ZestyBetsy

Alright. Then there is the other interesting/fun/environmentally responsible stuff you wanted to save to use "someday," things like blank cards, scrap paper, cardboard boxes, gift boxes, jewelry boxes, screws, elastic bands, envelops, free mailing labels, stickers, note paper, stationary sets, calendars, paper bags, tissue paper, gift wrap (new & used), etc, etc, etc.

My suggestion for this stuff ~ give yourself a limit. A drawer of this at your desk and a box, maybe, of that. If you can’t fit it in the box, drawer, by the phone what ever you designate as reasonable ~ bring it to a school, charity, church rummage, or yard sale. Post it to your local FreeCycle, Criag’s List, or open a shop on eBay if you’re really over~run or people keep sending you the same stuff you’ll never have enough time in your lifetime to use.

Posted by Betsy at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Some things I learned this weekend, will make me set some goals for managing details, and simplifying maybe, perhaps even for, well, being more thoughtful...

Organization ~ paperwork specifically.
While important, day to day, for finding items easily & putting things away and keeping the fluttering of receipts from taking over the living room, organizing your things so that OTHER people can tell what is important to you and important to keep legally is super duper ... important - OK some things are easy and many people will save aside…
Papers like: dollar bills, current year financials, last year financials even, an address book ~ even an old one, photos, passport, SS card, official certificates, people will generally know you might like to keep them. And so should you right? arrgh SO WHAT the hell?!? you shouldn't wrap it with elastic & toss it all together in a box.
Really - you want to jet set off to Polynesia for the weekend - you need that passport at your fingertips. It’s no damm fun if you have to spend a couple hours searching for it.... ok, OK so use your desk, buy a file cabinet, boxes or paper tote & put them away. The certified docs, or very sensitive info ~ Get a fire proof box for them ~ leave copies of them with your family or other place that’s not at home, but locking them up is a better way to protect them than "hiding" them in with the other categories (aka TRASH!)

You bet I have more to say about it...

Posted by Betsy at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ran across the SBA site today & noticed they have free classes. A few are beyond my scope ~ like How to Export is directed at large scale, not the one-by-one exporting of OOAK items I do ~ but it is interesting as a glimpse into some of the details I might need if I get that big!

The marketing and business plan topics are worth the 30 minutes.

Posted by Betsy at 04:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday I was pretty ecstatic about feedback ~ on the shop & in an email from a customer ~ that she appreciated the care I took in my packaging & presentation even from my junque shop. Wow, that can be a rush. It's a funny lesson to me too, because one positive complement means that every other customer will continue to benefit, since I'll continue the practices. I'll remember this in my feedback in the future, but point it out for others too ~ comments on a blog, articulate feedback, and comments about what went well can go a long way to encouraging a person.

But I was def grumpy today about a not sale in the junque shop I have - ZestyBeads.etsy.com - not just that you might buy something & not pay; but that you don't buy something in order to ask for a "bulk discount" quot. Then send a kiss & make up request, after the transaction is canceled. Makes me very upset to be put in such an uncomfortable position, several times by just one transaction.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. oh no

Posted by Betsy at 04:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There are interesting different, new, places where one can list handcrafted (or not) items popping up all over the place. So I wonder what it looks like to list in Euros

Sacred Geometries Gold and Sterling earrings at 99USD - are less than 70EUR (67.8) according to XE.com
and 99 U.S. dollars = 68.1114551 Euros according to Google's built in conversion tools

I'm thinking that looks pretty good, so I'm off to investigate PayPal & payment options.

Posted by Betsy at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Have been reaching back to my expensive schooling to think about the business aspects of the business; the past few weeks I've been dreading, but planning for taxes and reading and mulling over the marketing agenda for the next 10 months.

The first small change is to figure out how to leverage my supply selling shop more effectively. I already include business cards in each order; but I may start including a coupon or reference coupon to the jewelry shop in each supply order.

Posted by Betsy at 05:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)