This year has had its ups and downs! But looking back from a business perspective I accomplished a lot!
The first upheaval was moving from the San Francisco Bay Area back to my roots in Idaho. This required me not only to move all that yarn :) but also learn to navigate a new craft fair circuit and state business forms. Fortunately, on the business end, the transition wasn't as hard or technical (I absolutely hate paperwork) as I feared. Turns out I have a lot less paperwork in Idaho which was an unexpected up!
To try to get a wide understanding of the local craft fair circuit, I participated in a record breaking ten craft fairs! Unfortunately, one was rained out which reminded me that Idaho actually has weather that I need to take into consideration. A fact that I had quite forgotten living in the beautifully mild weather of the Bay Area. Of the other craft fairs some were great and some were total busts but each one taught me a ton of valuable information about the local market which is definitely different from the Bay Area. I have so many ideas and plans that I hope to utilize in the year to come! An unexpected up was that at one of the craft fairs I was interviewed and featured in the local paper!
The first upheaval was moving from the San Francisco Bay Area back to my roots in Idaho. This required me not only to move all that yarn :) but also learn to navigate a new craft fair circuit and state business forms. Fortunately, on the business end, the transition wasn't as hard or technical (I absolutely hate paperwork) as I feared. Turns out I have a lot less paperwork in Idaho which was an unexpected up!
To try to get a wide understanding of the local craft fair circuit, I participated in a record breaking ten craft fairs! Unfortunately, one was rained out which reminded me that Idaho actually has weather that I need to take into consideration. A fact that I had quite forgotten living in the beautifully mild weather of the Bay Area. Of the other craft fairs some were great and some were total busts but each one taught me a ton of valuable information about the local market which is definitely different from the Bay Area. I have so many ideas and plans that I hope to utilize in the year to come! An unexpected up was that at one of the craft fairs I was interviewed and featured in the local paper!
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I also pitched my hats to three local stores and were picked up by two of them. Unfortunately, one of the stores went out of business shortly after accepting me as a vendor, and the other was a bad fit so I ended up pulling my hats out of the shop earlier this month. The success of getting accepted (even though it didn't end up a business success), spurred me to pitch my hats to a quaint little shop in Fort Bragg. I first came across Dot & Twine while on a birthday vacation a few years back and fell absolutely in love with it! It has a great atmosphere and has one of the best selection of local and indie businesses. It is located in downtown Fort Bragg that is a beautiful idyllic seaside small town. If you get a chance to go visit, I highly recommend it! And while you are visiting, be sure to stop inside Dot & Twine and pick up one of my hats! (Yes! They accepted me and I began selling my hats there in December!) Another up!
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The last upheaval was that the Sell on Etsy app stopped taking in person payments, so I was forced to find an alternative. I chose Square because that was what Etsy recommended and I already had a free reader that I got the previous year from being a vendor at the SFEtsy Holiday Emporium. I had just been dragging my feet and didn't want to learn a new system. But as it turns out, I LOVE IT! it is so simple and easy and totally works seamlessly for my kind of business. I wish I had switched sooner!
Another up was that I got to get involved with my local community by donating two decorated trees to local fundraisers. The first was the Festival of Trees in Idaho Falls. Proceeds from this event support people with disabilities in East Idaho through the Development Workshop, Inc. For this event I donated a miniature tree with the theme "A Handmade Christmas." The second event I donated a tree to was the Bingham County Christmas Tree Fantasy. Proceeds from this event go to a variety of local charities that help those in need.For this event, I donated a 4 ft tree tree with the theme "Carolling, Carolling through the Snow." Of course everything that went on both these trees was handmade by me!
Another up was that I got to get involved with my local community by donating two decorated trees to local fundraisers. The first was the Festival of Trees in Idaho Falls. Proceeds from this event support people with disabilities in East Idaho through the Development Workshop, Inc. For this event I donated a miniature tree with the theme "A Handmade Christmas." The second event I donated a tree to was the Bingham County Christmas Tree Fantasy. Proceeds from this event go to a variety of local charities that help those in need.For this event, I donated a 4 ft tree tree with the theme "Carolling, Carolling through the Snow." Of course everything that went on both these trees was handmade by me!
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The last up was that I created a new hat! It is a bunny and oh so cute!!!!
So for the count: this year I sold 197 hats and 35 hand warmers! Not a record but with all the ups and downs that this year has thrown at me, I think it was overall a pretty successful year! As always use BLOGPOST to receive a discount at my Etsy shop!!!!
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