Small Business Tip: Making friends

"Sailing" woven friendship bracelet by JDStar

In a world of competition and rivalries, it's good to have people that support you. Connecting with other small business owners isn't just a good way to meet people, it's a great way to network your business and share customers.Tonight, I'm sharing a simple tip: make friends with your craft community.

Sure, the tip seems easy. Being involved in local craft or Etsy groups (like this one!) is a great way to meet people in your area with similar interests. Non-crafty friends don't always understand the excitement of getting into a good craft show or designing new business cards.. but crafty friends do! But, there are some things to note.

DO

• Connect with crafty friends on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. It's a great way to easily message and get to know people, but like any relationship.. don't be creepy.
• Cross-promote businesses! Offer your friend's fans or blog readers a discount on their purchase with discount codes or have them host a giveaway for one of your items. It could open up a whole new customer base.
• Support your fellow artists. Just because you aren't vending at a craft fair or being featured at a gallery doesn't mean you shouldn't attend or promote it through social media. Show them you're a fan-- that's what friends are for.
• Share resources as you feel comfortable. There's a difference between being friendly and giving away trade secrets.
• Build relationships with brick and mortar shops. Become a Facebook fan, follow them on Twitter, shop there, tell your friends about them. If you're consigning with a shop, show them some love! They're not the only one responsible for promoting your items. You need to get the word out.

DON'T

• Don't force it. You won't always connect with everyone. Just like with dating, you don't build a relationship on one similarity alone. Be yourself and you'll find like-minded crafters.
• Don't let them see you sweat. Rivalries are out there. Ever seen Storage Wars? Although they sure are fun to watch on TV, it's not a cute look in the handmade community. Believe in your business and don't dwell on the haters.. even if they try and send you nasty remarks to bring you down. 

Those are the main points to keep in mind when connecting with other crafters. Be social and find some fun people! Check out the Discussions in the OkEtsy group-- the perfect way to chat with the rest of the OkEtsy team!

Casey Maute is a contributor to the OkEtsy blog and lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She has worked under the name Lollywood from 2008-2010 and recently opened a new Etsy shop called OSO handmade. She loves craft shows, eating from food trucks, finding cool local shops, and working with PR and social media.

10 Reasons Why You Should Buy Handmade

Note: The following was written by OKetsy member StoryBuilderToys. Check out her blog over at www.storybuildertoys.com

With the holiday shopping season fast approaching (most retailers already have their Christmas items on the shelves) it’s time to start planning your holiday shopping lists. This year, why not be adventurous and try buying some handmade products for the ones you love? Why should you buy handmade instead of the usual store bought products you’re used to, well I’m glad you asked. Here are ten reasons why I think you should shop handmade for the holidays.

1. Be original. Handmade products are usually one of a kind or produced in small batches so you don’t have to worry about gifting something the person already has or giving the same gift as someone else. Instead you’ll be able to find something just as unique as the person you’re shopping for and nothing brings a smile to someone’s face better than knowing you really cared enough to find them the perfect gift.
2. Support people, not companies. By giving your business to local artists and crafters you’re helping build a better economy without lining the pockets of overpriced corporations who’s only interest is the bottom line. People care about each other, companies care about themselves and getting as much of your hard earned money as possible. A crafter will appreciate your business while a corporation demands it. The choice seems pretty clear.
3. It’s more environmentally friendly. Handmade items are usually made from natural raw materials with much less waste and machine emissions than mass produced items. If your goal is to leave a smaller carbon footprint on the planet that you can’t go wrong with locally produced handmade items.
4. Build a personal connection with the person making your items. Craftspeople love what they do and not only does it show in their work, but also in their attention to customer service. Have a question about how something is made or what inspired it? Ask away and the crafter will be thrilled to tell you all about it. Handmade items have a story and a history that mass produced products will never have.
5. Avoid shopping at the mall. Holiday shopping can be pretty crazy and sometimes even dangerous as the days tick by. Why not save yourself the trouble of finding a parking space and braving the overcrowded big box stores by shopping local boutiques, craft fairs or even online handmade outlets like Etsy. Finding the perfect gift for a loved one should be fun, not frantic.
6. Get it customized. Since the items are made by real people you can often ask for little extras like customization or even fully commissioned work to your exact specifications rather than having to settle for whatever the store has in stock.
7. Handmade products are made with passion. Crafters pour their time, talent and passion into everything they make. Store bought items might all be the same size and specifications, but they will never have the heart or soul that a good handmade product is made with.
8. Quality counts. Because even the raw materials are individually selected by hand more effort is put into the quality of each individual piece. Crafters want each and every product they make to be of the very best quality as a testament to their work They don’t take mass produced shortcuts or shortchange the customer by using lower quality materials, just the best material carefully crafted into the best possible product.
9. More unique choices. An individual making a handfull of something is able to be more adventurous than a corporation which must sell ‘x’ amount of a product to be able to turn a profit. This means that handmade products can afford to be more unique and creative than store bought products.
10. More value for your money. Handmade items are made to last. While mass produced items must be made quickly for as little money as possible handmade products are made from only the best materials and techniques. Corporations don’t mind if their products break down over time, then you’ll just have to buy another one. A well cared for handmade product on the other hand can last generations. Perhaps that is the reason people are still crafting by hand today even with all the advancements in technology trying to render them obsolete.

Bonus Point! Know where your gifts come from. There is something empowering about taking control and making something yourself, or at least supporting someone who does. It’s making a conscious decision to spend your money on a quality item instead of a mass produced product built by machines and underpaid workers in a distant country. Show support to your local economy and buy from artists and crafters in your area this holiday season.

Meet Our Newest Contributer

Hello dear OKetsy readers! My name is Brittini Flowers; I am the gal behind Oh honey child. I am a 21 year old wife and mother to four fur-babies :). I have been a crafty maven and attending craft shows and festivals ever since I was a child. I live in western Oklahoma, I sew, I hunt for vintage treasure, I take pictures, I live a true DIY lifestyle and man oh man do I love it! I blog about my life and business on my blog, www.ohhoneychild.com

I am so happy to be blogging for OKetsy.  I plan to share lots of advice, DIY’s, and craft show tips for all my fellow indie business gals.

My first DIY project will be a simple fall pumpkin, good for around the house décor!

For now,

-britt

OHC

OKEtsy Featured Seller: Luksi Creations

Please introduce yourself and your shop.
Luksi Creations (family owned mainly run by me Kiamichi Goodbear) -Oklahoma City - Traditional Native American and non traditional beadwork, jewelry, illustrations, plush dolls, woodcarving, custom painted clothing, sewing (quilts, pillows, bags). There are 4 of us, and one apprentice, though right now most of everything is mine. I run this craziness with my mom Catherine and my sister Mauli and my husband Frank also make things for us. We are training my daughter in various things so she is also involved.

What is/was your inspiration?
When I was growing up, my grandmother was always making something. She was sewing me doll clothes for my barbies, she made my clothes, she made dolls, her and my mom would quilt, my mom taught me how to bead. It was just always part of my life. I love doing it. Which is why I think my business has such a wide variety of things. I learned to make doll patterns and clothing patterns from my grandma and my mom and I love making dolls. Doing that and the beadwork just make me happy. Plus I love to draw.

What is your favorite media and why?
Beading is mine. It is calming to me, plus it is part of my heritage. I do lots of beadwork for my family for their dance regalia and I also do it for other dancers as well. I have recently started doing more non traditional pieces for other people. It is very time consuming though. I think people don't understand the time that goes into it.

Where would you like to see yourself 5/10 years from now in this project?
I would love to be doing this full time and making a decent living from it. I wouldn't mind having a little storefront, someplace to sell things and maybe teach classes on how to do things. I would really like to teach beading classes.

Do you have any keys of success to share?
Keep working, build up an inventory. Get out there to shows, even if they are small ones. I set up in the Plaza District once a month and it has been a great experience. You meet people and you never know what kind of opportunities you can get out of it. I also market like crazy on twitter and Facebook and Tumblr. Just keep at it and don't get discouraged. Eventually sales pick up, they just started to for me! It's kind of exciting.

Tell us one thing crazy about yourself.
I can't sit still. I have to be constantly doing something. I get really fidgety if I am not making something, reading something, anything. It drives people crazy lol.

What is something you would love to learn how to do?
I would love to learn how to make stained glass. It's something I have always wanted to do.

What is your favorite color?
Mine is red, my mom's is yellow, my husband's is green, my sister's is purple, and my daughter's changes between purple and pink.

What is one thing you love about Oklahoma?
The people really are very helpful in a crisis. It always astounds me how the community comes together here when it is needed. I think it's amazing.

Check out this great local seller at the following:
Blog: luksicreations.blogspot.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/#!/LuksiCreations
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Luksi-Creations/245385691533
Tumblr: luksicreations.tumblr.com/
Deviant Art Page: luksicreations.deviantart.com/
Etsy Store: www.etsy.com/shop/luksicreations
Zazzle Store: www.zazzle.com/luksicreations
My Portfolio: kiamichigoodbear.carbonmade.com/

OKEtsy Featured Seller: The Cozy Pumpkin

Please introduce yourself.
Amanda Lipscomb - Edmond, OK - Children's Decor (Sewing and Art)

What is/was your inspiration? My kids. I never got into sewing until I had my son. Once I had him I wanted to make everything he had in his room unique to him. I had already been painting just for fun but I got into mixing medias for my children's rooms and more fun art sprung from my little imagination.

What is your favorite media and why? Sewing. I love that I can mentally shut off everything else and just focus on creating, and creating something useful at that! :) I get such pleasure out of using the things I've made.
Where would you like to see yourself 5/10 years from now in this project? I honestly don't know. I'm just kind of riding the wave as it were. We shall see where it takes me. I'd love to say just creating creating creating. Whether it be for my shop or just for myself and my family. That's all that matters to me in the end. Well...as far as my crafting is concerned. ;)

Do you have any keys of success to share? Ha! I wish. I guess it's to make connections and surround yourself with family and friends who believe in you. (Maybe enough to be your first customers!) Because until you have a support system to help you get going it's going to be a slow start!
Tell us one thing crazy about yourself. Oh my! Hmmm...I can often be caught listening to The Imagination Movers (a kid's music group/show) in my minivan, cranked up loud, singing my heart out...and my kids aren't even in the car with me! (I should hang my head in shame at that!)

What is something you would love to learn how to do? Sew my own clothes. It scares the begeezes out of me. I don't know why.

Favorite color? Robin's Egg Blue. And yet, I don't think I have that color anywhere in my house. Weird.

What is one thing you love about Oklahoma? That it's not as humid as South East Texas! :)

Check out Amanda at the following places:

Blog: www.thecozypumpkin.com
Shop: thecozypumpkin.etsy.com
E-mail: thecozypumpkin@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Cozy-Pumpkin/198905650140667

OKEtsy Featured Seller: Chocolate Dog Studio

The featured seller of the week is Karen from Chocolate Dog Studio. Karen lives in Tulsa and loves sewing and paper crafts.

Karen, where does your inspiration come from?

My main inspiration comes from the colors and textures in the paper or fabrics. I love putting different colors and textures together in the fabrics and then also the paper crafts. It gives me great joy to see a fabric or paper, envision a completed item, create it and then see the finished item. It is exciting to me to see things appear out of raw materials, recycled materials, or gifted materials that were useless to someone else. It is a little addicting to take a piece paper that someone was going to throw away and make something to sell.

What is your favorite media to work with?

My favorite media is (at this time) working with the paper and then also fabric. In the past I have crocheted, knitted, dabbled in different drawing mediums.

Where would you like to see yourself 5/10 years from now in this project?

In about 5/10 years I hope that I am still following this path laid out before me. I just have no idea where it is heading. I am much happier when I am creating than when I am not creating. It is just something I have to do, whether it is appreciated by buyers or not. :0) Though like everyone, buyers are confirmation that I am doing the right thing!

What is one of your keys to success?

Be nice and kind to everyone that comes across your path, regardless of how they treat you. You are leaving a lasting impression with suppliers, customers and other sellers.

What is one crazy thing about you?

20 kindergartners with paint and paintbrushes doesn't scare me. A regular class full of kids with an academic subject is terrifying! (I used to teach art.)

What is something you would love to learn how to do?

I would love to weave with a giant room sized loom. It just sounds like so much fun.

What is your favorite color?

Green, some pinks, and red are my favorite colors. I wear green most often.

What do you love about Oklahoma?

I love Oklahoma people, they are friendly, concerned and most of all Real. We are used to wide open spaces, fairly large cities, small towns, backwoods.

Be sure to check out this week's featured seller and all of her fabulous sites:

Blog:http: http://www.chocolatedogstudio.com/

Twitter: chocodogstudio

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Chocolatedogstudio

etsy shop http://www.chocolatedogstudio.etsy.com/

Tulsa World Feature- Plumeperfume

OkEtsy team member Tara of Plumeperfume is featured in a great story in today's Tulsa World.

Check out her story from the front of today's scene section!

And then go see her shop. If the perfume smells as good as the pictures look, I am sold!