One of the reasons I have been successful with my direct sales business all these years is because I run my business like a business. I consider profit margins. I look at getting the best return on my investment and I consider all actions I do to determine if it is in the best interest of my business.

My degree is in business administration, so perhaps that’s why I look at my direct sales business with a different set of eyes than many independent consultants who aren’t able to see they’re losing money. If I started a business (joined a direct sales company, aka Business in a Box) I’m doing so to earn a profit. Otherwise it is just an expensive or fun hobby.

With that above preface let’s have a family roundtable meeting about Swap Groups. For those unfamiliar with what I’m referring – it’s typically on online group, generally on Facebook, where various direct sales independent consultants get together to help each other by being forced to buy from each other. The rules can vary but the concept is similar in each group. Unless it’s a cookie swap or Christmas ornament swap I am against direct sales swap groups and here’s why:

Five Reasons Not to Join a Swap Group

1. On average you’ll commit to spending $25 per month buying product from the featured business on that given month. The $25 minimum turns into more like $35 minimum after you pay shipping and taxes.  Do the math $35 x 12 month = $420 a year!
2. You’ll likely have to buy from companies that represent products you have little to no interest. As an example, no offense to the jewelry consultants, but I am not a jewelry person. I rarely wear jewelry and the few pieces I have are special pieces that have special meanings. Sure I could get something to give as a gift, but I believe jewelry is a personal item. I don’t want to receive jewelry as a gift unless it’s from my significant other. Then perhaps the featured business the next month is clothing. Again, same same. I’m particular what duds I wear and we all know sizes vary from brand to brand. Also if it’s an online group, I want to see, feel, and try on clothes.  Now I have spent a minimum of $70 in two months to get a shirt and a necklace I don’t want.
3. But, but, when it’s my turn, they’ll buy from me! True, but then the dozen or so consultants in the group will all be forced to spend $25 retail (which remember is at least $35 to them) on my candles. I’m sure there are some who feel about candles the way I do about jewelry or clothes. I don’t want customers who are forced to buy something. I want customers who want to buy something, who may be repeat customers and who may even want to host a party or enroll as a consultant.
4. Another math problem for you: If there are 12 people spending retail value of $25 each (assuming they all keep their commitment and make the purchase) how much will your party retail total be? ($300 yay, that’s right!) On average consultants earn 25% (some less, some more but for the sake of illustration 25% is a good figure). So the consultant will earn 25% of $300, which is how much? That’s right, it’s $75! So you spend $420 a year on stuff you don’t want or need and in return you’ll earn $75 commissions.
5. More math – if you spend $420 for the year and in return earn $75 in commissions how much money did you lose? That’s right! You only lost $345 to be part of this great swap group to help your business.

There is a Way Swap Groups Can be Beneficial

If you really, really want to be involved with helping other direct sales consultants and spreading the word about your own business, there is a way that may help.

1. Minimum for each participant to spend is $20 per month.
2. Many companies are represented – the more the better, only one representative per company.
3. A file/list of companies with the consultant’s website is available for all swap group members to research and shop.
4. Each month on the 15^th, the list gets posted (June 15^th the list will go up for shopping to begin July 15). Members publicly comment to sign up for which company they want to commit to shop from in the coming month. Only one member may shop from a particular company that month. If the company you wanted to pick is already picked, then pick another, odds are great with so many companies represented you’ll find another favorite.
5. In theory you as the consultant will only get a $20 sale for the month from the swap group member, possibly more, but the swap group is not intended to give you an entire party volume. That’s okay though because we’re not supposed to be working our businesses on autopilot with customers who are forced to buy. Instead by just getting one new sale, it is still supporting each other and it opens up exposure to others who may not be familiar with you or the company or products.
6. If someone wants to leave the group or get out of her agreement, it should understood that she will find a replacement, unless the group admin has a waiting list of others who want to take the spot should that company open up.
7. Within the group spamming should be limited. Meaning: don’t use that FB group to frequently spam the members with posts about your company or specials. That should be a given but you’d be surprised how frequently this happens on a regular basis. Self-promotion posts could be allowed on a specific time frame. Only on the first three days of the month, or only on the first and 15th or only on Fridays, or whatever time frame is decided; all others will be deleted.
8. There could be either open time frame for participants to give kudos to the company, product or consultants who they purchased from that month. Those type posts could be permitted any time, saying something such as “I bought an XYZ from Jane Doe of www.herwebsite.com. She was a joy to work with, it arrived within 10 days and I love this [product] because it yada yada yada.” Third party testimonies are always better than self-promotion and then the consultant could use the testimonial on her own website should she choose.

If you’re considering joining a swap group or are currently a member of one, and you’re working your direct sales business with the intent of earning money, reevaluate if it’s the right place for you. If not, graciously bow out and find a better way to invest your time and money.

Here’s to success!

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a Michigan work from home mom and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping men and women start and maintain a home based business in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Ireland and the UK. To download a FREE Start Up Guide which provides more details about how to start a home business as well as to learn about our compensation plan go to http://www.thrivingcandlebusiness.com/how-to-start-a-candle-business/

I don’t have to tell you which companies these images represent, do I? You just know.

While we easily think of multi-million dollar corporations when we think of successful branding, we need to apply those same ideas, principles, and techniques to the freelance business we operate from a home office.

Why Should You Care About Branding Your Business?

Regardless of the freelance business you run—whether it’s writing, design, VA work, or something else—there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other business owners doing the same thing. It’s a crazy and competitive business environment.

Creating and communicating your unique brand identity sets you and your business apart from the competition, according to LeapZone Strategies. Discovering your brand message is not hard, but it does require intentional examination of what makes you different.

When crafting your message, consider what problems you solve, how your business makes life better, and how your clients benefit from what you offer.

Once you’ve answered some crucial questions about your identity, it’s time to work on messaging. What makes up your brand? Typically, you’ll want to name your business, choose a tagline, and design a logo.

Name Your Business

As a freelance business owner, you’ll need to come up with a name for your business. You’ll want to choose either your personal name or create a business name.

Freelance Folder outlines the pros and cons of using either a personal name or a business name for a freelance business. Sometimes using your personal name can be perceived as less professional, but sticking with your own name doesn’t lock you into a certain type or kind of business for the long haul.

Deciding on a business name, though, can be a long and complicated process, as you’ll want to find something that’s memorable and creative that is not being used. Once you do come up with a business name, however, it is the perfect vehicle for succinctly communicating the uniqueness of your offerings.

Weigh all the pros and cons of naming your freelance business, but most importantly, don’t let the process stall the actual work you want to do.

Choose A Tagline

A tagline is a catchy slogan that becomes a recognizable part of your overall brand message: “It’s everywhere you want to be” (Visa) and “Good to the last drop” (Maxwell House Coffee) have become synonymous with the brands they represent.

CrowdSpring offers many ideas for writing a memorable tagline to set your business apart from the competition. Many effective tagline characteristics may seem obvious: it should be unique, simple and concise.

But the most important characteristic that’s often overlooked or misunderstood is that your business tagline should focus on your audience, not your company.

As you consider your tagline, go back to those questions you answered initially to discover your identity. How does your business help your audience? Use that information to create a memorable tagline.

Design A Logo

A powerful tool for distinguishing your business from its competitors, your logo can speak volumes about your business using just an image and a few words.

“I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time,” said Blaise Pascal. This quotation captures the difficulty in producing something creative in tightly-defined parameters, which includes logo design. When working with a single image that is scalable from thumbnail to billboard-size, a couple of fonts, and one or two colors, the task becomes quite challenging.

Creating a truly professional logo is best left up to—well, the professionals. Smashing Magazine outlines ten common logo design mistakes to watch out for. Make sure your freelance business logo is simple, timeless, and unique and that it isn’t a copycat—whether intentional or unintentional—version of an existing logo.

Evaluate Your Brand

No matter how young or old your business (and your brand), it’s a good idea to keep a critical eye on your brand message and identity, revising and fine-tuning as necessary.

The calendar gives us natural breaks in our business routine to look over our business. As you make New Year’s Resolutions, celebrate your business’ anniversary, or as winter melts away, take inventory.

Spring cleaning your brand, according to Entrepreneur magazine, involves re-evaluating your audience (including a shift in the clients whom you do or don’t serve) and updating your offerings (including which offerings to promote more or drop).

Intentional branding is crucial to creating a successful freelance business. Capitalize on what distinguishes you from the pack through creative, memorable, and timeless brand messaging, and keep an eye on your brand, ready to adjust it as necessary in order to maximize profits.

9 Summer Writing Prompts for Kids

These writing prompts are great for before, during and after summer vacation. The first set is three writing ideas to get kids thinking about the school break, and also to remind them about how school ‘ain’t so bad’ after all!

The second set would be great to send home with kids for the summer. They are patriotic and themed for the 4th of July, and will help your students get at least a little bit of creative writing in over the summer months.

The third set is perfect for back-to-school and the first day of school, and even includes a page to get the children thinking about their goals for the new school year.

Summer Vacation Writing Ideas for the End of the School Year:

Writing Prompt: "This is what I would do on my perfect summer vacation"

Story Starter: "The three things I miss about school during the summer are"

Creative Writing Idea: "If summer vacation was only 2 weeks I would..."

4th of July / Independence Day Creative Writing Prompts:

Independence Day Writing Idea: "There were unicorns in our 4th of July parade and..."

4th of July Creative Writing: "If we had to watch fireworks under water..."

Patriotic Writing Exercise: "If I could give America a present on Independence Day, I would..."

End of Summer and Back to School Story Starters:

First Day of School Writing Idea: "I’m excited to be back at school because..."

New School Year Goals: "My new school year resolution is to..."

Back to School Story Starter: "The most interesting thing I did this summer was..."

Yep, that will do it

Even if you’re not a Kindle user, you can download and read the book online or through your smart phone.

A Conversation with Lain Ehmann: Online Business Success Stories (Nicole Dean’s Online Success Cast)

To that end I want to share with you five different, funky and easy jewelry tutorials I recently came across and immediately fell in love with.

Color Pop Necklace

Ornamentea has been one of my favorite crafting websites for years. It’s a jewelry supply website that also shares really cool jewelry-making tutorials. I can’t wait to try out their Color Pop Necklace tutorial, simply made out of felt balls and ribbon.  I love the combination of ribbon and felt, and the colors really do pop.  It’s so easy to make — I think you could actually throw it together before you head out for the evening.  Heck, I’d probably make one into a bracelet, too! For extra help be sure to watch the Color Pop Necklace video tutorial as well.

Parakeet Mirror Necklace

Now here’s where things get pretty funky.

Mitch L. in L.A. came up with a really ingenious way to create and personalize some bright, fun, summer jewelry — with parakeet mirrors.  Yes, I said parakeet mirrors!  Her clear and easy-to-follow tutorial will help you create a true fashion statement, quickly and inexpensively.  The possibilities are endless with this no muss, no fuss parakeet mirror tutorial to guide you.

Friendship Bracelet

And what would summer be without friendship bracelets?

Erin over at Thanks, I Made It shares with us her take on the Ariel Gordon-style friendship bracelet that’s been in the news lately.  All you need is a small bit of chain, some silk string, a clasp and some jump rings.  Did I say easy peasy? Love the colors, too.

Dangle Shell Bead Earrings

Now I’d be remiss if I didn’t include an earring tutorial, so here’s a great summery one — it’s made out of shell beads!

Amy over at Artsy Mama really hit a home run with these delicate dangle earrings.  They take only minutes to make and they look like a million bucks.  Not bad for some shell beads, ear wires, head pins and jump rings.  I’m not a big blue-lover, but I do have a huge stash of mother-of-pearl coin beads that would be perfect for this!  It’s all spelled out in her quick and easy dangle shell earring tutorial.

Crystal Bracelet

Last but not least I want to share with you a J-Crew-inspired crystal bracelet knock-off from A Splendid Assemblage.  I am all for sparkle.

Let’s face it.  Anytime we can make our own jewelry, versus paying exorbitant retail prices, it’s a win. And compared to J. Crew’s prices, this bracelet is quite inexpensive.  The crystal bracelet tutorial is easy to follow and will have you sparkling things up in no time.

I hope I managed to get your creative juices flowing.  I know mine certainly are!  Which one’s your favorite?  Do you have another great tutorial or jewelry-making website you’d like to share?

Keeping Working Your Business in the Summer

Direct sales takes a unique balance of working for the future and working for the now. If you look too far in advance you’ll sacrifice your current month. Take advantage of current customer and host promotions and events that may be ideal for gift giving. However if you don’t fill your calendar in advance then your future months will be unproductive. It’s a bit like having to pat your head and rub your belly at the same time. It can be done if you focus.

But… but… but…

Lots of excuses – right? “People are busy with end of school year events.”  “People are busy with graduations and showers.”  “People are busy with sporting events.” “People are busy enjoying the great outdoors.”  Yes, people are busy. Yet there’s always something that will occupy their time. It’s called life. We’re overworked, over-scheduled and over committed. Take those excuses and turn them into benefits.

1. People are busy with end of school year events. Hello… teacher appreciation gifts. Don’t forget the auxiliary teachers, assistants, office staff, student teachers, coaches, and others who have been engaged with your child all year long. Also, many teachers are on summer break. Perhaps they will want to become a consultant to supplement their income or finally have a chance to host a deck party for their friends.
2. People are busy with graduations and showers.  Perfect. What do you have that will make a great gift? Do you have a product that the Grad, Mom or Bride would love? Don’t forget Dads too, Father’s Day is the third Sunday in June in the U.S. If not for the honoree, what about for the host of the shindig? Mom always taught me never to go to a party empty handed. Flowers or a bottle of wine are common “Here-you-go,-host” gifts, though this year, take something appropriate from your own product line.
3. People are busy with sporting events. Soccer, baseball, t-ball, swimming, certainly – no shortage of practices and games to attend during the summer. As you’re sitting in the stands or your bag chair, bring catalogs to sticker/label or marketing collateral to put together recruiting packets or a bulk mailing. You can multitask; you’re a parent. You multitask all the time. Other parents may be curious what you’re doing and you’ll get work done at the same time.
4. People are busy enjoying the great outdoors.  Hold parties outside – at the beach, at the park, at the pool, or on the deck.  Or opt to do quick lunch time parties in the lunch room, conference room or break room. The hosts and guests will appreciate you honoring their busy schedule. They can brown bag it and eat while you give them a quick run-down of your products and opportunity.

Enjoy the summer. Keep working. Be creative. Remember sunscreen!

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a Michigan work from home mom and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping men and women start and maintain a home based business in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Ireland and the UK. To download a FREE Start Up Guide which provides more details about how to start a home business as well as to learn about our compensation plan go to http://www.thrivingcandlebusiness.com/how-to-start-a-candle-business/

Subscribe via iTunes

Our approach to podcasting is similar to the way television series are presented in ‘seasons’ and like many cable television programs, we’ve adopted a 12 episode season.

In this quick first episode you’re going to meet our first Round Table of Experts and learn what we’ll be discussing in this first season of the podcast.

• Susanne Myers of the HillBilly Housewife.
• Lain Ehmann of Crafting Your Biz.
• Nicole Dean of Nicole on the Net.
• David Perdew of MyNAMS.

You’re going to feel like you’re hanging out with friends, because that’s what we are!

Want to ask the Round Table a question?  Ask here.

Need to start building your list?  We recommend Aweber!

Artfire

Cool features include the ability to add an Artfire Kiosk to your Facebook page and increased flexibility when designing you Artfire store page.  They have included an Amazon payment option and buyers can add Artfire items to their Amazon Wishlist.

While some sites like Etsy charge per listing, Artfire offers a monthly subscription. This will save you money if your shop has a lot of items for sale.

Folksy

Folksy is a British website.  They currently only allow buyers and sellers located in the UK. They regularly feature designers and will mail a weekly gift guide to buyers.

There are useful business tools unique to Folksy, like Google Analytics integration and exporting data to Excel. This simplifies record keeping.

Sellers may choose between an item listing fee or yearly subscription. Either choice offers the same features.

DaWanda

Features particular to DaWanda are the ability to create categories for your product and to purchase and print vouchers, similar to gift certificates. They also feature special collections by theme.

DaWanda has no listing fee, but instead charges a 5% commission on all items sold. They also charge an extra fee for listing any item in a second category.

Zibbet

Zibbet makes importing from Artfire and Etsy available.  They offer business cards and up to 50 listings free of charge. You can link your worldwide domain name so that when customers click on your website, they will be automatically sent to your Zibbet page.

With a monthly or yearly subscription fee, you can also customize your store page, use their Facebook app, create multiple listings, offer coupons, and receive sale and gift exposure.

Supermarket

Supermarket is quite different than most other handmade marketing websites. They refer to themselves as a “curated collection of awesome design products”.

A designer interested in selling with Supermarket, must send them information describing who they are and what they  make, including photos. Supermarket will use this information to select their designers. Once chosen, designers are charged a commission every thirty days.

Choosing Your Marketing Website

These are only five of many websites to market your crafts. Go to each website and take a look around. Read about their features and fees. Each one offers advantages to help you grow and become a successful DIY business. With the right information, you can choose a website to market your handmade crafts that will best fit your needs and goals.

Here are some ideas to help you market your biz during the next few months:

Father’s Day – Father’s Day is just around the corner. Do you have any products that are targeted towards men? If not, can you create a limited edition product for Father’s Day? Try putting a masculine touch on your items by changing a color scheme or adding a few “retro” touches to one of your current products. But remember — many of the people who buy Father’s Day gifts are mothers, so you have to reach out to the mom market!

Americana – Have you been to any stores lately? They are already filled with red, white, and blue stuff. Americana-inspired items will remain popular throughout June and early July. Do you have anything that fits that description? Can you add some stars or stripes to something? If not, you can just borrow that lingo for your sale. You can have a “Stars & Stripes” sale without having any products that literally have stars and stripes on them!

Graduations – This is also the time of year when people are celebrating graduations.  Graduates fall into all age categories – from children “graduating” kindergarten or elementary school to teens graduating high school and adults of all ages graduating college. Many types of businesses can benefit from this using this theme. Do you make invitations? Try incorporating all types of graduations into your business. Do you make cool pillows or blankets? Market them as “dorm room staples.” Do you make planners? Market them as the must have accessory for young professionals starting their first post-college job. The ideas are endless!

This is part 1 of a 2 part post —For more marketing ideas, click here to read part 2

I’d like to thank Kelly for graciously hosting me, as a guest blogger, in celebration of the launch of my newest book, 21 Ways to Launch a Successful Virtual Book Tour.

In this blog post, I’d like to share with you one of “21 Ways” to launch a successful virtual book tour.

This tip comes from “Way #17: Participate in Audio Interviews”

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An author interview provides compelling content and helps you promote your book and brand.

Participating in audio interviews—or talking about your book over the air waves—is both a powerful way to create content and to provide a way for your audience to hear your voice and connect with you. In addition to your live audio interviews, the recordings can be made available for people to listen to.

Interview practice session

The best way to “get your feet wet” is to have someone you know interview you and record that session. Even though you can consider this to be a “practice” interview, treat it as if there are a hundred people on the line. This experience will prove to be invaluable because you can critique your own performance and it will provide you with an interview recording you can use as part of your virtual book tour.

Arrange for some of your tour hosts to interview you

In addition to your practice interview session, you may want to have some of your virtual book tour hosts interview you. Such opportunities will provide you with additional multimedia content and raise your level of credibility.

Prepare for your interviews

To prepare for your interviews, compose a list of the top ten questions your audience would most like to know about you, your book, or your topic. These items will serve as the foundation of your audio interviews.

Sample interview questions

In addition to the list of questions you’ve composed, here are some additional ideas:

For Fiction Books

• Who are the characters in the book?
• Why did you choose those particular characters?
• What is the premise of the story?

For Nonfiction Books

• How did you get interested in this topic?
• What would you like readers to walk away with after reading your book?
• Why did you decide to write a book on this topic?

Get ready to participate in an audio interview

While it’s on your mind, consider registering for a free conference calling service such as FreeConferenceCalling.com. Then open up your calendar and jot down a few possible recording dates. Next, reach out to a friend of colleague and schedule a time, where the two of you can meet via your conference call line, and record a practice interview.

This one activity can skyrocket your presence online and open up doors of opportunity for online speaking engagements. Imagine becoming a highly sought after speaker, for audiences who are hungry for the exact information you share in your book?

What excites you most about participating in audio interviews and/or what questions do you have on this topic. Scroll down to share your thoughts or questions in the comments section below.

This post is being written in honor of a virtual book tour celebrating the publication of my third print book. You can enjoy the festivities by joining us on the tour to 21 blogs, in honor of 21 Ways to Launch a Successful Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to access the virtual book tour schedule as well as a link to the book on Amazon. Thank you and enjoy!

D’vorah Lansky, M.Ed., is the author of 21 Ways to Launch a Successful Virtual Book Tour. Visit her book blog and check out the full schedule for the virtual book tour, celebrating the launch of this exciting new book: www.VirtualBookTour21Ways.com

D’vorah offers virtual book tour workshops and courses for authors, entrepreneurs, and virtual professionals. She has taught hundreds of people, across the globe, how to conduct successful virtual book tours. You can purchase her newest book on Amazon at: www.VirtualBookTour21Ways.com/amazon

How to Organize an Art Contest

There are a couple different ways you can do organize it. You could host a local art contest at your home or local property, with permission of the property owner of course.  You could also open it up online to accept electronic submissions.  Host a Sidewalk Chalk competition and/or other mediums such as print ads, murals or posters.

Then determine what age group for whom you want to open the contest. If your company offers scented stuffed animals you could select a younger starting age than you could if you sell jewelry that may be more enjoyed by tweens or tweens.

Next determine the criteria. Make sure the contestants include your company name, website address and perhaps a slogan or product image of their choosing that must be included in their artwork.

If doing a Sidewalk Chalk local contest, set a date, make sure there is plenty of sidewalk space, supply the chalk and pray for good weather.  Provide simple snacks, such as lemonade and popsicles for all artists and have something available for the taxi drivers, i.e. adults who may likely accompany the minor and possibly shop at your open house or catalog party while their little Picasso is working on the winning entry.

Take lots of photos of the event and post the results online.

You can make it as simple or as complex as you want. You can have random, non-partial judges pick a winner or you can have the contestants help spread the word online with a voting (most likes wins) option.  Grand Prize would be a prize package of your company products or a gift basket.  Runners up could also win something and all other participants receive either a sample or coupon or some token award for participating.

Let your imagination guide you on how elaborate and widespread you want to organize your Direct Sales Art Contest. I would encourage you to use the artists to help you spread the word about your business.  Be sure to come back and comment or send links if you hold an art contest for your business so we can help spread the word.

About the Author: Laurie Ayers is a Michigan work from home mom and a Superstar Director with Scentsy Wickless Candles. She enjoys helping men and women start and maintain a home based business in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Ireland and the UK. To download a FREE Start Up Guide which provides more details about how to start a home business as well as to learn about our compensation plan go to http://www.thrivingcandlebusiness.com/how-to-start-a-candle-business/

Mes Amis Vintage Antique Show, Roseville CA April 2013

1. Registration Deadlines

All craft shows have a limited number of selling spaces, so you must register in advance for your booth space.  You’ll need to beware, since registration deadlines usually come up way in advance of the actual show dates – sometimes as early as six months in advance.

Most shows have their own web page ripe for the googling, and it’s there you’ll find all their particulars, including registration deadlines.  If you’re having a hard time finding the registration information, check with the town’s Chamber of Commerce website.  Generally, town festival information can be found there.

2. Registration Savvy

Registering for a craft show entails more than just filling out a form.  You’ll need to decide on a few items first such as:

• What size space you’ll need; sizes usually offered are 10′x8′, 10′x10′ or sometimes 12′x12′
• Where you want your space located geographically within the event (indoors or out?)
• What day or days you want to participate — many require that you participate all days, but some events allow you to pick and choose certain days

3. Insurance

Some facilities/locales require that you purchase a certain amount of property and liability insurance before selling at their shows.  Some shows do provide overnight security for your merchandise.  However, it’s just plain smart to cover yourself in case of theft, liability  and/or damage to your goods.

There are commercial companies out there who offer this type of insurance at varying rates depending on what you need.  For example, you might choose to pay a lump-sum yearly fee, versus individual pay-as-you-go event fees.  It’s not uncommon to pay around $100.00 a day, or as much as $300.00 or more for a yearly policy.  If possible, talk to other vendors about how they handle it and be sure to shop around.

4. Bring A Friend

A silly as it sounds, you’ll need to bring a friend.  The friend  doesn’t  have to be an “employee,” however, they do need to be able-bodied and willing to help.  Neither merchandise nor money should ever be left unattended, so having a friend there to step in when you need a break will be helpful.

In addition, the acts of setting up and taking down your booth and all that entails will most likely require another body there to help.  Finally, some vendor contracts actually require that you work with a partner, for just those reasons.

5. What’s A Juried Show?

If a craft show is “juried,” it means that you are not guaranteed a spot at the fair.  To the contrary, a panel of judges will view your work and decide whether or not your craftsmanship has met their standards.  Be ready to submit photos of your merchandise and booth decorating style for consideration prior to the panel’s approval.

6. Fees

You’ll need to factor in those pesky fees.  The main fee will be for the actual space you’ll be taking up.  The bigger the space, the higher the fee.  Indoors will cost more than outdoors, and you’ll usually be asked to pay more for a corner space and/or a space with electricity.  And don’t forget to factor in the cost of gas to and from the show.

7.  Dress Rehearsal

If at all possible you should have a booth ”dress rehearsal” prior to the show.  You can do it in your garage or backyard, whatever works for you.  This way you’ll be able to get an idea of what works and what doesn’t from a set-up standpoint, and you’re sure to have your booth looking great come the big day.

8.  Tents

We’ve all been to craft fairs and seen what sometimes appear to be endless rows of tents.  Tents are important, for many reasons.

• They shelter you and your merchandise from the elements
• They afford you a creative opportunity to “decorate” and put your best “brand face” forward
• They can give the illusion of a brick-and-mortar store, or “boutique” atmosphere

Many different types of tents are available online at competitive prices, so be sure to buy the best quality tent you can afford.  You’ll be glad you did.

9. Credit Card Readers

Not all customers carry cash, so be prepared to accept credit card payment for your merchandise.  One fairly new and innovative way to do this is with a card reader.  Card readers are small, plastic devices that clip onto your smartphone and “read” the credit card, allowing you to process the transaction. Once you hook this free device up to your bank account electronically, all payments go directly into your account minus a small transaction fee.  Easy peasy.

10. Relax And Enjoy

Most crafters report high satisfaction after selling at shows, citing a strong sense of camaraderie and support between sellers.  They also cite a positive sense of satisfaction achieved from meeting and greeting their ”fans” face-to-face.  Try and have fun with it.

Are You Ready?

Be sure to keep these tips in mind before jumping into the crafting season. Start small, get your feet wet, and work your way up from there.  One craft show at a time.

You’ve set up your freelance business and you’re ready to take on the world.  A few referrals are coming in here and there.  Then things start getting really busy.

How do you keep track of what projects are active, who’s paid what, deadlines, status reports, delegated tasks…yikes!

Things can get out of control pretty quickly for a freelancer without a solid project management tool.

Choosing the Right Tool

There are quite a few project management tools out there but some of them are better than others when it comes to freelancers.  Some of the best project management tools right for freelance work are those that target smaller, micro organizations – i.e. you, you + one or more team member(s).

Anything too complex can get overwhelming and the goal is to keep things simple so you can focus on getting the work done.

Ask Good Questions

How do you know which tool is right for you?  Here are a few starter questions to get you going:

1. How many people will I need to collaborate with using the tool?
2. What type of projects will I manage within the tool?  All of them, or a select group?
3. What budget can I set aside monthly to pay for the tool?
4. What do I prefer to work with most – text, visual charts, spreadsheets?
5. How will the tool integrate with systems I already use – i.e. calendar, email, etc.?
6. Does this tool work on my computer platform – i.e. Mac or Windows?
7. As my business grows, will the tool expand with it or will I have to move all of my data somehow?  If I do have to move it, will it be easy or difficult?

10 Project Management Tools

I reached out through my social network to a group of freelancers to find their favorite picks.  We came up with this short list of 10 online project management tools along with brief descriptions:

• Wrike - This tool uses a social platform to monitor your team progress across all projects. Wrike has an interactive dashboard, microblogging, real-time activity streams and instant email notifications with both free and paid subscriptions.  
• LiquidPlanner - Professional online project management software with integrated features for scheduling, collaboration, time tracking, analysis and reporting.  Has easy to use, drag and drop tasks capability.
• Dooster.net - This is a pretty neat task & project management app with a user-friendly interface if you’re not a real “techie”.  Has a dashboard where you can see everything that’s going on, organized by priority.
• Basecamp - A very popular tool for freelancers, Basecamp probably has the most tenure of all the tools on this list. It shows tasks, stores files, tracks deadlines, and more. Recently, it’s become more mobile friendly which will be an advantage to freelancers who prefer to manage from an iOs or Android device.
• WorkEtc - This one is a pretty comprehensive service and it may be a bit hefty for a freelancer without a team.  Check out the “all-in-one” concept they’ve put together – everything from tracking billable time and managing customer support to marketing and invoicing.
• Daylite by MarketCircle - Note: this project management tool is for Mac, iPhone & iPad users. It lets you quickly review your phone calls, emails, notes, or meetings based on contacts in your database.
• SUBERNOVA - Installed with the Adobe Air platform, SUBERNOVA (yes, that’s not me yelling; they usually spell it all in caps) lets you create invoices, schedule emails to clients, synchronize tasks with your calendar, and more.  Another one good for multiple platforms – desktop and mobile devices.
• Insightly - One of my personal favorites, this tool integrates easily with Gmail and Google Apps.  Looks similar in some ways to Basecamp but a bit more user-friendly and simplistic on the surface.  Great for keeping up with customer contacts over email.
• ThriveSolo - This is in beta currently so you need to sign up for approval to participate, however, the initial version has a very simple platform and covers the basic well for solo freelancers without a team, tracking things like time worked on a project, and budget for resources.
• Apptivo - Good tool for small teams, this project management tool will track time and help you categorize what’s billable.  You can also set up invoices to your clients by integrating with PayPal, Authorize.net, and more.

As you’re considering the best project management tool for you, there will be other questions you’ll probably add to the starter list above.

Here’s a couple of suggestions: write out your list of “must-haves”, then make up a chart to compare your top 3 picks.  Once you have them, evaluate which ones best fit your needs using a trial (most of these will at least give you a 10 day or more trial version to see how it works for you).

The most important thing is to pick a project management tool that helps make your life easier.

Happy hunting!

A serious student who tried hard to ensure a successful career based on academic success, I was offended that my resume might not matter to a future employer.

I can’t speak for every industry and profession, but I do know that when it comes to operating a successful freelance business, it really is all about who you know. Finding potential clients, winning them, and keeping them are simply not possible unless you have a well-established and healthy network of relationships.

A Freelancer’s Relationships Are The Lifeblood Of Future Work

Relationships give you:

• Future clients – Acquaintances, colleagues, friends, and relatives may very well become your next paying clients.
• Referrals – Those who know you and the quality of your work will confidently refer you to their network, bringing you new customers.
• Testimonials – Satisfied clients’ heartfelt recommendations serve as a stamp of approval for the potential customer who may be on the fence about hiring you or buying your product.

Make New Friends, But Keep The Old

Did you happen to sing the song, “Make New Friends,” as a Girl Scout? I did. And its advice is just as pertinent to business-building as it is to any other relationship in life.

Online

Today’s social media tools make finding new friends incredibly easy—and sometimes overwhelming. Instead of going for quantity, focus on quality. Strong bonds with select leaders in your niche will have the most lasting impact on your business and your growth as a freelancer.

• Target key influencers within your key market. Concentrate on getting to know them, which is impossible by just casually glancing at their feeds. Interact with them and consume their products.
• Identify one or two online professionals with mentoring or training materials. Become a student of theirs. Learn the way they work a business and put their principles into practice.
• Once you’re “on their radar” and you’ve had some meaningful interactions, ask for a Q&A blog interview or audio interview. Promote the interview like crazy, and then make it available to them for their use afterwards—with no restrictions or conditions.

Offline

If your prospect list has grown cold, it’s time to speak up about your business in all the social situations you encounter daily.

• Call former bosses, colleagues, and co-workers. Let them know what you’re doing now and ask them to keep you in mind for any freelance projects.
• Talk to your friends and relatives. Remind the gals from Bunco night and Aunt Margaret exactly what you do. You don’t have to be pushy, just offer a simple, “Yea, I’d love to add a few more clients to my queue. Let me know if you know of anyone.” (I landed a client after talking with him at our church small group one Sunday night. I mentioned the type of work I did, and he had a need I could fill.)
• Locate a few local business owners within your niche and create a face-to-face group that meets on a regular basis. You can offer one another encouragement, new business ideas, and troubleshooting techniques. I’ve been a member of a group of Nashville women bloggers for about five years. We get together for coffee a few times a year and help one another with blogging questions. Between face-to-face meetings, we offer support through a Facebook group. Inevitably, members post job leads in the group a couple of times each month.
• Treat a mentor to lunch or coffee. Find someone in your area who is excelling in your niche. Offer to buy them a meal if they’ll answer your questions for one hour. Most people are flattered to be asked and will eagerly trade their expertise for a sandwich. Follow up with a thank you note and check in with them periodically as you grow your business.

My own freelance career started as the result of a relationship. I was working full-time as an editor at a publishing house when I became pregnant with my first child.  Just before my third trimester of pregnancy, I quit my job to get ready for motherhood. On my last day of full-time work, my boss said to me, “Let us know when you’re ready to work again. We’ll have some freelance projects we’d love to hire you to do!”

That relationship with my former employer was begun more than ten years ago, and his company is still one of my regular clients. (In fact, I have an assignment due to them in two weeks!)

Devote time in your business to intentional relationship building, and you’ll reap the benefits for years to come.

These printable Mother’s Day poems for kids would make great reading practice, and also double as Mother’s Day coloring pages.

Mother's Day Kids Poem - Mother's Day Game

Mother's Day Kids Poem - Mom Always Knows

For younger children, check out these zoo babies and mamas coloring pages!

Crafting can be a great source of income.  If you feel you’re ready to turn you hobby into a money-making venture, there are several ways by which you may go about it.  You can start small and test the waters with only one method, or jump in with both feet and do them all!

Sell Directly From Your Home

An easy way to start is with friends and family.   Give them free items in exchange for spreading the word.  Don’t forget teachers, doctor’s offices, clubs or parents from your child’s various activities.

Print business cards at home with your business name, phone number and/or email. These will also double nicely as tags.   Give extras to friends and customers requesting they hand them out to anybody interested in you creations.

Donate to giveaways and raffles held by local schools, churches, sports organizations, nonprofits and churches.  Be sure to include one of those business cards with your donation and provide plenty of extras to be given to everyone who falls in love with your amazing work!

Sell At Craft Shows

Craft shows and street fairs are popular and held year round, especially during holidays because many people love to give a more personal handmade gift, but lack the time or talent to make it themselves.  Check with local churches, business associations and artisan groups for dates and costs to participate.

Other events such as car shows, home shows and county fairs may be a good venue for you to sell your craft.  Contact your local Chamber of Commerce to get a calendar of events held in your community.

The costs for booth space vary.  Some are free and only ask for a percentage of sales, while others will charge a flat fee.  This fee can be small or very large.

When choosing which shows to participate in, be sure to consider the popularity and location of an event.  Ask other vendors who have participated before how successful the show was for them.  Consider whether a particular show will attract your target customer.  Consider your audience when choosing what you will sell at each particular show.

Make sure you are handing out those business cards.  You can also print up a list of upcoming events where you will be selling to hand out as people browse your booth.  Team up with another vendor or crafter that sells complimentary items and trade business cards to hand out to customers.

Don’t be discouraged if your first show isn’t as successful as you had hoped.  Use it as a learning experience to discover what works and doesn’t work for your next show. .

Sell Online

An easy way to start selling on line is to create a Fan Page on Facebook.  You can post photos and sell directly from there.

Etsy , Kollabora and Zibbet are popular sites for selling handmade items online.  Create a virtual storefront in these communities dedicated specifically to selling and promoting handmade items.

Finally, create your own website.  Maintaining your own website can be time consuming but you will have more control over the overall format and design.  Vistaprint, Weebly and Shoppe Pro are website hosting sites which make this process simple.  They can offer both paid and free subscriptions.

To greatly increase your customer base, use the various modes of social media to make presence known.   Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and blogs are great tools for marketing your craft business online.

Sell in Stores

Selling opportunities often overlooked by the small craft business are boutique and specialty stores.  Look for stores that fit in with the craft you are selling.  You will have better luck convincing them to carry your items and the customer will more likely be interested in purchasing what you’ve made.

For example, if you are selling children’s clothing, check with local children’s clothing boutiques.  Ask the owners if you may place a small quantity of your clothing in their stores.  This would work for other items like hair bows, whimsical artwork and child themed home goods. Offer them a percentage of your sales in return.  If sales are successful and they like your product, the stores may agree to just purchase from you at wholesale.

Consignment stores also take in a variety of items.  There are clothing consignments as well as general merchandise stores that offer a lot of flexibility in the items that may be sold on consignment.

Choose What Fits Your Lifestyle and Goals.

Combine a variety of methods to grow your business and gain a even wider customer base.  Utilizing all four will certainly give you the best income opportunities.  Learn what it takes to be successful in each and you will be on your way to becoming a money making crafter!

The first week of April I was putting things into boxes and moving them from one place to another place. The next week, I was unpacking boxes and trying to find new places to put the things I was unpacking.

Then, I had to bust my butt during the third and fourth weeks of April to get a bunch of work done, since I spent so much of the first two weeks packing and unpacking.

Moving can really suck the life out of you.

Getting used to a new place can be difficult, too. It took a little bit for my new place to feel like my place. But I am now settling in and starting to feel like a person again.

I spent a lot of time listening to podcasts while I was packing and unpacking.

I’m not sure if you know this, but Kelly McCausey, the owner of Sparkplugging and CraftBoom is a podcasting veteran. I started listening to her back in 2006! Her podcast is called SoloSmarts and is for the home based SoloPreneur, which I’m sure many of you are. Click here to subscribe in iTunes.

I just recently discovered the Young Female Entrepreneurs podcast and I’m loving it. This one is targeted specifically to women in their 20s and 30s. There’s a broad range of information and guests, with most of them being young female entrepreneurs themselves. I get a lot of inspiration out of hearing their stories! Click here to subscribe in iTunes.

I also have a podcast (The IndieBizChicks Podcast) – but I admit, it’s taken a back seat for most of the past year. I am planning on making it more regular and less sporadic. In the meantime, you can still listen to all the back episodes – and I must say, I’ve had some great guests! Click here to subscribe in iTunes.

Everyone who wants to offers a full price product at a sample price rate, just $7.

We put the deals behind a simple registration page, then we all collectively drive traffic to register and browse the deals.

If you go there now you’ll find deals for:

• Ghostwriting & Ghostblogging
• Graphic Design
• Memberships & Info Products
• WordPress Helps & Plugins
• VA Assistance
• And much more… there are 35+ deals available as of this morning.

Why offer full price products for such a low price?

The strategy behind the madness is that while we’re giving a full meal for the cost of a small taste, we’re building our customer lists and expanding our reach.

Naturally, we plan to impress and win your repeat business

Register to check out the deals here.

Each May, the members of the online mastermind group that I belong to ( Solo Masterminds)  join together to offer awesome prices on their products. The sale starts today – and lasts through the 15th!

Each deal is priced at $7. Click Here to see all of the deals. (I grabbed about 4 or 5 of the deals last year, and I can’t wait to see what’s being offered this year!)

By the way – my special deal for May Madness is a complete June Marketing plan for only $7.

It includes 30 pre-written social media updates, a pre-written newsletter, 10 blog post ideas and 5 promotion ideas.

Click Here to get the June Marketing Plan for only $7