tinahdee

Just as signing up for a diet program doesn’t mean you will lose weight, buying an ad doesn’t mean you will get sales. There is a whole litany of details that need to be attended to before weight gets lost or ads get sales. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because you plunked down the cash you deserve results.

First, is it a good plan? If you’re signing up for one of those fad diets, you might be wasting your time and money. Or if you can’t live without carbs, don’t expect the Atkins Diet to bring great results on the scale. In the same vein, you have to find the right place to advertise your Etsy business. Know your target market and tailor your ads and the places where those ads will be seen to your target.

Second, are you putting enough effort in? Now that you’ve found the perfect diet or ad venue, your job is not done. You have to put the effort into “working the plan”. Are you following the rules of the diet to a “T” or are you a little fuzzy on the calorie limit? Regarding your Etsy product, are you offering the very best to your potential customers? Are you displaying that in your ad, and perhaps more important, when potential customers visit your shop are they impressed by what they see? You might be on the best diet plan in the world but if you don’t put the effort in, you won’t see results. Same thing goes for your advertising plan.

Finally, are you just dieting or are you adding in some exercise too? You will see faster results if you exert yourself on a daily basis, both in your weight loss efforts and in your quest to get more sales. Add in a routine that includes getting the word out about your shop by networking with bloggers. Offer stellar customer service that makes your buyers want to tell the world about their experience with you. Find ways to give of your time, your resources, and your abilities – be generous, and the world will be generous to you.

Give these things a try, and who knows? Suddenly you may discover a lean, mean sales machine emerging from that once sedentary shop.

Oxidized Sterling Nugget Rings

Winner of the dogtag bracelet is Kelly, who had three entries, one of which was the 6th, which is what the random number generator at random.org gave me this morning.

Kelly

Posted November 23, 2009 at 1:23 am | Permalink

I am a social worker and work with children and families who have had their child removed for one reason or another. I see a lot of pain and sadness throughout the day, and while it can be really hard, the joy of seeing family succeed is so amazing. I would choose the bracelet and get “Hope Never Dies” inscribed. All these families need is hope that life can be better for them.

And the winner of the ring, whom I chose myself, is Laura.

Laura

Posted November 24, 2009 at 4:31 am | Permalink

I would love to win the ring. If I were to win I would like MOON inscribed on it as my niece always tells me she loves me to the moon and now being on the other side of the world from her, it would make me feel slightly closer to her.

Congratulations to both of you! Kelly and Laura, please get in touch with me at tinahdee <at> gmail.com to let me know your address, and in Laura’s case, your ring size.

This is a brand new site that helps crafters and handmade artisans promote their Web sites and their products. In addition to feature articles on selected artists, you can purchase advertising at very reasonable rates. Take a look at PromoteYourCraft.com.

This New Year brings with it the promise of growth, achievement, accomplishment, happiness, peace, love, and joy. And something free for you.

It is a tradition in the United States for us to make New Year’s resolutions. This is the time when we look ahead and try to define some of our goals for the next 12 months. To achieve some business goal, or become more disciplined with our eating habits. To train for and run a marathon. To be kinder and more loving to those around us. To cultivate a habit of reaching out to others who are in need. So, armed with our best intentions, we set sail into new waters of change.

But these changes don’t come easily. Sometimes it helps to have a reminder – an anchor that brings us back to focus when the daily trials and irritations of life have us ready to just give up and go back to old familiar patterns of behavior. When we’re set to turn the ship around and head back to our home port of apathy and complacency, sometimes it helps to have that anchor to keep us where we really want to be.

And that is where the free stuff comes in. Some of you might know that I have been making and selling jewelry. And there’s this one piece that I make that has served well as an anchor for me and for others. There’s a picture down there so you can see what I’m talking about. This $30 (USD) bracelet is made from hand-forged sterling silver and beautiful leather cord. It looks great on men and women. And it is customizable, so you can have your anchor bracelet stamped with whatever word, or phrase, or saying you like. What motivates you to keep going? What is your “anchor” when the storms of life are threatening to knock you off course? What reminds you and inspires you that your goals really are worth the trial by fire?

That’s what you want to have on your anchor bracelet.

You wear it, and the words that inspire you are right there on your wrist, reminding you to keep going, keep trying, keep pressing forward.

Here’s the deal: we’re going to have a drawing to give away one of these bracelets, inscribed with whatever the winner would like. All you have to do to enter the drawing is to post a comment on this note and tell me what you would have on your anchor bracelet. One week from today, we’ll compile all the names from the comments and have a random drawing to determine the winner of the bracelet. We’ll ship it via the USPS to any address the winner desires, free of charge.

Of course, you don’t have to use the bracelet as an anchor. You could just have it inscribed with your name, or your favorite line from a poem, or whatever. Be creative. I can’t wait to see what you come up with. Anyone can enter this contest. So tell people!

Sterling resolution bracelet