Whether it be Making Cupcakes, Remodeling old cars, Refurbishing old junk or Making Jewelry and Leather work, these crucial steps could help you to grow that hobby into revenue very quickly!
I sell supplies all day to enthused entrepreneurs such as myself who may take items such as some string, feathers and glue and turn that into a dreamcatcher or other beautiful craft that was made with purpose, creation energy and powerful passion. I am fortunate enough to see the creations people bring in to sell back into the store.
There is just one problem with that.. They were just here, giving me money to take home the supplies to make the beautiful craft, and now they come back to take some cash, very little cash that hardly covered the supplies of which they bought. This is not a good idea and let me tell you why.
Selling crafts back to the vendor enables that store to collect the revenue from you twice; he will be buying the crafts from you at wholesale and doubling that small cash profit into retail sale value therefore profiting 3/4 of the effort and time that you just put into it. That should be your profit, not his! Creating Revenue is the greatest thing since Gold Mining! Do not give your hard earned cash right back to your vendor of whom you have already given money to.
What are crafters to do to sell?
1. Sell your products at retail price when possible, sell either online or to the customer themselves rather than a store or boutique. This will provide a relationship with the customer and could get you referrals for the future and returned customers. Sell to a store or retail establishment as a last resort or if you have product you'd like to sell in bulk.
2. Always Track all Transactions Precisely
A balance sheet should include income as well as the cost of supplies. ALWAYS ask for a receipt when selling your product and put away receipts from supplies. This will not only track the money spent vs money earned for your own peace of mind but this kind of statement is extremely valuable when speaking with a financial consultant, investor or loan officer. Keep these records detailed, nice and neat to present a full portfolio of your business plan in the future.
I've been taught that the best way to master money is to manage money. What people do not realize is that creating revenue out of their hobby is more than getting paid for the things you love to do. They are turning work into play and play into cash already, but being able to watch your revenues grow is The Ultimate Creating Experience which can benefit your business in the future.
It is a good idea to calculate and include sales tax with your transactions even if you have not received your EIP / Business license yet so that when tax season comes around you do not have to pay it for your clients.
2. Start a Business Credit Card or Separate Account
You could easily write off that new baking pan, that new camera lens or a new MacBookPro as a business expense! This ties right into keeping those accurate records but with using Business CREDIT (Carefully) you can use the funds that you earn from your creations to go right back into the loan of which you used to pay for the supplies. This may not give you straight profit from the get go but this will keep you from buying supplies out of pocket. Once the supplies are paid off or at a decent revenue you could put that money into another account to gain interest. - Money Market accounts are a good start for earning interest, just make sure you can leave this account alone for a good couple of years. No withdrawals at all! Even this account can only be considered revenue (it is not profit until you have paid back what you have spent on the business start up and supply costs) Just think of having your own store that you sell exactly what you create; what you love, live and breathe! This is the account that will build up your revenues, profits and donations directly benefiting your business plan.
3. Keep it Positive
No, I don't mean just the account but our attitudes, too! It is extremely difficult to attempt to launch a business, there is no hiding it! Just be sure that if the negativity or the urge to give up is coming on to go for a drive, take time with friends and just take a break, even CEOs take breaks and we are allowed to take a step back even from our lives work. But only for a moment. Haha. Once the nerves have calmed down or the stress of that relationship has subsided state something like this to get your head back to that sole proprietorship:
I am going to fight and climb and run like hell to be in charge of my time and build the life I imagine. I want to build, create, make, produce and distribute my creations on my time and with my passion. No one else has a say in my business but me. (Unless you have a partnership, then scratch that last part) =)
I am freeing up time to donate to the things I want rather than the things I do not want in order to move forward with my dream. I get frustrated with the wait, or the doubt that falls down on me but I know that the roots produce the fruits, and what we cannot see is more
powerful than what we can see. It is all in progress if there is the
feeling of wanting. I am dedicated to making not only my needs met to live a free and abundant life but the needs of this rejuvenating Earth to also be abundant and peaceful.
I am determined to Learn, Educate and Invest in just the things that enrich my grateful wanting. My leading reason for fulfilling my dream is to grow, breed and renew what it is that I have to offer. I am so grateful to learn and to seek out ways to create in a world that has restrictions, loops and hoops to master. I take the challenge and I will continue to grow my business!
Whooh, Got a little carried away but these types of encouraging self talks are EXTREMELY Important. We must keep our spirits healthy and vitalized and these types of statements can do it!
4. Promote and Share the Word of Your Business!
Yes, it is already time to promote! Whooh!
Banks, investors, professors, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, Weebly, Blogger the list goes on and on! Facebook is a very simple starter because we all know how to use it pretty well. We know our close friends and family are available to see what our business page will post and with the right posts they will be lured into giving us publicity, shares and get the subject of your business talked about with their own connections.
Connect blog to page and pins to posts and pretty soon your pages and articles will begin to be read, shared and spoken highly of - if you do so correctly.
There are bad ways of promoting so be careful! One must stay clear of nudity, profanity, sarcasm or sounding too much like a Spamming Advertiser. Instead, simply share photos of what it is you do. Perhaps share on your personal page something such as:
"Hello friends and family, I am beginning a page for my new business! I will be sharing updates, photos, related articles and personal experiences on how I am doing with this adventure Here. Please follow the link, like the page and feel free to spread the word!"
Keep it simple, let them know what to expect and then KEEP IT UP! Do not say you will post interesting updates and then fail to do so, people will forget all about your business. Be sure to keep enticing your close friends with photos, blogs or experiences that are DIRECTLY RELATED to your business and throw out some offers.
- Just because you sew does not mean you should post photos of kittens in sweaters to your business page, yes it is related but this will clog up your timeline to where people cannot see what you have tangibly accomplished. Maybe post things like that to your personal page instead and put a link above stating that:
"This is so cute, I would love to make something like this for my little Petey. Think I should make one?" Then post a link to the page of which you would create it through. Questions are wonderful when attempting to get publicity. You want people engaged and actively engaged in understanding what it is you are doing.
Just don't over do it, or under do it.
5. Always be producing products!
I know that we must work the job, feed the kids, go on the date, keep up with friends and now I'm asking you to Market and Produce! Where is the time?? I know, it is very, VERY difficult to plan a whole day and have something to show for it by bed time. Try and give yourself a daily schedule, even if you only have an hour a day to do your weaving, cooking, sewing or beading, be sure that projects are getting done and stocking up to sell to the perfect customer.
Know your customer! If your mom or best friend referred your business to a stranger; be exceptional, provide information and just fake it till you make it. The customer will not know what level you're on as a business owner so make them believe you are established and ready to meet their needs, create a pattern, design their T-shirt, whatever it is that you offer, Offer it well!
We are never as limited as we think we are, and the universe will always say Yes because we are Source Energy and if you create it, it is yours. <3
Happy Creating, Rainbow Warriors! The climb is worth the fight and the reward is indeed infinite!
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Monday, November 25, 2013
My Dream Farm
I'd like to start my dream at the front of the Main Street Highway that
runs through the center of town. I want to employ people wishing for the
small town dream and to supply them and the farmers, ranchers and new
small town residents for everything needed to sustain life on a farm. I
will sell mostly outdoors equipment and survival needs. Rakes, Shovels,
Equipment. We will have Leather work, Hunting attire and novelties. Goat
cheese, Soaps and jerky available as well as beeswax products and all
things that are sold be made from scratch on the farm. Clothing and food
that are made on the premises. Out back from the store as you walk
through the aviary we will have snow blowers, the lawn mowers,
industrial equipment and of course livestock as we move through to the
pasture area. There will be an option for exotics also, to the right of
the store where I will fulfill my dream of breeding and housing exotic
reptiles for sale online and at the store, Following that will be the
door to the back yard area and petting zoo where you will walk through
the aviary with birds exotic and otherwise to look at and also be for
sale.
The petting zoo will likely be a wide open acre or two with the animals, Sheep, Cows, Pigs, Geese, Ducks, Chickens, Goats, Rabbits and nameless others that roam the area freely but also have their quarters to stay for the night or do their breeding or medical quarantine. There will be a dinner bell that all the animals will know it is treat time and come to the bell for treats to better assist in Birthday Parties or large groups
I will have all of my animals for sale, either as pets, livestock or consumption due to the fact that I plan to allow these animals to breed and I do not want to be out of my means. I will harvest from them, Hides, Sinue, Meat, Marrow and bones, There are numerous ways to create knifes, sheaths, quivers, hats, coats, jackets, and decor. I want to harvest my own hay to feed horses, cattle and others livestock.
Aquaponics will be across the open petting area, this is a process that includes and large body of water with a Vegetable or field on top of it. while below Salmon, Trout, Catfish or other large game fish can eat the roots and the algea from the veggies and fertilize and feed the plants with their waste. It is a self sustaining idea that needs little to no maintenance and the opportunity to have a hopefully unlimited amount of fishing experience and protein from them as well as the nutrients from the Greens and veggies growing on top of it and the water that is filtered through the greens and roots. And to the side of that I will have my fruit trees to be harvested, sold fresh and canned or made into jams. I'd like to send canned goods, Clothes and resources to Native Reservations and of course have a place for their culture here.
I understand the idea and passion of Vegan and Vegetarianism. I was Vegetarian for 3 years some time ago and the problem with it was that I was living off of Bread, Pasta and cheese and with the amount of muscle building and stamina I needed to fuel, it just wasn't enough energy for me. So now I am a very passionate organic / Cage free only eating for Fish and Chicken which is in my opinion the best protein to put in your body and I would like to provide access and large amounts of it and be able to donate or sell frozen fresh fish and chicken and any other cheese, or milk harvested from the other animals to the grocery store in town.
Farming and consuming livestock has been a way of life
for hundreds of years, Natives and other settlers have lived off of
herding and keeping cattle and livestock. I do not want to disrupt this
way as the meat being consumed is Organic and Torture free. I would like
to start out with the petting zoo outside of the General Store so that
people passing through may go and get a hands on experience of the small
town dream. ride the horses on guided trail rides into the surrounding
wilderness, feed the livestock and hike up the mountain pass if they so
choose. I will have bed and breakfast Small houses or Bunk houses
available for stays as long as need be. I would like to also one day
adopt or foster children that need a home and set them to work and play
with the animals as they so choose and have a place for them there. I
have been doing Photography for some 5 years now and would like to have a
studio in the store as well as Family portraits, Senior pictures,
Maternity and School Photos out with hay bales, Horses and the
landscape.
Now behind even further all of these ideas I would like to Ranch Deer and Elk for Game. Deer and Elk ranching is a fairly new idea and I would like to explain this concept now, For the time being Deer and Elk are being hunted in National Forest Areas at a very large scale. What ranching Deer and Elk does is takes up the tags for consumption while I can absolutely guarantee they have a long and fulfilled life, in which they have the chance to breed before allowing hunters to claim them, Hunting is a lot more cultured and regulated than most think it is. People are looking for a 2-3 week camp - out experience where they follow, watch and track the animal into its habitat and have the slight chance of besting that animal, which does not always happen. It is a very intuitional experience and takes a lot of patience and skills. The goal is that they can in deed pack out with a large animal to be proud of (Which is most of the problem with hunting is the pride) But they do so to fill the freezer and feed their families through out the whole year. I know the intensity and the disagreement that comes from hunting. but it isn't something that is going to end entirely any time soon. I would like to take hunters as much as I can off of the wild landscapes and give them an easier target for a larger animal of their choosing. I will only allow Archery and possible MussleLoaders for hunting my animals due to the fact that it is much much more difficult to best that animal and brings the playing card to an even match. It is also my first and formost goal to have so many Deer and Elk breeding in my care that I will indeed be able to set free a large amount of the animals back into the wild to better sustain the population.
The petting zoo will likely be a wide open acre or two with the animals, Sheep, Cows, Pigs, Geese, Ducks, Chickens, Goats, Rabbits and nameless others that roam the area freely but also have their quarters to stay for the night or do their breeding or medical quarantine. There will be a dinner bell that all the animals will know it is treat time and come to the bell for treats to better assist in Birthday Parties or large groups
I will have all of my animals for sale, either as pets, livestock or consumption due to the fact that I plan to allow these animals to breed and I do not want to be out of my means. I will harvest from them, Hides, Sinue, Meat, Marrow and bones, There are numerous ways to create knifes, sheaths, quivers, hats, coats, jackets, and decor. I want to harvest my own hay to feed horses, cattle and others livestock.
Aquaponics will be across the open petting area, this is a process that includes and large body of water with a Vegetable or field on top of it. while below Salmon, Trout, Catfish or other large game fish can eat the roots and the algea from the veggies and fertilize and feed the plants with their waste. It is a self sustaining idea that needs little to no maintenance and the opportunity to have a hopefully unlimited amount of fishing experience and protein from them as well as the nutrients from the Greens and veggies growing on top of it and the water that is filtered through the greens and roots. And to the side of that I will have my fruit trees to be harvested, sold fresh and canned or made into jams. I'd like to send canned goods, Clothes and resources to Native Reservations and of course have a place for their culture here.
I understand the idea and passion of Vegan and Vegetarianism. I was Vegetarian for 3 years some time ago and the problem with it was that I was living off of Bread, Pasta and cheese and with the amount of muscle building and stamina I needed to fuel, it just wasn't enough energy for me. So now I am a very passionate organic / Cage free only eating for Fish and Chicken which is in my opinion the best protein to put in your body and I would like to provide access and large amounts of it and be able to donate or sell frozen fresh fish and chicken and any other cheese, or milk harvested from the other animals to the grocery store in town.
Now behind even further all of these ideas I would like to Ranch Deer and Elk for Game. Deer and Elk ranching is a fairly new idea and I would like to explain this concept now, For the time being Deer and Elk are being hunted in National Forest Areas at a very large scale. What ranching Deer and Elk does is takes up the tags for consumption while I can absolutely guarantee they have a long and fulfilled life, in which they have the chance to breed before allowing hunters to claim them, Hunting is a lot more cultured and regulated than most think it is. People are looking for a 2-3 week camp - out experience where they follow, watch and track the animal into its habitat and have the slight chance of besting that animal, which does not always happen. It is a very intuitional experience and takes a lot of patience and skills. The goal is that they can in deed pack out with a large animal to be proud of (Which is most of the problem with hunting is the pride) But they do so to fill the freezer and feed their families through out the whole year. I know the intensity and the disagreement that comes from hunting. but it isn't something that is going to end entirely any time soon. I would like to take hunters as much as I can off of the wild landscapes and give them an easier target for a larger animal of their choosing. I will only allow Archery and possible MussleLoaders for hunting my animals due to the fact that it is much much more difficult to best that animal and brings the playing card to an even match. It is also my first and formost goal to have so many Deer and Elk breeding in my care that I will indeed be able to set free a large amount of the animals back into the wild to better sustain the population.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Wild Consumption
I understand the idea and passion of Vegan and Vegetarianism. I was Vegetarian for 3 years some time ago until I saw first hand the ins and outs of Farming, Ranching and Wild Game Hunting. Which they do to fill the freezer and feed their families through out the whole year. I know the intensity and the disagreement that comes from hunting. but it isn't something that is going to end entirely any time soon. I would like to take hunters as much as I can off of the wild landscapes and give them an easier target for a larger animal of their choosing by Ranching deer and elk.. I do favor Archery for hunting my animals due to the fact that it is much much more difficult to best that animal and brings the playing card to an even match and is also quiet so that the whole forest is not interrupted by a well known death. It should be quiet and gentle. So here is my Experience.
We sat down at the edge of the fence line with forest across a meadow in front of us and a line of trees leading to a slow river / swamp behind us. While we sat to wait for deer to appear in the meadow I held the nearest tree with the palm of my hand on it and let it hold most of my weight, leaning back, pulling on it. I felt the wind sway the tree and I quieted the inner commentary of my mind while facing the river, I knew if I faced the meadow I would be too tempted to look for deer. I listened to the wind and my breathing and entered my state of awareness – Meditative State - which is the same 'frequency' of the forest. Immediately saw a view of the meadow from the other side of it. I saw where we were sitting and was scanning the fence line. I knew right where Gavin and I were which I can imagine was due to scent. I concentrated on the spot where we were along the fence a lot, so I radiated a sense of curiosity, welcome and safety from the side where we sat. I held this safe and curious emotion as long as I could. It is still very exhausting to hold a sense of presence or awareness this way for me. As I held this thought Gavin got my attention because a deer was headed into the meadow from my far right side in front of us. The fawn almost ran right across the meadow and slowed to the tree line on our side. She trotted the fence line until she was two feet from the grass straight in front of me. She was roughly 8 feet from me because we were back in the trees. Of course we were not about to shoot a baby deer so we held as still as possible until the fawn relaxed her gaze and trotted of the meadow about five feet to our left toward the water. More and more deer piled out to the right side but our scent was riding the wind right to them. They would step out about half way across the meadow, stop and look our way before they run back in the woods alarmed. With a bow and arrow we have to be about 25 yards from game to shoot. These deer were 60-80 yards in the meadow, I watched them sneak closer and disappear to the water off the bank where we sat and eventually they pop back out. We had hope that these deer would be in range if they followed the trees to us. Gavin got my attention because we had no idea there was a doe about 35 yards to our left and we heard her stomping right toward us. Gavin tells me to put my first pin – aiming tool on a compound bow sight – on her chest though I knew for sure she was much closer to about 15 yards by now, When I got my pin on her I put my second pin on her which is a shot ranged for about 35 yards away, I don’t know why this felt right but I released and heard impact. She ran about 50 yards from where she was hit and died very quickly my arrow snapped inside her, I had punctured both lungs and slit her heart. It is a very sad thought to take this life away and I never felt her leave her body like I had hoped. I’m positive she didn’t feel much pain and I’m happy that this kill was clean and fast. I’m not pleased or proud about killing this animal, but I know now that I can kill, skin and clean most any animal if or when I need to.
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