New ByLine

I am creating a Google Authorship ByLine to sign all my posts.

Read about creating an online persona with Google+ and start linking all your posts to Google.

My New Byline:

Karen Pope is Madam Crocheterie, the Hooker By Night.  She CROCHETS in her spare moments, makes time for CROCHET,  and sells her creations on Etsy.  Follow her on Twitter, and Facebook.  Find her on Google+
She writes about CROCHET and creating a CROCHET Business

So, I intend to add this byline to the bottom of every Blogger post.

Happy Crocheting!

Karen Pope is Madam Crocheterie, the Hooker By Night.  She CROCHETS in her spare moments, makes time for CROCHET,  and sells her creations on Etsy.  Follow her on Twitter, and Facebook.  Find her on Google+
She writes about CROCHET and creating a CROCHET Business

Back On the Band Wagon

The move to my new house is finished.  Of course, there are the usual things left to do, such as buying that new sofa, an entryway table, a comfortable chair for the family room.

But, for the moment, I have to wrap my head around this crochet business, again.

How to keep your business plan lean and efficient

So, to get me started, I have a series of questions to ask myself.

How much do I want to earn this month:  $50
How much do I want to earn every month (Or my goal):  $500
How will that be done?:  That is the question that must be answered.  Creating this blog, of course.  

• Listing items for sale on eBay, 
• Etsy, 
• Facebook page, 
• Driving more traffic to my blog and website, 
• Setting up the website.

How to drive traffic to my blog, THIS BLOG, is the next big question.  I am one blog in a sea of bloggers.

A part of this business, any business, is the BUSINESS PLAN.  I have started my plan, but put it on hold because of the job move and the dwelling move.  To review my plan, go to Make a Business Plan, Still in the Planning Stages, Marketing Plan: Step Two, I Have a Home, and Progress. I will be doing that over the next two or three days, just as a personal refresher.

Happy Crocheting!

Karen

Three Weeks?

I can't believe it has been about 3 weeks since my last post.  Things are progressing, albeit slowly.  I have a new house to move into... that will happen this weekend.  AND it has a craft room all for ME!

We have moved to the new location where I work and I am getting settled in, there.

I have been working on my Barbie dress in my spare moments.  I will post some more pictures of her very pretty dress very soon.

For now, the business plan is sort of stagnant and so is my marketing plan.  These will resume when I am settled in my new house and actually have time to think about it. I have taken my own advice and I am not trying to do everything at once.  I felt like I was spinning my wheels and they were totally out of control.

I daily remind myself to take a deep breath, slow down, then reflect.  Crochet is still my favorite relaxation routine.

Happy Crocheting!

Karen

Progress

The work on my new venture progresses.

Today, I found a great tool that will help with tracking the progress of my online sales.

It is a spreadsheet that can filled out on a monthly basis.  The link can be found HERE

The blog owner said this about her spreadsheet:

I created an excel spreadsheet earlier this year and I fill it out at the end of each month. Why? Because I was feeling discouraged. I felt my business wasn’t growing fast enough, that I wasn’t making enough progress. 

Do you know what I found out? My blog readership doubles about every 5 months. My Esty income doubles every month and my and my social media accounts grow slow but sure. I call it my growth report card and I’m always pleased to see the numbers grow each time I fill it out. It’s slow growth but it’s there, and the spreadsheet doesn’t lie. I’ll include a copy for you. It’s an excel spreadsheet so feel free to change it around and include other areas in which you want to measure your business growth.

I have included the link to her spreadsheet above.

At this stage of opening your new business, have you:

• Decided what to sell?
• Decided where to sell?
• Counted the cost of setting up your business?
• Thought about a website and/or actually purchased a domain?
• Set up an Etsy store?
• Ordered business cards?
• Started your business plan?
• Started your marketing plan?

Now may be a good time to review your progress.

Everything is in the Way.

Is seems like everything is on hold, these days, but not really.  I am looking for a place to move and I will be very happy when that finally happens.  A potential house-for-rent opportunity that may just fill the bill has arisen, if I can convince the landlord that I am the RIGHT person for the house.

So, the business plan is on hold, somewhat.  The marketing plan, the creation of products, self-promotion. Seems like everything is on hold.  I had a convention weekend before last.  This past weekend was spent house-hunting.  I have a unrealistically busy week this week and I cannot even find time to make it to the pharmacy to pick up my prescriptions.  Maybe tomorrow.

Job is moving to a new location, I am moving to a new location.  Maybe it is time to slow down a little and not try to do everything in one day.

Crochet Attic: Crochet Apache Tears: Free Pattern

Crochet Attic: Crochet Apache Tears: Free Pattern

Love this!

The "Spa Collection"

Another step has been accomplished with my Craft Business Empire.

This is a photo of my bath collection which consists of a washcloth, two face scrubbies and one bath puff, all hand crocheted with Paton's Grace 100% mercerized cotton yarn--color Spearmint.  I love the feel of this yarn because is so soft when it is worked up and not clunky and scratchy like some cottom yarns can be. 

The blues and greens flow together so nicely and the stitch I used created a very lovely "shell" pattern with goes the with blue and green "beach" feeling to these items.

I will be offering each item at my Etsy Store as a gift item--including a nice box, tied up with twine and a small bar of Olive Oil Soap.

Each piece and also be purchased individually or in a "Build Your Own" Collection of bath items.   Want just the bath puff and the face scrubbies?  No problem. 

Right now, I am waiting for the 6x6x6 boxes I ordered to be delivered and the soap.  Because I live on Chespeake Bay, I considered including a sea shell as a special surprise gift when someone orders the gift box.  But, if I confirm the presence of a sea shell, that will give away the surprise.