DIY Friday

Happy Valentines Day!

Need a last minute idea for your Valentine, check out all these ideas.

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I hope these ideas inspire you to share a DIY Valentine with someone special today. 

Have a fantastic day!

Get the Passion Back

As we work our businesses, things can get stale and unexciting about all the tasks involved in getting things done.

How would you like to put the passion back into your business?

In honor of Valentines Day here are 5 ways to revive the passion for your business.

Appreciate your customers
Give them free samples, share a coupon code just because, retweet one of there tweets, mention them in social media. All simple ideas to inspire you and get your customer excited about your product again.

Take a risk
Design a new collection, create new packaging, create a new offer for your customers, is there a service you can provide to get new customers?

Get networking
Find new people to connect with for your business and to build your customer base. Become part of a non-profit, attend a conference or event in your area. This is a great way to revive your desire for your business, and you learn new strategies, and of course meet lots of new people.

Invest in yourself
Do something just for you. By investing in things you want or need it will make it easier to spend time doing all the things you love about running your creative business.

Look to the future
As we spend our days working on our business we lose site of the big picture. Is your business living up to your personal goals? Reviewing your goals often can give you the boost you need to feel the passion for your business.

What do you do to get the passion back?

Motivation Monday

Who Needs a Vacation? I DO!

It has been a long long long cold winter here in the Chicagoland area. I am really tired of the snow and the cold, this is the first year since we moved to this area that we have had mountains of snow in the backyard.

All of this cold weather has inspired me to start saving for our next vacation.

It is a great time of year to put a little money aside. Every time you have a sale pull out $5, $10, or even $20 of your sale price.

Planning a vacation and starting to save for it, will encourage you to  work your business and get  more sales. Before you know it you will have a nice little chunk of change saved for your next getaway. 

Need a little more encouragement, start searching for a place to take your next vacation or weekend getaway, and create a Pinterest board with photos to keep you inspired.

Where are you planning on taking a vacation this year?

Do One Thing Really Well

As I shared with you last week January was very challenging for me and my business. I have not been as motivated as I would like and I have felt like I have so many things I want to do that I didn't know where to start.

I decided earlier this week that I am going to stop stressing over all the things I had planned to do and concentrate on doing one thing really well. 

So this year I am going to spend most of my working time building my jewelry business. This means I will work on my Etsy shop and create a plan to double my sales this year, work with more stores to build my wholesale business, and add a few more art shows to my schedule.

Now that I know where I want to spend most of my time I will start working on ways to really make things happen. Knowing what I really want to do has really helped with my motivation, and now I am more enthusiastic about working each day.

Is there one area of your business that you plan to concrete on this year?

Inspired Books For Your Creative Business

This is the time of year that I like to learn some new things to run my business. and a new technique for creating new jewelry.

I have several book in my library that I like to pull out and read, to find new ideas for marketing my blog and Etsy shop.

This year I have 5 books that are inspiring me right now, so I thought I would share them with you.

Jab, Jab, Jab Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk
This is a great book about social media. It is full of examples of good and bad posts, that has helped me fine tune my social media posts. I also recently found an online class that he is teaching about the same subject, so if you prefer to have all the info you need via video verses reading then this class if for you.

Engagement from Scratch! How Super-community Builders Create a Loyal Audience and How You Can Do the Same by Danny Iny
This book is filled with info from a variety of different blogger like Kristi Hines from Kikolani - Blog Marketing and Blogging Tips, and Guy Kawasaki from How to Change the World blog, sharing tips and ideas for building a blog community. I have really enjoyed each persons perspective on blogging, and all the actionable ideas.

Maximize Your Potential  - Grow Your Expertise, Take Bold Risks & Build An Incredible Career by u99.com
It is a collection of post from a variety of people in the business community. This book is very inspiring and full of helpful ideas. It is an easy read and something you will want to refer back to several times during your career. u99.com is a wonderful website, that will inspire.

The Little Big Things - 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence by Tom Peters
This book is filled with easy and practical ideas for your business. Not all 163 will work for a creative online business, but most can be adapted to for your creative business. You don't have to read this book straight through, it has a great table of contents and you can easily find a topic and just read the sections that are important to you and your business.

Achieve Anything in Just One Year - Be Inspired Daily to Live Your Dreams and Accomplish Your Goals by Jason Harvey
This book is set up to read one page a day, with 365 days of inspiration. Each day offers inspiring words and actionable ideas for working on your goals, staying motivated, and feeling happier with life.





I hope you find these titles inspiring and informative for your creative business. I would love to hear what you are reading for your business, and I'm sure everyone else would like to know as well.  Share the titles of the book your reading in the comments section.

Motivation Monday

Let it All Hang Out

Sometimes you must release pent-up pressures.

Don't be half-hearted about it.

Make sure you open the valve fully.

Some do it with a primal scream.

Some let off steam with a full-on workout, run, or swim.

Whatever works for you, do it.

The feeling of freedom is delicious.

Now Is the Time by Patrick Lindsay

Flowers for Every Room

This time of year we could all use an unexpected pop of color in our homes. Here in the midwest we have had snow on the ground for months and some little bursts of color sound wonderful.

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How about getting a bunch of flowers and making small bouquet to put in all the rooms you are in frequently. Think of how nice it would be to have flower next to your bed or in the bathroom.

Not only will the flowers look pretty, they will lift your spirits during this long crazy winter. Flowers are the perfect thing to add a sweet scent to the air, and put a smile on your face regardless of the weather outside. 

When was the last time you have flowers in your home?