Dilemmas of the Business Kind

Holiday shopping season hits me every year, just like I suspect it does so many of you, as a crazy time.  There are all of these blaring ads on tv and the radio announcing BIG DEALS and HUGE DISCOUNTS.  I read and hear COME IN NOW or COME IN DURING THESE HOURS to get a special deal.  We all love a deal.  And the people who create these ads and deals know that all too well.

My current dilemma has to do with the fact that I do not feel compelled to offer a drastic discount during the holiday shopping time.  I buy my supplies and put hours into designing and physically crafting them.  I am the secretary, custodian, accountant, marketer, and whatever-needs-done person running this whole show.  (I love being the one doing these things as I like to know what is going on where and when but there are times when I could really use a clone!)  If I create too big of a discount I could quite possibly put myself out of business.  Plus I feel like I would have to inflate my prices just to cut them down to make it seem like people were getting a huge deal. 

So with that being said, I wonder how people who do not know me or do not understand the nature of hand-crafted items and art view my sales tactics during the holiday season.  They don't change one bit from during the rest of the year.  I am not flashy and I am not screaming that you need to come get some ridiculously crazy deal from me.  Do they think that I do not have what they might want for themselves or to give to someone else? (Just one wonder among many in this category.....)

Good thing I don't think about it too long. One could go crazy doing that!  (I have been informed by my teenaged daughters that I am already crazy enough. LOL)  I do think, though, that I should explain myself a bit better and have set a goal to do that more often throughout the year so people will understand how I think about deals and pricing.

I set my prices taking into account the price of the materials, the time I have spent working on the idea and the actual physical time creating, and the price it might cost to ship the item.  I shop wisely  when I can and buy things at great prices.  Some things are just more costly than others and that comes with the territory.  I also ask myself, "How much would I pay for something like this?"  I don't comparison shop to set prices in an active way.  I just pay attention to what I have seen and make mental (or paper) notes about that.

I offer Buy One, Get 1/2 Off all year long because I think people like to be able to get a good deal all year long.  It is terribly difficult for me to choose just one beautiful or interesting hand-crafted item so being able to get more than one at a great price is always a draw for me.  I love to bundle prices when I can - more sparklies for a good price - so I price my earrings 1 pair for $12, 2 pairs for $20, and 3 pairs for $25.  I give repeat customers a special price break to thank them for returning to shop with me.  There are so many custom orders that come out of that first sale of a necklace or bracelet.  Thanking people for that is important to me!

I sometimes offer specials at the shops that carry my work to help business grow in those places.  It is nice to be able to do that.  If they have events, I always give a door prize or create a special deal for just that event.  Supporting small business is very, very, very important to me!  Without these small businesses, I would not be as successful as I have been.  Their support of my small business is priceless!!!  You can find me at Main Street Market in Knoxville, IA; Treasures and More in Polk City, IA; Fusion in Clive, IA and Finders Keepers in Urbandale, IA.

I participate in vendor/craft shows when it works out for me to do so.  The Buy One, Get 1/2 Off always is appreciated at those events.  I may price things a bit lower at those shows so that I can make room for new creations.  My goal really is for my creations to find new, loving homes so I price things to hopefully help them move.  I love the look on people's faces when they find just the right thing and the price is just right too!

So back to my dilemma - to have Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday specials or not....  I do not think they fit with what I currently do.  I aim to be authentic in my business and if the choice is to have higher prices with deep discounts at one time of the year or to have great prices and a regular discount all year long, I will take the latter option.

I would love to hear your opinion on this!  Comment on this post and give me your thoughts.  And to thank you for your thoughts, I will give anyone who comments on this post 15% off any item.  I have a huge amount of photos to look through at http://www.facebook.com/JKLARTJewelry and http://jklartjewelry.webs.com/.

Aaaaaacckkk pffffffffffftttt!!!

This is my profile picture on Facebook.  Yep, Bill D. Cat and Opus from Bloom County....  I am in an "aaaaccckkk pffffttt" kind of mind-frame lately.  I am not quite sure why but I have decided to just go with it.  What can it hurt to just drift and see where I end up? 

Granted I could drift the wrong direction and end up in quite a different place than expected but that is part of life's adventures as an artist.  You never know where you will end up.  Sometimes you end up somewhere far better than where you started, even if it looked like it was the wrong direction at the beginning of the drift. Sometimes it only looks wrong because you are fighting so hard for something else to be right. 

Either way, I am feeling like there are some changes afoot.  I love change.  It makes lots of people I know nervous but I embrace it.  It fuels me and keeps me moving forward.  It is this kind of change that makes me grow as an artist, creator - heck, HUMAN.  Change is necessary for my growth!  Some can be scary at first but then I jump in with both feet (maybe even belly-flop) and move forward.

When time is crunched and I feel like I do nothing but run, sleep very little and get stressed, that is the time to change something I am doing.  It is time to change how I fit creativity and creation into my day-to-day life.  Maybe I need to create things that are not so detailed, whimsical perhaps to keep me smiling and laughing.  Maybe I need to find inspiration in what I already have and figure out how to use it in a new way that fits my daily life better.  Maybe I need to just sit and breathe, laugh at shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and 30 Rock or just say "Aaaaaaaccccckkkkkkk!!!!!  Pffffffffffttt!!!!". 

So I am going to stay in Bloom County for awhile with my pals Bill D. Cat and Opus for as long as I need to and just enjoy the stimulating conversations that include "Thppft!!!".  I know it has to lead me to a fun place and fun is definitely important in my life.  I know several people who are here in Bloom County already. 

Pay it Forward! Comment to be a part of it....

As soon as I saw this on Tumblestone Handmakery's blog http://tumblestonehandmakery.blogspot.com  I knew I had to take part! 

I love surprise happy things just like this - especially in the mail, 

who doesn't like something fun like this in the mailbox that isn't a bill?!!

I have not won anything yet but I like to think I just might so I am going to try this anyway...

  I will be giving a thoughtful, handmade surprise

 to the first *3* people

to comment on this blog post!

These are just a few of the things I make and give you a good indication of my style of working.

Here are the rules and how it works!!

I’ll send a surprise gift to the first three to comment on this blog post.

The gift will be a handmade surprise by me and will be sent to you some time in the next 364 days 

(yep, mystery gift at a mystery time).

Here’s what you need to do, leave me a comment and make sure you include your email address 

(if your profile doesn’t include it). 

I’ll email you for your snail mail address and a ask a few questions 

(likes/dislikes, favorite colours, sizes general stuff like that). 

In case your wondering, I’m happy to send gifts overseas :)

To complete signing up you MUST play along too. To do this you must blog a similar post and pledge to make a surprise gift for the first three people who comment on it.

So, do you want to play? Comment below and I’ll send a thoughtful handmade gift to the 

first three people who do.

Let the fun begin!!

2012 Iowa State Fair.... and other thoughts

I am a list maker.  I make lists of things that have to be done, I want to squeeze in, and would just like to see if it is possible to accomplish them.  this blog is always on the list.  I keep it on the list so that I will stop and process my thoughts, share with others, and get some ideas out of my head so others will have room.  

Do I accomplish everything?  No but I figure that I have set some goals and that is a major part of any battle.  Today's blogging is easy....  and I am glad that I take the time to blog.

I have been gearing up for the Iowa State Fair so long I have lost track of the time spent prepping and creating work for just 2 days of selling at Art Under the Tent with fellow artists.  It is the first time that I have decided to sell in such a big venue.  I don't know how to much to take... Have I made enough stuff?  Do I have all of my little things organized like necklaces for pendants to I can just grab them and put them together on the spot?  Do I have enough of the supplies I use like jump rings to make something longer?  Will my brain come with me or will I forget it at home?  

I entered a couple of creations in the Creative Arts division last year.  I was not looking for a ribbon or prize.  I just wanted the feedback from the judges and to find out what it is like to enter something like that.  First time ever doing that and I was glad that I did.  The comments were great to read.  This year I entered 3 things, the photographed item being one of them.  I set my goal a little higher and thought honorable mention would be good.  

To my amazement, I got a Blue Ribbon for this piece.  It is a hand-crafted pendant/ring.  It is on 2 different length strands of aventurine.  It can be a ring that is attached to a slave bracelet, worn by itself, or as a pendant.  Convertible!!!  I almost did not enter this creation.  I had a doubt or 2 that it would even make it into the category correctly.  And to learn I earned a Blue Ribbon with it made me realize that it was well worth the risk of entering it.

At the end of the fair, this beauty will go to a new home.  (one that I know though so I can visit it when I miss it....)  I sometimes wonder if what I make and love dearly is what others will love just as much I do.  Now I know that THIS one is.  I love the big, bold pieces and things that stand out.  I love something with great texture and will catch light in an interesting way.  I love something that makes me feel like a 5 year old kid who just found a treasure and cannot wait to tell the world about it.  I know I am not alone in this... but it is so nice to have it so concretely said "You make good stuff.  I like how you think."

Before all this happened, I had my first "big" order.  I made some really cool cork necklaces for Wine Shop at Home consultants in the area.  When they went to convention, those fun necklaces were noticed by many including someone on the Board of Directors.  I am getting leads for more work like that big order now.  All because I played and had fun, I am getting solid concrete leads.  All because I put my thoughts into action/creation, I am getting to hear "I like how you think" a little more.  Confidence is pretty important in this world and especially as an artist of any kind.

So how do I wrap up this blog entry?  I guess I say THANK YOU to every single person that told me I could do this and be successful, to every single person who told me that I was wasting my time and should just do something for the money not because I love it, to every single person that sees something I made and says something nice about it, and most importantly to family and friends who tell me I like how you think.  

If you would like to follow me closer, you can find me on Twitter (@wireitup4u), Facebook (www.facebook.com/JKLARTJewelry) and on the web (http://jklartjewelry.webs.com). 

Advice for my daughters.....

(This is not about art or business.  Instead I chose to write to my daughters who will be out of school and independent sooner than later.  Surprisingly, this is how I run my business.  It has worked for me and I hope it will work for my kids.)
Be you.  Don't be someone else. 
Stand firm for what you believe.  Protect your beliefs but change them when they need to be changed for the right reasons.
Follow your passion.  Money is fleeting and always will be.  Your passion will sustain you in ways money never can.
Laugh. alot. Inappropriately even....  It is such a healing thing to do and it keeps you young.
Count every teeny tiny blessing, especially on the hard days.
Learn.  Always take the time to learn.  It does not have to happen in a school setting and most of the big lessons don't happen there.
Create what you love.  No matter what that is, create what you love.
Give to others because it is the right thing to do, not because you will get something out of it or in return.
Live in the moment.  It won't come again.  They won't all be good or fun but they all teach us something.
Most importantly, love yourself for who you are completely.  If you love yourself that much, loving others comes much easier.

Back to what I love.....

I am so pleasantly surprised by the ability to return to what I love to do.  There are a lot of ways to explain that statement.... but the most recent thing I have been able to return to is the most amazing to me.  You will see what I mean when you read this blog entry.

I always wanted to be an artist.  I had 1 year of elementary art and no more than that til 7th grade.  My parents fought to get an art teacher in my school district, even though one of them has zero art skill or interest.  I figured I could not make it as "just" an artist so I became a teacher.  Getting my Bachelor of Art Education made me so happy!  I could do art AND work with kids - things I love dearly to this day.

I taught for 15 years.  Then I was no longer an art teacher and returned to my artistic roots.  I started doing mosaics just for fun at home, while I was trying to find other work.  Turns out I did not need to have other work because it never showed up.  I just kept getting more art and jewelry custom orders.  I am by no means rich in capital but I am rich in happiness, creation, and what I call "recess".  (Those of you who have a sense of playing when you work know what I mean by "recess".)

I have recently been able to return to mosaics, the one thing I thought I might not get to do often again.  Jewelry is easier to store and I need to remember that where I am living is not quite my permanent home yet so I need to keep space and creations in balance.  I love making jewelry and make some really cool things (I think anyway).  I enjoy it immensely! 

However, I have missed mosaics and 3-dimensional art.  I missed it so much I did some on the side just to make sure I did not ignore that skill and love.  I put it out as a "fun project" on my Facebook page, showed my friends, and just shared it lightly.  Now it is the one thing that is demanded the most of me!  Woo hoo!!!!  Talk about getting to returning to what you love to do....  so awesome!!!  I never thought I would be able to do that in such a strong way again.  Pleasantly surprised is not quite right but I think you get the drift.....

Now the mosaics I have created on birdhouses and little wooden birds leave my house as soon as I make them, sometimes being spoken for long before that.  Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!!  THAT is what makes mosaics so much easier to do.   It has been a great blessing and I am so grateful that I get to do these again and again.

What a cycle I have had and I love it all!!!  I wonder what love you have returned to when it did not seem likely....

Transitions

When I started making jewelry in July 2010 I did not know where the road was going to take me.  I still don't.  But knowing where I will end up does not matter nearly as much as being present in the moment that I have now.  I need to appreciate every step along the way because the journey is what matters and makes me stronger as an artist and creator.  The journey has been incredible and it makes me so glad I put myself out there like I did that summer!

The connections I have made are incredible as well.  I have been amazed at how small the world is and how many people I was connected to without knowing.  Makes me smile to know I can share histories with those people and laugh at the funny things in life...  I have been successful in business as a result of those connections.  I knew that connections would matter a lot when I started out in this venture but I did not know just how many connections I would discover I already had. 

I am in a stage of transition now.  I am not just an out-of-work art teacher using my skills and love of all things art to pass the time, make a few things to see if they will sell.  I am no longer just testing the waters at craft and vendor shows.  I have joined a group of artists called Art-A-Holics and that has definitely opened the possiblities of what I can do with my jewelry and art.  I have so many things open to me and I choose where I go next.  That transition is a hard one.....

I can transition to soooo many things and making decisions gets a bit trickier when the options expand.  But I am not stressing about these decisions.  I make one at a time.  I take time to weigh the options and leave as many doors as possible open.  I don't think it will ever be easy and that is part of the attraction to what I do - making art.  I love a good challenge and I love to see where I can take myself with the help of connections and hard work!!!

I am in 3 stores now.  July 2010 I was not aware this was even a possibility.  I just hoped to sell a few things, get noticed, have my friends and family like what I did enough to give it as gifts and wear it from time to time.  The feedback constantly keeps me on my toes and I am sooooo open to new ideas, moreso than normal.  So many more transitions are coming and that is great in my eyes.  Change means growth for me!!! 

Thank you for all you, reader, have done to help me get to this stage of transition and thank you , reader, in advance for your continued support!  You don't have to buy anything from me ever to be supportive.  Looking at my work, telling me what you thingk and recommending my creations to others is so supportive!  It is so important for me to take time in all my transitioning to say I appreciate you and all that I have been given along the way.  Here's to more transitions! 

Milestones

I am going to celebrate a milestone in 12 days..... I turn 40 years old.

Woo hoo!!!!! 

40 is fabulous to me.... I am so much wiser than I was 20 years ago and so much more confident as a result. I know what I want and a bit more about how to get it.  I know who I want to be around and who makes me happy.  I know that I am capable of doing just about anything I set my mind to doing.  I know I am loved.  I know who I love.

I know a lot of people dread the big 4-0 but I am not one of them.  I look forward to every day because I get to have new experiences, learn new things, and laugh more.  So 40 does not seem scary at all.  I have known too many people who have not made it to this great milestone so I know it is meant to be celebrated and celebrated well.  

To look at me, you would never guess I am 40.  I certainly do not behave like a lot of the 40 year olds I know.  I think that might be the reason the elementary and high school students laughed a lot in my classrooms as they learned a lot along the way - right with me.  I never stop learning and I am as curious as a cat.  (Sometimes that leads to some trouble but I will never stop being curious.  All the good things in my life have come from being curious!)

So celebrate the milestones in your life and enjoy every minute of this awesome ride called "Life"!  You will never regret that choice! 

To celebrate this milestone, I will take 40% off ALL items from January 29th through February 4th. Want me to hold something back for you so you can get the 40% off? Let me know and I will do that.....