Nice Hat

My daughter-in-law likes to tell a story that involves one of her friends who got very aggravated with another driver over some infraction, real or imagined.  The two met at the next red traffic light and the other driver flung out some unkind words to my daughter-in-law's friend.  Expecting the friend to respond in kind, my daughter-in-law was surprised when her friend yelled out of the window to the other driver, "NICE HAT!"

Perhaps everyone could take a lesson from that event and yell, "NICE HAT!" to the next person who aggravates us.

The purpose of that story is to show off a cutsey crochet creation that I have titled, "Nice Hat."

I crocheted the Nice Hat right before the snow storm and was very happy to wear it to work today.  It doesn't keep my ears warm, though.

I used a pattern found in the December 2013 issue of Crochet World magazine on page 50.  I used Paton's Canadiana Yarn in Medium Gray Mix for the hat and Black for the band.  The beads are 6 x 9mm pony beads in clear translucent sparkle.  I had to increase the hook size to a "J" because the "F" hook made a hat only a child could wear.

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

Make a Business Plan

Planning is easy for me.  I do it all the time.  I make lists.  I make lists to tell me where my lists are located.  I plan.  I organize.  

The plan I am talking about, today, is a Business Plan for your Craft Business.

Even if all you have is a small Etsy store, you have to plan how you are going to DO your business.  No small business is too small for a business plan. Even if you simply take the time to jot down a few ideas, it will help you to stay focused on your business.  


I found this list here, and I don't believe I can make a better one. 

• Define your business goals and objectives
• Will help you to identify your target audience
• Enable you to identify the best business model for your business
• Assist with cash flow forecasting
• Enables you to better understand the business sector of your business
• Identify the skills needed to manage and operate your business
• Identify the technology needed to manage and grow your business
• Gain valuable information about your competitors
• Develop your marketing plan
• Identify and develop your branding strategy

At this stage of the game, you don't need a full blown formal business plan--the kind that is required if you are approaching investors or looking for a bank loan.  What you do need is a list of ideas.  Be honest about what you can actually accomplish by yourself in your one-woman enterprise, but don't sell yourself short, either.  

Remember, a business plan can always be adjusted as circumstances change.  Any plan you make is not chiseled in stone and is as close as a delete button.  Be flexible.

If you start out making expensive Barbie Dresses, don't forget your objective is to make money, so include a few "bread and butter" items that can be produced quickly and sold quickly.  You can change from making Victorian pot holders to socks at any time. 

Organization

Keeping your online craft store organized is very important.  A craft store can get disorganized very quickly if forethought and planning does not come into play.

The easiest method for organizing your store is to decide what you are planning to sell and then organize those items into categories.  No special equipment is required--just a piece of paper or an Excel Spreadsheet.

My store will include:

• Face scrubbies
• Bath puff
• Wash Clothes
• Ruffled Scarves
• Crocheted Scarves
• Doll clothes
• Burgundy purse (already made)
• Turquoise purse (already made)
• Blue purse with vintage handles (already made)
• Variegated Pink/Brow/White purse (already made)
• Vintage Potholder--appliqued (already made)
• Vintage Potholder--blue flower (already made)
• Victorian Potholder
• Victorian dish clothes

The categories for these items will be:

Spa Collection to include:
     Face Scrubbie
     Wash cloth
     Bath puff
Wearable Art
    Ruffled Scarf
    Crochet Scarf
Barbie Clothes
    1880s Ball Gown
Handbags and totes
     Purses
Kitchen Collection
     Pot holders
     Dish cloths

While it is not possible to organize by groups or categories on eBay, Etsy does allow for this feature.  If  using eBay, each item can be listed under one of eBay's categories at the time the item is posted and each item can be posted in a different category.  If the item is listed in more than one category, there is an extra charge.  The idea is to keep the overhead costs as low as possible.  Spending extra money to list the item in multiple categories or to "bold" the listing is normally not necessary. 

Etsy allows items to be listed under different shop sections, which makes it easier for people to search the items listed.  There is a charge each month:: $0.20 for a basic listing.  

$$$ Tip:  Make certain to keep track of all charges and fees.  These fees are tax deductible. 

By categorizing each item, this enables customers to find what they are looking for more quickly.  If someone is looking for potholders, they don't want to sift through picture after picture of purses.