A Steno Pad for My Thoughts
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Posts filed under 'business'
I spent my weekend coding some changes to the website. It’s a cleaner look with a new shopping cart image and smoother ordering process for custom pieces. I also nixed the opening landing page, sending you right to these two images which have been pleasing me immensely.
New product images size and look. Plus, if you check out the products page, there are a few new products I’ll be yapping about next week. Super excited–check out the sneak peeks!!
Heads up to any reader folk, there’s a also new photo on the blog, too.
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February 20th, 2011
I’m working steady hard on a shop update for later today or tomorrow morning so a proper post is coming but, in the meantime, are you on Twitter yet? Keep tabs on the mundane, short + sweet right here. Because sometimes it’s easier to type a sentence than to write something worthy of a stenographer’s note over here.
Feb 26, '09
I can’t imagine you all get too into it but I have worked on updating my press page this weekend. I still need to archive more online press but the books + magazines section have been updated.
Oct 4, '08
I keep switching up my business cards and while I liked the handmade one with my email address for giving out to folks who need my direct contact information, it’s not a card for the masses. And the letterpress cards I adore but I like the idea of also having one with an image on it. Preferably, an image so cool folks will actually want to keep it and, better yet, display it. Which lead me to the idea of passing out photographs as business cards. This is what I made up for the last few craft shows and for online orders.
I ordered them from Snapfish and had them mailed to me. They aren’t my first choice for the best image quality (I actually really love Adorama for my personal photos) but they are the cheapest I’ve found. Especially when you can find a free shipping code. I always check retailmenot.com to see if one is currently available. You can preorder 250 prints for $19.99 which makes each print 8 cents each. But have them mailed rather than the pick-up feature, because I hate the machines at CVS or similar drugstores and seem to always have problems getting good photos from them. I made full-size 4×6 prints of my Wedding Topper ones and then embossed my website and address on the side.
I used the Snapfish automatic thin white border around these prints. Then, to get more bang for my buck and to keep with the theme of small objects, I made the everyday business photo cards half that size. So in my photo I added a border down the middle in between the two images and then selected the Snapfish automatic thin white border feature around the outside edge. Getting two images per print means you can get 500 cards for $19.99 which pretty much the same cost as mass produced cards so I’m down with that.
On the back of these, I put a small Avery return mailing address sized label with my website information.
The photographs then tie in with the look of the website for a cohesive branded front. Want one? Come by Crafty Bastards in D.C. this Sunday! It’s from 12-5pm and I’m right in front at the 18th St NW entrance between CityPaper and The Bike Rack. Being by The Bike Rack makes me want to shake a tail feather and get my new spoke cards finished up for The Object this weekend. Hopefully!! While looking for other spoke cards (Flickr set here), I discovered you can get an Obama spoke card. See it in action here. Brilliant idea, just brilliant. I haven’t found a McCain spoke card yet, they need to get on it.
September 23rd, 2008
The second letterpress autograph verse business card printed by the United States Business Card Company. It says: Remember Grant, Remember Lee. The heck with them, Remember Me. Yours til Niagara Falls, www.thesmallobject.com
Jul 1, '08
I’m getting ready for the Indie Craft Experience (ICE for short) show in Atlanta tomorrow and here’s a bit of how I pump the Object at shows in case it’s helpful to anyone else. If you have any other tips, let us know! And everyone in Atlanta, come out to the Centennial Park tomorrow from 11 am to 6 pm!
1. Prices + Tags
Okay, overall clear signs and prices I appreciate. I’m not a haggler and I when I shop I don’t like asking people how much stuff is because I’m a freak so I like clear signs. I name my products and like the names and like explaining how it came to be so these are my tags, a little wordy for some I’m sure but I feel like it fits with the overall feel of my shop.
Other signage I liked was Lena Corwin’s wooden price blocks and at the last Renegade in Chicago Susie Gharamani of boygirlparty.com used computer printed out address labels stuck to the tablecloth by her stacks of products which looked great (sorry, can’t find an image online).
2. Shopping Activities: The Stamp Testers
I set up a tester set of all my stamps for folks to try out. This is awesome cause folks get excited about the stamps when they try them out. The paper they stamp on has my website address so they’re more likely to remember my shop. Their kids are happy while they continue to look around the shop. They stamp on themselves for more added publicity. And crowds draw crowds–people think they are missing something good. So getting folks to stay longer under the tent is good all around.
This box of papers is used for the stamp tester and reads at the bottom: “Remember Grant, remember Lee/ The heck with them, remember me./Rubber stamps by www.thesmallobject.com”.
3. Promotional Items: Business Cards, Stickers, Flyers, Wooden Nickels, Balloons
Lots of folks may like the look and feel of your stuff but for one reason or another they chose to not buy today. So I like to give them lots of ways of remembering me. I have a big stack of business cards at shows but also try some other stuff to get people to remember. I keep a basket of free stickers people end up sticking all over themselves so other folks at the craft show see it and wonder. I also did a simple xerox of all my stamp designs with my embossed website so folks can remember my full collection and where to buy. Plus, I also have my wooden nickels, logo balloons and wooden sign hung outside the tent so you can see the tent down the rows of tents. All in an effort that folks will remember the name.
4. Mailing List
If they don’t remember me, at least I can remind them! I put the mailing list sign up right next to the free stickers so while their pal is riffling through the basket for a free sticker, they can quickly put down their email address. I just use a stack of index cards with a pen ready to roll.
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June 6th, 2008
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