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Firstly, let me say sorry for the inconsistent blog entries this summer! We've all been a bit remiss in posting and I've been downright lazy. But if you can't take a few weeks to smell the flowers and recharge then what is the point?!
Ok so with that out of the way, thanks to my good friend Polly out there in California I was reminded of this great resource at www.spoonflower.com. They are this North Carolina based company that will custom print fabric that you design! OR you can choose from designs that are already uploaded. They launched in May of 2008 and although I have not yet personally tried this, being a graphic designer my creative juices are already flowing! If anyone out there has used them, I'd love to hear your comments! It seems like a great resource...here are the basics!
- All your designs are private unless you choose to make them
public
- There is no minimum fabric order and no
set-up fee. You can order a swatch of quilting-weight cotton for $5 or
a yard for $18. Registration is free.
- Your designs can be placed into a variety of repeats, and the preview of your fabric item is online and immediate.
- You can print on quilting-weight or upholstery-weight 100% cotton, or organic cotton sateen.
Happy designing!
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Just want to take a minute to let everyone know that Beehive was mentioned in the August issue of Real Simple Magazine as a great place to find artisan-made goods. Congratulations to ceramic designer Cara Gilbert for a lovely shot of her wares. As everyone knows it's been one of those years where things just don't seem to come easily and it's an uphill struggle just to "keep on truckin", so something like this is really energizing and rewarding for all of us. It gets me thinking about how important it is to just keep putting yourself out there, even when the response is less than stellar, even when it feels like your just spinning your wheels, even when you want to throw in the towel. Half the battle is having the courage and passion to believe in what you do and keep working it from all different angles. The other half of the equation is just dumb luck and good fortune. Being in the right place at the right time. But in order for the stars to align you have to keep making opportunities for yourself. Or that's what I tell myself!
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This past Wednesday I took 13 designers from the beehiveshop.com to a Holiday Gift Guide Media Event at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. The event is put on by newproductevents.com and was very well run. Megan King from Oh Sweet Day came with me and helped out and we definitely gave the event a thumbs up! Showing amongst some of the big guys... Columbia Spotswear, Lego, Cold Stone Creamery, and Shutterfly to name a few, was a bit daunting at first but once we set up it became clear that beautiful, professional handmade items are being saught after. Our display was lively, colorful and had some truely fabulous ideas that the editors loved.
 
There were certainly many "editors" there that were only looking for a "free sample" but the majority were editors and editorial assistant truly looking for something new and interesting to write about. We handed out about 50 press kits which included info on Beehive and a product sheet for each of the 13 designers who participated.
The best part was that this collaborative effort made it easy and affordable ($204 each) for designers to participate in something that would have cost them over $2500 on their own including travel. So, I think it was an unqualified success (we'll know for sure when the holiday gift guides come out) especially when it comes to leveraging our Beehive Community to open up new doors! Thanks to all who participated and we'll definitely e doing more things like this.
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Recently while searching the web for some insight on building traffic to the Beehive website I came across this article written by Matt McGee about achieving SEO success on your website. He developed this pyramid that I thought was quite useful and encapsulated all the things you need to consider while building a successful website. It's kind of daunting but it does help give an overview of the big picture! The article further talks about all of these specific points so definitely check it out! Hope it helps! http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/the-seo-success-pyramid/971/
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We all feel that our world is in flux. Things are changing, priorities are realigning, assumptions are being questioned, and attitudes are shifting . To my mind this is a great thing for us as a nation and for individuals in general. For me, change brings new ideas, regeneration, and hope.
As a retailer and designer I feel a shift in how I perceive other retailers and designers. I feel as though the old model of guarded competition and stingy propriety is out dated and frankly short sighted. I am starting to look at my community as a source of strength and power. Working together, whether in micro localized physical communities or larger online communities, opens up huge possibilities for growth and exposure. As a group you tend to learn more quickly, share resources and are able to accomplish much more in a shorter amount of time.
In the online world linking is actively being used and good results depend on it. Linked in, Facebook, and Twitter just point to the craving we seem to have for connectedness. I asked myself, "why not pursue this in the world of retailing?". Without really thinking about it this is what Beehive was developed for five years ago. Linking is essential but it’s a hard transition to make – it takes courage, trust and above all confidence.
I see many people clinging to the old protectionist concept and I encourage them to explore the idea of letting that go. I believe that joining in relevant communities is the key to success in an ever expanding and complex world. Take a step beyond just linking your website with another and ask yourself, “how can this model extend into other aspects of my business”. I guarantee you'll find it liberating and productive.
To take another’s hand is taking a risk, but it’s well worth it!
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So, I get asked alot...
How many years does it take to make it? When does the struggle end? When will I start being able to pay myself? And I am still asking myself those questions. Of course, there is no easy answer. Generally, it seems that after 5 year people either loose steam and decide to try something else or they continue to see a glimmer of hope and re-motivate for the long road ahead. There is no doubt it is a long, rough (but rewarding) haul - I struggle to keep up my motivation every day. But last week I was reading Inc. Magazine and came accross this quote from Roxanne Quimby, one of the founder's of Burt's Bees which they have since sold. She is quoted as saying,
"I had some midnight-of-your-soul type times. Once, I came home from a fair and found the window in my cabin blown in. Snow was all over. It was 20 below and 3 in the morning. I hadn't made any money and the car had just barely made it there. I really believe that success is just getting up one more time than you fall".
I found that really inspiring and need I say more!!!
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Recently, I was looking through one of my designer’s sites (www.soundearth.com) and noticed the quote they had in their sidebar, “Every dollar spent with a local company will circulate within your community 21 times. Every dollar spent with a larger "big box" store will circulate only 7 times.”
Being a proponent of shopping locally and the owner of a small business, I thought this was intriguing and refreshingly scientific. I decided to do a little more research and it turns out that it is no secret that every dollar spent at a locally-owned business generates approximately three times more regional economic activity than a dollar spent at the typical "big-box" retailer.
Very interesting. You hear a lot of talk lately of how small business is the back-bone of the U.S. economy but not a lot of discussion on how and why. And even worse, as a small business owner you feel as though you are the most insignificant and under supported group in the mighty American economy. Completely taken for granted and left to fend for yourself.
When you break it down it is a very simple and basic premise and when you magnify all the thousands of small businesses across the country you begin to realize that the simple act of deciding to shop locally as often as possible has the power to change our communities and culture as a whole, to build a healthy, sustainable economy that encourages innovation and collaboration.
Simply put small local businesses…
1. Create higher paying jobs and reinvest back into the community.
2. Serve as community pillars and maintain a community’s character. They are unique places where a neighborhood’s individuality shines and citizens can experience a sense of place.
3. Employ an array of supporting services. They hire architects, designers, cabinet shops, sign makers and contractors for construction. Local accountants, insurance brokers, computer consultants, attorneys, advertising agencies help run it.
4. Carry a higher percentage of locally-produced goods than chain stores, meaning more jobs for the community.
5. Ensure choice and diversity. Though a single local shop may carry a smaller selection than a big chain, a multiplicity of independent retailers creates great diversity. Our freedom of choice suffers when a few buyers from national chains choose what does and does not reach customers.
6. Are essential to charitable endeavors, and small business owners frequently serve on local boards and support numerous causes.
7. Encourage walking, mass transit and less of a dependence on the car.
It seems so simple and makes total sense. But the American consumer (and yes I am one who is not so perfect myself) has to realize the impact of each decision they make when it comes to their purchasing power. Multiply your single decision to shop for convenience at the big box retailers by millions and millions and the result is sterile strip malls, fast food restaurants and chain stores that encourage sameness instead of individuality. What a scary future!
Want more info…check out BALLE’s website (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) at http://www.livingeconomies.org.
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