Quitting your day job- Part III

If you read Part II, you should now you should be getting your financial plan in order for that long awaited day that you strike out on your own. I am going to take a break here to talk about confidence and shyness. If you are shy or suffer from a lack of confidence, start working on overcoming these fears now. Most businesses I have seen fail is because the owners suffered from shyness in one form or another.

Selling is marketing. Accept this. You will have to talk to others and you will have to convince them you know what you are talking about. Realize this now, take a deep breath, and don't give up. Start by facing your fears. Grab a sheet of paper and write down the three worst things that could happen if you called a potential customer to offer them your wares. Done? I am willing to bet that they all boil down to one word- no. No, I'm not interested. No, they aren't are style. No, they aren't the quality we prefer. No, no, no.

Yet notice, they are not saying, No, you're not good enough. All a no means is this is not the right customer, at this time. Each no brings you closer to a yes. Each no gives you hints on how to make it better next time. Each no means you were brave enough to put yourself in the position to train for those future yeses. How can something that holds so much promise be bad? (Ok, no one likes a no. Not to sound like a Pollyanna, but everything above is still true.) In our heads, the word 'no' becomes a monster. It makes nervousness at approaching a shop turn into a fate worse than death. Once you break down this irrational fear, and remember 'no' is the worst that awaits you, it becomes much easier.

Next, take power over 'no'. If someone says no, ask them if they can recommend another venue for your wares. If they say 'no' and are rude, go ahead and mumble epithets about their questionable parentage- to yourself once you are home and no one can hear. Then, call another shop, apply to another show, keep trying. Don't give your fear the time it needs to grow.Stores need artist like you or they have nothing to sell. Each time you visit a new shop to offer them your items you are doing them a favor, not the other way around.

Finally, get yourself a cheerleader. Join or start a networking group. If you are shy, steer clear of the hardcore business groups. Start small with a few like minded people that you have more than just business in common with. Meetup.com is a great place to find a group, or you can start your own for a small monthly fee. Also, friends and family members can be your cheerleader. Just avoid the ones who feed into your fears ("that's just awful! I don't know how you put yourself through that!"), throw you pity parties ("you poor thing. Go ahead and cry. <>"), or do the wiser person dance ("I knew this would happen, maybe you shouldn't put yourself out there like that"). The cheerleader you need has to be able to get you fired up when you want to quit. ("You're going to let that snooty gallery lady get you down? I'll drive you to that other gallery across town tomorrow, we'll show her!") They tell you when you're awesome and they tell you when you're not so great- then they help you brainstorm ways to make it great. If you throw a home party, they are there to speak up when you freeze up or at least give you a well placed kick to the shin to get your mouth moving. If you don't have that cheerleader now, be your own cheerleader. You'll find one eventually.

In Part IV on Tuesday, we will tackle business plans!
Part I
Part II

Morning Coffee 6-27

It's Friday! I am a mix of relief and nerves right now!

1. List some items.
2. Set up as much as I can for tomorrow.
3. One new marketing.
4. Get some change for the show.
5. Get drinks/ice
6. Run through everything to make sure I didn't forget anything!
7. Post up article.

I'll be back Monday to tell you how this weekend went!

Morning Coffee 6-26

I think I can...I think I can... I think I can...

1. Wholesale meeting, yay! This was a flop. They were trying to get me to sell my pendants to them at a 75% discount! I don't think so.
2. Finish banner.Done
3. Post ad on craigslist for Saturday.Done
4. Get jewelry carded.Done
5. List some items.oops, completely forgot
6. Get tomorrows blog post done.Done

Featured Artist: The Cuddle Shop

Andrea at the Cuddle Shop has taken the traditional sock monkey and made it a hip addition to any kids (or adults!) collection. From her cute Strawberry Lemonade monkeys to her rockin' pink and black Death Angel (pictured above), she's sure to have a monkey that you want to cuddle!

1.Tell us a little about your craft, what is it and how did you get

started in it?

I make sock monkeys and I make each one a different character with their own personality. I started making some sock monkeys because I had several ideas of what I wanted to make. I had seen lots of fun socks that I thought would make a fun monkey. Now I have an endless list of sock monkey characters I can make. I just can't sew fast enough to get them all into my shop. Previous to making sock monkeys I had been making cloth dolls and I brought skills I had learned from doing that into making sock monkeys.

2.What inspires you or helps you create?

I get inspired in two different ways. I'll think of a certain character that I want to make, like my Jack the Undead Sock Monkey or my monkey I made after the character Teal'c on Stargate Sg1 (Editors note: yay, another SG fan!) so I'll go out and search for the socks and supplies I need to make those characters. Another way I get inspired is by the socks I see. When I was at the store and I saw rainbow socks I knew they would make a great Rainbow character.

3.What do you love most about being a crafter?

The thing I love most about being a crafter is I love to come up with an idea, draw it, plan it out and then when I start making it I see my idea take shape and then become tangible. It starts as an idea and then becomes something I can hold.

4.What one thing would you tell a new designer that you wish you had known when you first started?

That making mistakes is how you learn. You can't expect to be a perfect seamstress when you first sit down to sew something, but sticking with it and practicing is definitely worth it.

5.Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years I see myself sewing clothing, and hopefully having my own patterns for cloth dolls and their clothing.

Morning Coffee 6-25

I'm still chugging along. I can't afford to fall behind this week!

1. One new marketing. Done
2. Work on table banner Done
3. Finish off flyer display.Done
4. Post some flyers around town. Done
5. Get everything organized for tomorrows meeting.Done,and just remembered i have a team meet-up right after, gah!

New Display

Yep, the paint and glue is finally dry on my shojo screen display! The best thing about it is it can be arranged three different ways, curved like this,giving a three sided display-
Or set up zig-zagged like a normal screen-

Or flat, almost like a window-It is made of painted foam core, dowels for the hangers, and a heavy wood base to keep it stable. The "rice paper" is actually thin plastic sheeting. It has dowels running up between the layers of foam core and through the base. Eventually, I would like to make one out of wood when I have the time. This version only cost about $5!

Morning Coffee 6-24

And....The madness continues! If I can keep this pace up this week should be cake. I hope... Ooh,and I did get the cast done this morning, yay!

1. One new marketing.Done, Project Wonderful update
2. List some items.Done
3. Get jewelry bag organized for Thursday meeting.Done
4. Finish signs.Done
5. Make/acquire card and flyer display. Sorta done. I got my cards and flyers all ready, but I have decided I need a small basket for them, so I will go by the thrift store tomorrow.
6. Start on table banner.Yeah, not gonna happen today.