Happy Fri-yay Reader! I wanted to pop in with a quick reminder that I've got three live sessions next week for my brand new free workshop, the Handmade Holiday Sales Accelerator. >>YES! I need this workshop!<< My robot assistant tells me that you haven't signed up yet, and unless you're planning on sitting this holiday sales season out – which would be totally fine (we all need a break!) – this is going to be THE most valuable 90 minutes you spend on your business this summer! Your holiday...
3 months ago • 1 min read
There are questions I see asked over and over again in art fair groups, craft market communities, and various other corners of the internet where creatives like us hang out: “Any shows this upcoming weekend with spots open?” “Looking for shows next weekend” “Any good shows under $30?” “Looking for shows this month that still have space” There are always answers, always shows, always some venue that is more than happy to take that table fee check...especially during these slower summer months....
3 months ago • 2 min read
After working directly with makers for over 15 years now, I see one common mistake that costs your business thousands in sales. Changing this one thing will instantly make your product stand out and be more desirable to shoppers, increasing your sales and making you more money. If you were in the market for high-quality artisan-made soap, which photo would you click on in search? Crummy product photos are costing makers thousands in sales each year. Having high-quality product photos is...
5 months ago • 2 min read
Taxes. Ugh. In the past, I would have said that I am not a ‘numbers person’. The creative and artistic right side of my brain is quite active, while the factual and practical left side of my brain is full of language and science (sorry math, no vacancies at the inn). What I’ve learned, though, is that by simply shifting my language (see what I did there) to say “I am a person who is learning to be good with numbers”, I am suddenly in a place of ability and empowerment. Here’s the deal: taxes...
7 months ago • 1 min read
A couple of weeks ago, I had a bit of a breakthrough. As you know, my "sweet spot" is marketing – more specifically, relationship marketing. That's really just a "formal" way of saying that I love connecting with people, hearing stories, and building community. What that translates to with my work here at Bloom is teaching handmade business owners learn how to find – and keep – more people who are going to love and buy their work. I realized that there was no one out there (myself included)...
8 months ago • 3 min read
In the hectic hustle-bustle of the holiday season, I take some level of comfort in knowing that soon the year will wind down to an end and a brand-new year with brand-new possibilities will begin. Part of my brain thinks that the new year begins in September, but that’s from many years of schooling, then more years of working in the public school system, and now having a daughter in elementary school. Ok, it’s also because September is the beginning of the fall show season, which is usually...
9 months ago • 1 min read
How's your Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend going Reader? 💰 Were you all ready for it, with content planned, products made, and emails scheduled? 🤦♀️ Or...was this yet another year where the season somehow snuck up on you? If it's the latter, I want you to know that you're not alone, and it's most definitely not your fault. You're an artist Reader: an expert in your craft, which (if you're like most other makers) doesn't necessarily include being an expert in "business-y" things like...
10 months ago • 2 min read
Only one more week till the biggest shopping weekend of the YEAR, which means you’ve got all of your ducks in a row… …right? Or, are you like me (yet again): 📸 Feverishly photographing and editing products for your website 🙇♀️ Coming up with the most BRILLIANT ideas for new designs about 36 hours before that big holiday market 😷 Suddenly having the unstoppable urge to deep-clean everything around you (ok, that one might just be me, but my kiddo has Flu A so this whole house is getting...
10 months ago • 1 min read
You’ve got great products…now you’ve got to give them the showcase they deserve on your website! Product pages have a fraction of a second to capture the attention of your potential customer, which means that they have to be attractive, engaging, informative, and most of all, easy to find and use! There’s so much more to that page, though, than just the picture and the description. A well-written, carefully planned product page will not only elevate your product’s presence, but will also...
11 months ago • 1 min read