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Just wanted to write alittle blurb this week about how excited I am for fall......
Even though its still 90 degrees and steamy here in Atlanta, I feeling fall right around the corner! Here at Sage Saks, we're knee deep in new fall bags and fabrics. In early summer, big name brands, both stores and clothing labels, start revealing their hot trends for fall and lucky for me, I can incorporate them all into my fall collection. This fall I'm seeing alot of red ~ we're calling it "Geranium Red", Black ~ in all types, and Ikat prints. Working with all these fall fabrics gets me in the mood for cooler weather, football games, and great handbags!
It will be here before you know it!
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This will be my last post for awhile as I will be going on “maternity leave” for a bit in just a couple of weeks. Or days.
I have been thinking about the progression of my business over the last few months in trying to get things squared away for some time off. Much easier said than done, I’m finding, especially approaching the holiday season. It’s hard enough to crane my neck about the daily duties of production to perform my roles as creative, PR, and R&D, much less plan a large amount of time away from the studio. Time where not only am I stocked up and ready for any orders that may come my way in the mean time, but somehow planned and ready to tackle life after my return to the ‘norm’ alongside the daily items of running a small business.
I’m still at a loss for how some things are going to shake down, but I think I’ve reached a point where I’m comfortable in my communication with buyers, retailers and other vendors that I’ve made appropriate preparations for this time, outside of actually taking on a business partner.
On the larger scale, I think entrepreneurs should make peace with their abilities to get done what can get done and keep their life in balance. Practically, I think that looks different for everyone, so I’m posting a link to a plethura of helpfulness I’ve found on http://www.designspongeonline.com/category/biz-ladies for your perusal.
Enjoy!
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Entrepreneurs like us constantly have to reinvent, create, and rethink. Whether it’s an existing idea or coming up with something completely new to sell a product or brand, reinventing is part of what makes a business work.
One very good example of this reinvention is the Whipstitch Lounge now open at the Beehive Co-op in Atlanta. Since I can remember, the back room at the Beehive has struggled, at best, to be utilized to its full potential. In the beginning, the space has rentable boutiques with plenty of great designers, but it didn’t take long before they realized the traffic and buying habits were not as strong as in the front part of the store.
So the designers moved the spaced stayed open for a short time. The owner thought about renting out to a designer (it would have made great studio space) but that didn’t work out. Then it was set-up as a play area for kids so the mom’s could shop in the store. Finally, a reinventing idea….turn the space into a classroom type area for sewing classes and other craft workshops. The space totally evolved into a workspace area, being able to generate its share of revenue. And now another reinvention or really an extension of the workspace is the Whipstitch Lounge! Full of small craft notions, fabric cuts and creative project kits, it’s a great use of that space and it fits with the theme of the co-op! Years in the making, this is a great way to finally utilize that space and kudos to those who made it happen!
Next time your in Atlanta or Buckhead, be sure to check out the Beehive Co-op and the Whipstitch Lounge! Or to learn more about Whipstitch, visit their blog!
 
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I just heard about this new and exciting initiative called: The 3/50 project.
The incredibly simple idea behind it is to engage consumers to visit three local businesses each month to spend $50 a piece at. It's noted on the website that if half of the employed population of this country did this it would generate almost 43 billion in revenue. wow. this is a powerful grass roots movement and the more of us that spread the word, the more fuel the movement has. Check it out at www.the350project.net
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Back to e-tailing.....Now the reality of my website is real and it is a work in progress. And there are many other mediums now on the internet to sell and market my business and its products like Etsy and Facebook as well as Twitter and MySpace. Not to mention blogs and share sites and the list goes on and on ( I draw the line at two).....and yet there is still the issue of time. All of the additional e-tailing avenues take time and more importantly.....do they really work? Well for me at least, they jury is still out. I've been on Etsy for over a year and only had 2 sales, so in this case, no, it has not been worth the time, but I love the look and feel of Etsy and still want to keep my shop open for now. And Facebook has been a great place for me to link my blog and upload products that I would normally not put on my website or show off custom orders that customers have designed and I have linked several sales back to my Facebook Sage Saks page.
So now that e-tailing is easier than ever and there are so many different choices, its finding the right avenue.
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…I believe in myself now, always and in all ways. Well I hope this week you found yourself screaming this mantra from the rooftops. The next part to being the Goddess of Perseverance is to...“use this gift when you feel like a failure or others seem to doubt your abilities.”
Last night as I was reading the Westchester Journal, I came across anarticle about Mr. Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey Mouse. Unfortunately Mr. Allwine had passed away on May 20th …yet he left quite a legacy, whichI feel us as entrepreneurs we can appreciate! He began his career with the Walt Disney Company in 1966…not as Mickey’s voice, but rather worked in the mailroom. Through dedication and perseverance he rose though the ranks and began voicing animated intro’s in 1977. It just shows if the drive is in your heart, it doesn’t matter where you begin but rather where you finish! As all good stories have…there was also love! In 1991, the voice of Mickey Mouse married the voice of Minnie Mouse, Russi Taylor. So for Mr. Allwine, some may have doubted his desire to work in the mail room, yet he was able to visualize the big picture and see his dream to competition!
As I shared previously, I am involved in a monthly peer exchange program. Last night we broke into pairs and discussed what we were doing 10 years ago. So now I will have you think…where were you ten years ago? Where were you living & working? What were you driving? Were you dating/married?...and so on. Now jump ahead…where do you want to be in ten years? Some may say…well 10 years is so far away, yet honestly didn’t these last ten years quickly slip by! As our moderator Michele Philips, of KeySeminars explained…to achieve our dreams we need to set solid goals. For any Weight Watchers members, there is an exercise called Storyboarding, which is quite the same. So here is the magic that will help us get there….
Our main objective is…Goal Planning
Now as Michele explained to set your goal, it must be:
*Written
*In alignment with your values
*Specific and clearly defined
*Measurable
*Important to you
*Given a deadline for completion
Long Term Goal (pick just one specific one at a time): _____________________________________________
Deadline (when your specific goal will be completed):_____________________________________________
Copyright 2001 MP Seminars.
As Michele instructed, once you decide on your long-term goal, write down all the steps as they come to mind…do not worry about the order. Once you have your steps written, then go back decide on what order they need to take place. Finally…decide on a reasonable deadline for each. Each step needs a deadline…we must be held accountable!
***When you complete your chart, make copies and post it, carry it, live by it…make that goal become your reality!!! ***
As Goddesses of Perseverance, this simple activity will ensure we reach our goals. I truly wonder if Mr. Allwine had made a goal setting chart as he dreamed of being Mickey's voice!!!
So from one Goddess to another...happy making! Also Happy Memorial Day to all, especially those who gave their life defending this wonderful nation!!!
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I can't tell you how many hours a day, week, or month I spend on my website, but it is alot!! If I'm not updating products, changing content, or re-designing something to keep it fresh and new, then I feel like I'm not doing enough to entice consumers to buy on my website. Its a constant challenge of time management for me as a small business owner.
Its a catch-22 ---- In today's e-market there are alot of great websites that allow people like me to manage their own website, I use Zen-cart (recommended by my Heather with Rinse). Its a very user friendly template website that allows me to manage everything from the overall look and feel to products. I chose this route for two reasons and I imagine other business owners do the same, 1) it allows me to have the control over the products, and 2) it saves money....alot of money! But the amount of time I spend on my site vs. the rate of return is very little. So now I am faced with how best to save time... Anyone have any ideas????
When I first started Sage Saks 7 years ago, I thought I would primarily be an on-line boutique selling anywhere from 5-10 bags a day! I thought I would have this great website that would not only have a great design, but be very user friendly, easy to navigate, have custom design options, and have great pictures!! Well, needless to say, that is easier said than done today. I quickly realized that the website I had dreamed of was a custom designed site that costs thousands of dollars and would be an ongoing cost for years to come based on the complexity of what I wanted....complexity didn't factor into my plans! I had researched many sites, writing down exactly what I thought was important in e-tailing, but when I started getting quotes from designers and web companies, I realized my dream site would always be a work in progress.
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...To be the Goddess of Perseverance...that would be sublime! Before you think I am way over the top or very into myself, I should make some introductions. I am Meg King, designer/owner, of Oh Sweet Day. I am also a participating member of the Mount Kisco Beehive Co-op. I thank my lucky stars I had grabbed a copy of the Westchester Journal that wintery Monday morning, in which Beehive was featured as Shop of the Week. Honestly I could not handle too many more “craft fairs” that became like a New Years Eve count down till it was time to pack up. Mind you, this was minus the crowds, champagne and celebrations. Since joining the co-op in December, I have evolved as a person & designer, while focusing on my eclectic flair. I am also a part of a Peer Exchange Program ran by theWomen’s Enterprise Development Network (www.wedc-westcherster.org)…totally worth checking out. At our first meeting, our moderator Michele Phillips www.keyseminars.org, asked us to pick out a random card from the pile…low and behold I picked out the card that read “ Goddess of Perseverance…I believe in myself now, always and in all ways.” Now lets be honest, as entrepreneurs even on our best days we have doubts about ourselves and our brands…yet eternal optimism is essential for us to “make it” in this creative market. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” So as you may guess, as I am sitting in my pj bottoms and bra…sewing my heart out in my non-air-conditioned room, a passerby, also known as my husband John, might hear me reciting…sometimes singing at the top of my lungs…the simple phrase I am the Goddess of Perseverance!!! On those days my mom titled Blue Mondays…believe me, there are also Blue Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays, etc… (but they too pass) just know you are the Goddess of Perseverance…say it, scream it, sing it…but most important believe it. So my first blog...words I needed to put to paper and hopefully words you needed to hear! Well till next time from one Goddess to another happy making!!!
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Thanks Ya'll!
By Amy McClure
5/9/2009 5:47:00 PM
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May 11th, 2009
Hello people.
I’m at a bit of a loss in what to blog about this week. I am 12 hours from getting on a plane and heading to sunny Rosemary Beach, Florida for a week. Admittedly, all I can really think about is the sand that will be between my toes this time tomorrow. Thus, I am posting now in lieu of my scheduled day on Monday as I will have no internet access this week.
Other than that, my spring/summer shows have started up, and I’ve kind of had my game face on. Which can easily lead to NOT thinking about all the other little aspects of the business that need to continue alongside a now very busy show schedule…minus the previously mentioned jaunt south. Petra just posted about the things we should think about in planning/maintaining our websites as well as the big things to be thinking about in regard to keeping our web presence thriving, which I think is always the thing I could do better. The other bloggers are also adept at keeping me on my toes of what and how to be thinking about my business as well.
So I think that I will just take a minute to say thanks to YOU ALL (that's ya'll for everyone south of the Mason-Dixon line)…for reading and writing and for doing what you do SO incredibly well. The quality of brands and momentum of the work that you do astounds me…the creativity, inspiration, friendship, and support found in being a part of Beehive Co-op is truly not to be found anywhere else, in my mind. I think good businesses are fueled by this kind of collaboration and community, but it really becomes something more. Petra also shared a few weeks ago about letting down our some of our self-protectiveness and she’s right. It’s not always about clamoring for the biggest bottom line, but about supporting an industry and a way of life that goes beyond our little studio/shop doors in a way that opens us ALL up for the success of it. I hope that makes sense without being too redundant.
Oh, and a big happy mother’s day to all of you incredible designers who do all of the above AND have the energy to care so well for your families. Incredible.
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