Wrapping up 2008/Sarting Fresh 2009

Like most of you, it is time to wrap up 2008 by doing year end chores and preparing for 2009.

I have spent the last week or so catching up my bookeeping data entry. I still have to do my inventory in order to be ready for taxes, just waiting for husbands w-2 to start filing.I have been careful to take every deduction that I can legally take. If you have a home office(as defined by the IRS) then you can take a % of your rent/mortgage and utilities, you can claim a % of your phone,cell phone,and internet service depending on % of time you use it for business.You can claim selling fees(craft shows,etsy,paypal,etc),supplies and equipment. The huge one is car mileage.As with all deductions,you must have documentation in case you are audited. I keep a small notebook in my car to note date,purpose,starting mileage,ending mileage, and total mileage.Check the IRS for all of the reasons you can claim mileage.

I will be using Tax Act again this year. It is not near as expensive as some of the popular software. There was on I checked on that was as expensive as having an account do it. Also time to do the 4th Qtr sales tax payment.

I have already added a new worksheet to my Excel files for 2009 expenses,Income,Medical expenses, and car mileage.I have always used the 2 envelope method of reciept control.
I have one envelope(6x9"clasp) for income statements and reciepts, and 1(9x12"clasp) to file
expenses reciepts. At the end of the month, I do my data entry into Excel, then file the envelopes in a folder(2008) in my file box.I am done with those-but have to keep records for a minimum of 7 years.My Excel files are set up to give a running total for each catagory.

Since I do alot of craft shows, I have started a list of the shows that I would like to attend this year with dates, deadlines, cost of show, contact info,etc.

Here is wishing you a healthy and prosperous new year to you all.


Colleen Mills

Fell out of the habit

Hi everyone,

Sorry that I kind of fell out of the habit of blogging. That's what I get for getting lazy.My new resolution is to blog at least once a week, and schedule the time to do the work.

I just read the blog of TimothyAdamDesigns.etsy.com He had posted a really cool tutorial for
socialmarker.com and the ways he is increasing his online presence. I figure if it works for him and his huge sales numbers, it "could" work for me too. I spent yesterday signing up for as many bookmarking sites as I could and adding content from my etsy shop. I have added my shop name,each section of my shop and every item that is for sale. I still have more sites to sign up for so that I can get my name"out there" in any way that I can.

The next blogging topic will be "Wrapping up 2008 and starting 2009".

Offline Marketing

I have found that online marketing can only get you so far, and you have to develop offline marketing oppotunities as well. Since what I do is custom embroidery(and sell some items on the side) I knew that I needed to find local customers. I found a book called Guerrilla Marketing by
Jay Conrad Levinson, which is a method of marketing on a shoestring. Many of the marketing methods cost nothing but your time. Another thing he speaks about is people do not allow enough time to see if their advertising works. Most small businesses will place an ad, then decide they had no response and stop. What they should be doing is placing those ads multiple times to truely check the effect of the ad.

Here is my list of Guerrilla Marketing methods:

**Craft Shows-even if I don't sell a thing, I get names,addresses and phone numbers of people I talk to about custom work. I contact them just a few days after the show to jog their memories.

**Fliers on local bulletin boards-any where there is a posting board,stick up a flier. Grocery stores,coin laundries, colleges, etc. The name of the game is to "get your name out there".

** Ad listings on craigslist.com- if you do this, do NOT place a link to your online store.It will be flagged almost immediately and removed. Place the ad for your item or service and at the end,
tell them for more information to contact you. Once the do-then you can give the link to your website or store.

**Ad listings in your local newspaper- I place small ads in my small town newspaper(weekly)
sometimes a couple of times a month. Several months ago,the ad manager asked me if I could do
some shirts for his family reunion. Of course. Well that conversation earned me a sale as well as a feature artical about my business. Get to know your newspaper staff.

**Cooperative Marketing- This type of marketing can be several shops doing promo swaps for goodie bags, or a group going tpgether to share the cost of placing ads. Both of these methods have worked for me.

**Do trade shows-even though they are the most expensive of the in person marketing methods, they also get the most foot traffic and people are primed to hear what you have to say.
I figure that all of the money I save by doing cheap or free advertising-that allows me to do 1 big trade show a year. Wether it is a woman's show, toys for big boys, or the annual christmas extravaganza, do one that fits your targeted audience.

There are afew things that I will be trying in the next month or two to see what the responce is.
I will be trying out Little Black Boxes as a contributer in November and possibly December.
My other try out will be the Holiday Hotness Bazaar as a goodie bag contributer. Both of these
options put your promo items in hundreds of hands.
Give Guerrilla Marketing a try,but do it the right way. No fair doing hit and runs by leaving your business cards everywhere so that they are percieved as litter.

Etsy-A Global Market

I have been searching long and hard for etsy shops that personify the Global Market theme, and here a few I found.

http://threekissesxxx.etsy.com/ is from Slovakia and makes some really nice jewelry. Even though I don't wear decorative jewelry pieces, this is something I would consider.

http://mustlovehomedecor.etsy.com/ is from the US and has some wonderful decorator pillows.
If your style is a bit traditional with a twist of cool, then you need to check out this shop. I am thinking of dressing up my rather boring taupe sofa.

http://meplusmolly.etsy.com/ is from the UK and does some really unique OOAK purses.


As you can see, etsy truly is a global market, and you will never know when or were you will find that next "it thing". I decided a few weeks ago to make the plunge and join the etsy international set. I purchased a good quality postal scale(it arrived yesterday) and I visited the post office to ask questions and pick up a quantity of customs forms. Since I just redid my shop photos, I hope to get the new international shipping on my shop soon. I have wanted to do this since I opened my shop earlier this year, but was so afraid of doing anything that I could label as risky.
But, after reading all of the threads in the etsy forums about international shipping, I decided that I COULD do this too. I will write more when I actually have some experience shipping international.

Ad Specific Codes-

How many of you advertise in a random manner with no plan?? OK hands up. Hhmmm, well
you may as well flush your money down the toilet. When you advertise, anywhere, in any way, you have to be able to tell the difference between a method that brings in views and most of all sales, or one who has done nothing but lay there. The answer to this dilema is to use ad codes.
Each bit of advertising you do needs to have a unique code attached to it so you can track the results. Since I started doing this, I am not wasting my time or meger funds on something that is proven not to work. Most etsyians don't have much money to spend promoting their shops,and so are looking for sources that just takes time and ingenuity to accomplish their goals.

Here are a couple examples form my last few promotions.

justamy goodie bags 0001
Little Black Boxes-November 2008 LBB1108
Holiday Hotness Bazaar HHB001
Fliers in my local chain grocery stores D#21-001
Ad in my local business newpaper DR-001

Get the idea? Of course you will have to set up an excel file or otherrecord keeping file and track how each method worked. Everytime I get an inquiry about my work, I always ask how they found me. I look back at my records and see that she saw me at a craft show in May. Yes, I have ad codes for craft shows as well.
Give it a try and I think you will soon be able to refine your advertiseing to what works and quit wasting time that we are better able to use creating.

Promotional Opportunities-Cooperative Marketing

As we speak, I am working hard on making my current promos for several opportunities that are comming up in November. Luckily I have completed the bulk of my special orders so I can continue stitching my little lace angels.
These little angels are make with a technique called free standing lace or FSL. They are embroidered on a water soluable material, so that when they are rinsed the lace appears. Right now I have over 80 different angel patterns.


#1 I was selected to participate in the Little Black Boxes promotion. I am really excited about this one as it gets the promos of etsy shop owners into the hands of potential customers.
Contact: kim@thelittleblackboxes.com


#2 I sent 30+ promos to Always Amy. She is preparing a truckload of goodie bags that she is delivering all over her town. So far she has delivered to all the ladies at her bank and next are the teachers at the school where her husband works.
Contact: http://alwaysamy.etsy.com/


#3 Another opportunity that you may be interested in is the Holiday Hottness Bazaar that will be held in LA on November 8th. Springcart is also doing goodie bags that will be given away to the first 100 attendees. If I can get enough promos ready, I will be participating in this one as well.
Contact: info@springcartdesigns.com


I hope that you will look for other cooperative marketing opportunities to participate in. This is just one of many Guirilla Marketing methods that I use to promote my etsy shop. Tomorrow I am going to go further into Guirilla Warfare.

Brand New Blog

This is my first entry on my brand new blog. I named it Etsyland because that will be the main information that will be here. I would like to promote etsy in general and the artists shops that I find online, and marketing ideas for promoting our etsy shops.
Let me introduce myself. I am Colleen Mills, the owner and head embroiderer of
C&S Embroidery and Gifts. I have some rather unique embroidered clocks, but also do commissioned special orders for Shirts and aprons for individuals, organizations,and small businesses. I have done bowling shirts for our local Shrine lodge, T-shirts and smocks for a pet groomer, polo shirts for a Masonic lodge for their line officers, as well as my own polos that I wear everyday when I leave the house. It is amazing how many people notice them and comment,which leave an excellent opening to hand out business cards.
I hope you all will join me in promoting all of my friend that have etsy shops, and maybe promote yourself as well.