Remember – these prices will only be in effect this week:

Pre-Written Blog Posts (info page: http://www.indiebizchicks.com/blog-posts.html)
If you need help creating content for your blog, this is for you! You’ll receive 12 pre-written blog posts for only $8. You can start posting to your blog immediately! To purchase the Home & Family pack, click here.
To purchase the Home Business pack, click here.

Power Publicity Ebook - This 48 page ebook describes EVERYTHING I did to get my business in the spotlight! To this day, I have spent less than $150 on advertising, but have managed to be featured in magazines, on Fox Business, and more! Grab this ebook for just $10 by clicking here

The Summer Biz Sessions If you want to learn NEW things and have the chance to talk to some very cool people, join the Summer Biz Sessions now! Normally priced at just under $15, it is on sale for only $10 this week. We will be meeting each Tuesday at 9pm Eastern for an hour long biz talk, and you can ask our guests anything! So far, we’ve hard from people such as Jenny Hart from Sublime Stitching and Casie Metcalf of IndiePublic.com.

Coming up are Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club, Ali Edwards of Creating Keepsakes Magazine, Amy Schroeder – the founder of Venus Zine, Sue Daly – the founder of Renegade Craft Fair and more! And if you need to miss a session, don’t worry! You’ll get the Mp3 recording of each week’s session! To purchase, click here

Cut n’ Paste Press Releases (main info page: http://www.indiebizchicks.com/press-releases.html)
If you want to be featured in the media, you need to start sending press releases! These are 5 pre-written press releases to help you jump start your marketing campaign! Normally priced at just under $35, grab them now for only $10, click here

Best Of Indie Biz Chicks Conference Recordings You will receive 3 videos and 3 Mp3 Recordings (each an hour long) from the Indie Biz Chicks Conference, held this past May. You’ll learn about social networking, podcasting, copyright laws, how to give good blog, how to to pitch yourself and more! Only $10 – purchase here

Quick And Easy Newsletters (main info page: http://www.quickandeasynewsletters.com/) As the old saying goes, The Fortune Is In The Follow Up! If you want to make sales and increase your profits, you need to remind your customers that you are still in business. A great way to do that is with a monthly customer newsletter. If you don’t have time to write one, purchase this pack of 6 pre-written newsletters (July – Dec) for only $10. They come with articles, recipes, graphics, and more! You’ll receive them in Word, HTML, and plain text! Click Here To Purchase.

Thanks for reading through the special offers. I hope that you find one you like! And please feel free to pass these on to other people who may be interested. (In fact – you can earn 50% commission on any sales you bring in by joining my affiliate program here: http://wahmcart.com/x.php?adminid=91&signup=1

Fact: Moms spend a lot of money. Putting a kid-spin on your marketing will attract their attention. And it could cause them to buy your products!

Here are some ideas:

Kid Classes – Kids love to craft! Set up a day where you teach a few kid-friendly projects. If you have the space, you can do it at your home. If not, call some local craft stores and see if they have space you can use. If that’s not an option, you could set up shop in the meeting room of a restaurant… or whatever business that has space you can use : )

Make sure you bring samples of your work and put them on display. This will give the moms something to look at… and buy! So you will be selling product and you will be getting paid for teaching a class. Double profits are nice!

Market To Daycare Owners – Lots of kids go to daycare facilities every day. The people that own these daycares are always looking for something new and fun to do with the children. Create a little project that children will find entertaining and ask some daycare owners if you can come in and teach the project to the kids. The daycare owners will appreciate the activity, the kids will have fun, and you can use this opportunity to introduce your business to all of their parents! Make sure you put a little card on the projects with your contact info!! The parents will enjoy knowing who helped their child create the project. They will naturally want to go to your site and check it out. And who knows? They may end up purchasing something!

What are your ideas for kid-friendly marketing?

Bust Spring Fling Craftacular – New York City – May 17

Indie Craft Experience – Atlanta – May 30 – 31

Maker Faire Bay Area – San Mateo County – May 30 – 31

Renegade Craft Fair – Brooklyn – June 6 – 7

If you are going to any of these shows, or if you are selling at them, let us know by leaving a comment! Also, leave a comment about any upcoming fairs in your neighborhood!

Here are a few ideas:

1. Offer a wide range of price points. Make sure everything is clearly marked. Potential customers want to know immediately how much something costs. I like to call it the “Car Sales” approach. I don’t know about you, but one of the things I don’t like when I am looking for a car is not being able to find a price front and center in the window. If I see the price at first, then I immediately know what is within my budget and what is not. If I don’t see a price, it is a rarity that I will actually find the sales person to inquire about the price. I want something fast and easy. The easier it is to find a price, then the more likely I am to become more interested. Offering items at different prices that are clearly marked will bring more consumers into your booth. They are less likely to “just walk on by” because it is obvious if they’ll be able to find something in there that fits their price range.

2. Combine items. Pair items together that, if sold separately, would individually be priced a little higher. But be sure to advertise to customers that if the items are sold together, the price is lower. Customers will feel they have received great value for their purchase. And they should, too! You’ll make more money with a higher transaction value. It’s a win-win for both the buyer and the seller.

3. Get creative with your sales! Here are just a few ideas of what you can do to boost your sales!

• Include a small, free gift with a minimum purchase amount.
• “Buy one, get one at 50% off” sales.
• “The more you buy, the more you save” kind of sale. For example, if they purchase $50 worth, then they could receive 10% off their entire order, or if they purchase $100 worth, then they may receive 20% off their order.
• Offer free personalization whenever possible. Many are coming to these shows for that one-of-a-kind, unique gift to give. Personalizing something shows exactly that. They won’t be able to find that at a big chain store! So if possible, personalize! You might even think about taking pre-paid orders for items to be personalized at home later for pick-up.

Pricing can be tricky, but each time you sell, you will learn so much. Ask friends and family for objective and honest opinions. Keep an open mind and don’t be defensive. Talking with them can be very helpful. Discussing these things with fellow crafters both online and around your community can also be beneficial.

What are some ideas that have worked for you in helping to move your product line?

“Knowing the show” will also allow you to understand the groups who will be coming through. Oftentimes juried shows attract an audience who are willing to pay a higher dollar amount. A show at your local elementary school gymnasium may have you rethinking the items you choose to sell. It’s hard to tell, but taking the time to evaluate after each show you do will help you the next time.

Upcoming Post: Ways to Move Your Products!

Every small business owner has asked it when getting ready for a craft fair. Is the price too high? Too low? From my experience, I can tell you that the bottom line is that your time is money and that there is value in that. So don’t sell yourself short by pricing too low and don’t allow inventory to just sit there by pricing items too high. I will share a 3-part series of some ideas on how you can do what you love and reap the benefits of selling at the same time.

I’d like to first share three techniques on how I come up with pricing when getting ready to sell.

Following are several factors you should consider when setting prices for your hand-made items.

1. Cost of Materials: Write down the total cost of your materials per item. If you use one yard of material, but make three items from that one yard, then divide the price of the yard by three and apply the cost to the item. Accounting for all costs is very important so you know what your break-even point is.

2. Related Costs: Account in your expenditures for the cost of the booth, any travel expenses, etc. Divide the total amount of related costs by the number of products you’ll be selling and you’ll have a better idea of the amount to add to each item sold.

3. Pay Yourself: As I mentioned before, your time is of utmost value. Set a reasonable hourly rate and multiply by the time it takes to produce each item sold.

Add these factors together and now you’ll have a better idea of how much you should charge. Another great method to set your pricing is found here on About.com.

My friend and colleague, Courtney, sold for many years at both craft fairs and Etsy. She  put together a spreadsheet that worked for her where she calculated her material costs, kept track of her hours spent, and added the various fees involved with the show. It really helped her keep track of it all in one central place, as well as to account where her time and money were going. 

The most important thing is to find a pricing strategy that works for you. But notice I used the word, “strategy.” I use that term because there really can be a “science” to it. Make sure you do not guess what a “good price” might be without taking into account your costs.  Make it worth your while by doing the homework beforehand to come up with a price that will be positive for your business.

*Next time we’ll talk about the importance of “knowing the show” and planning accordingly when pricing.

 Over the next few weeks I’ll help you explore the pros and cons of generating additional income by selling your creations.  I’ll share some great tips on how to price your items, how to make an eye-catching display, creating that great first impression with customers, and then how to extend your business beyond the craft show. I know many of you out there have tips to share as well, so I invite you to share your experiences selling your products by commenting on the Craftboom blog! We can all learn from eachother!

If you have considered entering your products into a craft fair, it is important to do your homework first. This is very important; because the work you do ahead of time will make sure you are able to get into the fair in the first place!  You have a lot to plan for, but first let’s make sure this is right for you.

First, you will want to find out where the craft shows are happening. When and where will they be taking place? Call your local Chamber of Commerce. Look at local community bulletin boards, including school and church fairs.  You may be surprised how many you find once you start looking!

In the craft show market, there are really two different kinds of shows. There are juried and non-juried shows. A juried show is one in which you apply and send in photographs of your items. A selection committee then makes the final decision if you will be accepted to display in that show. Juried shows have a limited number of sellers and the booth costs are likely to be higher.  However, the attendance is often greater and there is often more advertising, meaning more prospective customers. Non-juried shows are those in which all who would like to have a booth are welcome, or are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Typically, the booth fees are less than you’ll find for juried shows.  Non-juried shows can be a great way to get started in this kind of business.

In addition to finding out the dates, times, and booth price, there are some other important questions to ask the organizer, which include:

•  Approximately how many attendees do they expect? 
• How many vendors are selling the same type of product as yours? 
• How will the craft fair be advertised?
• What is included in the booth price- chair? Table? Electricity?
• What commissions need to be paid, if any, to the organizer? Are a percentage of sales taken?

If you’re not sure about the kind of show you should attend, then attend as many as you can as a consumer. This will give you a better idea of the shows in which you are interested in participating the next time they are held!

Second, it is important to find out any city or state requirements you have for your area. Because you likely must charge and then pay sales tax on the items you sell, it will be imperative that you register your business with the state and obtain a sales tax certificate. You can find that information by contacting your state agency covering sales tax (often available online). Check with the state and/or the show organizers to find out how the tax is to be collected. At some shows I’ve sold at, the state tax authorities pass around a certificate that needs to be filled out at the end and then turned in that day rather than filing later. Different states and shows vary, so be sure to find this information out before you begin.

Finally, perhaps the biggest question should be, “Do I have the time I need to invest into preparing for this show?” That is a question that only you can answer for yourself. If you choose to pursue this, then you may want to consider taking a look at your calendar and setting goals and deadlines for yourself to ensure you are not up until 3 a.m. the night before the big show! We’ve all been there…trust me! Look at giving yourself “office hours” each day when you can spend time each week making the items you will be selling. Be creative in how you streamline the process of managing your time. Rather than planning a large assortment of different items for your booth, consider finding a “niche” and focusing on just a few items so that you can make items in “assembly-line” fashion. This will help not only with your time, but also with your costs…and your sanity!

Preparing for and participating in a craft fair can be a lot of work, and yet very rewarding at the same time. To do what you love and get paid for it at the same time provides much satisfaction. You can feel good about what you are doing, so enjoy the journey! It is definitely a learning process, so don’t become discouraged. You will learn new things each time you participate in a show. We wish you all the best in your creative endeavors!

I’d love to hear from YOU!  Have you ever participated in a craft fair? If so, was it juried or non-juried? What was your experience like? What questions do you think are important to consider before entering a craft fair?

Next Week’s Tips: How to Price and Profit at the Craft Fair

Ohhh pretty! More information here.

Looking at the literature this printer seems to be aimed at the demanding mid to high end home user. You can see a lot of thought has gone into the design and the feature set. Epson has made this printer into an eye-candy design piece, but more importantly it has packed it with quality features to match the sleek design.

So, I’ve lived with it very happily for one week and it’s made my holiday photos look absolutely amazing. This are a few things that I’ve had a play with up to now:

• Photo printing – the quality is far and away the best I’ve seen on any home printer and it prints really fast too.
• Colour and B & W printing – also smashing quality and very fast. Also you can get edge to edge printing on popular sizes of paper.
• LCD panel front control – it looks sexy, and it looks sexy and it makes flipping though the features easy.
• Fax – works just fine.
• Scanning and copying – both are vivid and finely detailed, again fast speeds. One groovy feature of copying that I like is that you can copy up to 30 different pages without you needing to feed each one in separately. You can also re-size copies.
• Looks – did I mention it looks sexy yet?
• Wireless – I was really impressed by this. A 2 page document took less than 20 seconds to be received from my upstairs computer to the printer – which was downstairs. No cables, as if by magic!
• Consumables – there are loads of different papers, stickers and labels etc. for the printer. I had a play with some, they make such a difference!
• Playing with printing – as a business crafter I particularly like this feature. You can fade photos or other images and then turn them into notepaper (think headed paper). You can also print graph paper (perfect for pattern making).
• These are just a few things this baby is capable of. The list of what it can do is looooog. The editing software alone is brill for us design bods.

A free template for business invoice. Epson have provided LOADS of groovy stuff that you can print for your business and they’re all free! Loads of other templates can be found here.

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So why would you consider getting one?

It might be tempting to spend less on a cheapie printer to save money, but I would heavily advise against this. I have learned from bitter experience of my first printer with packed up after 7 months of solid use. My old crappy printer made everything look pixelated, it was painfully slow, ink hungry and worst of all it died on me – ahhhh! (running an internet business from your local internet cafe is a miserable experience, one of which I don’t care to repeat). If you invest in a quality versatile printer you are going to save money (and with a bit of imagination you can make some money too…). Other reasons to consider this printer are:

• Print quality – If you own your own business and you need to print anything that is destined for the eyes of your customers it’s important to give a good impression. It is worth designing attractive looking headed paper and invoices (at least) because each slip of paper is like telling someone else about your brand. But then after you’ve gone to the trouble of designing a great looking logo and headed paper you need the print quality to be as good as the design.
• Speed – goes without saying, if you have loads of receipts and invoices to print you don’t really want to have to wait for an age.
• Reliability – you need a machine that’s always ready to go as soon as you hit print (or it’s down to the local internet cafe for you).
• Versatility – in my opinion this is where the printer comes into it’s own for Craft Business owners. With this printer you can create knock-out quality: paper patterns, product hang-tags, post cards, flyers, business cards, calendars, posters, thank you notes, and heaps of other promotional paraphernalia. I haven’t designed my own patterns (yet), but I copied one onto glossy paper just to test and it looked fab! So much cheaper and less hassle when you don’t need to print squillions of an pattern (for example).

Disclaimer:

Just so you know I didn’t get paid to do this review, though Epson did provide me with a printer to use so that I could review it. I NEVER get paid to do any reviews, no sir! Epson did sponsor the Sparkplugging team to go to the BlogWorld Expo, but I wasn’t able to go on that trip myself. Just so you know, ya know?

2 months ago my partner, Al went to Thailand to work in a make-shift clinic run by volunteers on the Thai/Burmese border. Straight away he was faced with the effects of lack of funding in an over subscribed tropical clinic. These effects were only amplified by the fact that Al has spent his medical years training in the privileged West in hospitals which have access to the newest technological advances. In this tropical clinic many procedures are performed in very unsanitary conditions often without anaesthesia.

The most shocking thing that Al had to deal with was the discovery of 400 plus Burmese refugees living on a civil dump. These poor  individuals (displaced by the usual crap that affects the small guy: warring parties and politics) literally have nowhere else to go and no welfare support whatsoever. These families have made themselves huts in which to shelter and they try to eke out a living by recycling plastic and other materials. I won’t go into what they eat…

Al and some of his colleagues raised some money to purchase first aid kits, immunisations, vitamins, and to buy boots for the children to protect their bare feet from infection. Looking at the scale of the problem (for this was only one dump of many and soon Al and his colleagues would leave for their Western homes), I think it might (at times) have been tempting to turn away in hopelessness…

Al says that it was a difficult thing to do, it was hard work, humbling and frustrating, but on the day when they gave out the boots to the children there was a lot of happiness on both sides! There’s no moral to this post. I just think it’s important to help those in need when you can, and the way in which you can help doesn’t matter so much, just that you do. Every little helps.

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I think these little ones are pretty happy with their new boots More pics in Al’s Flickr.

• you could sell your crafty goodness straight from your blog or website without the bother (and maintenance) of having to set up an online shop, or having to list your products on another site would you be interested?
• Would it help if it was quick and easy to set up and you could also sell your crafty items from anywhere within your blog/site (such as individual posts, side bars, and links to page from within your site…heck yeah!
• Lastly would it be handy if you didn’t have to pay a percentage on each sale you make, instead you pay a low monthly fee for unlimited sales? All sounds pretty good for me!

Well E-junkie enables you to do all of the above and more. E-junkie provides working copy-paste shopping buttons for you to sell your digital items (i.e pdf patterns, images, tutorials, music, etc.) and tangible items (i.e. and and all of your craft items). E-junkie’s shopping cart system work “inside” your blog/website rather than opening in a pop-up window (which is great because because your customers don’t have to leave your site to purchase your products. For digital items, E-junkie automates the digital delivery of your items (so you don’t have to do the ’sending’). For tangible items, E-junkie handles the shipping, packaging, tax calculation, and inventory management. The shopping cart supports PayPal, Google Checkout, and Authorize. Net.

You can paste buttons like these onto your site/blog and hey presto you can sell your stuff! To see a demo look here.

Here are some more features of E-junkie (here is the full feature list):

• To help you increase your sales, E-junkie offers feature like ‘discount management (which is handy for the holiday season) and affialiate magament. E-junkie also offer you the option to list your items in Google Product Search.
• You can also keep a behind the scene track on visitor behavior because E-junkie is fully integrated with Google Analytics. This way you can gauge the success of your marketing, or you simply study visitor behaviour to improve your sales.
• Even though E-junkie simplifies the selling process, you can still completely customize “thank you” emails and pages.
• Unlike other shopping mall style sites, E-junkie does not charge a percentage on each sale. There is just a low flat monthly fee based on product catalog, and there is no limited to the amount or number of transactions

Here are some Crafty folks who are already using the services of E-junkie on their sites/blogs (here is the client list):

• Montissori by Hand – Patterns (pdf & hard copy)
• Mocimochi Land – Patterns (pdf)
• ShabbyMissJen Designs -scarpping kits and bits
  
• N.Design Studio – web & image design
  
• Felted Handbag Workshop – guess!
• How To Look Good – e-books (I have one of these and they’re excellent)
• This is the list of all the crafty folk selling with E-junkie.

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Does this all sound good, do you want to start selling your crafty goodness this afternoon/evening? Cool! We’ve wangled another super duper exclusive discount for CraftBoom! readers. With our promo code you can use E-junkie on your site/blog absolutely FREE for 3 months!!:

• Just type in the the Promo code: CRAFTBOOM when you register for E-junkie and you’re good to go! This code has no time limit. Happy selling!