Author Archive
Barb’s Personal Notes, 8/26/09
In this personal update, Barbara shares several personal photos and talks about some of the enjoyable things she did this spring and summer to renew her spirit and find new enthusiasm for her work on the Web.
Understanding and Coping with Sales Anxiety
Sales anxiety is a universal problem among all entrepreneurs and home-business owners, regardless of their past sales experience or the type of product or service being offered for sale. Here are Barbara’s tips on how to deal with it.
Barb’s Personal Notes, 5/14/09
“Cashing in on Your Creativity” — the subtitle of Barbara’s blog — certainly conveys the idea of building a successful business around the creation and manufacture of handmade items and related services. But it’s also a phrase that fits our current economy and most everyone’s need today to both make and SAVE money. Barbara’s Personal Notes this week discusses how to “cash in” in ways you may not have thought about before.
Barb’s Personal Notes, 4/30/09
Barbara tells how she happily spent the month of April (mostly off the computer) and reflects on the importance of grabbing happiness whenever and wherever it can be found.
How a Hobby Can Change Your Life
In this success story, artist Joyce Roark offers both a brief history of Pergamano Parchment Art and another example of how a simple hobby can have life-changing implications and lead to an exciting career in arts and crafts. This article also includes books and Web resources on parchment art, embroidery on paper, and Temari (Japanese Thread Balls).
Selling Labor-Intensive Products
Do you sell needlework or other labor-intensive handmade products? Maybe there’s a better way to go. In this article, Barbara offers suggestions for other ways to make money from your art, craft or design skills and know-how.
Moving Into Wholesaling
Many craftspeople think they cannot wholesale because of pricing problems while others worry about their inability to fill orders if response from buyers is greater than anticipated. Here’s valuable perspective from three craft pros.
How to Set and Achieve Your Goals
We can’t get ahead in life or business if we don’t regularly make set new goals for ourselves. Here are tips for setting, reviewing, and achieving your goals.
Barb’s Personal Notes 4/1/09
With spring coming at last, I am now beginning to make plans for a garage sale to be held in May. Although I’m thinking “garage” here because that’s where it will be presented, I’m not going to advertise it as a regular garage sale because . . .
The Direction of the New Craft Fair
Combination farmer’s markets/craft markets are very popular in the West and other rural areas across the country. This article by quilt artist Joan Bleakly continues Bill Ronay’s interesting discussion of the future of craft fairs and shows.
