Feature Friday features Vanessa Walilko of Kali Butterfly

Welcome to another of our Feature Friday profiles of woman run businesses - today we'll be talking to Vanessa Walilko who is the owner/designer for Kali Butterfly, a fabulous handmade jewellery company basedin Chicago.

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat to us today Vanessa - can you tell our readers more about you and your company?
My name is Vanessa Walilko and I own and operate Kali Butterfly. I make aluminum chainmaille jewelry and clothing as well as beaded armor pieces and sculptures. I also teach chainmaille jewelry classes throughout Chicago, Illinois. I've been making beaded jewelry since I was 8 and I started making chainmaille about five years ago. I just love working with my hands and having the ability to give form to whatever ideas I can dream up. I'm meticulous, which comes through in my work--I'm obsessed with taking lots of little things and putting them together to make wearable pieces of art.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
As I mentioned, I've been making jewelry for nearly all my life, but I didn't think that I could make a living off of it. I had spent several years doing what was expected of me, and working in safe jobs, even if I wasn't particularly thrilled with them. One day, I just got fed up and departed from the safe path. I wanted to be able to do what I love, so I decided to start a business. I don't want to be doing anything else aside from making jewelry, so I'm determined to make this work. Thankfully, I've spent the past four years working for jewelry designers, so I've learned a lot about what works and what doesn't work when starting and growing your own business.

What do you love most about your business?
I love the fact that I get to do what makes me happy every day. There are few things I love more than making jewelry for people. When a customer tells me that they wear a piece they purchased all the time, to me that means that they really love it. I also enjoy being able to teach chainmaille and to give people the opportunity to use their hands to create a piece of jewelry. It's so satisfying to watch people light up as they're making something that brings them joy.

What would you like to change?
I would love to have more wholesale accounts to provide a steadier income. Aside from consistent sales, wholesale accounts would help me better live my ideals. I make aluminum chainmaille jewelry because aluminum is 100% recyclable and endlessly recyclable. I love the idea that if someone got tired of one of their pieces, they could just toss it in a recycling bin. In order to do a craft show or art fair, you should have about four times as much inventory as you actually hope to sell in order to keep your booth looking full. That's a lot of jewelry! I would prefer only to make pieces that I know people want instead of making pieces and only hoping that someone will want them.

What is your aim for the next year?
Next year I hope to have at least 15 new wholesale accounts and to be more situated on my path as a business owner. I also hope to have more international orders. I've sold pieces to women in Australia and Russia, I'd like to add a few more countries to that list. My plan in the next year is to start making instructions for some of my beaded animals. I designed many of these pieces years ago and I hope to start sharing them with the public.

This past year has been an experiment--if I had to put everything on the line, what would I do in order to make my dreams a reality? So far, I've been working hard and building a fulfilling life for myself and things are coming together in a way that I didn't think was possible. I recently won the People's Choice Award and second place in the Wirework category in the Bead Dreams competition for my chainmaille jacket. Step by Step Wire Jewelry magazine also published my Squares with Flair project in their latest issue, and just accepted another jewelry project for an upcoming issue. I've done things in this past year that I didn't think could happen, so I'm excited about facing any new challenges in the upcoming year.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
I'd love to be known as the aluminum chainmaille jewelry queen! Ideally, I would have a studio/storefront in New York City with three to five employees. My pieces would be in galleries throughout the United States. I hope to keep applying to competitions, winning awards and getting more attention for my work. I would also love to start selling some of my chainmaille fashion pieces on commission, since those are my passion projects. I hope to continue publishing projects consistently and selling my jewelry-making instructions to the public.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 - Never give up. Starting and running my own business is easily the most daunting task I've ever undertaken. I don't know how many times I've thought that it would be easier if I just decided to work in an office and receive a steady paycheck. At the end of the day, I keep working at building my business because it's really the only thing I want to be doing, and the only thing that makes me happy. If you have a dream, be willing to pour all of your time and energy into making it happen. The rewards are worth both the risk and the fear.

Tip 2 - Be shameless. I spent a long time making jewelry for myself and putting it on my website, hoping someone would notice me. Unfortunately, that's not how things work. If you want people to notice you and what you're doing, you have to put your work in front of as many people as possible. I don't feel comfortable bragging to people I don't know, so I've had to train myself to tell people about what I'm doing. I've also gotten used to doing craft fairs and art shows, applying to every competition that seems relevant to what I'm doing (especially the contests with no entry fees), and posting everything on Facebook and my blog. There are so many things vying for people's attention--you need to be able to provide consistent content to your fans in order to keep them interested in what you're doing.

Tip 3 - Get organized. It's never too early to keep track of expenses and file all of your receipts away in an orderly fashion. As your business grows, you'll be happy that you started organizing all of your paperwork at the very beginning. Having all your receipts in one place also makes tax time a lot easier, especially if you have consignment accounts in a number of places.

Tip 4 - Surround yourself with supportive people. I'm very lucky to have a close circle of friends who support everything that I do as an artist. I spent a number of years with nay-sayers in my life. Negative people are a drain on your energy. As a small business owner, your energy is your greatest resource--don't let anyone take that away! When I talk to my friends, their excitement for me gives me added inspiration, and I feel ready to take on any other challenges that arise.

Tip 5 - Set specific goals for yourself. When running your own business, it's very easy to think about the big picture and get overwhelmed. In order to keep yourself from panicking about everything that you have to do, set specific goals for yourself. One of my goals for this year is to have a piece in a juried exhibition every month. In order to reach this goal, I keep track of calls for art that happen around the country and apply when I feel that my work is relevant. Specific goals help keep your energy focused so that you can see results from your plans.

If any of our readers would like to contact you regarding your fabulous items, how can they do that?
I can be contacted via my website at http://www.kalibutterfly.com/ or by email at vanessa@kalibutterfly.com; I'm also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KaliButterfly or I can be tweeted at http://twitter.com/KaliButterfly/

Thank you so much for talking to us today Vanessa - your items are truly unique and stunning!!

Don't forget to check back next Friday when we'll be featuring another woman run business on our Feature Friday slot.  If you'd like your company to be featured, drop us an email at creationcollaboration@yahoo.com with the words "Feature Friday" in the subject line.  Also, if you haven't already, make sure to join us on our new forum at http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org/ - lots of businesswomen chatting and networking!

Feature Friday featuring Viv Smith of Poppy Sparkles

Welcome to another of our excellent Friday Feature articles featuring new women run businesses - today we're talking to Viv Smith, the designer/owner of Poppy Sparkles.

Hi Viv - thanks so much for taking the time to chat to us this Friday.  Can you tell our readers something about you and your business?
I’m Viv Smith, a self-taught jewellery artist and the owner, designer and jewellery creator of Poppy Sparkles. I am based near Blackpool, Lancashire. I have been making jewellery since my early teens. Poppy Sparkles was launched this year, 2010, and offers handcrafted jewellery, predominatently bridal jewellery. The majority of my jewellery is made using Freshwater Pearls, Swarovski Crystal and sterling silver. I aim to create beautiful jewellery using high quality materials, that are designed to be lasting pieces to treasure.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
Ever since I began making jewellery as a young teen I have sold bits and pieces. In more recent years I started to sell online with some success. With two young children, I am currently on a career break and decided that this was a perfect opportunity to put more time into creating jewellery, promoting and selling it. And so, Poppy Sparkles was launched earlier this year. With a real love for Freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals, it seemed logical to focus on Bridal jewellery. Plus, I love being a part of the magic of someone’s wedding and helping a Bride to look her absolute best with well-chosen accessories.

What do you love most about your business?
I love creating beautiful jewellery, especially custom orders. Interacting with customers and creating a piece that is just perfect for them in style and colour is perhaps the most enjoyable and satisfying part of my business. But, in all honesty I love all of it – except the paperwork and accounts side!

What would you like to change?
Jewellery is notoriously difficult to photograph. At the moment I am trying to find the best way to capture my jewellery on camera – looking at different backgrounds, lighting etc, as well as trying to learn how to use my camera to its full potential. I want to ensure that each and every image I have shows my jewellery off properly, so for now the thing I want to change is my product shots.

What is your aim for the next year?
Over the next year I hope to develop my website further, adding an online shop so that people can buy direct through my website. I also want to begin to establish Poppy Sparkles locally and nationally as a place to source quality handcrafted jewellery, especially Bridal jewellery.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
Ideally, I would love to be a full time WAHM. Realistically, it is extremely difficult to make a full-time living from creative work. Bearing this in mind, I would like, once my time being a full-time mummy at home comes to an end, to be able to return to work in a more part-time capacity. Obviously, if I were to be able to do Poppy Sparkles full-time I would be extremely pleased.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 Write a business plan – it helps you work out where you want to go and how to get there
Tip 2 Keep up to date with paperwork
Tip 3 Create a network of supportive people around you, for WAHMs who may struggle to network whilst at home with children, the internet and social media, like Twitter, is a valuable resource
Tip 4 Have some proper time for your different roles i.e. quality time with family, dedicated time for the business
Tip 5 Enjoy what you do!

All your pieces are so beautiful - if a client was interested in purchasing, where can they contact you?

I can be contacted via my website at http://www.poppysparkles.co.uk/ or by email at viv@poppysparkles.co.uk; I also have a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/poppysparkles and you can Tweet me at http://www.twitter.com/VivPoppySparkle.

Viv, all your pieces are stunningly beautiful! We wish you the very best of luck in the future and thank you so much for talking with us today.

Remember, if you are a woman running your own business and would like to be featured on our regular Feature Friday, please drop us an email to creationcollaboration@yahoo.com and put the words "Friday Feature" in the subject line and we'll forward on the information to you.  If you're interested in joining our forum, you can find us at http://www.creationcollaboration.myfastforum.org/ - we'll be happy to see you there!

A wedding planner , I don't need one of those ! - Do I ?!!!

Most of us, when it boils down to reality, have far from a Royal budget but in focusing on that one special day we all still share much of the same issues.
Basically having enough money, enough time makes for some hard decisions especially in this economy.

The first days of engagement are a blissful time when all that is focused on is shared love, but then REALITY can hit and the actual planning of the day looms, and sometimes it can all seem a bit ominous.

You, of course may love planning, DIY in weddings is all the rage at the moment,  but for some, all the organisation that goes into such a special event may be a nightmare, and they may have absolutely no idea where to start.
This is where a some professional help can be vital.
A wedding and event planner can assist you in all the nitty gritty and logistics of creating a day the way you envision, working with you to make your day "yours".

Weddings are a major stress inducer, even when things are going well, we always have that fear in the back of our minds that something will go wrong or we will have forgotton important details.

If you imagine your wedding as a project and each part of the planning as working towards project completion and your wedding planner as a project manager , they will do what a manager does best ie. management.

Your planner will deal with suppliers, doing all the leg work and research for you, negotiating discounts for you and finding you the very best for the best prices and to your direct specifications.
This leaves you the time to relax in the run up to your special day knowing that someone is making your day top priority.

The wedding budget is probably the most important part of the planning process as the day basically hinges on it.
Sometimes couples can end up wasting money through not enough research.
This is where a professional help can be so valuable, through contacts in the wedding industry a planner/co-ordinator can negotiate, and secure savings and discounts.

Sometimes too, couples can get carried away with big ideas they have for their day that are very exciting but sometimes not practical.
The planner will help to find creative ways to make the big day special and distinctive, realising the couples vision without blowing the budget.
A planner can also act as a go between against suppliers, family and anyone that makes the path to your perfect day difficult.

On average, according to statistics a wedding can take up to 250 hours to plan.
These days how may people have that much free time ?

But isn't a planner expensive ?
Some planners charge a percentage of a wedding budget and some charge a set fee but a good planner should strive to make back their fee in the savings they make for their client.

I don't want to lose ownership of my wedding, will a planner not take over ?

In fact a planner should work with you to create the vision you have of your day and usually offers several services from initial supplier and venue searches through to on the day management and of course the full co-ordination option, and everything else in between.

But I have a co-ordinator at my venue ?

This may be true, but a Venue Co-ordinator deals with your venue, nothing else.
They don't act as an intermediary if your family are driving you bonkers. They don't find another florist if yours is sick. They don't get you to the church on time, if your transport breaks down.
A wedding planner is in essence your own P.A. They are on hand to answer your questions when you have that mini freak out, they are there to act as a shoulder when everything gets a little too much, they sort out every little detail exactly the way you want it, so that dream you have had since you were 5, becomes reality

It is a personal choice to have a planner but one that should be considered for the reassurance it brings.
If I can be of any assistance to you with your wedding or event , don't hesitate to contact me
 
Website: http://www.plansandpresents.co.uk/
Email: alisontinlin@plansandpresents.vpweb.co.uk

Feature Friday featuring Sharon Hawkins of Girl Power Network & Routes2Reality

Welcome to our regular Feature Friday article, featuring a fabulous woman run business - today we're featuring Sharon Hawkins from Girl Power Network. 

Thanks for chatting with us today Sharon - can you introduce us to yourself and your company?

Girl Power Network offers an affordable way for ladies in business to meet and share their advice, ideas and services without the rigid structure and expense of member networks. Time is a valuable commodity and so we invite ladies on an informal basis to come along and chat over coffee, at a convenient time that doesn’t eat into work or family life. No membership fees; no pre-booking; just turn up on one of the days that suits and feel welcomed, supported and part of an encouraging community that will help you grow your business.

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

Michele and I met just under three years ago at a networking event. We knew networking worked because 80% of our work originated from it, and we couldn’t deny the support we received from other business owners really made a difference. However, we were tired of expensive annual membership fees and rigid structures that meant we had to be in a certain place at a certain time every month: and usually inconveniently slap bang in the middle of the day. Flexibility was something we knew was lacking and so we decided to create a different kind of networking group. And so Girl Power Network was born! The commercial incentive behind the idea was that we would develop our own network and build relationships for us and for others; the stuff that business development is made of.

What do you love most about your business?
Seeing the business grow is exceptionally rewarding. Every meeting sees at least one new attendee and it is wonderful to see the group get so much out of our guest speakers, who we choose selectively for their value in advising and guiding business owners. The fact that everyone always takes something away from each meeting is something I personally love; whether that’s a new contact, an idea, or simply the feeling that they have support and are not alone.

What would you like to change?
Rather than change anything I would say it is more about developing what is already there. I’d like to see a higher degree of diversity of industries attending our meetings.

What is your aim for the next year?
To enhance and build on what we already have is our aim. To grow the number of attendees and in doing so increase opportunities and support for all our attendees. We also intend to expand into new areas: Brentwood for starters is imminent and Thurrock is on the agenda for 2011. Another goal is to attract a wider variety of speakers to add greater value to each meeting.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
The ‘bigger picture’ aim is to develop a franchise offering over time.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 - Network
Tip 2 – Seek support from those in the same boat
Tip 3 – Seek advice from those who’ve been there and been successful
Tip 4 – Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Tip 5 – Set clear goals and stay focused on them

If people are interested in attending any of your events, how can they contact you for details?
You can contact me via our website http://www.girlpowernetwork.co.uk/ or email me on info@girlpowernetwork.co.uk; you can also catch us on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Girl-Power-Network/295181547939 and our Twitter page will be coming soon!

he network sounds like a fantastic idea and echoes a lot of what we're trying to set up for Creation|Collaboration - we are firm believers in networking and the huge benefits it can bring for small businesses.

For this Feature Feature, we're doing something different - Sharon actually runs two businesses (where she gets the time I do not know - she must be Superwoman or something) and here is our profile of her second business Routes2Reality.

Sharon - can you tell us about your other company?
Routes2Reality provides affordable, value added solutions for small and start up businesses; solutions that get companies noticed and present a consistent, professional profile. Routes2Reality offers website design; print design; promotional copy writing; online marketing and offline marketing support: basically all the things a business needs to get noticed via an ‘out there’ profile that is designed to be razor sharp and outstandingly edgy when stood up alongside competitors.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
Having attained a degree in Business Studies with a specialism in marketing, as well as a Masters in e-Business, again with a marketing specialism, my natural path was to move into employed work in the marketing sector and all positions involved building and maintaining websites. However, because of the marketing education, the work was not restricted to design; I was always focused on the bigger picture. How will this website work for your business? What do you want to achieve from the site? How will you attract new business and capture data?

After my daughter came along I lost the will to travel 100 miles a day to work and decided it was time to put my experience and bigger picture knowledge into action, doing things the way I knew from experience would work. And so Routes2Reality was born!

What do you love most about your business?
Total diversity; one day I’ll be working on a project for a building contractor, the next will be a motor home manufacturer. Every day brings new opportunities; starkly contrasting conversations and a plethora of personalities with which to deal. Developing a network and bringing clients and contacts together to provide an all round service is one of the greatest parts of the job, as is seeing a project through from start to finish. And I adore the flexibility of being my own boss and being able to allocate time for everything that’s important, including family.

Is there anything you'd like to change?
In all honesty I wouldn’t change a thing, but I would build on what I have. I’d like to receive more enquiries and to expand my network. And I have solid plans in place to do so!

What is your aim for the next year?
To increase enquiries and therefore sales and to expand my network; business building is the major goal for the next twelve months.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
Heading the business development arm of Routes2Reality! My strengths lie in building relationships and so I’d like to work more in this area whilst mentoring technicians in the service and quality ethos of the company so that they can get the work done without compromising our exceptional standards; standards for which I want Routes2Reality to become known and standards which are affordable to the smaller business.

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 - network
Tip 2 – allow a realistic budget for marketing
Tip 3 – know when to outsource
Tip 4 – be comfortable with the fact that you can’t do everything: it’s normal
Tip 5 – never, never, never, ever give up on your goals

If our readers are interested in any of your services, how can they contact you?
I can be contacted via my website at http://www.routes2reality.co.uk/ or they can drop me an email at enquiries@routes2reality.co.uk; alternatively, we also have a Facebook page and they can "Like" us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Routes2Reality/331334151368?ref=ts or Tweet us on http://twitter.com/Routes2Reality.

Thanks os much for chatting to us today Sharon - you really are a powerhouse and I don't know where you get your energy from!!!

Start Up Sunday series - Week 8 - Online Marketing & Social Media

Start Up Sunday – Week 8 Online Marketing & Social Media

These days, the world is far smaller than it ever was – we can converse in real time with people from all four corners of the world via the internet. We are inundated with information all at times of the day and night. Whilst this can lead, at times, to information overload or major repetition (evidence Sky News rehashing the same topic over and over again, from every conceivable angle when something even remotely interesting happens), but from a business perspective it means that there are people out there, possible clients, who want and actively seek out information – information we can provide them about us and our business in an easily accessible, inexpensive and readily available manner.

Small businesses, generally speaking, do not start out with mega marketing budgets. These usually are factored in over time, as the business begins to make enough money to cover those types of costs. Whilst that makes total sense, the question remains – how do you get your message out to your potential customers if you don’t have a budget? How can you compete with the “big boys” if you don’t have a budget to match their marketing strategies?

The question is at your very fingertips. The internet and the use of social media. Most people have heard of Facebook and Twitter and many people use it regularly to catch up with friends and colleagues. But how do you turn something used for social purposes into a vibrant, exciting business marketing and promotional tool?

Firstly, you should know that setting up a Facebook page or a Twitter account costs nothing. It is entirely free. You can set up a business page very simply and add an image of your logo or one of your products. Include details of your website, blog, contact information – add photos and say something interesting about them. Make a page you’d like to read as a possible customer… ask yourself what you’d like to see and provide that. Then you can go ahead and invite your friends and family to join.

When you’ve built up at least 25 fans, you can change your Facebook fan page to what they call a "Vanity URL". When you first create your Facebook fan page, the web link will pretty much just be a string of letters and numbers and will be long and not very attractive. To make it more like your own site link, that contains the name of your company, click on to http://facebook.com/username. At the bottom of the page, you'll see a link called "set a username for your pages". Click on it and then you'll see a drop down - click on this and you should see your "business fan page". At that point, you should put in the name of your company/fan page, ie Soaperstar. Word of warning, at this stage you have to make commitment to using that name - you can't go back and change it later so make sure you've clicked the right thing!!!

After doing all this, you'll have a nice simple Facebook Fan Page address instead of a mass of jumbled up letters and numbers after the dot com. This is handy to quote on your business cards, the end of your emails, on Twitter, your blog, the end of forum signatures etc.

Setting up a Twitter account is really easy also – use an ID name that includes your company name; mine, for example, is @Soaperstar… some names are already taken so try something that is readily identifiable as you. Always, always, always fill out your complete profile – this will help you if people want to find out more about you before they decide to follow you. Personally I won’t follow anyone who doesn’t have some information in their profile (at minimum location and a blurb about themselves, but it’s far better if they have a link to their website – an excellent way to drive people there also). Choose a picture as an image of your and/or your company. Mine is really simple but people know it’s me/Soaperstar. My advice is don’t change it too often or at all – this is because a lot of people rely on the images against account names to recognize a person… change that image too often and people won’t remember who you are.

If you're using Twitter regularly, I would personally recommend that you download Tweetdeck, click http://www.tweetdeck.com/; it's free and it manages the process far easier. You can set up columns for your friends or for specific people you want to keep a track on. If you want to use hashtags (which are used for subjects of interest to people - if lots of people use it for the same subject, it's called trending) then add your hashtags, ie #weddingplanners and/or #weddingfavours to your Tweet. Then people can search for all the #soap tweets if they want. Also it makes it a more trending topic.

Ok, so now you’re all set up. What do you do next? Well, here comes the bit where it is going to cost you … but not in money. One of the real keys to good social media interaction is that you have to spend time on it. Social media works so well because you form relationships with people – you create a page, you show your products, you give them the link to your site… but why should they visit, why should they look at your page, why should they talk to you? Another key ingredient in the successful use of social media is making networks, which basically means making friends. Whilst you may have invited your family and friends onto your Facebook page or chat to them on Twitter occasionally, you’re not really going to make your fortune from them so you need to extend beyond them. However, they can be important to help drive their friends and colleagues to your page so encourage them to invite others to join. An incentive often helps so, depending on your product or service, offer a giveaway or a discount for your Facebook or Twitter friends. People love a bargain, especially in these recessionary times and if they think they just have to send a few invites to your page or recommend you on Twitter and have a chance of getting something for free, then they’ll do it.

One of the problems people have when they first start on Twitter (and Facebook to a lesser extent) is that they have no clue how to start a conversation or get someone to chat to you. How do you make friends? You do it the same way you do anywhere else - online is no different from offline. When you don't know someone but think they might be nice or interesting, you say "Hi, how are you, having a good day?" or something, to them. It's not going to rock their world (but it might make them happy, sometimes a nice hello is worth its weight in gold) but it's going to say that you're a decent nice person... generally speaking, the reaction will be "hi, I'm fine, how are you?” And so it starts. Just like it does no matter where you are - yes, it feels a little awkward at the start but it does in real life too. You cannot get to know someone without starting off with a Hello!

So now I hear you saying, "Ok, that's fine, just say hi, what next?” What's next is keep up the conversation, or chat to others in the same way ... talk about something interesting, something they might want to talk about. For example, imagine you're selling ski equipment - a hard sell but you could start out with a shout out to everyone saying "I've just come back from a ski holiday, it was fantastic, anyone else been on one?". You'll no doubt get an answer or two .. ask them some questions, be interested. Don't jump in with "oh wanna buy some equipment?".. drop the fact that you sell equipment into the conversation but don't make it the topic of the conversation. They'll know now that you sell equipment but it doesn't mean that you're a nameless faceless person selling equipment and nothing else - you're a human being, interacting with them, being interested, being funny (hopefully!) who happens to sell ski equipment. Keep up that conversation over time, make friends, chat when you get online and who will they go to for their ski equipment if they need any?? Their friend, who's a nice person and funny and who, handily enough, sells ski equipment. Get it? That's the beauty of social marketing and the key to it - you have to be a person, you have to be real, you have to be YOU. You are the company yes, but you're also a person with feelings and thoughts and opinions, not just a person selling ski equipment. So share yourself, whilst you're sharing your business.

That's the thing to remember about social media and marketing - it's sociable! You need to interact with people, chat, talk about things, give an opinion, be yourself. Drop in some tweets or Facebook updates about your business in the mix, link it to what people are talking about, let them know that you sell handbags or soap or ski equipment or whatever and do it in a way that it seems to meet people's needs and wants.

You will slowly but surely build up a network of friends, some of whom will become your customers, some not. They are people that see you as a person .. but a person who runs a business and when they need what you provide, the first person they’ll think of is you.

If you're a small business starting out, think about your marketing strategies, your budget available to you - see what time you can offer to social media (it does take time to build up friendships, online or offline, so dropping in and out once a month isn't going to cut it, I'm afraid). Don't be afraid to be yourself, show people that you're someone they want to get to know, be funny, be interesting. Get your brand out there via your profile, your personality and your business related tweets but don't make it just about the business - the business is you not just the brand.

Some key do’s are:

• Put time and effort into keeping both your Facebook and Twitter pages up to date and interesting
• Plan a certain amount of time a day that you’ll devote to marketing and choose the time of day wisely. Not that many people will be around at 3.00 am but more may be online at 7.00 or 8.00 pm – work out when the best time is for your particular audience 
• Be personable, be yourself, be pleasant  
• Do be honest – if you don’t supply something, can’t supply it or can’t provide a service, be honest and say so  

Some key dont's are:

• Don’t swear or rant and rave about customers or suppliers – it’s not professional or businesslike
• Don’t think a “hit and run” approach to social media will work – it won’t. You’re wasting your time if you think you need to drop in once a month and say nothing.
• Don’t underestimate the value of social media to your business – you are talking to a huge potential market out there. One of the most famous business Twitter users is Dell, which said that $9m of its 2009 sales came directly through Twitter and Facebook combined . It has been argued that smaller businesses also benefit from using Twitter, since they can compete on equal terms with larger businesses within the Twitter platform . In the UK, a survey indicated that 17% of small British businesses were using Twitter, mainly to attract new customers.

On Friday 11 June 2010, Mashable (one of the most influential blogs reporting on social media) reported on a survey they held asking users to define social media. They noted 20 key words that were used by people as their personal definition: 

• Collaboration
• Network
• Conversation
• Sharing
• Relationships
• Multi-dimensional
• Inclusive
• Information
• Community
• Personalization
• Empowering
• A Radical Shift in Communication
• Real-time
• People
• Content Distribution
• Self-expression
• Unity
• Dynamic
• Discovery
• Power of the Crowd

These words are hugely powerful and illustrate for anyone starting out in business how important involvement in social media is – to network with real people in real time, to build relationships with people, to distribute your company information in a dynamic powerful manner to reach your intended audience. I personally find these words are inspiring for a small business owner because it proves that one person can involve themselves in a community of like minded people, building and maintaining relationship with friends and customers alike.

I hope that this blog post has helped you understand the importance of social media as a key marketing tool for small business.  Now... make sure you set that Facebook and Twitter Page up today - link your new pages in the comments below and we at Creation|Collaboration will be very proud and happy to follow you!!

Feature Friday features Tracey Phillips of Bridal Designs Wedding Jewellery

Welcome to our regular Friday Feature here at Creation|Collaboration - today we're featuring Tracey Phillips from Bridal Designs Wedding Jewellery. 

 Hi Tracey and thanks so much for chatting with us today.  Can  you introduce us to you and your company?
My name is Tracey Phillips, I am 38 years old and am the owner of Bridal Designs Wedding Jewellery. I design and handcraft bridal jewellery with Sterling silver and Swarovski crystal.

Where did the idea of running this as a business come from?
I was working in a jewellery shop and started studying the jewellery closely - how the stones were attached and the wire looped, I was curious as to how it was done and started looking on the internet for jewellery making instructions. After a lot of practice I made up a few pieces, my sister saw them and asked if I could make her a necklace for her wedding. After changing her mind a few times (brides/womans prerogative!) and after she had chosen her necklace I ended up with quite a collection of different necklaces with no homes. I bravely decided to approach a local wedding shop t see if they would be interested in stocking the jewellery. I was terrified walking into the shop but they said on the spot that they would be interested and I’m still working with them 2 years later,along with others. A year ago I decided to make the move to online selling also and set up my website.

What do you love most about your business?
I love working for myself and I love the feedback I get from brides-It’s the biggest day of their lives and they have allowed me a part of that. I always feel privileged.

What would you like to change?
I’d like to know more about websites so that I could do more to it myself…unfortunately I am quite technically challenged!

What is your aim for the next year?
I have no delusions of world domination-I would just like to be recognised as someone who makes quality jewellery and cares about her customers.

Where do you ultimately see yourself?
As a recognised name in the Bridal market and successful enough to have someone on call 24/7 to sort my website for me!

What are your Top 5 tips for new Business Women?
Tip 1 Don’t let people tell you you can’t succeed
Tip 2 Don’t tell yourself you can’t succeed!
Tip 3 Use Twitter and Facebook-Invaluable for contacts
Tip 4 Listen to yourself-if something doesn’t feel right it’s probably not
Tip 5 Carry your business cards everywhere you go and if you make something wearable-wear it! You are your own best walking advert

How do we contact you?
I can be contacted via my website at http://www.bridaldesignsweddingjewellery.co.uk/ or you can email me at info@bridaldesignsweddingjewellery.co.uk; I can also be found on Facebook at http://www.bridaldesignsweddingjewellery.co.uk/ or on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/bridaldesigns

Thanks so much for talking to us today Tracey - your designs are absolutely wonderful!!

Remember to check out our blog next Friday for another Feature Friday article - if you would like your company featured, please drop us an email at creationcollaboration@yahoo.com and put the words "Feature Friday" in the subject line. 

Wedding Wednesday - Choosing a Wedding Ring

The wearing of wedding rings on the third finger of your left hand dates back to the 17th Century BC.  The ancient Egyptians believed that this finger contained a special vein of love that ran directly to the heart.

 The idea was that, by placing a metal band around this finger, your everlasting happiness was assured.  There are many things to consider when choosing a ring, but it is an enduring reminder of your special day, and a very important element in the act of getting married so take time to get it right as you want to choose a piece that is timeless, and of high quality.

There are 4 popular metals used in the creation of these rings:

• Yellow Gold - traditional and a symbol of wealth, comes in 9,14,18 and 14 carat.
• White Gold - increasingly popular and a hot trend as it co-ordinates really well with silver.
• Platinum - a stylish and hard wearing metal, but slightly more expensive.
• Titanium - a striking grey metal which is extremely durable, and which is a popular male choice.

Things to consider when buying your rings are:

• 
  
  Will it fit/match your engagement ring
• 
  
  Will it be durable enough to sustain implications from your lifestyle

It is really important that you are happy with your choice, as this is reminder that will, hopefully, be with you for the rest of your life.  Take lots of time to research different styles, thicknesses, metals. Choosing a wedding ring is a little like choosing your partner, it has to be a very considered choice.

A growing trend these days is to have your ring specially designed, and in the era of all things vintage, using an heirloom lets you honour your family member that has passed, and be very on trend.