5 Easy Ways to Decide Priorities in Life

Your determination of accomplishing more fades away when you lose enthusiasm and see your plans fail.

Maybe Monday?

Challenge Day 13: 50 Bucks!

Good evening fellow crafts people.

We are in day 13 of the Business Blog Challenge, and yes... I am still excited!

I have learned so much over the last 13 days, I sometimes feel as if my head may pop off. ( Over exaggeration!!) But I have taken in a lot of very useful information on the world of crochet business blogging. I've had to re-edit my schedule twice, and this last time was so that I could include a set time for blog visits.

Well as you already know, Sara gives the participants a blog prompt each day and todays prompt is:
I want to make ___ per month from my blog this year. In order to accomplish this goal I will need to do ___, ___, and ___.

I had to sit and think what a realistic goal for me as a beginning blogger, with 3 years of crochet experience is. I am not trying to get rich here, just bring in some additional income. So I came up with $50.00! That's right... I want to make $50.00 dollars per month from my blog this year. And if I make more that would be wonderful, and if I make less, that would be ok too, because I haven't set a really outlandish goal for myself. ( Think small & grow bigger!)

In order for me to accomplish this goal I will definitely need to increase blog traffic, consider moving to a paid-hosted site, sell more crocheted items, sell PDF patterns, and/or PDF books.

But before any of this can happen I have to generate more crochet content. Interesting crochet content = more traffic, more traffic = more viewers, more viewers = sells!

So, for now I will continue writing out a list of topics that I am blogging on after I complete the challenge!

Don't forget to subscribe, ( upper right corner for email, and the bottom of the screen for RSS Feed) so you can travel with me as I journey into the world of starting my crochet business!!

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Until tomorrow...
Shalam

Challenge Day 12: Guest Bloggers Needed

Good evening again family!!

I'm back with my second post of the evening.

It's Day 12 of the 31 Days of Crochet Blogging with Sara Duggan of Crochet Business Blogging.
And I have a question for you...

Do you have:

Tips for beginning pattern designers

Crochet business start up tips

Tips for crocheting home-decor

Or information on crocheting for charities.

I am looking for guest crochet bloggers to feature every Friday.
If you fit this bill, then Hebrew Hands wants you!

Please send me an email at: HebrewHands@gmail.com with your topic of interest, and lets when we can get you scheduled.
Don't forget to subscribe so you will be notified of upcoming guests!

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Shalam...

Challenge Day 11: A Call to Action Pt. 1

Good evening fellow crafts persons!!

Today is Day 11 of the 31 Days of Crochet Blogging, and I am worn out!! I had a small family emergency today, without an opportunity to view any fellow bloggers blog's( can I say that?) nor even read the complete assignment today.

This means that I will have to do a double duty assignment tomorrow. However, I will share with you the topic of todays prompt.

A Call to Action!

What's that, you ask?

Well if you haven't already make sure you subscribe, so tomorrow when I reveal what a " Call to Action " is you will get the notification.
Until tomorrow ...
Shalam!

Day 8: My Blog Focus

Good Evening All...
This evenings post will be short and to the point.

Todays Prompt is: The focus of my blog is ...

The focus of my blog is sharing and networking. The topics I will write about will be any and everything that has to do with crochet!

As of this moment I’m taking my readers with me as I journey into starting up a crochet business. I plan to share my ups and downs, the successes and failures. I plan to write about new stitches I’ve learned, to patterns I will someday create. I’ll blog about new yarns I’ve purchased, to the local craft shows in Detroit. I want to share conferences I’ve attend to fellow crafts ladies I may meet. There will be no limit on topics as long as it pertains to crochet.
Deep down, I know I’m a newbie in the world of crochet, and as I grow, each step of my new journey will be here for the next noob that comes along.

Until tomorrow fellow crafters…
Shalam!

Day 7: My next step is ....

Good evening all!!

We are officially one week into the Business Blog Challenge with Sara Duggan. Today's blog prompt is: I've filed my business license and have my EIN, my next step is...

Banking - Designs by Hebrew Hands will be operating as a sole-proprietorship, and I want to keep my personal money separate from the businesses money. Because I now have my license & EIN, I'm off to the bank to set-up a bank account. This will allow for any and all purchases for the business to come strictly from this account, and an easier way to keep up with receipts (monthly statement).

Next...

Accounting Software - Let me start with this... math was not my best subject, I can count money, add taxes, and balance a check book, but I'm so sure that there is more to business accounting than this. Perhaps in the beginning this may be all I need, but as the business grows, so will the need for me to have accounting skills and software.

Lastly... ( for this post at least)

Business cards and flyers - I have to let people know that I am open for business!!
I can put flyers in the neighborhood market, local libraries, at the local university campus. And I can officially give cards out when I'm shopping for supplies, or simply running errands.

Am I on the right track?
What would you suggest?

Until tomorrow my fellow hookers...

Shalam...that is to say Peace!

Day 6... And I'm Ascared!!

Whew... Can you say CHALLENGE!!

It's Challenge Day 6, and I have to say for the first time, I am Ascared!!
(you know Afraid + Scared)

So by now you know that Sara has given a prompt each day and the participants use this prompt as their blog "topic" for the day. And I have to admit, todays prompt: Write a post about your strengths and skills as a crocheter and business owner.

This one scared me!

I started questioning myself...
Can I really do this and be good?
Perhaps I've lost my mind because I don't have enough experience?

I mean all kinds of doubtful thoughts started going through my head...

I don't have any formal management training, I dont have a degree in business,nor do I have any published work! I probably should quit before I get in to far!

So what specific qualities do I have that will help me succeed in business?

I have a degree in Communications, with over 25 years in the customer service industry, and 21 years of experience working within the disability community. I began crocheting as a young girl, but it's been within the last 3 years that I've redeveloped a passion for crocheting all over again. And so, I recently became a member of the Crochet Guild of America, to help perfect my crocheting skills and network with other crochet enthusiasts. I'm a self-starter, and hard worker! I learn quickly, I have drive, motivation, family support, self-confidence, and patience. But the most important strength I have is faith!

Faith is the strongest quality of all. Because when all else fails, It's my faith that will sustain me!
So I've decided... I'm pushing forward!!
Until tomorrow...

Be Blessed!!

Day 5: Identifying a Target Audience

Good Evening all!!

It's Day 5 of the Business Blog Challenge with Sara Duggan. Todays blog prompt deals with marketing. Who will I market to? Online? Offline? Businesses?

Marty Diamond in his article 4 Tips for Identifying Your Ideal Customer says that, "If your target market is “everyone,” then you not only have a business model that will likely limp along or fail entirely, but you’ve also misunderstood the goal of marketing."

Diamond suggests that you:

1. Become a specialist by finding a niche that hasn't been filled and become the best provider of that product or service.
2. Do your homework by knowing what your ideal customer looks like, feels, thinks.
3. Write a description of that ideal customer.
4. Create different personas, as you will have different buyer types.

At this moment I haven't quite figured out one area that I would specialize in, based on Mr. Diamonds suggestion, I have narrowed it down to 3 products.

In using his model, I did create what I thought my ideal customer would "look" like. She would be the customer that I marketed to both on and off-line, as well as the same type of business owner I would search out.

My ideal customer would be a God fearing woman, between the ages of 25-50. She reads and studies the Bible. Typically she is a wife and stay-at-home mom. She likes reading, spiritual music, and Sci-Fi movies. She enjoys her job as a wife and mom, because it allows for her to always be available for her husband and children. She dreams of someday owning her own business. She's a grounded and humble woman, but incomplete chores will keep her up at night. She's looking for my business because she appreciates one of a kind, quality hand crafted work, that has been covered with prayer through out the creation process.

I'm working on the different personas, and different buyer types. But I'd love to hear what the readers are thinking at this point. So tell me, What kind of "twist" should I add to my "ideal customer"?

Looking forward to all feedback, but until tomorrow... Have a great evening :)

What's Important as A Business Owner

Good afternoon World!! We are entering into Day 4 of the Business Blog challenge and I find that I am totally excited this afternoon!!

Todays blog prompt challenge is: What's Important to Me as A Business Owner? And 3 things every business owner should know.

Well, before I became a business owner, I was a customer! And my role as a customer will always dictate my role as a business owner. This is my own golden rule for business. As a customer I expect certain treatment. I expect humility, fairness, honesty and politeness. And this is exactly what I am offering my customers whether they are on-line or off.

Humility - will show the customer that even though I may own the business, I am an average, everyday, person just as they are.

Fairness - when I spend my husbands' hard earned money on something, we want what he pays for, so my customers will receive the same!

Honesty - if I don't have an item or can't make the item, I'll tell the customer, that will give them an option of choosing something else or going else where. It's only right!

Politeness - I WILL treat each customer individually! This is of the utmost importance to me. I've spent more than 20 years in the customer service industry, and one of my pet peeves, is when a service representative allows the actions of a previous customer to dictate their interaction with the new customer. Each customer deserves to be greeted, with a smile and pleasantries!

These 4 things( I know the challenge said 3...LOL) every business owner should know. And if used, I honestly believe that you will have customers who are happy, satisfied, willing to shop with you again, willing to recommend your business to friends and family, and these are important to me as a business owner.