Showing posts with label business topics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business topics. Show all posts

Business Topics: Showing God's love in your packaging
by Cathryn of EdenPottery

Photo by Cathryn. Used with permission.

In today's age of expanded technology where the only communication with your customer is usually an automated response email, it's hard to find ways as a Christian artist to show God's love. When I started my business, a couple of years ago, my goal was not only to sell quality pottery but also to plant that little seed in every person that clicked on my website. Since most customers zoom in on that one item they love in your shop, some times they miss the message.

So in hopes of getting in the last word, I found these great labels that have scripture verses written on them. I wrap up my pieces in bubble wrap and I stick on one of these great tiny excerpts from the best selling book of all time with a prayer that the receiver has an open heart. These labels have been replaced on Current Catalog with new ones written about friendship. But who says you can't create your own? The Bible verse that touches your heart might just change the life of one of you customers. And now you have another reason to believe that every one of your sales is more precious than what it puts into your bank account!

Thanks,
Cathryn

by Cathryn of EdenPottery



8:41 AM | Category: , , , , , , , , | 16 comments

Business Topics: Using a White Board
by Kelly from SewEndless


I have been asked to share a very useful tool in my sewing room: My white board.

On my white board is a list of my orders. I bought dry erase markers in different colors with magnets on the caps so I can hang them right on the board (if it’s not too full). My orders are in black with potential orders and orders for which I need for information in purple. In green is a “shopping list” at the bottom. It tells me how much I need of my staple fabrics so I don’t have to calculate it every time. When I get really busy I draw lines between orders to represent how many I plan to finish in a week. If there are three green lines, that means I’m 4 weeks out.

When I finish an order I erase it from the top and move everything up if I need to make room. Each order has the name of the item(s), the name of the buyer and any special measurements, colors or notes.

My white board hangs on the wall right next to my cutting desk. From anywhere in my sewing room, I can check to see how many orders I have. If someone asks about how long an order will take, I can look at my white board and give them an approximate time. Or realize I had better pick up the pace.

Next to my white board is a calendar that will soon be the home of my production schedule. Now that I have almost 3 years under my belt, I’m going to sit down and write up a production schedule to give myself deadlines since I seem to work better that way. My schedule will consist of dates for seasonal items. For example, I know that I need to have my children’s school/book bags done by the time school shopping season hits, which is from the first week of July to the second week of August. So I will write down June 30 as my deadline for school bags.



by Kelly from SewEndless

Ruffled Handbag Purse Tropical Floral

9:03 AM | Category: , , , , , | 12 comments

What is a BNS? and FAQ
by Crystal of krafterscorner

BNS stands for "buy and stay." It is an Etsy treasury that is set up with 15 or 16 shops that have purchased a spot where they are featured. When you buy from a shop in the treasury, you take their place in the next round. You are not guaranteed a sale, but it is good for shop publicity. In the CAST BNS you do not have to purchase the featured item, it can be any item from the featured shop.

CAST BNS

If I buy in, when will I be featured?

Once a full round of 15 sales are made.

Am I guaranteed a sale?

No, not every shop makes a sale in every round.

How do I profit from it?
 
Your shop is featured until we make 15 sales. It is good exposure for your shop. In the CAST BNS, we do not have a minimum purchase price, so you could buy a $1 item and make a $10 sale.

Am I required to offer a coupon code if I am featured?

No, but it is encouraged. Buyers expect to receive a discount for buying through a BNS.


Why does the title change? 

A running tally is kept for each round, the title of the BNS will always say the total sales number and spots left for this round 

Why is it sometimes open and sometimes closed?

The BNS is only open when one of the curators can be present to run it. If you are interested in helping out with the CAST blog, contact Crystal.

How long will it last?

It will last as long as the curators keep it going.

I've also heard of a BNR. What is that?

BNR stands for "buy and replace."  In a BNR you buy into it and replace the person you purchased from. In turn you are replaced as soon as someone buys from you. You can be bought out immediately or not at all.

Are all BNSs and BNRs the same?  

No. The curators make specific rules which should be stated in the opening comments. They can be very different.

If you have other questions, please ask them in the comments of this post or ask in our CAST chat thread and someone will answer them.

Thanks!
by Crystal of krafterscorner

Hand Punched Hearts Die Cut Pink and Purple Checkered Print

8:11 AM | Category: , , , , | 13 comments

Business Topic: Add a Favicon to Your Blogger Blog

Favicon?  What is a favicon?

Favicon is short for favorites icon.  If you are using certain browsers such as Firefox or Chrome, you will see tiny 16x16 pixel images or icons on your tabs, next to the url and on your favorites list if those sites happen to use a favicon. If you are using Internet Explorer as your browser or are on an iPad or another device you won't see them.

I have added a favicon to our CAST blog that is a dark green "C" on white.  Etsy uses a white "E" on a orangey-red field. Facebook uses an offset "f" on a dark blue field. For my own website and blog I use a "S" in soft blue on a soft green field. Other sites use small pictures or logos. Any tiny image that identifies the company will do.

favicons on tabs in Firefox

It used to be a daunting task to add a favicon to a blog which involved creating a special icon graphics file type (.ico) and adding html coding to the root template of the blog.  Now Blogger has made it very easy. Now all you do is create an image file (.jpg will do nicely) and upload it to your design page on Blogger.

Blogger "design" page
You'll want to create a file that is square and small as it will shrink down to 16x16 pixels. And you'll want to create something that is very readable at that tiny size and fits with your image branding. Any graphics software will let you make a simple text image like I have done and save it as a .jpg file.

If you search for favicon creator you'll come up with a host of free sites you can use to design a favicon pixel by pixel if you wish. I think they are sort of like the software you would use to design a cross-stitch pattern square by square and are fun to play with. They will create a .ico file which you will have to convert to .jpg for Blogger, but save the .ico file if you have a website you wish to use it on as well.

Be warned that your favicon may not show up immediately on tabs or favorites lists.  Mine took 3-4 days to appear. If you want it immediately I think you have to do things like clearing cookies and other techie gobbly-gook I don't now how to do (maybe you do). You will also have to sign out of Google and then sign back in.  You may have to exit your browser and restart your computer. If it is showing up on your design page it should appear eventually.

If you give it a try, come back here and comment and leave a link for us to look at!

by Sue of SueRunyonDesigns
8:53 AM | Category: , , , , , , | 2 comments

A Little Help: Adventures in Avatars
by Angel of bamcraftymommas

 I get by with a little help from my friends. You know how sometimes you try to figure 
something out for so long and you just can't get the look that you want? That is how I was feeling about our shop avatar. I wanted it to be cute and fun and unique while showing the feel of our shop and I was just not succeeding.

Here is where it is totally awesome to be CAST team member. While I tried different ideas my fellow members gave me advice and help which I was so grateful for. I still for some reason was not able to get the look I was after

I had previously been using a photo of one of our scrapbooks but it just was not right.
 So then I tried using a photo of a sign I had made to use at shows.
I then realized that our avi should be one of our chalkboard mats.  I tried taking photos of what I was looking for but it was just not photographing well, probably user error.
The amazing and talented Sheila of sewfaithful totally swooped in to my rescue. In a matter of minutes she was able to get the exact look I had in mind and that is avatar we are now using.

It is great to have talented friends who are so willing to share their gifts with me, I am so blessed.
Angel

Thanks so much, Angel, for being a Guest Blogger.  We love Guest Bloggers. If you have an idea for a blog post for the CAST blog contact Sue at SueRunyonDesigns. 

8:16 AM | Category: , , , , , , | 9 comments