When my son was a toddler,  he joined me on the road for my unconventional furniture business and he frequently mimicked the behaviors he witnessed. One of his first full sentences was “thank you for your business”. Customers got a kick out of this tiny boy reaching out to shake hands in gratitude. It’s no coincidence that today he’s in demand while others in his field struggle to find work. He makes it a point to show appreciation.

Whether you sell your hand made work at craft fairs, wholesale to galleries or direct to consumers on a site like Etsy, one of the best ways to stand out in the minds of your customers is to let them know you are grateful for their patronage. If you sell in person at craft fairs, trunk shows or home parties, take a moment to write a quick thank you on each invoice. Then, follow it up later with a thank you note. (You do keep a mailing list of your customers, don’t you?) Make it personal. Mention something about the piece he bought and that you hope his daughter’s graduation party was fun or his wife was thrilled with the piece. Let your customers know you were listening and care about them. Even if you never meet your customers face-to-face,  include a handwritten thank you when you ship out the order.   If you sell wholesale to shops and galleries, include a thank you with your orders AND send a handwritten thank you a few weeks later. This may remind them that it’s time to re-order. Even if you put your work on consignment, be sure to drop a note to the gallery owner about how much you appreciate her showing your work and that you look forward to a long and mutually prosperous relationship.

Remember your customers are exchanging their hard-earned cash for something you made by hand so try to use either hand-made cards or at least something that reflects your artsy style. No Hallmark thank you cards. Maybe you can work a trade with a paper artist to design a custom thank you card for you in exchange for some of your work. Be sure to include your web url, email address and phone number on each card. Whatever you do, do not use one of those online thank you note services. Your work is made by hand, not on an assembly line so your thank you notes should reflect that. There is nothing personal about automation.

I’d love to hear how you are showing customers how much you appreciate their business. As always, you are invited to comment below.

Is selling your handmade work providing you with enough income or would you like to find additional income streams without having to produce and sell more pieces? If you’re like other crafts people I know, you probably would love to find some hidden cash to provide what my friend Barbara Winter calls “multiple profit centers”.
Regardless of what type of crafts you make, there’s easy profit hiding right under your nose (or in your studio.) These methods apply to almost any creative art form but let’s use jewelry as an example since many of you create hand made jewelry. You probably experience busy seasons in your business like Christmas, Valentines Day and Mother’s Day when you can barely keep up with demand for your jewelry. But what about summer when, unless you are in a tourist area, things probably slow down? Do you feel a cash crunch come July? How would you like to have a steady stream of income flowing in year round? It’s not only possible but super do-able.
Let’s say you do beadwork. What other ways can you turn your craft into cash besides selling your jewelry? Here are a few examples:
-Write down and diagram instructions for a piece or technique that’s unique to you or has been a hot-seller.
-Video-tape yourself creating the piece.
-Make up kits with all the supplies and components to make that piece.
-Bundle the instructions, video and supplies into a kit that you sell on your website. You might even create a kit-of-the-month club. Members can sign up to receive a new design with instructions and supplies each month.
-Ask your friends to host a make-and-take party where rather than selling your jewelry, attendees can make a piece of jewelry. They purchase the supplies and instructions from you. The party can also be a fundraiser for a charity, church or school group. Of course take the opportunity to promote your “membership” club and let the attendees know that you are available to do parties for them too.
-Have VIP days for someone who might want to have one-to-one time with you for private tutorials.
These are just a few examples of how you can leverage your knowledge to create additional income from your art. Check the blog often for more tips on finding the hidden cash in your craft.

I’d love to believe I’m not alone in frequently waiting until the eleventh hour to make or purchase the perfect gift. It’s not that I don’t think about it ahead of time.  It’s just that tomorrow is always here before I expect it. (that alone is a topic for a future post.) So, for those of you who haven’t yet crafted or purchased a gift for mom, or even if you have but haven’t wrapped or carded, let’s look at some ideas for giving mom a sustainable gift.

If you are efficient and have mom’s gift wrapped and shipped, these ideas work birthdays and other occasions for green giving.

I’m sad when I see those piles of wrapping paper, boxes and ribbon that are part of most holidays, birthdays, bridal or baby showers, and disappointed that so few people even notice. I made a commitment last holiday season to only give something that had been recycled or could be recycled and to only use for wrapping material that is used or can be used.  There are of course lots of organic, recycled and earth friendly gifts on the market and there are some simple eco-conscious steps each of us can take in gift giving.

Those of us who love paper have difficulty sending e-cards and e-gift certificates, and some of our mother’s are not web savvy. My mom loves books and I used to send her gift certificates to a bookstore when she could get out and about. (she has started using the library now that they deliver, but she has to wait so long for new books.)  It’s difficult to get Mom to appreciate or understand recycling when she’s always associated “used” with “can’t afford new”  rather than earth-friendly. I’d considered giving my mom a Kindle both to cut down on paper waste and for the “instant gratification” factor of “get it now”. But the idea of teaching my eighty-three  year old mother to use a Kindle is daunting-she still struggles with voice-mail. So, I do still buy her books but ask her to pass them on to her freinds after she has read them. That way, I know they won’t end up in a landfill. I’ve started always including a handcrafted re-purposed bookmark. Last December, I noticed how many boxes of Kleenex we go through and found they were the perfect weight cardboard to make book marks. Now, when I stand at the recycle been at the post office, rather than dump all the catalogs I receive, I keep the ones that have cool patterns or graphics to make cards.

If you’ve already made or purchased a gift, consider making the wrapping part of the gift. Is there a scarf you have that your mom’s admired? Do you have a tea towel or apron that she’d enjoy? Wrap her gift with them.  Are there pieces of hand dyed silk or handmade paper that you haven’t used for a project? She’d appreciate  it more than commercial wrapping paper and could then use it for her own project is she’s crafty.

I’d love to hear about the earth- friendly crafts you’ve made for your mom or the eco-conscious way you’ve packaged her gift. Please post and share your green genius with all of us.

Recently I read a statistic that shouldn’t have surprised me but did. As many as 90% of MBA students plan to work in corporate jobs after graduation. What? Only 10% intend to start their own businesses? Shocking, right?
Not really. Because you see, business school doesn’t prepare you to start a business. It teaches you theory and vocabulary. If you want to climb the ladder and become a corporate VP or CEO, you’ll probably need the credentials. In fact, a CNN.com  article early this week  claimed that even in a tight economy, 93% of 2010 MBA grads were EMPLOYED earning a median salary of  $94,542, with their additional median bonus compensation of $17,565. Note the word “EMPLOYED”. I found the title  “Is an MBA worth it for the entrepreneur?” ironic because the article weighs how quickly MBAs climb the corporate ladder, not how fast they hit six figures in self-employment.
We all know about the tech start-ups that began in dorm rooms or garages by college drop outs. But it’s not just high tech companies that have their roots outside of business school. In fact, several years ago, I was having brunch with a group of competitors in the furniture business when the discussion turned to where we’d gone to college and what we’d majored in. We were all earning at least high six figures at the time and some were well above the million mark. We ranged from a PhD in Pschology, a BA in Theatre,  to freshman year drop-outs but not one of us had done even an undergrad in business.  I wonder if any of us would have started our businesses if we’d spent the time and money to get MBAs. Probably not because we’d have left school with lots of theory, no practical experience and gobs of debt. I’m not trying to discouraging anyone from going to college. It’s a valuable experience and I hope to continue taking courses the rest of my life. But, if you want to start a business, not become a corporate employee, an MBA is probably not going to be the best route. Let me suggest a few less costly and more fun alternatives.
-If you know the field you want to pursue, go to work for someone who has a complimentary business. If they can’t afford to pay you, offer to apprentice. Yes, for free if need be.  Remember this is YOUR MBA and you’re not paying $150,000 for it.  Be a detective. Listen to the customers. What’s missing? Look for what you could do to better meet the needs of the clientele.
-Travel.  Things you observe in different cultures can definitely spark a BIG idea. But if you can’t afford or don’t have the desire to back-pack around the world, just get in your car, hop a train or, as my son did at 18, buy an unlimited Greyhound pass and get what I call a “street view” of your own country. Visit big cities and rural areas. Talk to people in small towns. Not just shop-keepers, although you’ll learn a lot. Interview people. Find out what’s missing in their lives. Something you hear from a stranger could set your creative cogs turning and inspire your entrepreneurial spirit.
-Ask questions. Lots of questions. Don’t worry that your curiosity will be seen as nosey. (The only person who ever gets annoyed with and embarrassed by my  “interrogations” is my sister, who thinks all entrepreneurs are pushy and she’ll always be an employee.) Most owners will be flattered that you’re interested enough to ask questions about their business.
-Read. Read. Read. Not just traditional business books and trade journals. Read biographies of entrepreneurs you admire. Read magazines about anything that interests you. You might be flipping through a home or garden magazine and suddenly get inspired to start a fireplace business, design indoor fountains or custom garden gates.
-Go to trade shows. In most states, you can secure a resale license without incurring much cost. That and a business card should allow you entrance to all but the most elite trade shows. Attend shows in your own area of interest but also complementary industries. Make notes of trends and costs and of course, talk to people. Talk to buyers over lunch and vendors when they aren’t busy. Of course, be cognizant of their purpose and don’t keep them from customers but try to connect with them after hours. If you meet someone whose business is similar to the one you want to start but in a different geographical area, ask them to mentor you. Expect to pay them well for their time and expertise. Remember:  this is you MBA.
-Surround yourself with entrepreneurs. We’re a curious, enthusiastic, optimistic and innovative bunch. It’s contagious.

One of the most common questions I’m asked is “what’s the best time to start a business?”.
While there’s no simple answer because everyone’s circumstances are different,  there are certain factors that apply to every aspiring entrepreneur’s timing.
It’s a good time to start a business if:
-You are tired of working to make someone else successful. If you’ve been in a situation to solve problems for your employer, imagine what you could do if you put that energy into your own business.
-You’re holding onto your job mainly for security. Forget it. Sorry, but there’s no such thing. You know that boss who finds you so vital to his business? Well, you are only that important until you aren’t, which can happen in a flash and what you did in the past for him won’t matter a bit if he either can’t afford you or doesn’t need you right now. While you still have that job is a great time to start your own business on the side so you’ll be prepared should you be laid off. Best case scenario is you’re up and running, making money and you can quit your job to focus full time on your own business.
-You’ve been laid off. I know people who have spent a year or more looking for work. Some have found jobs but there’s no guarantee they’ll be long term. Others are still looking. Imagine if they’d spent that year starting their own business. They’d have job security and control of their income and benefits. And the best boss ever.
-You’ve had this business idea for awhile and you can’t get it out of your head. Even when you try to convince yourself you should hang onto your job because you are lucky to have one, that business idea keeps boomeranging back. You know the world will be missing something important if you don’t do that thing you are obsessed with.
So what’s holding you back? Perceived job security? Fear? Overwhelm? If it’s timing, consider this: Birthing a business is like getting pregnant.  If we waited for the perfect timing, many of us would be childless.  I’m sure glad I didn’t wait until every single area of my life was in absolute order before deciding to have a baby or my wonderful son would never have been born. Nor would any of my businesses.
You’re reading this article -yes, YOU, and you read articles like this all the time. You obviously want to start your own business.  You can wait until your kids are grown, your house is paid off, the economy picks up, you’re thinner and the stars are in perfect alignment but you know what? None of those factors will guarantee you’ll be any more successful. Fortunes are made in good economic times and during recessions. Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and ages and the only thing that really matters about the timing is that you are finally determined to make it a success.
So, my answer: NOW is the best time. Go for it. NOW. Because you can convince yourself you face all these risks but the biggest risk is the REGRET  you’ll feel if you don’t even give it a try.

If you really, really want to do this, which you obviously do, join Barbara Winter and me at the Obstacle Buster Mastermind in May. We’ll pull the plug on excuses and roadblocks and help you make it happen NOW. HERE’S THE SCOOP.

You have some great ideas for a business and maybe you’ve taken some first steps to get it going but suddenly you are spinning in place because you’re overwhelmed by too much information and not knowing where to begin so you do nothing.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. That feeling of overwhelm is one of the main reasons I hear fledgling entrepreneurs give for not moving forward in their dreams of self-employment.
Are you feeling like there’s just so much to do and so much to learn, you can’t keep up with all the new information? Every time you open your email inbox, there’s an invite to a tele-class about something you absolutely must learn in order to make your business succeed. If overwhelm is keeping you from either launching or growing your business, here are a few recommendations to help you get unstuck and get moving forward.
-Limit the time you spend on social media. Stop concerning yourself with what everyone else is doing and focus on what YOU can do with your own business.
-Accept that you are not going to stay on top of each and every new change in online marketing. You can spread yourself so thin trying to learn every new platform that you do none effectively. Just start with what you know and once your business is growing, gradually take a bit of time each day to learn something new.
-A good rule of thumb is to spend more time on output than input. It’s easy to let the time get away from you when you subscribe to too many e-newsletters. Pick two or three that resonate with you and unsubscribe to the rest. I know, it’s hard because you feel like you don’t want to miss anything but if you don’t limit your input, you’ll spend more time reading and less time doing and you’ll never get your business going.
-Think baby-steps.  Commit to take one small action a day. You’ll get a lot closer to your goal if you do one tiny step a day than if you wait until you have time to do it all.
-Hire a mentor or a coach to keep  you focused and on track but be careful who you listen to! Everyone claims to be a “coach” and while there are some wonderful mentors out there, there are a lot more who are teaching what they’ve never done themselves. Those programs that certify coaches do not require someone to have had their own successful business to be a business coach. If you choose to work with a coach or mentor, ignore their “certification” and find someone who has successfully started and run businesses other than coaching.
-Join a mastermind group. Being part of an entrepreneurs mastermind is like having an advisory board for your business and a support group for your dreams. Many mastermind groups charge tens of thousands of dollars for monthly group calls and one  or two in-person meetings but you don’t have to pay that kind of money to benefit from a mastermind group. You could start your own group of like-minded entrepreneurs but it’s been proven that a mastermind group with a facilitator is more effective.
If you’d like the ongoing support of a group, join Barbara Winter, best-selling author or “Making a Living without a Job” and me in Denver for the Second Obstacle-Buster Mastermind. Find out more about it HERE.

1. As an entrepreneur, you get to deduct your travel, cell phone bill, internet, computer, i-pad, business books, trade publications, a portion of the utilities and rent or mortgage on your home office and other expenses that you would incur anyway but if you are an employee, your boss takes the deduction. Each April 15th, I am reminded of how much I would have to earn as an employee to pay all those expenses that my business covers.  Do the math-you’ll be surprised.
2. The other reason to pay attention to April 15th is that it is the LAST DAY to take advantage of the Early Bird Special for the Obstacle-Buster Mastermind. Best-selling author , Barbara Winter of “Making a Living without a Job” and I are excited to again share this life-changing experience with those of you who are ready to work around the stumbling blocks that have been holding you back from creating your ideal livelihood. We’ll spend two and a half days addressing your BIG ideas and put our heads together to find solutions and guide you over the hurdles so that you can finally make it happen NOW.  Read what attendees from the last Obstacle-Buster Mastermind had to say and find out more HERE

So you have a brilliant business idea but you are afraid if you talk about it, someone will steal your idea, right? Listen CAREFULLY! Do NOT keep your business a secret. Even if someone hears your idea and decides to “copy” it, they aren’t going to do it the way you would and you are doing yourself a great disservice to not broadcast your idea to everyone you know.
******Exception- If you have family or friends who think starting your own business is too risky-they don’t understand so they could be well-meaning dream killers.***********
Aside from those naysayers, share your dream with everyone. Friends, neighbors, strangers in line at the post office, your seat mate on the subway. Here’s why:
Even if you have a pretty good idea how to do what you want to do, there’s still a lot you don’t know that someone out there does and can help you with. You will find people who want to help you in the most unlikely places. The woman seated next to you on a plane may have a brother who can make the prototype for your new invention. Your bank teller may be best friends with someone who needs your new service and can be your first client. Your son’s pre-school teacher’s next door neighbor may have a complimentary business and would be a great source of information and collaboration for you.
Isolation is another reason it’s a big mistake to keep your idea to yourself. When you don’t have other entrepreneurial friends to discuss your ideas with, it’s easy to begin doubting yourself and your dreams. Particularly if you’ve been an employee all your working life, you may begin to lose confidence in your ability to create a successful business on your own.  Having a mastermind group or mentor will help get a measure on the viability of your plan.
Don’t be afraid to share your dreams and ask questions. Seek out existing businesses that are similar to yours and ask the owners questions. You may worry that they will see you as competition but you’ll be surprised how helpful they will be.
Keeping your business idea a secret is one of the biggest mistakes you can make so talk about it like you would if you were expecting your first grandchild. Be proud, be excited and be open to all the suggestions, advise and enthusiasm you will attract.

Recently I polled some of my readers who say they want to start a business but haven’t begun. Here are the things they cited as their biggest obstacles. The results may surprise you.

• Lack of Support from Friends and Family
• Not sure Where to Begin
• Concern about Isolation
• Legal and Business Structure Questions
• Health Insurance and other Benefits
• Lack of Record Keeping Knowledge
• Technical Overwhelm
• Lack of Start-up Capital

The list itself didn’t surprise me. What did was the percentage of people who responded that lack of support was one of the biggest barriers for them in starting their own business. Because I grew up in an entrepreneurial family and have always surrounded myself with other business owners, I sometimes forget how many people have no one to bounce ideas around with. I forget that most of you have people in your lives who actually fear self-employment and think they are protecting you from risk by squashing your dreams.

It’s no wonder you’re having trouble getting started launching your dream business if you don’t have a tribe of entrepreneurial friends to support you and help you stay motivated.

Because so many of you have expressed a need for start-up guidance and on-going support,  Barbara Winter and I are offering our “Obstacle Buster Mastermind” workshop again in May.
This is your opportunity to bring all your concerns, questions and roadblocks to an intimate group of entrepreneurs who will help you bust through the roadblocks that have been holding you back from finally starting your business.
Read what attendees of our last Obstacle Buster Workshop had to say HERE
FYI-I’ve addressed all of the above concerns on this blog in the “Start-Up Now” category.

Working from home has many advantages but it can also be a challenge if you aren’t careful to maintain discipline. It’s easy to lose focus and get sidetracked with domestic chores, personal errands and interruptions from family and friends.
Here are some tips to help you stay on track when working from home:

• Designate one area in your home as your work space. Even if you don’t have a separate room for your office, pick a corner to work in and don’t use that space for anything else. Keep all of your files and supplies in that one place. Not only will you be more organized and productive but your mindset changes when you know “this is where I work”.
• Make it clear to family and friends that you are not available to chat during work hours. Those who don’t work from home have trouble understanding that just because you are not “at work” you are working and you need to remind them that you do have “a job” even if it’s home-based.
• While working from home allows you some flexibility, you will be more productive if you make a work schedule and stick with it. Particularly if you are prone to procrastinate, it’s vital that you chart your tasks. If you aren’t sure how to organize your time, start keeping a journal of what you do each day. This will enable you to look back and evaluate how you are spending your time.
• Delegate. Don’t try to do everything yourself. Do the work you are best at and enjoy. You will be overwhelmed if you try to do it all and you’ll find yourself spinning your wheels. Outsource the tasks that you don’t want to do yourself. You may think you can’t afford it but by focusing on the areas you do best, you will make more money because you will be more productive.
• Get out of the house for a bit every day.  Working at home can be lonely.  Schedule lunch dates with other entrepreneurs.  You’ll avoid the feeling of isolation and enjoy the stimulation of conversation with work-at-home friends.
• Join a mastermind group. Having regular meetings in person or by phone will keep you accountable, inspired and motivated to reach your goals.

I’d love to hear about what challenges have you found in working from home. As always, you are invited and encouraged to comment below.