All around the country, there are ridiculous laws on the books that to anyone with an ounce of common sense would laugh at! These people actually took the time to write them up, submit them, debate them, and pass them into law! In Rhode Island, you may not sell toothpaste and a toothbrush to the […]
The holidays are upon us. As small business owners, we are all thinking of what might sell during the holidays, and possibly considering offering handmade, holiday specific pieces. Is this a good or bad idea? There is really no definitive answer to that question. There are both rewards and pitfalls to creating holiday-specific items, so […]
The nights are getting cooler and the kids are back to school which only means one thing, Fall is here! In honor of those cooler days and falling leaves, I present to you some amazing handmade treasures with Autumn inspiration by the talented artists of HandmadeArtists. The Leaves are Falling Red Pressed Glass Leaf Dangle […]
People all over the world shop online. They are looking for quality, value, something a bit unusual, a combination of all of these things, or something else entirely. The miracle comes when this total stranger manages to find your shop. When that happens, do they immediately think it’s a real store-some place they can confidently […]
If you cruise around the web at all, you’ve been asked to add an avatar at almost every turn. Sometimes, it’s a simple request to upload a picture for your profile; sometimes you are asked for a logo or thumbnail; sometimes it’s specifically called an avatar. All it is is a small .jpg (picture file) […]
Today is the day to go back to your childhood and relive all those wonderful memories! It is National Be a Kid Again Day! In honor of this day to remember the simple things that made you happy as a child, I invite you to check out some of the amazing items that will bring […]
Everyone knows that you have to keep evolving to stay in business. That doesn’t mean you change mediums; it simply is a reality that what worked last year may not work next year if it is exactly the same. But how do you know what’s going to sell? I don’t know about you, but my […]
There actually are hand-crafters who make their living doing art festivals and shows year-round. Then there are others who do a combination of online/in-person. Whether shows generate all or part of sales is up to each individual artist/crafter. But there are lots of them that make shows work, even under the most horrible conditions….rain, poor […]
I love to quilt. I see something and it just inspires me to create it in fabric, to bring together different colors, textures and patterns with uneven hand-quilting to bring up details and contours. My quilts never look exactly like what I initially saw to inspire me; they take on their own identity through the […]
In the business world, even the small business world, the phrase “best practices” comes up continually. There are many experts that will tell you emphatically that “best practices” should always be followed. But I am a firm believer in the fact that generalized statements are rarely true, and here’s why. What Are “Best Practices?” Best […]
