Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Last Minute Christmas Gifts can be Tasty!
If you've just about run out of time for getting your Christmas gifts created, don't lose hope. I found a great source online for the perfect chocolate goodies to stuff into your Christmas gift baskets, goodie bags, and stocking stuffers. These chocolates are high quality, delicious and well priced for the holidays. Plus, if you order now, you can still have them shipped before Christmas.
Chocolate makes a great creative goodie in your homemade designer boxes and tailor-made Christmas gift bags. Chocolates are a great treat for your business partners, personal family members and/or friends. Nothing brings a smile during the holiday season like chocolate does. Has anyone else noticed that?
Chocolate makes a great creative goodie in your homemade designer boxes and tailor-made Christmas gift bags. Chocolates are a great treat for your business partners, personal family members and/or friends. Nothing brings a smile during the holiday season like chocolate does. Has anyone else noticed that?
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Christmas Party Games and Decorations
During Christmas, creative crafts people enjoy making fun decorations to add a sense of festivity to their homes. A personal touch is always wonderful, but I've also discovered when you're short on time, finding a quality source online for Christmas decorations is a plus.Besides attractive Christmas decorations, some of the best Christmas parties with friends and family include Christmas party games for people of all ages.
When our family gets together for the holidays, we always hang some Christmas decorations on the tree and play Christmas party games. These games can vary from year to year, but once again, finding a place online for last minute Christmas party games is smart. New ideas for new games are important to keep things fresh and fun each year.
May all of you have a very Merry Christmas this year!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
A Creative Christmas Gift: Homemade Winter Holiday Calendars
For a great holiday present this Christmas, consider taking some of your best photographs and making "paintings" of them in Photoshop and creating a winter holiday calendar for friends and family on your Christmas list. More here.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Holiday Traditions and Crafts Include Popcorn
It seems every holiday brings with it a specialty foods, and Christmas is the perfect time for holiday popcorn especially if it comes in pretty popcorn tins or popcorn baskets. These add a festive ambiance to gift giving, allowing the recipient to reuse the tins and baskets for crafts or other uses.Growing up, I always enjoyed the scent of fresh popcorn right out of a popcorn tin. The crunch, the taste, and the satisfaction that come from having popcorn as a snack or even a meal can’t be matched. From movie watching, to reading a good book, nothing goes better with your favorite pastime like popcorn.
Popcorn is also used for holiday garland and other decorations. Many holiday crafters use the tins and baskets for decorations around the home, as well as for gift giving.
A great place to shop online for a variety of flavored popcorns is the Popcorn Factory. I especially like their popcorn tins and popcorn baskets. The holiday season just got merrier with these selections.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
How to Promote Yourself and Your Crafts
It’s one thing to be creative and another thing to be a creative genius. Creating crafts for Christmas, for fun, therapy, and for the sake of expression is great, but being able to create a plan to sell those crafts can be even more satisfying!
Sometimes developing a promotional plan seems like too much work. Those who feel this way take a more spontaneous approach to promoting their business, rather than one that is logically calculated to be implemented within a year’s time. But truly, to get results, it’s important to consider creating a year-long promotional plan that’s right for you. Following is an example of a simplified 12-month plan. From the beginning to the end of the year, consider your holidays, especially Christmas!
The 12-month Promotional Plan
January
If you haven’t already done this, consider developing business cards and a brochure detailing the crafts, products and services you can provide. It’s important to see your artistic skills and your crafts as a business, not just a hobby. Professional business cards and a brochure will give you credibility and allow you to present a definite image to potential clients. Pass them out at craft shows and when you’re networking in the community.
February
Consider giving a craft demonstration seminar in the community. Teaching your specific skills and selling your crafts at a seminar can be both rewarding to you and your attendees. Check with local craft stores, universities, libraries, churches, synagogues, for a possible location to hold your seminar.
March
Consider creating a newsletter for crafters and sending it out to artists, stores, suppliers and etc. Be sure to promote your knowledge, services and crafts within the pages of the newsletter.
April
Use your answering machine as a business tool. If you can’t be home all day to answer the phone, be sure to leave a professional message, including a reference about your craft business on your answering machine.
May
Promote your business on the internet. There are so many possibilities available today on the internet for small businesses. Consider creating a web page, placing an ad in a business classified section, or sending direct email to a targeted group online. People online are very interested in buying information and products. Tap into your creative knowledge base and see what you might be able to sell online.
June
To let the media know you’re there, send a press release introducing yourself to them, along with your brochure and business card. Newspapers are always looking for fillers. Wouldn’t it be great if you were featured in your local paper?
July
Write an article for this newspaper or another similar publication on something you know well. This is an excellent way to promote yourself and your ideas to your peers and a very targeted market.
August
Place an ad in a newspaper or directory letting others know about your business. An ad can be very general, or it can advertise something very specific. You can determine what sort of ad you want to place by asking yourself some very simple questions. Do I want to sell a specific item? Do I want to promote a show I will be participating in? Am I teaching a seminar somewhere soon? Determine exactly what you want your ad to accomplish and then place it.
September
Send a postcard to potential customers. You can obtain a mailing list from a marketing company, or create your own by making a list of friends, fellow crafters, craft store owners and etc. A postcard is inexpensive to print up and send, and it can be an excellent tool to promote your craft business.
October
Advertising specialties with your name printed on them (such as pens, calendars, notepads, cups and keychains) can be a good way of getting your name in front of potential customers. Giving these out at craft shows, networking groups, and/or as gifts during the holiday season can be to your advantage.
November
Rent a booth at a mall and sell crafts during the holiday season. Create items that are especially Christmas-oriented and offer them at a reasonable price in a mall.
December
Let December be the month to prepare for the following year. Review your promotional campaign and plan to repeat those things that worked best for you, and discard those that didn’t. Send a holiday card to your current and potential customers inviting them to call on you during the new year.
Sometimes developing a promotional plan seems like too much work. Those who feel this way take a more spontaneous approach to promoting their business, rather than one that is logically calculated to be implemented within a year’s time. But truly, to get results, it’s important to consider creating a year-long promotional plan that’s right for you. Following is an example of a simplified 12-month plan. From the beginning to the end of the year, consider your holidays, especially Christmas!
The 12-month Promotional Plan
January
If you haven’t already done this, consider developing business cards and a brochure detailing the crafts, products and services you can provide. It’s important to see your artistic skills and your crafts as a business, not just a hobby. Professional business cards and a brochure will give you credibility and allow you to present a definite image to potential clients. Pass them out at craft shows and when you’re networking in the community.
February
Consider giving a craft demonstration seminar in the community. Teaching your specific skills and selling your crafts at a seminar can be both rewarding to you and your attendees. Check with local craft stores, universities, libraries, churches, synagogues, for a possible location to hold your seminar.
March
Consider creating a newsletter for crafters and sending it out to artists, stores, suppliers and etc. Be sure to promote your knowledge, services and crafts within the pages of the newsletter.
April
Use your answering machine as a business tool. If you can’t be home all day to answer the phone, be sure to leave a professional message, including a reference about your craft business on your answering machine.
May
Promote your business on the internet. There are so many possibilities available today on the internet for small businesses. Consider creating a web page, placing an ad in a business classified section, or sending direct email to a targeted group online. People online are very interested in buying information and products. Tap into your creative knowledge base and see what you might be able to sell online.
June
To let the media know you’re there, send a press release introducing yourself to them, along with your brochure and business card. Newspapers are always looking for fillers. Wouldn’t it be great if you were featured in your local paper?
July
Write an article for this newspaper or another similar publication on something you know well. This is an excellent way to promote yourself and your ideas to your peers and a very targeted market.
August
Place an ad in a newspaper or directory letting others know about your business. An ad can be very general, or it can advertise something very specific. You can determine what sort of ad you want to place by asking yourself some very simple questions. Do I want to sell a specific item? Do I want to promote a show I will be participating in? Am I teaching a seminar somewhere soon? Determine exactly what you want your ad to accomplish and then place it.
September
Send a postcard to potential customers. You can obtain a mailing list from a marketing company, or create your own by making a list of friends, fellow crafters, craft store owners and etc. A postcard is inexpensive to print up and send, and it can be an excellent tool to promote your craft business.
October
Advertising specialties with your name printed on them (such as pens, calendars, notepads, cups and keychains) can be a good way of getting your name in front of potential customers. Giving these out at craft shows, networking groups, and/or as gifts during the holiday season can be to your advantage.
November
Rent a booth at a mall and sell crafts during the holiday season. Create items that are especially Christmas-oriented and offer them at a reasonable price in a mall.
December
Let December be the month to prepare for the following year. Review your promotional campaign and plan to repeat those things that worked best for you, and discard those that didn’t. Send a holiday card to your current and potential customers inviting them to call on you during the new year.
Friday, December 14, 2007
POSSIBLY THE BEST WAY TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE
I just came across an excellent new system that can help anyone who has a personal blog or website to make extra money. Before you go doing what I'm about to tell you, be sure you don't break any terms of services, as not all blog sites will allow you to do this...however, if you have a free blog here, on http://www.blogger.com/, or have your own website, THIS SYSTEM WILL EVENTUALLY PAY MORE THAN GOOGLE ADSENSE.
It's called Pay Per Play...it launches in February and I've read up on what they're doing and I am very impressed. Basically, every single time someone clicks on your blog or personal website, YOU WILL GET PAID per that impression. They, in turn, will hear a 5 second ad.
These are big companies advertising, like Taco Bell and etc.Apparently, TV ads aren't pulling in the results like they used to cause everyone is online these days. Advertisers are moving their ad campaigns to the Internet with 5 second ads and are looking for websites willing to run their ads. Imagine, you'll be just like a TV station! You can add the code to MySpace, Facebook, Blogger and etc. I just registered and encourage anyone here who has a personal blog (outside of Blogit) and website, to get on this immediately, and start making money in the new year.
I have no doubt this will be BIGGER than adsense one day and now is our chance to get in on the ground level.Here ya go: PayPerPlay You can thank me later! Oh, and yes, it's free!!
It's called Pay Per Play...it launches in February and I've read up on what they're doing and I am very impressed. Basically, every single time someone clicks on your blog or personal website, YOU WILL GET PAID per that impression. They, in turn, will hear a 5 second ad.
These are big companies advertising, like Taco Bell and etc.Apparently, TV ads aren't pulling in the results like they used to cause everyone is online these days. Advertisers are moving their ad campaigns to the Internet with 5 second ads and are looking for websites willing to run their ads. Imagine, you'll be just like a TV station! You can add the code to MySpace, Facebook, Blogger and etc. I just registered and encourage anyone here who has a personal blog (outside of Blogit) and website, to get on this immediately, and start making money in the new year.
I have no doubt this will be BIGGER than adsense one day and now is our chance to get in on the ground level.Here ya go: PayPerPlay You can thank me later! Oh, and yes, it's free!!
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