Feature Friday - Myroo Skincare & Milly and Flossy

  

We're really delighted to be bringing you our sixth Feature Friday - today we're featuring Rachael Dunseath who runs both myroo skincare and Milly & Flossy. 

Hi Rachael, introduce us to yourself and your company! 

Hello! I’m Rachael Dunseath and I am the owner of myroo skincare and Milly & Flossy.

Both brands are dedicated to hand-creating natural skincare that is desirable but ethical. Milly & Flossy is my baby range.

I use only the best natural ingredients and my products contain no sodium laureth/lauryl sulphate, no parabens, phthalates or silicones, no petrochemicals, no palm oil and no artificial fragrances or colours. I only use synthetic ingredients where they are unavoidable, for example to preserve.

My shea butter is organic and fairly traded. All my packaging is recyclable. I don’t test my products on animals and nor are any of the raw ingredients tested on them either.  The whole range is suitable for pregnant women and the baby range is suitable from birth.

The entire range is handmade by me in small batches in my tiny workshop.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?

I have always wanted to run a business that made the most of my creative side and my business and marketing background. Myroo came about when double redundancies in our house set me looking for homemade gift ideas. A few experiments later and some fantastic feedback from my testers and an idea was born. Things have moved so fast, the products are more sophisticated but the basic idea remains the same.

What do you love most about your business?

I love my cupboard full of ingredients. I feel privileged to be working with such lovely raw materials; beautiful butters, luxurious oils and fragrant essential oils. It is a joy.

I also love it when a customer takes the time to give me feedback. It’s wonderful to hear that people enjoy what you are making and that it works. Several people have actually taken time to email me to let me know how much they love my products, which is amazing.

Finally, it gives me an enormous sense of pride whenever I set up my stall at a craft fair. To think it’s less than a year since the original idea, my little business has had quite a journey.

What would you like to change?

Ugh, bookkeeping is the bane of my life. I’d love to be earning enough to pay a bookkeeper to do what they’re good at, so I can concentrate what I’m good at. Soon, fingers crossed.

What is your aim for the next year?

I have ambitious growth plans for the business. I plan to launch several new products in the next twelve months, starting with my new Milly & Flossy baby butter which will be available very soon. My website is undergoing a major transformation so there will be lots of activity focused online too. I’m also working hard on PR and would love to see my brands featured in some national publications.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?

My ultimate aim is to be stocked in a high-end high street store, my dream would be to be on the shelves of Space NK. I want to achieve that whilst remaining true to the ethical values of my business and keeping the products handmade.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?

Tip 1: Do not forget to include your time in the pricing of you business, be it a service or a product. If you cannot make a profit when your time is factored in, then your business will not grow. It’s harsh but true.

Tip 2: Network. It can be isolating being self employed, especially if you work from home. Meeting up with like minded business people can help develop your business and keep you motivated.

Tip 3: Make the most of social media. It is hard making a name for yourself in your chosen field and it’s unlikely you’ll have a massive marketing budget. Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and other social media formats all offer a chance for you to get your name out there and you don’t need to part with any cash; remember though, your time does have a value - if you’re doing nothing but social media, your business won’t grow.

Tip 4: Prioritise. It can be tempting to focus on the things you like doing and the things you are good at, especially if your business is based around a skill or craft, but you need to focus on the things that are going to grow your business. The reality is that a small amount of your time will actually be spent doing the creative side and a lot of time will be spent doing the business and marketing elements.

Tip 5: Enjoy it! Being self employed is wonderful, it’s rewarding, fulfilling and challenging. It has ups and downs but that sense of pride in knowing it’s all yours is unbeatable. You’ve done it, you created your own business, you are an entrepreneur!

A few last words - How do we contact you?

You can buy online at http://www.myroo.co.uk/ and http://www.millyandflossy.co.uk/. 

Find out more on http://www.facebook.com//myrooskincare and http://www.facebook.com/millyandflossy or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/myrooskincare and http://twitter.com/millyflossy.

If you live in Harrogate, you can also buy our products at The Stalls, a lovely boutique stocking all handmade products, 3 Bower Street, Harrogate, HG1 5BQ

Thank you so much Rachael for talking us today, your products sound utterly fabulous and we love your use of natural ingredients in all your products.
 
Next week, we'll be featuring a special guest company - check back on next Friday for details!!!

Women Wednesday's 2nd Blog Hop Feature

To celebrate the success of our weekly Women Wednesday Blog hop so far we would like to start featuring someone's blog from the previous weeks list and featuring alongside the following Women Wednesday blog hop. The featured blog will also be put at number 5 on the blog hop list so it's near the top and likely to get more followers!


This week we are picking a winner from weeks 6 blog hop where we had 28 entries.

And the winner is...

Number 11!

Which is Michelle from Melusine Soap.

Well done Michelle, your blog will be featured with next weeks blog hop! We'll be in contact to see if you wouldn't mind answering a few questions to add with your blog feature.

Collaboration Women Wednesday Blog Hop - Week 6

Welcome to Creation|Collaboration's 5th Women Wednesday blog roll, hosted by Beads & More by Lois, Soaperstar and Plans and Presents

Creation|Collaboration was set up by eight women, all existing friends, who run small businesses from their homes. We have started Women Wednesday blog roll to link up with other women in business, spread the word about Creation|Collaboration and basically just have fun visiting all of your interesting blogs!

Join in each week and you could be the following weeks blog feature. Every Thursday we will use Randomness software to pick someone from that weeks blog hop and announce who will be the next blog feature.

Heres how you can join in with Collaboration Women Wednesday:

• Link up your blog name and URL to your Women Wednesday blog post using the McKLinky below (you only need to add on one blog to be seen on all of the McKLinky blog roll's) Please note that it's for blogs only and not links to your websites or shops.
• Follow our Creation|Collaboration blog and the hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
• Grab our Women Wednesday button and feature it on your blog or Women Wednesday blog post.
• Follow and comment saying you're from Women Wednesday on as many blogs as you likes listed in the McKlinky box.
• Follow back any new followers from Women Wednesday!

It's that easy and a fun way to discover new and interesting blogs and us women at Creation|Collaboration get to meet other women in business!

Last week Georgie Baker was picked to be our first Blog Hop Feature!

Georgie Baker makes gorgeous textile treasures by the sea in Southend-On-Sea, Essex. Her textile accessories and jewellery are unique with a quirky style that makes her items stand out from the rest.

We asked Georgie 5 questions so we could find out more about her and her business.

1. Tell us more about yourself and your business.

Hello all, my name is Georgina, and I am a designer/maker living and working in Essex. I graduated from University College Falmouth in 2008 with a degree in Textile Design, and after having a little time out, now design and make textile accessories and jewellery under the moniker Georgie Baker Designs.

My work mainly consists of hand-embroidered accessories and jewellery with a vintage twist. I absolutely adore vintage collectables and anything from the Art Deco period, so I think that tends to influence my designs and thought processes. I try to make every design and piece as unique as possible, and I think this is especially important today when so much is mass-produced.

2. What do you love most about having your own business?

There are lots of things I love about designing and creating...I love the freedom of being able to set your own creative targets and deadlines, and I love getting in touch with other designers and crafters who share the same passion for beautiful things. It's also really nice when someone compliments you on a piece of jewellery or an accessory you have put alot of time and hard work into.

3. What would you like to change?

I would really like to change the space in which I work in. That's the only down-side of working from home. It's sometimes difficult to find the space and the right environment to help put you in a creative frame of mind. It just means that you have to be extra organised!

4. What do you love most about blogging?

I think blogging is so important with regards to exposure and advertising your company and products. Before I had a blog, a facebook page and twitter, I completely under-estimated the power they have to generate 'traffic' to my sites and online shop. I also like the fact that blogging helps you to keep up to date with what other designers and crafters are doing. It's really interesting to see what is being produced.

5. What is your most favourite item you have made?

I am always my own worst critic and a real perfectionist when it comes to my work, but I do enjoy seeing the finished product when it is photographed and displayed. I suppose one of my favourites is the black and white sequined magpie feather brooch. This was one of the first things I made for my accessories portflio. Having said that, there are so many more things I want to do in terms of designing and making, and there is always room for improvement! 

She has recently opened an Etsy shop so check out her lovely designs:

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

You can follow and find out more about Georgie on her blog:

http://georgiebakerdesigns.blogspot.com/

If you would like to be featured next week, be sure to join todays Women Wednesday Blog Hop!

Feature Friday - Pot of Gold Crafts Profile on Creation|Collaboration

Welcome to the fifth of our Feature Fridays on Creation|Collaboration! Each Friday, we profile a woman run business by interviewing the founder and finding more out about them, their business, their life and loves!

For our fifth Feature Friday, we've chatted to Susie McKinstray, owner of Pot of Gold Crafts in North-East Scotland.



Hi Susie, introduce us to yourself and your company!

Hi all, I'm Susie McKinstray and I am the creator behind everything at Pot of Gold Crafts.

Pot of Gold is one of those places you really can find something for anyone. We currently specialise in handmade greetings cards, jewellery and accessories and now we do hand-dyed wool, aimed originally at the cloth nappy market for knitters to create soakers for over the cloth nappies, but obviously any real wool lovers are more than welcome. We've also combined a love of wool, knitting and jewels to create a range of Swarovski crystal stitch markers to add some fantastic sparkle to your knitting day. We also have many new items currently in the planning stage, with some now in development and heading to the testing stage.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?

I have always had an incredibly creative streak and have tried my hand at many different crafts (if I went into listing them we'd be here for a while!) Being a stay-at-home mum since having my first child, I found many other mums online who ran “WAHM” (work-at-home mum) businesses. That's really when it first hit me that other people may also be interested in the things I make.

What do you love most about your business?

Just knowing people like the things I make is amazing. I also like being able to be flexible with working time depending on what my family's needs are. However, for me, the best thing is that I don't have to commute to work at all.

What would you like to change?

My workspace. I've already got a corner set up in my living room as my craft work area but it's a little unorganised and I want to turn the storage area under our stairs into a fantastic mini craft room.

What is your aim for the next year?

Many new products and working to have an in stock yarn selection as I am currently working on a preorder status. I have had a small break from making current products as I am developing a few new things, with sewn products as well as some knitted and crocheted items so I aim to resume building up more current stock as well. I am also hoping soon to create my own website to house the cards and jewellery and keep the yarn at my Hyenacart store since there is a great yarn-loving community there.



Where do you ultimately see yourself?

I would love to open a “bricks and mortar” shop, and sell not only my own products but those of other crafters who want to get their name out there. I suppose it would be like a “real life” version of Creation|Collaboration.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women ?

Tip 1 Believe in yourself! If other people tell you they like what you do and keep asking for you to assist or make something for them, then you know what you are doing will be worth it. Even when things are going slowly, don't let it get to you and put you off wanting to continue.

Tip 2 Be patient! It is so hard to get people to realise you are there, especially if you are trying to get into a business with many other creators, and in some cases cheaper mass-produced items.


Tip 3 Carefully consider your pricing structure. Obviously you want your customers to feel they are getting good value for money, but don't underprice yourself either. If you're not earning from your hard work then you won't make a living; remember it is a business and not just a hobby anymore (but whoever said work couldn't be fun?)

Tip 4 Advertise! I don't mean you have to spend thousands on TV or radio adverts, but setting up Twitter and Facebook pages and inviting all your friends can lead to word of mouth and more and more people will become aware of your business and hopefully start recommending you to others that they know will be interested. Business cards are easily obtainable for very little cost now, make sure to send some out with every order (I usually enclose 2 or 3 with orders in the hope the spares may be passed on to friends) and you may also find some local businesses will be happy to hand them out to people they know may be interested in your products.


Tip 5 Planning! Try to set yourself daily and weekly goals with things to do, try to put in work regularly and maybe consider setting yourself “working hours” whether it's a set time each day to work or just a certain number of hours per week. The more organised you are about your business then the easier it will be to make sure customers get things in a timely manner. This is something I had issues with when starting out, but it's definitely something that you get used to if you get into the habit of doing it.

A few last words - How do we contact Pot of Gold Crafts?

You can stop by the shop at http://hyenacart.com/potofgold or come on by the Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/potofgoldcrafts. We're also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/potofgoldcrafts and finally our blog is at http://potofgoldcrafts.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much Susie for talking to us today - we love the colours and variety of your handmade products. 

Next week, on Feature Friday, we'll be featuring Rachael Dunseath from Myroo Skincare and MillyandFlossy.  Make sure to check back!!

Women Wednesday Blog Feature

To celebrate the success of our weekly Women Wednesday Blog hop so far we would like to start featuring someone's blog from the previous weeks list and featuring alongside the following Women Wednesday blog hop. The featured blog will also be put at number 5 on the blog hop list so it's near the top and likely to get more followers!

As we have had many blog hoppers supporting us for nearly all the five blog hops, we would like to give those more chance of winning the feature. For instance the wonderful Edith at Innoscents Handmade Soaps and Suzanne at Scent Trail have supported us for all five blog hops so we would like to give them five chances of winning the feature!

This morning we have collated all the entries and previous blog hop entries, given everyone a number(s) and used Randomness 1.5.2 download to pick us a random number fairly!

We had 54 entries!

And the winner is...

Number 30!

Which is Georgina from Georgie Baker Textiles and Jewellery.

Well done Georgina, your blog will be featured with next weeks blog hop!

After next weeks blog hop feature we will be giving whoever joins that weeks blog hop the chance of featuring in the following one and so on, so you have to take part every week to win the chance of being featured!

Collaboration Women Wednesday Blog Hop - Week 5

Welcome to Creation|Collaboration's 5th Women Wednesday blog roll, hosted by Beads & More by Lois, Soaperstar and Plans and Presents

Creation|Collaboration was set up by eight women, all existing friends, who run small businesses from their homes. We have started Women Wednesday blog roll to link up with other women in business, spread the word about Creation|Collaboration and basically just have fun visiting all of your interesting blogs!

We are also in discussions with regard to listing features companies (on a regular basis) as part of our promotional campaign so by joining in with the blog roll we can get to know you and your business and maybe you could be one of our first features.

Heres how you can join in with Collaboration Women Wednesday:

• Link up your blog name and URL to your Women Wednesday blog post using the McKLinky below (you only need to add on one blog to be seen on all of the McKLinky blog roll's) Please note that it's for blogs only and not links to your websites or shops.
• Follow our Creation|Collaboration blog and the hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
• Grab our Women Wednesday button and feature it on your blog or Women Wednesday blog post.
• Follow and comment saying you're from Women Wednesday on as many blogs as you likes listed in the McKlinky box.
• Follow back any new followers from Women Wednesday!

It's that easy and a fun way to discover new and interesting blogs and us women at Creation|Collaboration get to meet other women in business!

Feature Friday - NuJoolz at Creation|Collaboration

Welcome to the fourth of our Feature Fridays on Creation|Collaboration!  Each Friday, we profile a woman run business by interviewing the founder and finding more out about them, their business, their life and loves!

For our fourth Feature Friday, we've chatted to Alison Thomson, owner of NuJoolz in East Scotland, a bespoke jewellery and tiara maker. 

Hi Allie, introduce us to yourself and your company!

Hi C|C, my name is Alison Thomson and I am owner, designer and manufacturer of every piece of jewellery that carries the NuJoolz brand. 

NuJoolz is a small family run company specialising in jewellery and tiaras for special occasions. I work predominantly with wire and beads and, as a result, no two items are ever identical. I also offer a bespoke service that allows certain styles of tiara or jewellery be customised or tailored to meet your own needs and wants. NuJoolz believes that, no matter what your budget, you deserve to feel and look like a princess on your special day.

 

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?

 

I never actually had an idea of running a business; I had taken a few wire work jewellery courses in the past because it interested me, I enjoyed it and used to make bits and pieces as gifts for family and friends but nothing more. Then I decided to get married. I chose my dress but, no matter where I looked, I just could not find a tiara that I wanted and imagined I would wear. I also wanted my bridesmaids to be wearing complimentary jewellery and matching hair pins.

So I came up with the idea of making my own, I had no reason not too, after all, I did have the skills. For my final dress fitting, I had to take accessories with me. The lady who owned the store was very impressed and asked if I had considered making them professionally. I said no but she insisted I should consider it and asked me to make two for her to display in the shop. I did and they both sold within a week. NuJoolz was born. Since then I have regularly supplied the store with tiaras, necklaces and bracelets.

 

What do you love most about your business?

 

I love making people happy. It gives me such a buzz on a Monday morning to open the local paper and see a page dedicated to those who married the previous week. I often spot things I made and seeing the bride look so happy and radiant fills me with joy. It is always nice when someone compliments your product.

 

What would you like to change?

 

I want to expand.. ideally I would like to attend wedding fairs more often and possibly have a dedicated studio. Like many women who set up a business, I work from home and that does not help with the work/life balance. I have considered getting a small summerhouse to give me somewhere to work and also meet customers to discuss their needs and wants.  I also would like to work on my ability to photograph Swarovski beads - for some reason, I can never get the lighting correct and pictures are always either blurry or too dark.

 

What is your aim for the next year?

 

I have several aims for the next year, Firstly, we will be moving premises - to be able to work and grow, I need my own workspace, ideally with the facility to meet new clients. Secondly, we will be expanding our range to comply with requests for a slightly less formal but still delicate range to suit more informal weddings, engagements and weddings abroad. Our fun and funky range 'Sweet and Simple' will soon be available in some independent stores in Tayside. Finally, I would like to have our website performing beautifully, giving those who are not local to us the chance to buy one of our pieces.  The overall plan is to expand and grow while still providing a one to one service

 

Where do you ultimately see yourself?

I just want to be happy. I would love to have my own store or concession and for my two daughters to follow me into jewellery making and have a true family run business. I would also love for some of my work to be featured in a national bridal magazine. I would love to open a "bricks and mortar" shop with some friends to provide what could only be described as a one stop wedding shop. Planning, dresses, accessories, invitations, cakes, favours ..... basically everything under one roof.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women ?

Tip 1 Never underestimate or dismiss legislation. It is there for a reason and if you chose to ignore it, it will return to bite you on the bum. Never underestimate the power of the taxman and other legal bodies!

Tip 2 Make use of your local business support group/Business Link. The people who work there have literally seen hundreds of business startups and are best placed to guide you. Many also offer free book/record keeping courses or networking events

Tip 3 Internet - do not underestimate the power of Facebook/Twitter and other forms of social networking. Over 53% of the population of Europe has home internet access and with the vast amounts of free publicity available online, you would be silly not to be exploiting it.

Tip 4 Networking. This is linked to Tip 3 - you need to get your business name 'out there'; it needs to start to be a recognisable brand name. Blogging, Facebook and Twitter pages all help with this as does networking within your local area. Get to know those setting up just like you, get to know your suppliers especially local ones.

Tip 5 Have patience. This is the hardest one but you need to sit back and let your hard work filter through. Everyone has slow periods and, in my experience, usually slow starts. Just keep plugging away and soon the sales/bookings will be coming thick and fast.

A few last words - How do we contact NuJoolz?

You can follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/NuJoolz, our blog can be found at http://nujoolz.blogspot.com/, our Twitter page is http://twitter.com/nujoolz and, finally. our website address is http://www.nujoolz.com/.

Thank you so much Alison for chatting with us today - your love of jewellery making for special events really shines through!

Next Friday, we look forward to featuring Susie Mc Kinstray of Pot of Gold Crafts! 

Collaboration Women Wednesday Blog Hop - Week 4

Welcome to Creation|Collaboration's 3rd Women Wednesday blog roll, hosted by Beads & More by Lois, Soaperstar and Plans and Presents

Creation|Collaboration was set up by eight women, all existing friends, who run small businesses from their homes. We have started Women Wednesday blog roll to link up with other women in business, spread the word about Creation|Collaboration and basically just have fun visiting all of your interesting blogs!

We are also in discussions with regard to listing features companies (on a regular basis) as part of our promotional campaign so by joining in with the blog roll we can get to know you and your business and maybe you could be one of our first features.

Heres how you can join in with Collaboration Women Wednesday:

• Link up your blog name and URL to your Women Wednesday blog post using the McKLinky below (you only need to add on one blog to be seen on all of the McKLinky blog roll's) Please note that it's for blogs only and not links to your websites or shops.
• Follow our Creation|Collaboration blog and the hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
• Grab our Women Wednesday button and feature it on your blog or Women Wednesday blog post.
• Follow and comment saying you're from Women Wednesday on as many blogs as you likes listed in the McKlinky box.
• Follow back any new followers from Women Wednesday!

It's that easy and a fun way to discover new and interesting blogs and us women at Creation|Collaboration get to meet other women in business!

Feature Friday - Beads & More by Lois Profile at Creation|Collaboration

Welcome to the third of our Feature Fridays on Creation|Collaboration!

Each Friday, we're profiling a woman run business by interviewing the founder and finding more out about them, their business, their life and loves!

For our third Feature Friday, we've chatted to Lois Bartley, owner of Beads & More by Lois in Essex, a handcrafted jewellery and home ware business.

Hi Lois, introduce us to yourself and your company

My name is Lois Bartley and my company is Beads & More by Lois. I make handcrafted jewellery and home wares in the comfort of my own home. I have two small children so tend to relax in the evenings and get out my boxes of beads and tools and get creating! I love the fact that my jewellery is totally unique, you can be guaranteed that you'll never find anyone else wearing the same item you've bought from me because I only make once off creations.  

I also offer a bespoke service and really enjoy making something special for my customers - I love that they have helped create their special item by choosing their own colours and beads; I get such a kick out of sending them their special piece that they will treasure forever!

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?

I started making jewellery about 4 years ago just as a hobby and started to build up quite a collection. Friends and family bought some pieces but I never thought about starting a business as I had just finished university and had my first job as a staff nurse! 

Over the next couple of years I had my first child, got married then fell pregnant with my second and decided to give up work for a while. Before my second baby was due, I had lots of time so got back into making jewellery. 

I met a lady in a bead shop who also offered jewellery making lessons so I signed up to them and learnt lots of new techniques and how to perfect them all to make saleable jewellery.

It was during that summer that I launched Beads &More by Lois and I haven’t looked back!

I started by setting up my own website and then selling some of my items in handmade online shops such as Misi and Folksy. I really enjoy being part of the handmade online community as a lot of us support our own.  For instance, at Christmas I bought the majority of my presents from Misi which were all handmade and fabulous.

A lot of my business has come from jewellery parties and fairs which I enjoy the most as I get to meet my customers face to face and they get the chance to try on my jewellery and see how great it looks on them!

What do you love most about your business?

I absolutely love seeing people wearing my jewellery and hearing how people have commented on how lovely their earrings or bracelet is. The fact that no one else is going to have the same item of jewellery as them is quite appealing to some customers and I enjoy making that happen!

Another aspect that really makes me smile is when I have a table at fairs and people wander over to browse, when they read my sign that all my items are handmade people always say ‘Oh you make all of this?’ and always seem so surprised, which makes me feel great and they spend more time looking.

There is lots to love about having your own business, especially as mine is more a hobby that I can make money from!

What would you like to change?
My work space! At the moment everything has to be packed away and hidden behind the sofa from my toddler and when I work, I either have to take everything to the kitchen table or work on the sofa so I can also spend time with my husband! I'd really like my own separate work-room where I can have everything organised and easily accessible and without having to pack everything away when I've finished which can take longer then making a pair of earrings!

What is your aim for the next year?


Next year, I'd like to make the majority of my jewellery with sterling silver rather than silver plated. I've mainly been using silver plated as it's much cheaper to buy therefore I can price my jewellery cheaper for the local fairs and jewellery parities. Once I have a good stock of sterling silver jewellery I'd like to approach some galleries and small boutiques who will hopefully exhibit my jewellery!

Where do you ultimately see yourself?


My ultimate dream would be to own a little boutique where I would feature handmade items only. I adore all kinds of handmade goods so would like to give others the chance to sell their items in my shop too. Local to where I live, there is a craft village with lots of small workshops where people make and sell their goods there, I'd like to start off with a workshop there and then eventually open my own boutique!

What's your top 5 tips for new business women?


1. Make the most of the Internet!  Twitter, Facebook and blogging are pretty essential to build up a customer profile and it's all free! To make the most of it you do need to spend 1-2 hours a day but the work does often pay off and can save you hundreds in advertising fee's.

2. Make the most of your family and friends. It was these people that got me off to a good start and the best way is to start with a party and invite them all! Set up a table and feature your products, as well as catering with nibbles and wine. Get them to see first hand what you working on, most of them will buy something but pretty much all of them will then spread the word of your new business! My Mum and sister have lots of my jewellery and pretty much wear something every day - quite often when they are out people will ask where they got the item of jewellery from and they always have one of my business cards in their purse to hand over - great advertising. You could call it "wearing the brand"!

3. If it's a product that you are selling, get out there and feature your work at local fairs. Preschools, infant/junior schools and church fundraisers are the best places to start as tables are cheap, mainly £10-£20. I personally wouldn't pay anything more then £20 for a local fair as they are usually quite small and it's not such a huge hit to your wallet if you don't sell anything. Local fairs are a great way to build your confidence and practice with different table layouts and stands until you move on to the big fairs. You also get to meet lots of local customers who will come back to you time and time again as they know you are 'real' and not just a website etc!

4. If you are going to sell a product online, learn how to take good photographs. I'm still learning with mine and quite often upload a picture to my website then take it down the following week and try again as it's still too dark or blurry. From personal experience, sometimes a photo of your product can make a huge difference to whether it sells or not and it's good to have several photos of each item from different angles so the customer can get a good idea of what it really looks like. I find taking photographs in natural daylight gives the best results.  Some people use light boxes when there isn't any natural daylight or certain light-bulbs. There are lots of different things to try and I feel it's one of the most important aspects of selling your product online.

5. Don't be too hard on yourself!  We've all been there when nothing seems to be happening, no sales or interest in what you are doing. Then just when you want to give up someone buys something or you get a good review! It's very hard work and there are going to be times when you won't sell anything for a while even when you are putting in enormous amounts of hard work and networking but sometimes you just need to give yourself a break, step away for a day or too then get back stuck in!

A last few words - How do we contact Beads & More by Lois?

I really hoped you enjoyed this weeks profile - if you'd like to contact me, please check out my website at http://www.beadsandmorebylois.co.uk/; you can also check out my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Beadsandmorebylois or tweet me at http://twitter.com/beadsmorebylois and you can follow my blog at http://beadsandmorebylois.blogspot.com/.

We, at Creation|Collaboration, would like to take this opportunity thank Lois so much for taking the time to talk to us today - some fantastic tips and hints and such an interesting story that so many women who run their own businesses from home & have a young family to bring up, can identify with. 

Next week, we will be featuring Alison Thomson from Nujoolz - check back with us for our regular Feature Friday!
 

Collaboration Women Wednesday Blog Hop - Week 3

Welcome to Creation|Collaboration's 3rd Women Wednesday blog roll, hosted by Beads & More by Lois, Soaperstar and Plans and Presents

Creation|Collaboration was set up by eight women, all existing friends, who run small businesses from their homes. We have started Women Wednesday blog roll to link up with other women in business, spread the word about Creation|Collaboration and basically just have fun visiting all of your interesting blogs!

We are also in discussions with regard to listing features companies (on a regular basis) as part of our promotional campaign so by joining in with the blog roll we can get to know you and your business and maybe you could be one of our first features.

Heres how you can join in with Collaboration Women Wednesday:

• Link up your blog name and URL to your Women Wednesday blog post using the McKLinky below (you only need to add on one blog to be seen on all of the McKLinky blog roll's) Please note that it's for blogs only and not links to your websites or shops.
• Follow our Creation|Collaboration blog and the hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
• Grab our Women Wednesday button and feature it on your blog or Women Wednesday blog post.
• Follow and comment saying you're from Women Wednesday on as many blogs as you likes listed in the McKlinky box.
• Follow back any new followers from Women Wednesday!

It's that easy and a fun way to discover new and interesting blogs and us women at Creation|Collaboration get to meet other women in business!