Small business signal boosting

[mrissa]

Everybody knows the economy is not at its finest at the moment. Who knows it better than small business owners? So when I got an ad for Lovecraftian truffles from Polidori Chocolates, I thought it was time for a signal boost. I haven't had the Lovecraft chocolates, but I've had others from this chocolatier, and I can vouch for their extreme goodness. I even like marshmallows from Polidori (well, as long as they're dipped in dark chocolate), and before I tried their version I would have said I could go the rest of my life without marshmallows and not cry about it.

Who else is running a small business? Well, there's a certain seamstress who makes bags, and our favorite jewelers -- or at least the ones who are selling things right now; some of you haven't posted about jewelry in awhile. There are people who do geeky things with molecules and cute and twisted things with stuffed animals. All this is good stuff! Anybody else wanting to signal boost for yourself or another artist/craftsperson/small business owner?

Comments

[genevra.livejournal.com]

I'm another jeweler! My website is under construction still, but much of my stuff is there, and people can email me about purchases. skdarst at gmail dot com.

Thanks for this! I'll check out all of your links.

[genevra.livejournal.com]

I forgot to put in my link! www.sandydarst.com

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Useful!

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Isn't it about time for a post about the Hungarian grocer? :)

The Lovecraftian truffles look marvelous, but alas I'm allergic to several of the components in most of them...hell, I'm allergic to chocolate, but we won't discuss that.

The marshmallows...ohhhhhhhh. I need to check finances, but I just might be ordering some of those.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Otto? Yah, I should be ordering from Otto if we're to get supplies before Mikulas, but usually it's late November before I do. (I always run it closer to Mikulas than I should.)

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

I love your posts about Otto - so much that I'm running a month ahead of schedule, it would seem!

[athenais.livejournal.com]

Well, hey, if anyone in San Francisco needs a petsitter (http://www.lucyhuntzinger.com/petsitting)...

[crimini.livejournal.com]

Yay for small businesses! ;D

[timprov.livejournal.com]

I think you've forgotten (http://timprov.zenfolio.com/) a couple (http://www.clockpunk.com) of photographers (http://ctein.com).

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

I could always use a signal boost for the unique bookmarks I call jewelmarks (http://www.dreamspell.net/crafts) - or other Fantasy Art Stuff, including a Discordian Coloring Book. (http://www.cafepress.com/dreamspell)
K Thnx!

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

She's on my f'list, too, but I have a brain like a colander for these things. Witness the fact that I forgot someone who lives in my house.

[porphyrin.livejournal.com]

I'd like to add small farms/farmers to the list:

Sue Peterson, of Azariah Acres:

www.azariahacres.com

Raises meat in a sustainable fashion; she's also raising 2 kids by herself (not for meat!).

Featherstone Farm, which was hit by the famous Floods of '07 in Southeast MN:

www.featherstonefarm.com

Is offering winter box shares for the first time of yummy root vegetables and squashes.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Good point! Simple Provisions (http://www.simpleprovisions.com/home) does dairy and some meat and produce and delivers to Twin Cities area homes.

[txanne.livejournal.com]

clockworkegg.etsy.com--she's inaurolillium and also a mainstay on the SU forum.

And every knitwear/needlework designer I've ever heard of is a small business owner. Their profit margins resemble those of short-story writers, only smaller.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

The problem for me is figuring out which of my textile artist friends are trying to sell their stuff, which are willing to take commissions, and which really only want to do projects they find fun.

[txanne.livejournal.com]

Mm. I'm coming from the perspective of a pattern-user. My time and materials are worth more than anybody would ever pay for a finished item.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

So it's the pattern designers who are willing to sell their work, in your experience?

[txanne.livejournal.com]

Yes. There are plenty of new knitters who need their hands held, and more experienced knitters who don't always feel like doing math.

I can get decent sock yarn for $7/pair, but it takes me (well, for example) a whole day to knit a simple anklet--or two full days to knit a more complicated full-length sock. Which I can only do for special occasions like being in the same city as TNH. If I'm not careful, I'll wreck my arms. Furthermore, second socks are booooring. Anyway. Even at minimum wage, and a conservative estimate of 18 hrs per sock, that'd be $96 per sock. And that's why I don't sell my knitting.

I'll spare you my rant on Russian knit shawls, Indian and Pakistani embroidery, and Chinese quilts.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Which for the record is a lot less time than it takes me to knit a sock. A week is about my record - probably I could do one in two days if I actually sat down and knitted the full days, but I think my hands would then fall off. The yarn alone costs more than I generally pay for any but technical hiking socks. (Knitpicks doesn't ship here, so I can't get that $7/pair price.)

Of the two knitting patterns I've published, I made one free because it was so simple (a felted wine cozy) and I made the other free because it was so complicated (the rowing sock). I think perhaps my logic could use some work. (Well, really beause the rowing sock is complex enough that I don't think anyone would want to knit it unless they were or were giving them to an actual rower.)

Jewelry is a much more practical proposition; I can make earrings and necklaces much cheaper than I can buy them, and in a reasonable amount of time. The main reason I don't sell them now is that shipping would be a major expense and inconvenience. But I have just found that Fire Mountain ships internationally and ordered a stock of earwires and some clasps, so I'll keep making stuff and putting it in a drawer for Someday.

[lutzethesweeper.livejournal.com]

Tracey is running a small business. We're just getting off the ground. http://sugarpunk.wordpress.com and soon-to-be http://www.sugarpunkdesserts.com

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Is that going to be local to your area only, or also internet-related?

[lutzethesweeper.livejournal.com]

It will also be internet-related. We're waiting on all the valid licenses and such before we put anything online to sell. Sanitation and so forth

[mkille.livejournal.com]

My coworker Angela makes really nice tree necklaces (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5301902). That I've seen make a lot of people happy.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Those are indeed nice.