up a refer a friend
program for your Etsy shop.  Its called Anafore.

Gift wrapping - another idea I wanted to start but never did, maybe this year.

I enjoyed going through all those old papers and reviewing all those ideas.  I also got three rooms organized and ready for the weekend.

Have you look through your old marketing ideas lately?  What's an idea you read about when you opened up shop you might like to give a try this year?

Creative Business - Create First

There are days when I go through the whole day working on the computer.  I start each day with the intention of making jewelry that day, but for some reason the computer sucks me in and I run out of time to create.

The reason I started my business was so I could make jewelry, but some days I let running my business take over.

I have found a few ideas that have helped me find time each day to create.  Give these tips a try when you need to find time in your day to create.

♦ Have a creative day once a week - Here is a post with a few ideas - Plan a Creative Day.


♦ Schedule creative time on your calendar everyday - Use a timer to help you know when to stop working on the computer.


♦ Start your day creating and turn on your computer in the afternoon - One of my new favorites.  I get more done when I start my day this way.

All are easy ideas, you just need to make the commitment to give yourself time to be creative.

Do you find time everyday to create?

Creative Business - Make T-shirts

Marketing materials are essential for your business.  Business cards, postcards, tags, are just a few marketing materials that we use everyday.  To spread the word about my business I decided I wanted to print some t-shirts for my family and friends to wear over the summer.

I was thrilled when I  found a Etsy shop that created screens for screen printing giving me the opportunity to print my own t-shirts. Fibra Artysta creates high quality screens at very affordable prices.

Now if you are up for it you can create your own screens otherwise Fibra Artysta is easy to work with and very helpful so you get exactly what you want. Printing your own t-shirts requires very few supplies and the final quality was exceptional.

My t-shirts turned out great.  My sister and I wore them all week on our vacation and I will be printing t-shirts for everyone in my family. Printing was easy and once I got the hang of it fun.

Check out Fibra Artysta and start printing your own t-shirts.

What marketing materials have you had fun creating lately?

MindfulBIZ

In my process to grow and expand my business I have found a newsletter, that I enjoy reading every week, for creative entrepreneurs.  It has tips and ideas to declutter and redesign your business.

You can find the sign up form for the newsletter, as well as additional information at MindfulBIZ.com.  On her site she also offers a free video training to build your own website, and a blog with ideas you can apply to your business.

I was featured on the MindfulBIZ blog last week.  I shared my story of rebranding my blog, shop, and social media sites.  I enjoyed writing about the process, I hope you take a few minutes to check it out.

Finding good resources to keep you motivated on your journey to grow you business is necessary.  When you are well informed, you are excited about running your business everyday.

Do you have a favorite website that keeps you motivated?

Market Locally

Shopping locally is a great way to support members of your community, marketing locally is a great way to grow your business.

There are simple steps you can take to market and grow your business in your community.

Join your local team - on Etsy or any other selling site if you have the opportunity it's nice to be able to connect with other artists that live near you.  It is also a good way to find out about local events, networking opportunities, and gallery events.

Participate in local art and craft shows - This is a great way to get yourself known in the community, meet other artists, and of course make extra money.  doing several shows a year is how I got my business started, they were a lot of work but worth it.  I still have friends I stay in touch with that I meet back when I started doing show over 15 years ago.

Network - Don't miss out on an opportunity to market your business when you attend local events, meet with friends, or go shopping.  Join local networking groups, like parent, business owners, or artists groups.

Don't forget your social media sties and marketing your friends and family - As long as you don't do it all the time mention a sale or special you are offering on your Facebook or twitter page.

Marketing locally makes you known in your community and when someone is looking for what you sell your name will be the first name someone will share.

What do you do locally to share your business with your community?

5 Tips to avoid Procrastination

A couple of weeks ago I had a post called Multitasking or Procrastination, their were lots of great comments check it out.  Several people agreed that procrastination happens during the day more often then not.

Here are 5 tips to help you avoid procrastination:

Set a schedule - Write down everything, from meetings and appointments to listing items in you shop and writing blog posts.

Don't over commit - keep your schedule manageable and realistic. Use the word NO when necessary, and record each new task on your schedule as soon as you receive it.

Figure out what motivates you - Try to take on projects that you really want to do and will enjoy.  If you are looking forward to working on a project, it will be easy to get things done.  Also put the task that are your least favorite during the day when you have the most energy.  During that time it will be easier to take care of those tasks and you will get them done quicker.

Track your progress - Cross things off your list as you complete them.  To see items finished on your list will keep you motivated to continue your progress.

Reward your success - If you have a big project to finish break it up into action steps, and reward yourself when you complete each step.  The rewards can be simple, sleep in late, go out for coffee, take a longer break for lunch.  When you have completed the entire project reward yourself with something you want, a new book or magazine, a day off, a day with friends.

These are simple ideas you can add to your day.  Now you just have to put them into action, so that procrastination will be a thing of the past.

What do you do to avoid procrastination?

Creative Business Quick Tip - Blogging

You have heard it a lot, blogging is good for your business.  I have found that it does bring traffic to my shop daily and has become an important part of my business.

I love blogging, and trying to come up with new ideas and topic to keep everyone engaged.  Blogging is a great way to share, educate, and show your readers who you are as an artists. 

I found a list of 5 things that will make your blog more readable. These are easy tips you can use to engage your reader and have them coming back for more.

Write Juicy Headlines - This will draw people in and makes them want to read your post.  Make them alluring, make a claim about something, try use numbers.

Make your blog post easy to read - 79% of online visitors only skim the content in your post.  Make it easy for them to get the gist of the post in a few sentences.
 
♦ Use bold, italic, and underling when possible 
♦ Bullets and numbers are another great way to share information  
♦ Write in small paragraphs with lots of white space.

Add visuals - pictures draw people in, it helps to make sense of the post.  Also it gives the eyes a place to rest and breaks up a lot of text.

Link Relevant Information - If you have previous content that is relevant, link it in your post so the reader can easily click for more information. This will free you up from writing a lot of information over again.   

What's your favorite thing about blogging?

Invest in your Business

How have you invested in your business lately?

I am not talking about investing money (well maybe a little), but investing in yourself and your skills.

When investing in yourself that means staying healthy by eating right and exercising, fulfilling your spirit by staying motivated and inspired, and increasing your knowledge to expand your business.

One of the best ways to invest in your business is to learn new ideas and techniques.

Taking classes in your medium to learn new skills that will help you come up with new ideas and expand your designs.

Participating in online workshop, reading e-books, and networking locally, will help you develop new skills to help grow your business.

Check out these resources for learning online:

The Crafted Webmaster
Hubspot.com
Blacksburgbelle.com

How have you invested in your business recently?

Don't just Plan - Make Real Changes

Today's post is a reprint from 12/2009. I thought this post had many good points for planning your new year, and worth sharing again.  Let me know what you think.

I recently read an article in Success magazine called Goal Setting doesn't Work. In this article the writer talked about how you really can't achieve the success you want until you are ready to change yourself.

There were a few things that struck me in the article:

First - when you are creating your list of goals or plan for the new year, you want to state your goals in the positive. For example: I am going to have ____ amount of sales this year.

Second - you have to think about what you need to change to achieve your goals. Ask yourself: Who do I have to become to achieve this? Answer in the positive - for example: I am a smart, confident, and effective leader. I will feed my ideas and inspirations that will support my passion.

Third - you have to be willing and ready to work hard at achieving your goals to create your own success. Why not try starting each day reviewing your goals to reinforce your commitment to achieving them.

These steps will work for all the areas in your life, losing weight, changing a relationship, as well as building your business.

It's time to stop creating a wish list and create a plan!

I'm ready, are you ready to create a plan for the new year?

10% OFF EVERYTHING IN MY ETSY SHOP TILL 12/31