letter from
the founder
JUNE
2019
04 FOUNDER'S LETTER
H
I’ve struggled every year with taking time off because I wind up thinking about all of the business-related things I need to do rather than enjoying the companions around me or the cold beverage in my hand. As a result, I wind up feeling more exhausted after the vacation than I was when I left for it.
This year, I was determined to only think about work before and after the vacation. I was about 80% successful and I’m entering August with a lot of new enthusiasm and energy! Yay!
So, now that vacations are ending and we’re back into “work mode,” we can start getting excited about all of the fall and winter sales that we’re preparing for. And if you’re stressed about how you’re going to market your products, you’ll be very interested in our featured seller’s story.
Stephanie is a full-time artist who makes OOAK products for individuals and for commercial projects. A question that always comes up from OOAK sellers is, “How do we market our products when we only make one of each thing?” Although it’s a little different to market one item versus marketing a product line, the basic principle is the same: get involved.
After you read Stephanie’s story you’ll see that she keeps orders rolling in by getting involved with her target audience. Many of her opportunities come from networking. If this sounds like a lot of work, then you might want to evaluate the type of networking you’re envisioning. This is where I see a lot of people get hung up. They picture networking as hanging out with a bunch of strangers and going to awkward town meetings. Actually, networking works so much better when it’s part of your hobby! If you love horses, go to horse events! If you love jewelry and pretty things, talk to people in the fashion industry or send your pictures to fashion magazines or fashion bloggers. Not all networking is in-person. The whole goal is to build win-win relationships with people in your industry (and hopefully you love the industry you’re in).
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Happy August, everyone! I hope you’ve been enjoying
some time off this summer and you’re feeling relaxed and ready to jump back into business with some fresh motivation. Or, do you feel a little frazzled from trying to manage time off while also keeping your business going?