The Boss Knits

What's a trunk show, you say?

2010-01-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

Ok, truth be told, I don't know the "true" definition of a trunk show, but I know what I've seen in my LYS. For a knitwear designer, they send a "trunk" with all of their made up designs, we sell some patterns, suggest some yarns. It allows for exposure of that particular designer and helps those shoppers who need to see the garment in the flesh. Certainly it works the same for bags, doesn't it?

One of the struggles of being a one woman show is how to continuously - yes continuously - market oneself to to ensure sufficient growth and customer base to sustain life. A home based business plateaus as any other business if one does not keep up with the marketing.

During the last 2 months of 2009, I had two trunk shows. One hosted by friends. One in my LYS. I have one more scheduled for February of 2010.

Consider this --- if hosting a trunk show in your abode - or the abode of a friend, it really is no different than a Pampered Chef party - or think Mary Kay. I know we've all been to or been invited to one of those! You simply invite a lot of people, serve some refreshments, tell a bit about yourself, display your goods, and take custom orders if you wish. There are a tools to help you facilitate this (Think Evite, Microsoft Word to create invoices...)

When hosting in a Yarn Shop or other brick and mortar establishment - arrange a time frame that your goods will be on display and available for purchase through the establishment. It is also important to work out details of shipping to and from and pricing and payment.

The bottom line, there are no hard established rules for doing this type of thing - you just have to figure out what works for you and the person whom you are working with!

Happy 2010 and good luck trunk showing!

"That Hobby Looks Like a Lot of Work"

2009-12-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

Annie found and e-mailed this article to me about people who make their full-time living selling on Etsy (although they briefly mention supplicating income through craft shows, wholesale, etc.) and I wanted to make sure we shared it here.

"That Hobby Looks Like a Lot of Work"

There's a section in it that just made me want to scream:

While most people would find it impossible to meet a mortgage payment selling $8 crocheted mug cozies, some top-sellers on Etsy have moved beyond the stage of earning pocket money and are building careers — in some cases, earning six-figure incomes.
But even the successes add a note of “seller beware.” To build a profitable business on the site, they say — well, it’s a business. You need to build a brand identity, which often means courting design blogs or the news media. You need to manage distribution, which might mean standing in post office lines with a baby on your hip and a garbage bag filled with 30 self-packed boxes to ship. And as with any start-up, you need to maintain the morale of the labor force, which can be particularly challenging when you are the labor force, and the workday runs from “Good Morning America” to “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.”

Um, DUH. If it's your JOB...then you have to WORK. It still boggles my mind that some people just don't get that!

Excellent Article on Copyright Basics

2009-12-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

Having filed for a patent myself, I'm always looking for articles that apply intellectual property laws to crafters and artists. This is an excellent one (heads-up, it's a PDF file): Copyright Basics Including 12 Myths About Copyrights for Artists and Craftpersons.

You can find more awesome craft-related business articles here as well! Thanks to Craftmarketer for sharing!!!

Handmade for the Holidays

2009-12-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

It is now December 8 and Christmas is only 17 short days away from us! I am feeling the crunch, as I am sure many of you are, too! For those who we buy Christmas gifts for, I try very hard to make the gifts meaningful and thoughtful! I think handmade is best... The problem: I don't have time to make everything myself! And in comes Etsy... There are so many wonderful shops out there with fabulous handmade gifts!

First up... To a T. To a T is owned and operated (with help from her mother, of course!) by Taryn Peine of Houston. I went to high school with Taryn and was able to reconnect with her through Ravelry - of all things! I've already purchased two darling outfits from Taryn to gift to the little loved ones in our life... If you need something cute and unique - be it Christmas gift of baby shower, check out to a T! Below is our interview with Taryn where she tells us how she got started and shares some of her inspiration...

Enjoy!

Q: What inspired you to start an Etsy shop?
A: I always admired other Etsy shops, and I thought it would be fun to see if I could do one too, even though I'm terrible at accounting, math, billing people, and business in general. I re-discovered my love for sewing this year thanks to my mom, so I knew I wanted the shop to involve sewing something, but I didn't know what. Then, POOF, suddenly everyone in Houston was pregnant and I discovered handmade baby gifts were in high demand. So that's how I ended up with a baby shop, even though I myself have only a dog and a husband. They both act like babies sometimes, but they no longer fit in onesies.

Q: What is your creative process like?
A: I get a little gaggy at the sight of cutesy baby items, so my creative process starts with seeing an adult fashion and thinking of a way to scale it down to an infant size. For baby boys, I'm always inspired by my husband's abundance of argyle and tweed, and for baby girls, I try to create something I wouldn't mind wearing if I had my 19" waist back.

Q: When did you start hand-making things? Who taught you?
A: I've been crafting all my life, beginning with art projects in Girl Scouts. I took my first sewing class when I was in the 7th grade. I made a giant patriotic vest that was a big hit with the gentlemen, as I'm sure you can imagine. My mom taught me everything I know. She's incredibly patient, and loves creating just as much as I do. In fact, she's in charge of creating quite a bit of the items in the shop!

Q: What has been the biggest challenge of running your own shop?
A: Definitely the business aspect. I am from a family of accountants, so everyone in my life is constantly asking me about spreadsheets and bottom lines and profit margins and cost per item and that entire sentence is pretty much a sleeping pill for me.

Q: What is your favorite thing about running your own shop?
A: I get such a high from being in my sewing room all day, creating things for little ones I've never met before, watching precious outfits come together. I love it when someone loves what I've created. And I love collaborating with my mom!

Q: What are your plans for the future of your shop?
A: We're still young, and our goal in 2010 is to find ways to expose people to our shop. We're brainstorming some new designs to come out next year, and we're so excited to watch it grow. And we're learning better ways to photograph our products so everything looks more professional and less camera-phone-ish...

For more of Taryn Peine, check out her blog www.tarynmaxwell.com. She shares hilarious thoughts on life and yummy recipes, too!

Stamps.com: A Review

2009-11-19T13:39:00.000-08:00

Man, I really seem to be on a review bender, eh? Well, if it helps you in your business, then I'm happy to be the guinea pig!

Ever since I started Julip Bags back in August 2007, I've only ever used usps.com or PayPal's shipping tools, primarily because they were free and convenient. PayPal has the added benefit of automatically importing the buyer's information...all you have to do is click the "Print a shipping label" button at the bottom of the sale info screen. It even automatically sends an e-mail to the buyer that their purchase is on the way with a customized message! Super-fabulous! So why in the world was I interested in paying for a shipping service?!? Check in after the jump for my reasons why!

As I've mentioned previously, the one downside to these two options is that they don't allow you to print out First Class International postage at home, and I ONLY ship FCI unless otherwise requested. Until recently I strictly considered it a cost of doing business that I had to stand in line with my customs form and address label to pay for postage, as opposed to chucking my pre-paid international package into the same slot as my domestic shipments and sailing out the door. Up until recently...when I was bawled out (LOUDLY) not once, but twice, by a misinformed postal clerk who insisted that I was NOT allowed to use the address label/customs form I'd used for two years. In front of a long line of people who wanted me to just shut up and move along. When I spend a LOT of money shipping via the United States Postal Service each year. After I called the USPS 800 number to confirm that I was right. ~~And they wonder why they're going bankrupt with customer service like this?!?~~ Bottom line...my time = money, especially with the holidays coming up. Should I spend an hour waiting in line, or should I spend a little money to take a more efficient tour through my local post office?!?

So when I found out about Stamps.com's one-month free trial offer, I was up for it! I was initially thrown by the $15.99/month service fee (that's on TOP of normal postage costs) because honestly that's WHOA a hefty service fee, even if you write it off as a business expense. But I had a free month to give it a whirl, so I was game. My reactions:

Pros: YOU CAN PRINT INTERNATIONAL FIRST CLASS POSTAGE AT HOME! Hallelujah! I can fill out the address label, customs form, and pay for postage, and slap it on my package AT HOME! Which means I can strut happily past the line at the post office and stuff my packages into the regular pre-paid slot. For those of you who may be thinking "Umm...is it really worth it?!?"...I just had a week where I sent more bags overseas than I did domestic, and I normally send at least 3-5 packages outside of the U.S. on any given week! Food for thought. Did I mention that the holidays aka looooong lines are coming up? Yeah. The labels are very similar to the PayPal labels you may be accustomed to, minus the eBay endorsement that not all of us like. It's a separate software that you download onto your desktop, not a web-based program. When you sign up, you get an offer for a free 5lb scale (you pay shipping/handling) that plugs directly into your computer and transmits the weight of your package into the Stamps.com software...nifty, eh?!? The Stamps.com software gently offers address corrections (Dr. verses Drive) without the snit-fit (FIX THIS ADDRESS OR DIIIIIIIIE!!!!! oh and we ain't shipping this, btw) that PayPal shipping throws. So far, so good.

Cons: Unlike PayPal shipping which automatically draws from your PayPal account balance (and linked bank account/credit card thereafter), Stamps.com requires you to maintain a balance in their account, purchased in the amount of $10, $25, $50, $100, or "other" amount...which means you purchase a bulk amount of postage in one fell swoop. Not such a big deal for someone like me (I can easily spend $50 on shipping in one day) but a little disconcerting for people who have $10-20 costs in postage per week/log-on. When your available funds fall a little short of your costs, the program will prompt you to purchase more postage. Irritating but tolerable, I thought at first...until one night when I was catching up on shipping and the program told me that I'D HAVE TO WAIT for approval of my postage purchase (I have it linked to my PayPal Mastercard). Approval finally meandered through an hour later...but by that time I'd already stomped over to usps.com to print out my labels AND taken said packages down to the post office for drop-off. In the meantime, the amount I'd requested in postage was in limbo between my PayPal (Mastercard) and Stamps.com. This is IN NO WAY friendly to a small business that has to catch up whenever we have a spare moment. Honestly, this was almost the big deal-breaker for me. There are times when I'm wide-awake at 2am and use that time to catch up... the idea of having to wait for "approval" of my postage was scary.

Next con: the Stamps.com software is not as forgiving of printing screw-ups as other venues. I can't tell you how many 2-per-page adhesive labels I wasted (and those things ain't cheap!) trying to figure out Stamps.com's auto-orientation system, not to mention they have a one-strike-and-you're-out policy as opposed to PayPal and usps.com's more forgiving second-chance policy. My poor husband was cowering when I screamed bloody murder after my SECOND screw-up that resulted in a waste of shipping labels AND submitted requests for a shipping refund. Oh, and if you want to print stamps (a nice option), DON'T SCREW IT UP AND EXPECT A REFUND without MAILING the unused stamps back to Stamps.com. Huh?!? There's definitely a learning curve here.

Final con: I've found that the Stamps.com software program is somewhat buggy and twitchy to use. Especially if you have two printers like I do (laser and ink jet). It almost brought me to tears today.

Competition: Endicia.com seems to be Stamps.com's primary competitor...I haven't used it, upon first glance it's $5/mo cheaper than Stamps.com, but my primary concern about their basic service is that actual postage costs aren't masked on the label... a true concern for businesses! I refund shipping charges in excess of $1 and actually normally take a loss on my flat-rate shipping, but many buyers don't realize that shipping/handing includes the cost of of the bubble wrap, envelope, and labels that deliver their purchase safely to them. Sadly, there ARE many Etsy threads about disgruntled buyers who are angry when their postage labels show up as ten cents less than they paid. Plus, the fact that Endicia charges more for this is a little troubling. If anyone who uses Endica regularly for their shipping would like to clarify, please give a shout-out in the comments!

Bottom line: I WOULD recommend Stamps.com's service for any business that does a good deal of international shipping. As hard as it may be to justify the monthly fee, YOUR TIME = MONEY. I am so thankful that I don't have to stand in line and argue about international shipping when I know that I'm in the right, especially with the holidays coming up (i.e. long lines). I can now spend that time more productively cranking out lovely bags for my customers! But if you rarely have an international sale, or if you don't accept international sales, don't bother.

!!!PLEASE NOTE!!!
Before signing up for Stamps.com based on this review, in the interest of the unbiased business advice that I truly try to offer, I wanted to let you know that I was contacted by Endicia.com asking me to give their trial offer a whirl and review it as well. I AM going to go ahead and do that, and I WILL review it honestly, so you may want to hold off on making any decisions regarding picking a shipping service. I will post a review here ASAP...the holidays are coming up fast, after all!!!

"f"

2009-11-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

I enjoy the "f" word, so much so that I use it as many times as I can in a day....I'm working on several designs at once, both sewing and knitting and this "f" word has moved from "favorite" word to "THE word!!!!!!". But I'm headed to the "other" side for inspiration...which means, I'm headed to the East side of MI next week for some knitting/sewing inspiration and some eastside Mason Jar moonshine... I will either triumph or will be found in an eastside gutter in a bunch of felted wool topped with Amy Butler...discuss......

Strike A Pose

2009-10-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

When I hear the phrase strike a pose, I instantly think of Vogue! Well, my friends, RoseKnits made the pages of what's new in knitting in the Vogue Knitting Holiday edition! This is following an earlier release of the Knit Simple Holiday edition where RoseKnits made the Knits and That section!

Press, in itself, is exciting. Press from people you don't know, double exciting. Press in a nationally published knitting magazine by people you don't know: priceless! It is a great honor and I am humbled by their recognition! The people at the magazine are super nice and encouraging and I will be forever grateful for the kudos.

Amby and I are working hard at Julip Bags and RoseKnits to bring you guys great, new, affordable holiday items! Please check out our shops when considering your holiday shopping!

Review: "Craft Inc. Business Planner"

2009-10-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

Finally, after much impatient waiting, I got my hands on the new "Craft Inc. Business Planner: The Ultimate Organizer for Turning Your Crafts Into Cash." I absolutely adore the original Craft Inc. and HIGHLY recommend it to anyone with a crafty business, whether it be full- or part-time. There is a lot of inspiration, advice, and motivation packed into that book, and I treasure my copy dearly.

First off, it's hardcover and spiral-bound, so I'm already happy. Second, it's very much an interactive workbook...whereas the first Craft Inc. was more of a read-only resource, this one is PACKED with areas to jot notes, worksheets, lists, etc. I WILL say that this is NOT a how-to book by any means, and really should be partnered with the original Craft, Inc. to get the full effect. And by that, I mean that they have sections on budgeting, craft shows, trade shows, etc, but they don't go into the details that the original Craft, Inc. did.

The pros: this workbook will help you put pen-to-paper things that you really should have written down somewhere, such as your Creative Mission, your Open-for-Business Checklist, budget breakdowns, Marketing Campaign Worksheets, and even places to list contact info for blogs, magazines, and other advertising venues to consider. There are three heavy-duty pockets in the back for tucking snippets, samples, and receipts (think of a bride's wedding-planning binder).

I think my favorite thing about this planner is that it really helps you put down in black-and-white the core elements of a BUSINESS PLAN...something that sounds really scary and big, but is truly essential to anyone taking their business seriously. If you were to go through and fill out all the exercises and worksheets in this planner you will have (HAPPY DAY!) already completed most of your business plan, you'd just need to organize it into a single document form.

This planner, when completed and with the included professionals' advice, can also function as an AWESOME motivational tool...when you're feeling down because you haven't made a sale in days, or you're feeling overwhelmed, or not quite sure why you got into this in the first place...whip this bad boy out and hear your inner indiepreneur roar!

The cons: to say that I was surprised that this book includes additional blank worksheets to photocopy would be an understatement. Yes, call me a snob if you like, but I really think this book would have been finished off perfectly with a cd-rom or pdf-download link of all the pertinent worksheets. Even if I had to pay an extra dollar for it, it would have been worth it, since I now have to head to Kinkos to make copies of the worksheets within. In a market where similar "For-Dummies" books all have included cd-roms, I really feel this is an inexcusable omission.

I think the organization of the book could have been a wee bit better...as I was cruising along in it I was surprised to see that the author had her section about trade shows (something many indiepreneurs will never tackle) before a section on craft shows (the first big step for many crafters). Not to say that the trade show section isn't necessary...but it's a HUGE step that would probably have fit better later in the "progression" of advice. Additionally there is a section about your product line that (IMO) sticks out like a sore thumb. The entire book is very focused on BUSINESS advice about your craft BUSINESS, and then suddenly there is a tangent about sketching out the items you intend to sell. Yes, the worksheets about calculating the costs vs. wholesale vs. retail are helpful, but to have several blank pages of places to sketch designs out didn't quite fit.

I also feel like the book came to a screeching halt after the sections on trade and craft shows...an additional section on expanding your indie-empire could have been helpful...maybe a tool to help evaluate after a year?

Overall rating? Probably a B...the tools within this book are invaluable and approachable to a start-up business, and will be a wonderful resource to fall back on once it's completed. The lack of a cd-rom for the forms and lack of focus on the business AFTER the start-up is also a negative for me. Overall, though, I would definitely recommend this workbook for anyone STARTING a new business, or anyone who needs a little help refocusing on their crafty bottom-line.

(Cross-posted to Russell Yarn)

New Virtual Lab!!

2009-09-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

Howdy all! Just wanted to let you know that Etsy has asked me to host another Virtual Lab, "Bigger Than a Breadbox: Photography for Medium to Large Objects" on Wednesday, September 30th, at 8pm EST, as part of their "Prep Your Shop for the Holiday Rush" series. Yay!

To participate, make sure you have an Etsy ID (which is quick and easy to register for!), click on this link, click on the Classroom on the left-hand side of the screen, and then click on any empty square (seat) once inside.

Now, I will be the first one to admit that this is probably totally biased on my part, but I am really loving these Virtual Labs (and I don't mean just the ones I'm hosting)...they're a great forum for brainstorming, new ideas, new leads, and new links! If you have a chance to check one out, definitely go for it but be warned: they fill up FAST. And once they're filled up, you have to hope someone leaves the chat to leave a space for you to skip into. The more popular labs fill up 10-15 minutes before the scheduled start time.

ETA: The notes for the Virtual Lab can be found here!!!

Soundtrack for a Business

2009-09-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

So I've had several people lately ask me what kind of music I listen to while I'm working. In no particular order, the most common things you'll find me cranking up while making bags are:

1. Anything by Muse. Perfect for settling into an energetic afternoon of fabric-chopping.
2. Anything by Nine Inch Nails, but especially the Broken album. I'm a NIN fan from back in the day, and now I find I still love Trent Reznor because he gets my procrastinating butt in gear. Or when I'm in a hurry and need a more, um, upbeat tempo to work to, "Wish" is especially good for this. Ask me sometime about how I was introduced to NIN, it's a funny story (now).
3. The Bubblegum Oldies channel on Pandora. A nice happy all-day groove. A great day is when "Palisades Park" comes up in the rotation.
4. The Michael Jackson channel on AOL radio. Being able to sing along (badly) to almost every song is a definite plus.
5. Anything that falls under the category "Classic Rock." My hands-down favorite genre.
6. Classical music, especially Tchaikovsky and Mozart. Very good talk-me-down-off-the-ledge-I've-got-a-huge-wholesale-order-to-finish-today music.

So what do YOU listen to while you're working, crafting, or chilling?

Quit Your Day Job!

2009-09-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

Yay! Julip Bags has been featured as the Quit Your Day Job story of the week on Etsy! Check it out for (funky) pictures of me, read about my love affair with my Crackberry, and other solid business advice!

I'll be hosting a live video chat in Etsy's Virtual Labs on Wednesday at 5pm EST (US), please stop by to see me and say hi!!!

Ideas Ideas, and then SPLAT!

2009-09-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

I'm late to the party and unlike my cohorts, I can't think of any cool theme song to begin my first post that is outside the realms of the Wiggles or Sesame Street...although I do always comment on their choice of knit attire. I don't think of myself as much of a designer just someone who is always perusing the gazillions of patterns on Raverly only to realize what I want or imagine hasn't been made yet...so out comes the post-its and my stick figure un-Project Runwayesque sketches of ideas. I'm not someone who considers myself an awesome knitter that knows every little way to decrease, increase, shape, size etc but I like math (a lot) and like to find different ways to construct something (or should I say EASY ways that don't involve a lot of fiddling). I find the knits that I crave or am drawn to are simple, nothing fancy. Often I have ideas that I am still trying to technically work out - now, how do I make THAT happen????

When I began my first pattern, I had a zillion ideas and that is not an exaggeration. The hardest part was to actually focus and stay the course with ONE idea. I considered myself lucky to develop two patterns based on my first two ideas and they worked. And I like them.

Them came the Vulcan vest(s). The idea seemed perfect - a tube of sorts with cool large color blocks and then a chest and arms of color blocks going in the opposite direction. I was so smug, I cranked out two and they looked cool. Then I put them on my boys for a model shot and they looked like Star Trekkies and not in a good way....an insult to them. I tried to talk myself into liking them because I know people have different tastes and sometimes I see what people are drawn to on Raverly and can only declare WTF???? You really want to make THAT or you DID make that???? But I just couldn't talk myself into selling it or even making it a free pattern OR even forcing my kids to wear them because for Crap's sake, they will wear a girdle thong with a monkey tail and look at me like I AM the strange one for telling them it isn't appropriate for preschool. So I hit a wall. I haven't stick figured sketched or even allowed myself any ideas because what the hell kind of knitter is gonna knit a kid something that will make them (and in turn me) a laughing stock. But I'm starting to come out of it. You just never know what magic can happen when you create something...it could flop terribly or it could be the next Cobblestone/Clapotis rage????

Im just little ole me trying to not make my kids look like Vulcans on roids and hoping some other people may like my stuff. But when you have an audience, they can judge and that perceived judgement can back your vulcanized ass right into a corner. But I have my handy post-its back on my bedstand next to my wine coaster and look forward to something inspiring. How do these famous knit designers do it, cranking out stuff left and right? I would LURVE to see the oddities of what these people have created in their lifetimes because I am sure my Vulcan pattern is not the only one to hit this galaxy, right, RIGHT?

My cohorts must have sewn some shizzle bags, right?

International Shipping - Just Do It!

2009-09-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

Anyone who reads the Etsy forums knows that there are certain topics that come up, um, often. Non-paying buyers, feedback concerns, and SHIPPING seem to be three of the biggest, and international shipping is definitely one of the most hotly-dissected topics.

All three of the Bosses on this blog have online businesses, which naturally means that our items are viewable by potential customers living outside of the United States. I personally get a thrill out of sending my bags to countries I've never visited, knowing that there are knitters out there with Julip Bags jaunting around the UK, Sweden, Brazil, South Africa, and other faraway lands. (And if you are, please please pretty please upload a pic of your jaunting over on my Rav group!)

So perhaps I'm biased, but when people ask me "Should I offer international shipping?" my answer is ABSOLUTELY YES!!! Even if your stuff is really heavy or really valuable (which will potentially increase the shipping costs) there ARE people outside of the US that will buy your lovely handcrafts and willingly pay the shipping costs, if only you give them the option. This will be a long one, so check it out after the jump!

So here is Amby's Bottom Line on shipping internationally: it is no different from shipping domestically, except that I have to fill out a customs form and stand in line to pay for postage as opposed to printing it out myself and putting the packages in the post office's drop box. That's the only difference.

How much to charge for international shipping? It's honestly not that hard to figure out, I promise! I have three different shipping rates, one for the US, one for Canada (since I live right across the river and it's often cheaper to ship stuff there than to California), and one for Everywhere Else. To figure out a rate for Everywhere Else, I just used the USPS shipping calculator to calculate the estimated cost of shipping each item to the UK, added a dollar to be safe, and went with that. In the two years I've been selling and shipping internationally, I've never had an actual shipping cost exceed the estimate, and remember that you can always refund your buyer the difference if your estimate is high. Some sellers prefer the "contact me for an international shipping estimate!" route instead of plainly listing the rates, but that does seem to be a turnoff to some buyers who don't want to bother with contacting you, they want to be able to buy NOW!

What service to use? I ship everything First Class International via the United States Postal Service, as my bags are neither breakable nor irreplaceable. To my knowledge, everything I've ever shipped that way has arrived safely. Pros: it's the least expensive USPS shipping method and it's pretty reliable. Cons: there's no tracking system after you mail your item, and you can't print off the postage from PayPal or USPS.com (I've heard you can through Stamps.com, but there is a monthly fee associated with that service). So you do have to stand in line to pay for postage at the post office. If you bump your shipping up to Priority or Express, you can print out the postage online and hand it to your mail carrier or put it in a collection box. I have no experience shipping internationally via UPS or Fed-Ex, if anyone does please feel free to let me know and I'll add your comments to this post!

Customs forms: the post office should have a stack of them, or you can order them FREE from the USPS online store, or you can do what I do and download the USPS Shipping Assistant, which creates a shipping label and a customs form and prints them out onto one label. It's very easy and straightforward to fill out, just make sure you are HONEST on it. If you are shipping merchandise, make sure you indicate that (on the green form pictured above, you will check "other") even if a buyer begs and pleads with you to mark it as a "gift." Some people will do this in order to avoid customs duties and fees for items they order from overseas. Just be aware that it is illegal to falsify information on the customs form, and it may be a good idea to state plainly in your shop's policies that all duties and fees are the responsibility of the buyer. I have heard that some items under a certain weight/size do not require customs forms, but I have no experience with knowing what that determining factor is. If anyone who ships small stuff and doesn't need customs forms would like to chime in down in the comments, it would be appreciated!

So you've sold your item, packaged it up, filled out the customs form, and are in line at the post office. When your turn is next, tell the ~~meanie that waited on me this morning~~ nice postal employee that you want to ship your package First Class International and hand it over along with your customs form. Pay and you're done, on your way to being a seller in the global economy! Easy Peasy!

Now, a couple of caveats:
-It is both the buyer and seller's responsibility to be aware of the restrictions of shipping to certain countries. As an example, in my shop policies I plainly state:

"Please also be aware of your country's individual laws regarding imports, I may not be held responsible for any item held by customs. If a country prohibits the import of "sewn items" I am not able to ship one of my handmade bags there."

Italy has a long list of restricted imports, and Australia has some interesting ones too. You don't need to memorize the list of restrictions for every country on earth, but familiarize yourself with some of the more common ones.

-If you underestimate the cost of shipping, suck it up, pay the difference out of pocket, adjust your shipping charges accordingly, and consider it a life lesson. You can't ask a buyer to cough up more in shipping costs than they've already paid. Not only is that Bad Customer Service, it's illegal in some states.

-It is not outside the realm of possibility that your item may be held by a country's customs department, opened, rummaged through, and sometimes NOT sent on to your buyer. Sometimes it also takes a long time for stuff to arrive. I've had a package arrive in Germany in four days, and a package across the Detroit River to Windsor take two weeks. Be aware of that fact.

But finally...it is an absolute fact that offering international shipping will increase your sales. I ship AT LEAST one package outside of the US per week, sometimes more. There is a whole world of customers out there, desperately wanting to buy your fabulous stuff...don't let them down!!!

Take 5

2009-09-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, you guys are probably sitting here thinking... 3 of you blogging, 5 days with no blog - what gives?? Haha! Being the owner of your very own baby business is very hard work, often requires you to work 24/7 in one form or another, but sometimes one must take a break!

I think that Amby and Kristi (I hope I spelled that right... if not, I'll edit later.. Sorry babe!) would agree - if we aren't sewing up a new bag idea, trying to update the shop with new goodies for you guys, or test knitting / drawing that new fabulous pattern idea we're thinking of marketing - working on excellent customer service (because that is what sets us apart) or packaging up orders. It is very fun! Very exciting! and Very tiring all in the same. I'm not complaining, just breakin' it down for ya!

My husband and I often have this conversation - he mows the yard, I sew. I believe in some ways he still views sewing as a 'hobby' and I am getting to do something I enjoy where he feels he's having to do a 'chore.' But it's hard work and the proof is in the puddin'! Every package shipped from my second bedroom / make shift studio space for now has my name on it, and I would not ever purposely give myself a bad name!

Tomorrow is Tuesday - day after a long holiday weekend! So I hope you find us refreshed, funny as ever, and bloggin' a lot!

Have a great week everyone!

From the Beginning

2009-09-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

Taking the cue from Annie's totally excellent first post, I'll use music as my introduction...when I think of starting something new, I think of "From the Beginning" by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. So where to begin with my two fabulous co-authors?

Kristi, Designer Extraordinaire of RedDogKnits has been my partner in crime for a looooooong time...she and I co-hosted two Michigan Knitterpalooza events and continue to be Sister Secret Squirrels (code language for co-conspirators) when it comes to giving the finger to The Man and declaring independence from corporate overlords. Her twin sons love me, her husband tolerates me, and she and I generally leave a swath of mayhem in our paths whenever we get together. Most recent hijinks: me getting saucy when I was totally dissed and dismissed as the maker of Julip Bags at a Michigan LYS. That or the the whole "Hey I KNOW that guy!" Mexican restaurant debauchery.

Annie, Mistress-in-Chief of RoseKnits, is truly my favorite long-distance-relationship...despite being (supposed) competitors in the world of knitting bags on Etsy, we are friends, confidants, and support each other unconditionally! I share with her things that would normally make me explode in either mirth or fury since I can't post them anywhere publicly for the good of my business, and we mutually speak the language that is Amy Butler, Timtex, and wholesaling. Most recent hijinks: (cannot be posted on a public blog for reasons I mentioned before).

Me: Amby, owner and chief grunt of Julip Bags, wife of JP and mama of Russells, I quit my day job back in mid-June to do JB full-time. My first "real" post will be about the things no one ever tells you about doing this crazy life full-time, as your primary source of income, and all the hilarity that ensues. I will also post about such lighthearted topics as Intellectual Property attorneys. It's all a barrel of monkeys from here, folks!

-Amby

Let's Get it Started!!

2009-09-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Inevitably, every time I think about starting something new the song Let's Get It Started by the Black Eyed Peas pops into my head. I used to love the Jazzercise routine to that song... Have any of you ever been to Jazzercise?? Ok, I digress.

I wanted to start by telling you all how I met Ms. Amby - the coolest gal EVER and owner of the even cooler Julip Bags!. I had just started RoseKnits and I e-mailed Amby to see if she would carry some of my bags in her shop (naive shop owner, yes I am). She gracefully said, "no" and I offered to send her a bag! She was kind enough to accept and even prepare a review on her blog!!! Very kind of a fellow, established bag maker.

I've met other bag makers who would not dare publish anything about another bag maker for fear of losing customers (I guess). I don't really understand this school of thought because I certainly own more than one bag, what about you? There's plenty to go around, I'm sure! So, that was lesson number one from Ms. Amby!

I think I bothered her again shortly there after for tips on how to become a full-time bag lady... She, again, kindly obliged and took the time to write to me a real tips and tools e-mail! This chick was impressive! And kind!

Today, we find ourselves chatting back and forth about business and life... It's fun, and I'm definitely glad I met her. Ok, enough mush mush... Maybe next time my blog will be about a bag. Or not. We'll have to wait and see.