In the late fall I was working on a really important story. It was a story that came to me, via an anonymous source, and I knew it had the potential to make an immediate difference in the lives of dozens of women in the quilting industry as well as a longer term implications for…
How to Set Up and Manage a Black Friday Sale
My Black Friday sale is just wrapping up as I write this. I’ve spent most of the last three days processing orders and I have 21 more to pack. I’ve been selling crafty things online for 10 years and it’s taken me that long to have a truly successful holiday sale. There were years when I…
Why I Run My Business on a Yellow Legal Pad
Yellow legal pads are my go-to business tool. They’re cheap and easy to find – I buy them in 3-packs at the office supply store. And they’re immediate. With no software to learn and no program to load, nothing could be simpler. Perhaps I love lined paper because I started college in 1993. I went…
Behind the Podcast: Surround Yourself with Great People
My friend, Sandi Hazelwood, and I are doing a little series about podcasting together. Today and Monday you’ll get four posts – two from each of us on our own blogs – focusing on aspects of podcasting both technical and conceptual. We’re looking at questions like why are podcasts important as a listener and as…
How Hiring Yourself as Your Agent Will Help You Meet Your Goals
It’s helpful to mentally create two separate work identities for yourself. The first identity is you as an artist and maker. In this identity you use your talent, skills, and experience toward designing and making things. The second identity is you as an agent for your work. As an agent your job is to package,…
“Our Word is Our Word”: Fabric Designers Working Without Written Contracts
image To protect their anonymity I’m not using the names of the designers I spoke with and I’ve changed any identifying details, although not in a way that affects their stories. Last fall I wrote a post explaining how much fabric designers earn. Several designers emailed me afterwards about various other issues, one of which…
How to Schedule for Sustainability
What’s the best time to post a new photo on Instagram? Should I update my Facebook page twice a day, or three times? If I send my email newsletter once a week, is that too frequently? Social media marketing experts spend a lot of time thinking about these questions. They do A/B testing on timing…
How to Go On Maternity Leave When Your Business is Just You
When you own a small business it can feel like your business is your baby. You’re there in its infancy, you nurture it day by day even when you’re tired, and you put its needs first for years and years. You feel tremendous pride watching your business grow and thrive with you as its caretaker….
How to Keep Blogging When You Really Don’t Feel Like It
It’s pretty easy to start a blog, especially when you’re excited about it. Brainstorming names is fun! Deciding on a platform takes some work, but it’s still pretty neat. Making a banner? Fun. Before too long your blog is set up and you’re ready to write your first post. The whole thing might take a…
Why “Where’s Your Inspiration?” Isn’t a Good Question
I snapped this photo on Wednesday night. It was 8:24 pm. I’d just finished wiping down the kitchen counters and sweeping the floor. Josephine was tucked into bed. Simon was in her pajamas and Roxanne had just headed upstairs to take a shower. I had put down my laptop and my many legal pads and…