Open Up Shop?

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I know it seems like you just heard this whole song and dance about a month ago, but I have a super busy week this week!  Again, a kiddo's birthday party (a space theme - that's the back of the invitation) and craft night fall a few days apart, and again, I have stuff to sew for the Irvington Iris Tea Room.  You'd think I could spread this stuff out, right?

I am throwing around the idea of going ahead and opening up the Etsy store sometime this week.  According to Google Analytics, the blog has had around 850 visitors and 1200 page views over the past month or so.  While this is kinda unbelievable to me (in a good way!), I really feel like I missed some exposure by not opening the shop earlier.  Also, my empty shop has had 180 views and I'm sure only about 100 of those were my mom.  But realistically, is opening the shop a week and a half early even going to matter?

As a side note, if you have a new blog, try and get featured on a big blog.  I have no doubt in my mind that this mad surge in blog visitors is due to one link on One Pretty Thing.  I have GOT to find a way to get on more blogs if this is the result!

My big hurdle to opening the shop is the product pictures.  I think I mentioned this before, but on Etsy you can post up to five pictures with each listing.  I currently have 80-ish items made, which means FOUR HUNDRED pictures.  It makes me throw up a little just to think of that number and I really like photography.  I had yet another photo shoot on my kitchen table on Sunday and I'm still not thrilled with the results.  It was kind of gloomy that day and I think I just didn't have enough natural light.  Here's the most recent setup - it's one of those big cardboard science-fair poster things set up in my bay window.

I think I probably just need to use the darn pictures and stop being so picky.

Oh my gosh, I almost forgot!  I bought a domain name - bobalookids.com is now mine!  Right now it redirects to this blog.  I followed this advice and it worked like a charm.  I'll post more about it soon!

Calm after the storm

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This past week has just been ridiculously hectic!  First up was Craft Night with the ladies on Thursday.  We made these adorable bib necklaces.  Since I had already made one for myself (I have it on in my profile picture) I made one for Bridget that is so cute I want to puke. 

Next up was Bridget's 3rd birthday party on Saturday.  Every year I tell myself I'm not going to go over the top with the food and decorations, and every year I get myself in over my head.  Everything turned out great and it was totally worth the effort.  I mentioned before that I decided at the last minute that B needed a Sleeping Beauty dress for the party.  I am SO GLAD I made it because she was just thrilled.  Princess Barbies have now overtaken our house thanks to all our friends and family.

For the past few years I've entered clothes and food into our local State Fair.  This year, I entered seven items of clothing (including my favorite jeans, which I'm sad to lose for a month while they're at the fair) that were all due this weekend.  In the hectic rush to finish a jacket for B, I forgot to take pictures.  I promise I'll share what earns me a ribbon when I get everything back.

On top of these two deadlines, I had the opportunity to present some of my accessories to Miranda, the owner of the Irvington Iris Tea Room.  Unfortunately, I didn't have anything made, so I had to whip a few things up so I could meet with her after the party on Saturday.  Everything turned out well, and some of my stuff will be in her shop when it opens later this summer!  It's the first time something I've made is going to be out there for people to buy, so I'm really excited.

Due to all this craziness I've barely made any business headway.  Luckily this week is nice and quiet, so today is the start of a mad creative blitz so I can amp up my inventory.  I really want to make some sort of catalog of products, plus I need some marketing materials.  I have about fifty to-do lists lurking around my house - hopefully I can cross some things off soon!

Back to work!

Tweet We took a little vacation this past weekend to Cincinnati.  It was the first trip with just the four of us, and aside from a little sleep deprivation for Graham, it really went well.  I'm sorta embarassed to admit that one the main reasons we went there for the weekend was so we could go to IKEA.  My daughter even said, "Can we stay here forever?"  She's my kind of girl!

I have made some progress on my business to-do list.  I ordered sew-in labels and business cards.  I finally finished Handmade Marketplace, and I'm pretty much convinced I'm just going to have to buy a copy.  It has so much good info in at that I can't take advantage of now, so I'd like to revisit it in the future.  I also started on some inventory - a sweet little stuffed toy that is a copy of one I made for Bridget when she was little.

About a week and a half ago I filled out an assessment form on the Indiana Small Business Development Center's website hoping for a little local help on setting up a business.  I'm disappointed to report that I just got an email telling me to sign up for a seminar.  I was expecting some sort of business counseling, but maybe I expected too much?  I'm going to search around some more for some help here in Indy.

I have two birthday parties coming up, so when I got the email that White House Custom Color had press-printed cards on sale last week, I went ahead and made birthday invitations for both little monsters.  Bridget, being a typical preschool girl, wants a princess party.  Graham has no say in the matter (well he says "Buh!" and "Dada!"), so he's getting a space-themed party.  I can't tell you how happy I always am with these cards - I use them for invitations and Christmas cards - and mama loves a discount.

On today's agenda is mailing in my application for a "Doing Business As" license and waiting impatiently for a shipment of adorable fabric!