It was a nice gentleman who is a client at the law firm where I work. His wife had come in to drop off some paperwork for him, and she saw the sterling silver green agate ring that I was wearing and really liked it. I told her that I made it, and she asked if I also sold the jewelry that I make. I told her about my Artfire shop, and explained that I could make her a ring very similar to the one I was wearing. (She needed a larger size than that particular one.) So her husband called a few days later and asked me to email him a link to my website. He just called back to ask me to make her a ring and earrings from sterling silver and green agate, but he also said this: " I checked out your shop, and it was really nice. I had expected to see more in there, but the things you have are beautiful." I thanked him and told him that it's a new project for me, and that I am adding new things every day, still a work in progress.
Which brings me to what I have been up to while I have been neglecting my blog: Making new jewelry! That has been my game plan for the week, and I have made quite a few new things. I still need to get more, more, more items in my shop! I need to photograph and list the ones that I have already made. Sometimes I get caught up reading and learning about how to market my stuff, SEO, and what's going on in the Artfire and Etsy communities, and I feel like I am doing something productive. But the truth is, while learning is nice, and while promoting is important, my shop will not be successful until I get a nice respectable amount of items there. No way around it.
This weekend and all of next week, create and list, create and list. I can dig it. But hopefully no neglecting my blog this time. Please feel free to chastise me here if I do not make some sort of interesting contribution here by Tuesday next week!
Holly
Honkus G.
I totally agree. I get so caught up in promoting my business that I forget, making quilts IS my business, and if I stop doing that, what is the point of everything else?
ReplyDeleteGreat reminder.
Great post! And a gorgeous ring...
ReplyDeletePromoting is necessary, but making the goodies is so much more fun anyway!
Chrisy Bossie
www.earthegy.artfire.com
It is a difficult juggling act, making items, SEO, cataloging, taking care of your family with meals, house and outside interests, too. We can only do so much, which makes it very important that we have our priorities in order.
ReplyDeleteI will be looking forward to watching your shop get stocked up. I have decided to just go ahead and work on getting ready for Christmas this year. :-)
Congrats on the sales, you were promoting just by wearing and that contact made you refocus- I hope you get so busy with making and selling that you have to "fit in" time to blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks, guys! I made 5 items today, two of which were already spoken for (one for a benefit auction for my friend's daughter's school, and one for a lady that saw my other school auction one and wanted it for herself in a different size), so counting what I made yesterday, I have 6 items to add.
ReplyDeleteKelly- Everyone will be rushing around at Christmas time and you'll be cool as a cucumber!
Woo hoo sales!! But see?? Now you have a place to tell said stories and amuse the blogosphere. Which is always the most important thing in the world ever. Our amusement.
ReplyDelete;)
~M
green is my favorite color, and that ring is gorgeous! .... and I promised myself to blog once a week and cant keep up lol
ReplyDeleteIt's so true. I frequently find a piece of jewelry that I like and am disappointed to find that the seller doesn't stock more than a few items in her shop.
ReplyDeleteVery true! Love the beautiful jewelry you make by the way :)
ReplyDeleteLauralee
www.etsy.sweettoppers.com
I have also been busy promoting and not photographing, listing, etc. Time to buckle down and get to work.
ReplyDeletewww.etsy.com/shop/cherishedhearts