The 2nd quarter of 2014 came to a close on June 30. Carefully tracking and analyzing my business’ financial activity helps me to look carefully at what I’m working on and to plan out the rest of the year. That means it’s time for the Abby Glassenberg Design 2nd Quarter Income Report (you can see…
Abby Glassenberg Design 1st Quarter Income Report
The first quarter of 2014 came to a close on March 31. I did some analysis of Abby Glassenberg Design's income and expenses and I thought I'd share them with you. I found this process to be incredibly valuable at the end of 2013 (see my 2013 income report here), and have decided to try…
Can You Copyright a Sewing Pattern?
Let’s say you buy a sewing pattern from an indie designer, or maybe from one of the big pattern companies. You use it to make something really beautiful. You show it to a friend who exclaims, “You should sell those!” Can you? You look more closely at the copyright statement on the pattern. Maybe it…
Abby Glassenberg Design 2013 Income Report
This year I kept comprehensive financial records for the first time. Every Friday morning I sat down and entered every pattern sale, every bit of revenue, and every single expense into a spreadsheet. Out of everything I’ve done since 2005, when I began selling what I sew, this was the best move I’ve made. Seeing…
Capital Investments that Help Your Business Grow: Custom Dies with Phil Barbato
Should you buy that serger you’ve been coveting? It’s expensive. But if you had it, could you grow your business in ways you can’t right now? Or maybe it’s a kiln you need? Or a Wacom tablet? Or a shipping label printer? Sometimes it makes sense to make a capital investment in your business, even…
Safety Testing for Handmade Toys
+++++ January 7, 2016 UPDATE: Neal Cohen, the Ombudsman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, got in touch with me this week to tell me about a brand new tool created to help small those of us who make toys and other handmade products figure out exactly what kind of safety testing we’ll need before…
Bookkeeping for Your Creative Business
On December 1 my business, Abby Glassenberg Design, became an S Corp. Now I get junk mail that refers to me as CEO and President! As such I’ve commited myself to all that being in charge of a legitimate business requires and this includes serious bookkeeping. I first need to make clear that I…
Softies For Sale Series: The Cottage Industry License
If you make original softies and you want to turn your toys into a business, selling your patterns is probably a good use of your time and effort. Creating a good pattern and getting it ready for sale is a significant investment up front, but once it is made you can sell the pattern in…