Things in Abundance

POSSESSIONS!!! 
Yes - those wonderful things we have and accumulate - Clothes - books - nick-nacks - EVERYTHING!!! ..and yes!!...this even includes *creative possessions*!!...and I no!!...I will NOT!! wash my mouth out!.. lol

How many times have you bought something on an *impulse* buy??  You know the type - the "Ohhh! - this is fab!..must have it!" - substitute the word *fab* for *cute - nice - gorgeous* etc - and you get the drift.

Thing is - most of those types of *purchases* - we don't really need - we just want them, and even worse - a lot of the time we don't end up using/wearing them - especially if it involves impulse buying of clothes.
They just get relegated  into wardrobes - shelves, and items into - sheds - attics/basements (if you have one) and *cluttering up* our very existence - AND!!...at times the sheer volume of them can literally be making us *sick*...

How the hell can possessions make us sick?? I hear you say...simple!!  Once we've accumulated so many possessions - we either become reluctant to *throw them away* - or *give it away* because it cost so much, so we throw items into a box on the premise to have either a *garage sale* - or maybe one day we'll actually just get rid of it!!...but not just yet...we might end up using it in hmmm! 5yrs time!  yeh right!)

So we keep buying and hoarding unnecessary items -as said - be they clothes - books - nick-nacks - CDs - DVDs - the latest gadgets etc etc   And yes!!...for those *creatives* of us - we too fall extremely foul of this!
We maybe in a slump with the *usual creating* we do and feel *ho-hum* with the world - and by jingo! - we just want to create something!  And a friend shows us this thing and we think "Wow!!..I wanna do that!...it looks COOL!!"
Problem is - we have very little supplies to create this *new venture* with - and at times we have no supplies for it at all!...so what do we do!!???   WE GO OUT AND BUY MORE CRAP! to facilitate doing this latest *creative venture*..   Then after a while - we get *bored* with that - or our *creative juices* for the thing we are truly passionate about return - so! - we get back into that!

You see where I'm heading with this don't you???    Do the above 6 or 10 times!!...and you have 6 or 10 times the amount of *creative crap* than you previously had when your Muse took an overly extended holiday, and before long - you look round your *creative space* - and it's not just full - it's over-flowing with everything from *doing macrame - to decoupage styled work - to card making - to beading - to bead-weaving - to painting - to knitting - to sewing -to crocheting - to clay work - to wire work - to metal work...to just about any conceivable creativity known to man!!!   (and I actually do ALL!! of the above and I felt tired even writing it all!! :/ )  
But you just can't bear the thought of getting rid of anything because - ohh geee!!...what if you get into a slump again!!???    It may not happen for 2 - 3 or even 5yrs..or gosh! - even longer, but you spent a fortune on it all - and ohh!..yep!   You could *destash it* - but damnit!!   Most other people seem to have gone through the same creative slump and turned to the same *let's just create something* things - and they have a glut load too...    So - you shove it all in boxes - and you store it away....then - you forget about it...

Now do the same things with clothes - books - CDs - DVDs - nick-nacks..   You buy things over time - but rather than getting rid of things you no longer use nor want - you store them..   And every time you open a cupboard or wardrobe - or go in the garage - or shed - or basement - or attic - or spare room......
There it all is - staring at you......so you shut the door, and an overwhelming sense of *omg dread* comes over you what with all the things there.  You just can't bring yourself to do anything - so it stays put..
But it doesn't end there!!...sometimes you go on a *repeat cycle* of purchasing - forgetting what is in boxes stored everywhere - or exactly what clothes you have - because you can't get into your wardrobe properly and have no idea what you've already got..and you get MORE!!

I - my dear friends - have fallen foul of this to the MAX!!  
I'd say *Yes!* - with glee - when a friend was cleaning out her wardrobe - so took all her cast offs...I'd say *Yes!! - when something was being gotten rid of by another friend that I thought useful and good - so bought it home..  And I too have added considerably to my *creative space* in the past 6yrs 10 FOLD!!..   
And it all came to hit me the other day when I slowly started the arduous task of packing in preparation for our impending latest move.  I too - even after clearing a shed out of a considerable amount of *unwanted - not needed or broken* items - looked at stuff in the house...and went OMG!!!!!!!!

At one point I ended up just throwing things into boxes...but haven't even scrapped the surface as yet and looked at the amount of boxes I'd already done and thought NOOOOO!!!..  
So after developing one humdinger of a headache that lasted 3days because of it all (hence my *trimmed* down FB time of late)...to *relax* I turned to the net for some *down time*...and was looking up something I seriously love - and that's *Tiny Houses* (one day I aim to build and live in one!...seriously!) 

Whilst watching one - a lady mentioned a book that helped her *declutter*.  It's called..."The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up"..by Marie Kondo - Japanese guru in decluttering EVERYTHING!!!! in your life....and WOW!!!...talk about having a sudden epiphany/light bulb moment..etc..etc!!

It's BRILLIANT!!!..and really does answer sooooooooo!!! many things, and finally made me address why I've *held onto things* like I have...  For me - it was something from my past - when a complete utter AH was in my life and literally stole everything bar the clothes I had - and a few other smaller items I'd stored at a friends place...other than those - EVERYTHING! went...even my car!!

So when I started *accumulating* the possessions again..I was reluctant to throw things away....and if someone was getting rid of something I thought very useful - even if I didn't use it myself - I'd take it!...NOT ANY MORE!!

I seriously recommend this book to EVERYONE!...especially if you too are in the position that your *possessions* are not only taking over your life - but engulfing you to the point you don't know where to start or how to go about becoming *detached* from those things...

The link I'm providing is an *audio* for the book - it is nearly 5hrs of listening...but it's damn well worth it!!    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BW2T71nmdk 

And sorry this blog post is long - but I just wanted to share how this has given me such a HUGE!  *Ahaaaa!! moment - so if any of you can identify with it too...you are not alone, and that book can help heaps!

In closing - can I just say - I'm actually looking forward to *decluttering* absolutely everything!!  I'm looking forward to *having my house in order* and keeping only the things that truly give me that *special spark*...   Onwards to clean and clutter free!!  :)

....smile!...it's FREE!!

Don't Take Pot Luck! - Always Be Prepared!

A fellow jewellery artisan and friend had a HUGE!! absolutely monumental stuff-up happen today, and it got me thinking just how many others there could be out there who are not prepared should the unthinkable happen..
Ok - so do you have a website or online store???...regardless of who it is through - have you taken screen shots of all your pages?????   Do you have a CSV sheet with all the info of your products on it???  Do you know all the photos you have on your website/store and are they easily accessible without sifting through volumes of folders??   Do you know what your DNS codes are if you have your own website??

No???    hmmm!....so what happens if your host goes belly-up tomorrow???  Or the place you have your site at goes *defunked*?? 

You are what is commonly called *up that famous creek not only without the paddle - but some bastard also stole the canoe!*

Here are my 5 Tips on making sure if the unthinkable happens and your *online* store/website has monumental issues - you are at least prepared!!

1/.   Get yourself a Flash-drive with a large capacity on it...and ONLY! use it for backing up the following data once you have it all sorted out....
a) Your screenshots of your site/store
b) a CSV delimited file of all your products
c) all pictures relating to your site/store you uploaded.
d) Your relevant DNS records from the Registry in your country

2/    Take a screenshot of every page of your website/store - if you don't know how to do this - click on this link - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/fireshot/ to get the add-on for Firefox - if you are running it - of *FireShot* - which is a screen capture program compatible with Chrome and Firefox.  Here is the link for Chrome - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/capture-webpage-screensho/mcbpblocgmgfnpjjppndjkmgjaogfceg?hl=en

3/  Create a CSV delimited file through Excel of all your products - (this file is easy to create - just make sure you have the appropriate headings on the top before saving it as a *csv* file in Excel.  If in doubt check YouTube out.

4/   Create a folder in your Photo Editing program to store all photos you put on   your website/store...and make sure you use it ONLY!! for that purpose and update it often.

5/  When you get a website - make sure you have records of ALL!! relevant DNS records from the Registry in your country - for Australia here's the link - http://www.netregistry.com.au/support/modifying-domain-name-servers-or-dns-records/

And yes - doing all the above can be time consuming - but ask yourself this....how VALUABLE is this information???  
Think of it this way - spending a bit of extra time making sure you have the above in place could make all the difference between smacking your head against a desk or wall, or swearing like a trooper because some bastard who isn't responding to your emails or calls has you sitting in limbo!
So should the unthinkable happen and you have everything above in place....at least you can be like a boyscout or girl guide and be prepared!   ;)

as usual - Happy Creating!

...and above - Smile!  It's FREE!!

Change is Good - but only sometimes....

Well - last week really was an eye-opener what with the *new* upgrades/rollout by Artfire, and all I can say is Good grief!!

Contrary to what a few have said - in the way of *ohhh stop your bitching!...did you expect to receive that locked in deal and still get the same services!?*

The answer to that is YES!....because when I - and many many others - signed up for that amazing deal, at the time we DID!! have all the bells and whistles that went with it!..

You know - silly things like - Branding of our stores!...having our own banners depicting our logos - which I'm sorry, kinda helps you being *seen and recognized*!  And let's face it - a company/business logo is the main criteria when having one....but not as far as Artfire is now concerned.

So those of us who cannot see the validity in paying an additional $40 or even the top end pricing of $60 and not knowing when certain aspects are going to be fully implemented - it meant finding yet another place in which to have an online presence..

And thankfully - there are a few out there..   Two of which I have now decided could be the way to go.

One is Indiemade.  It's not a *marketplace* - but rather an Independent presence....but it has so so much to offer, and - at a good price per month too.   There are 3 levels in which you can get in on..but - in doing so - you need to make sure whatever you end up paying - that the site is for you.  Upshot is - you don't pay listing fees.   So check it out - it is *user friendly* in setting up, but the need to be a bit *pc savy* to do it definitely wouldn't go astray..otherwise you'll be lost.

Here is mine..    

The other that I am also contemplating going with is Handmade Artist.com.  it's got a flat rate per mth fee - no listing fees - the ability to have *instant* downloads for digital products and is not only user friendly - but a markethub.  And let's face it - sometimes being part of a community can be very advantageous.  It seems that Etsy too has yet again changed it's appearance and what with their steep *commission* on sales - which may change at any time - isn't what I consider a *viable* way of trying to make a living. Especially when you consider the shift they did last year that saw *re-sellers* enter the site..   Not a good move Etsy!!...you sold us out!
In some ways - no matter what you choose - everything seems geared toward a fee of some description...listing fees - commission fees - and that's not taking into consideration the fees you get charged via PayPal for transaction.

So - at the end of the day - getting *more bang for your buck* is also vital....otherwise you could go out of business sooner than you think.  So what ever you do - do your homework when wanting to sell online...suss EVERYTHING!! out with a potential place you may want to sell on and do comparisons of what each has to offer.   And yep!...I might be repeating myself from my previous blog post - but hmm!!...sometimes being reminded of a few things as important as this is necessary so folk don't go getting stung or stuck.

After all - you need to be happy with what you have - and so do your customers.. ;)

As usual - Happy creating!!

.....and remember - Smile! it's FREE!!

14 Online Marketplaces to Sell on - My comparison of them..

The world that is the internet is forever changing at a rapid rate of knots, new online market places geared specifically for both sellers and buyers are popping up like gophers from the Caddy Shack movie!...and at some stage or another – we’ve all decided to sell our wares online…but the biggest question posed to everyone who has - or is contemplating this is …

… What’s the best place I can sell things on?

What I’ve simply done is find out as much information as is possible on each one and collated it all  in this list so others can be better equipped at what is going to suit them – and of course – their budget.

There is – however – one thing you need to keep in mind when starting up an online store…others will be doing the exact same thing! – so make sure you have strong tags and store titles etc to help you get seen.  Also – don’t just think opening up a store and waiting for the crowds to pour in will happen either – it won’t unless you are prepared to put in several hours each week to  not only *keep things fresh* - but to also *promote* your wares and store.

So here is my list of 14 ONLINE MARKETPLACES – and in no particular order. 

Some sites I have used – others I haven’t – so am gauging on *what’s on offer* - and – having looked at some of them more closely – this is just my personal interpretation of how I find them.   I am also *rating* them – from 1 to 10 -  1 being *not likely to recommend* to 10 – Highly recommend.  

A couple of other added things – but don’t forget Facebook – and the ability to have a business page there.  It really can be the stepping stone into gaining an online presence.   The other of course is having your own website – but – like anything – there are pros and cons there too….time to set it up…updating it constantly – finding a great hosting site etc.  Thankfully there are a few really good *free* to build an online website….some I know of and have dealt with are Wix.com – Weebly.com and VStore.ca   The latter is more complex..but again – there is an option for a free site or a Pro site with quite a few more things available.   Biggest problem having your own site is getting it seen in the SEO’s…

One of the many things about working a business  from home is making sure you aren’t attracting heaps of *additional* costs that you can ill afford…there again – to get seen – you do have to spend something…whether that be time or a little extra financially to get things off the ground, do make sure you do some research yourself to see what will best suit you and your business.    

SITE	RATE	LIST/MTH FEES	COMMISSION
ETSY.COM	3	20₵ Listing fee on items ( expires 4mths)	3.5% Sales commission - plus *payment processing fee* - based on sales when using Direct Checkout
PROS: If you sell tutorials – Etsy are one marketplace to offer *instant* download.   But don’t let that sway you.  There are places you can utilise such as *E-junkie* that will do the same thing with your website and other sites (at this stage unsure exactly what ones they have included)..but there are others too. No sign up or monthly fees.  No limit on items listed
CONS: Recent changes to the guidelines now enable people who get others - or manufacturers who produce their wares  to *sell* on there.   Relisting fees 3.5% Sales commission fee Getting lost in the crowd
ARTFIRE.COM	6	monthly fee is $12.95	NIL
PROS: If you were lucky enough to get in on the deal Artfire ran a few years back – which saw a *lifetime* charge of only $5.95 per mth – then you were laughing.    No limit on items listed. No listing fees No commission fees
CONS: No instant download if you sell tutorials – however some places that do *send on your behalf* may have the platform to enable *instant* downloads..again – not sure on this – hopefully someone who does sell tutorials there with an instant download can fill in the blank. $12.95 p/mth fee
BONANZA.COM	3	NIL	3% sales commission
PROS: No limit on items listed. No listing  or monthly fees
CONS: No instant download if you sell tutorials.  3% sales commission fee Geared towards anything and everything – lost in the crowd
eCRATER.com	6	NIL	2.9% sales commission
PROS: No limit on items listed. No listing or monthly fees
CONS: No instant download if you sell tutorials. 2.9% commission on *marketplace sales* Not sure if this is applicable to *normal* sales.
SHOPHANDMADE.COM	3	NIL	NIL
PROS:   TOTALLY FREE
CONS: To me this is more a *hobby crafters* site..not wanting to be disparaging – but if you are in business – whilst it’s free – free – free!....finding the bulk of things there well under the $50 price range – if you are selling OAAK uniquely handmade items with quality – this one would probably NOT! be the place for your wares.
ZIBBET.COM	7	Free a/c + Pro a/c - $9.95 p/mth	NIL
PROS: No commission on sales No listing fees No limit on listings with Pro account *On feedback from comments - There is currently a yearly deal of $79.00 for a Pro site which equates to only $6.58 p/mth instead of the usual $9.95.   Great savings of 30%.  Also have great customer service to sellers..  Fully customisable stores.
CONS: The free account has a limit of 50 items allowed.  But still good to get a *feel* of what it's like.
MADEITMYSELF.COM	5	NIL	3% sales commission fee
PROS: Don’t know enough about this one – but eh..from what I’ve seen of products – it could be a starting point. No limit on items listed No listing/mthly fee
CONS: 3% commission on sales fee
HANDMADEARTISTS.COM	9	$5 p/mth No listing fee	NIL
PROS:   Stipulates *Handmade Only* Offers Instant Download for tutorials. Has the option to pay yearly for $50.00 - instead of $60 - so a discount there of 16.7% Unlimited items  No listing fees No commission fee On looking at this one overall in comparison to others - it seems to have a lot more going for it - especially with the ability to have *Instant Tutorial Downloads*
CONS: $5 p/mth fee – Not sure about this one – seems ok. Product prices are reasonable – but again a bit on the *low* side.
SILKFAIR.COM	5	FREE MARKET BOOTH  - but able to also incl. *Custom Store*	3% commission on sales
PROS: Free *Market Booth* with no limit on items listed Options available to suit your needs and to also have a *Custom Store*
CONS: Works very much like *Bonanza* in that it has *Market Booths* - Also has the option for a *Custom Store+ a Market Booth* - but at a sliding cost.   All levels have a *Market Booths* which have *unlimited products* available.     Also has 3% sales commission applicable – but no listing fees Basic - *free* Market Booth only – Bronze- 25 products $7.99 p/mth Silver - 50 products - $9.99 p/mth Gold-100 products -$14.99 p/mth Platinum-500 products - $19.99 p/mth Umlimited -  no limit on products - $24.99 p/mth
STORENVY.COM	6	NIL	NIL
PROS: Completely free – no limit on listings
CONS: Just over 59,000 stores however – but there seems to be a price range from $5 right up to over $2,000 for items.  Possibly lost in the crowd?? At least their search function is good.
MADEIT.COM.AU      *AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS ONLY*	4	.35cents listing fee	4.5%
PROS: No limit on items listed No monthly fee
CONS: Open only to Australian residents 4.5% commission on sales .35cents list fee
CATCHACREATION.COM.AU  *AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS ONLY*	3	.30cents for Free a/c NIL for Pro a/c $20 p/mth Pro a/c	5%
PROS: Free account available No limit on listings
CONS: A new contender and again an Australian based only one.  Has 2 structures – Free and Pro, and has a hefty sales commission at 5% no matter what account you have.   The Free account has a listing fee of .30cents  - no Holiday mode and few other things one would expect to get on an eCommerce site.  The Pro account is $20.00 p/mth – again steep in comparison to others…but no listing fees…and still has a 5% sales commission
HAND-MADE.COM.AU *AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS ONLY*	5	Free test a.c – only 3products $10 p/mth Normal a/c – unlimited items	Appears to be none
PROS: Offer *Free* test account  - but with limitations No listing fees No appearance of commission on sales No limit on items listed with Pro a/c.
CONS: $10 p/mth fee for general account $1.50 p/item fee to appear in*Featured listing* - renewable every 15 days Australian based only
ICRAFTGIFTS.COM	7	$25 once only registration fee Sliding scale with limitation on products * Cons*	NIL
PROS: Whilst this site has some heavy fees – there is something that sets it above the rest.  You have to be vetted to get in!    They are strictly a *Handmade Only* site – No vintage allowed – unless upcycled and remade.     There are no listing fees and no commission fees on sales.
CONS: $25 registration fee – but is only payable the once. Sliding scale of a monthly fee with limitations on amount of products STARTER - $5 p/mth – 50 items only BASIC      - $10 p/mth – 100 items only PROFESSIONAL - $15 p/mth – UNLIMITED items

 The Craft Star added thanks to Seona for the *headsup* - it seems like a good one too..

THE CRAFT STAR.COM	7	$5.00p/mth fee No listing fees	2.5% commission on sale- PAID AT TIME OF SALE! 3.5%  processing fee via Paypal using Credit Card + .30cents checkout fee.
PROS: A commenter – Seona – advised me of this one…so I checked it out.  Very similar to Etsy – there are however – only 546 shops!..bonus!    Listings are unlimited – and their Advanced Search is good.  Prices seem to range from $5 up to $500  - so again – a good indicator that it’s not all *cheap*. One great thing is there is no *monthly bill* for the commission – it’s dealt with at the time of the sale – again that is a huge bonus.  The only *monthly* bill is for the month fee of $5.00 Good possibilities..
CONS: $5.00 p.mth flat fee 2.5% commission on sales The usual(?) 3.5% on using Credit cards via PayPal – also deducted at time of transaction – plus a .30cent checkout fee for CC’s as well.

 Whilst I haven’t included some into the equation – there are a few there worth investigating….and if you wish to see some more – here’s a link to someone  else who has done a *comparison*– even though it’s a few years old – it does have ones I have not listed in it….so check it out.

http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/10/29-places-sell-handmade-creations.html

Also many thanks to those who have provided more information on some sites... much appreciated and I'm sure will help people make a decision as to what they want/need to run their businesses.

As usual....Happy Creating!...

..and remember.....Smile!!....It's Free!