CraftyStitches to be on Martha Stewart Show! Airs Monday, April 23rd @ 2pm

Hi Fans,

It is Sunday morning April 23rd, 2012 and I am probably on board a plan on my way to New York right now.  As you might have seen or heard from our facebook fan page or blog, CraftyStitches will be on the Martha Stewart Show! With my jewelry roll on hand I am anxious but very excited to be on the show. Along with myself, the show will primarily consist of Etsy shop owners. The episode will air on Monday, April 23rd, 2012 at 2pm on the Hallmark Channel. So make sure you grab some popcorn and support all your Etsy shop owners!

"I wonder where I will sit"?

Destination Inspirations Blog Feature

CraftyStitches was featured at Destination Inspirations by the founder and editor Jess. Destination Inspirations is a wedding blog dedicated to everything destination wedding.

It’s an Etsy day! and Etsy seller Crafty Stitches makes some of the most adorable fabric jewelry holders, wallets and totes. They are the perfect gifts for bridesmaids or moms. To read more click here...

HANDMADE DIY IS A VIABLE & SCALABLE BUSINESS

CraftyStitches did it! Handmade DIY is a viable and scalable business - not just your little hobby anymore!

Let me breathe for second. It's all happening so fast! I can't believe I won...

CraftyStitches just won 1st Place in the Scalable Business Plan Award! Yes, we are going places! Lookout -Handmade DIY is a viable and scalable business - not just your little hobby.

I have to say that the moment really took off when I did my first Heartsy Deal and sold over 600 pieces of product in 2 days! Yep. That was the day I quit my full time job and decided to push forward with my business. I stopped playing around. It's now a real livelihood. From then on CraftyStitches is now with 2 part-time assistants and 1 full time. J It's incredible! I couldn't have done it without Heartsy!

My advice is to take it seriously! Take every sale seriously and make it count! Customer Service and deliver everything you've got. Yes it's a discount, but you also just increased the awareness of your shop Exponentially.

I wrote my business plan based on all the ideas I've been storing away for years and really thought about the cost and analytics behind building a business and not a hobby. I wrote with passion, I wrote with conviction, I wrote with love for handmade, I wrote from the heart! That's at the heart of handmade LOVE, PASSION and ART. I also love business and understand that my love for quilted accessories would not continue if I didn't make any money to support these wonderful ideas. Love what you make, believei n what you make. Live up to the mistakes - boy did I make a lot of those too. When I did, I offered a refund and my customers came back. They supported the DIY Handmade movement because they believe in it.

Our customers today are different. Our customers are just like us - those who love our handmade work believe in a handmade human economy. They appreciate you. So go and promote your items and what you love to do.

I too hope you will continue your love for handmade goods and continue the DIY handmade movement through Heartsy and Etsy. It's how I believe will create a different kind of economy. We are the next generation of GLOBALIZED HANDMADE. Keep shopping handmade and supporting the handmade human economy.

Visit my website for our DIY CraftyKitsTM and handmade quilted accessories. SEW SEW SEW... keep stitching us together.

Check out how my 15 min pitch with my scribbles.

ETSY SPOTLIGHT AT SHOPHAPPENS

From Canada to Finland, Craftystitches is absolutely everywhere! Recently it was featured on ShopHappens.com and interviewed by the online shopper extraordinaire Erin! According to their website, "ShopHappens.com is a website dedicated to sharing shopping knowledge with the general public. Customer service stories, awesome sales, interviews with Etsy sellers… nothing is off-limits as long as it is shopping related."

Jennifer Michael was able to talk about the roots of Craftystitches and how it all began. She also talked about what inspires her and no matter how successful Craftystitches gets the most important thing to her is spending time with her two girls. The best part about the feature was the mentioning of Craftystitches latest promotion, 25% of all sales will be donated in support of Our Lady of Hope Catholic School from now thru December 2011. Thank you Erin!

To read the feature on ShopHappens.com please CLICK HERE

Every Client is an Opportunity to Improve

Turning a complaining customer to a positive experience!

I think that is probably the hardest thing to do for online businesses.  I have had my share of complaints that's for sure.  But I have to say that I really do try to turn every contact into an opportunity to improve my product or increase my service.  I see that every client contact is an advertising expense that is more valuable than placing an ad for thousands of dollars.

So here's my quick low down on what it means to turn every client contact into an opportunity to improve. 

Why be pleasant?

• When a customer contacts you, they are actually giving you an opportunity to fix it.  That's a good thing!  :)  So take every advantage of it - no matter how ridiculous you think the request really is - unless you really can't do it - like I make quilted accessories and a client asked me to make a chain for her with metal.  So that's not my medium and I know I don't know how to do that.  :)  So do it. I really do try to do it.  ... 
• It's at a loss for me... I can't offer that... Offer a refund - even if it is a loss to me.  Offer to redo the product, even if it is at a loss to me.  WHY?  well, it imagine this as a ROI for advertising.  So if the client spent $50 at your shop, it's your chance to advertise how great you are as a business, as an artist, as customer service.  So it's worth it.  REALLY!
• The client is ALWAYS RIGHT!  I know this one is an old one.  But it is still true! So one time a client order a bunch of totes (10) in green but did not indicate a specific color.  Later she claims she didn't order it in that color.  But of course I told her that I'm happy to change them for her ... later she discovers it and reveals that she made the mistake and said she apologized profusely.  She was soooo happy with the result and service that I got lots of referrals from her as she as an event planner.  Scored!  :)  So you never know who your clients are and every client is an opportunity to improve.  

I hope this helps your business as it has helped me truly understand how to improve my business.  

HelloEtsy - Sustainable Business Event

As a Etsy Street Team Captain I'm excited to announce that the Capital Region Etsy Street Team (CREST) will be featuring and volunteering at the HelloEtsy Smithsonian collaborative event on Small Business and Sustainability through human artful economy.

The event is this September 18 at the Smithsonian Museum.  To get your free tickets, click here and register!  HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE.

Inspired by Julia & Julie

Did you watch that movie? I just did and now I am inspired to revive my blog. Yes. I can't believe it. I am actually typing my thoughts in a page and sending it into outerspace - just like Julie.

Well, I too love to cook, sew, quilt, making things and selling my craftystitches creations. This year I pledge to work harder at my new line or products and making great and interesting things. I am also planning to become a vendor at many more of craft shows out there. So stay tuned to find out where I'll be. I also just joined CREST a local etsy group in the Washington Area. I volunteered myself to be a lead to creating and coordinating a successful 1st Etsy Craft Show. So definitely more to come so you can visit me and see me live.