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Happy New Year! I have the honor to be the first Beeblogger of 2009, so let's get started!
2009 has a great ring to it, and I'm so excited about all the possibilities it will bring for our world, my country, my family and my extended Beehive family as well.
As we begin thinking about how to start the New Year right with all the endless resolutions and fresh start possibilities I inevitably pull out a pad of paper and make a list. I have already made my list of goals for my business in 2009, some items are grandiose, some are more mundane (like that appointment with the accountant tomorrow a.m.) but I feel great about my list! I keep it posted in my sewing room and cross off things as I accomplish them. Just that small little act gives me so much satisfaction. I highly reccomend this, it keeps you reminded of what you have already done as well as what you still need to do. Yes, I do love my lists.
And it appears I have always been a list maker, well at least all the way back to 1972. My Mom saved a box for each of us kids with art work, school pictures , report cards , letters and anything she thought was funny or interesting. In this box was this list I made in 1972 (dated on the back by my Mom). It is entitled "Things I would Take With Me if We Switched Houses". I'm not sure why I made this list, there was never any talk of us "switching houses" other than I loved making lists and of course we didn't have Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon to keep us occupied all the time.
The thing that cracks me up about this is, if I was going to make this same list now, I would probably put the same things on the list! Except for maybe the "girl scout stuff" everything else would be on my list. Of course, "a lot of material" would be at the TOP of the list, just under my kids and all the family photos! I'd also definitely bring the bag of candy to keep everyone happy while we were switching houses, my camera, (which now doesn't use film but is digital), and naturally all my money and my nice clothes.
Is it possible that we change so little over the years? Hmmmmmm, well that is another question.
Back to my present day list and what is on it.
The biggie at the top is:
1: Make more profit (hence the trip to the accountant to talk about strategies on how to do that) but right below it is a reminder to KEEP HAVING FUN. I have been taking care of the fun part, but not the profit part so much. I do think those things can go together and I think 2009 will be just the year to sort out how to do it.
So, again, Happy New Year, have you made your list yet?
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It's been snowing all day here in NY, what a peaceful, quiet end to a tumultuous year! It's nice to stop and take the time to look out and take in the lazily drifting snow. Let's all remember to stop every once and a while, appreciate what we have, the beauty that surrounds us, and the rich diversity from person to person. Focusing on the negative and what's not right is a waste of time and energy. Instead let's focus on what is good and what we can do to improve the things within our control. Enjoy the photos I snapped while the snow was falling and happy new year!
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Ah... it's that gift-giving, card-swapping, secret-Santa-swapping time of the year for all of us. The air is rife with folks looking for deals to and fro, and the malls are bursting at the seams with eager shoppers ready to save a buck in this struggling economy.
In all of the hustle-and-bustle of trying not to spend, it's easy to forget the true notion and intention of the holiday season - to give and spread the spirit of giving.
I am thankful for the holiday season.... for a person who creates handmade goods, this is the busiest time of the year, and I'm ecstatic to say that many devoted and loyal customers came out to the Beehive Atlanta to support handmade artists and purchase creative goods. However, being so busy on the creative side of making a product in stores and at festivals can also can steer easily steer us away from what's most important.... to give in any way possible.
My husband and I are fortunate to spend our first holiday season in our first home together, which is a blessing in itself.  Early yesterday morning, we got up and began to clean a large amount of litter on the main drag of road outside our enclosed community. It was a tedious, wet and messy job that was thankless at its core, but in the end it was our gift to our community, litterers and non-litterers alike. While hard, I'd do it again next year in a heartbeat.
The Beehive is a place that encapsulates the spirit of giving in every way possible... You have to give your time to work in the store, give your creativity through the products you make for the public, and give your knowledge to other emerging designers. Overall, it is a special place that truly impresses upon the best giving-and-sharing part of a person, and like everything else in life, will give back to you if you give your time, effort, and love to it, as well.
It is also a place that nourishes the entrepreneurial spirit of any emerging designer. When that spirit can be combined with giving, great things can happen. Recently, one of our designers, Arwen Fine of A. Fine Shirt, was bitten with the bug to give the Beehive to her community, and single-handedly created the first "Beehive on Wheels" event, where she set up a mobile Beehive store in Dunwoody, GA.
Arwen worked arduously to find the space, invite all Beehive talent to participate, and share the space with other up-and-coming designers in the Dunwoody area. The result was a fantastically successful 5-day market filled with handmade goods, which dually promoted the Beehive. and gave other designers a chance to see how a group of creative people can work together to make something great happen in their community.
    
 
Kudos to Arwen for her gift to both the Beehivers, local Dunwoody designers, and her community this holiday season. Kudos to the Beehive designers for giving so much time and effort to the store and eachother. And finally, kudos to all who choose to give a small part of their time for someone else during this holiday season. I wish you and yours the Happiest New Year, and encourage you all to continue to pay it forward.
Until next time, creative people....
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All I can say is that for the past few days here at Beehive Co-op Mt. Kisco we have been really, really busy. My fingers are tired from wrapping so many gifts and tying countless bows. From what I hear Beehive Atlanta and Cincinnati have also been hopping! So here's to happy designers, happy customers, happy gift recipients and ending the year on a high note!
Designers....you have a few days off...rest, relax, recuperate but then...back to work! We have bare shelves to fill and a whole exciting new year around the corner. Yes, I said exciting. Because it is. It’s been a tough year, there is no doubt, but it’s during these tough times that our ingenuity, our resolve, and our passion gets tested and strengthened. And yes, 2009 will also be tough, maybe not as rocky but certainly very challenging.
But my hope is that what started out as the “get crafty” trend will turn into a full scale way of life. That people will continue to feel the pleasure of making things or giving things that have meaning and support a sustainable way of life. I hope this gets internalized and passed down to the next generation. The feeling that Beehive alumus Christy Petterson expressed in the NY Times recently will hopefully be internalized for years and years to come. She said, “I just like the fact that I’m supporting someone who’s trying to make their way in the world by using their talents, and my money is going directly to a person instead of a chain of middlemen. For the same amount of money, the specialness factor is way higher. It’s more heartfelt than if you bought something from a big-box store.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/business/23craft.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=craft%20sales&st=cse
This “back to basics” notion is something that I actually love and really believe in. These values are things that I think have been lost during the me, me, me consumer frenzy of the past decade (or more). It’s an interesting cultural shift that is happening and I am so proud to be a part of it. Every day, no matter how overwhelming it is, I am always so excited about the people I work with, talk to and interact with and it keeps me motivated to work harder and keep on going.
So although I know I’m preaching to the choir, here’s to ending on a high note and celebrating all the good things and accomplishments that happened in 2008!
Happiest of holidays to all! And to all a goodnight!
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After 20, yes count them 20 shows since the last weekend in August (which includes 10 market days in the first 18 days of December, phew) I wrapped up the last show yesterday.
Today I was able to, for the first time in I can't tell you how long, have day that wasn't fully scheduled. I say fully because it did start with a meeting with my business coach and ended with getting a wholesale order shipped. But it's the middle (kinda like in an Oreo) that was the best. I was able to run errands, do a little bit of shopping (nope, don't even ask - I'm not done, hardly even started), have a great lunch with my son & not rush any of it.
Of course my work is never done. I've got a few more orders to send out for both retail & wholesale between Saturday & Monday & then it's on to finalizing things for Mart. But I am thrilled that the PJ's can stay on & the heavy lifting is very minimal.
As another blogger said, I am going to enjoy the little things, because that is what I've missed so much over the last few months.
See you in 2009, which I will put the disclaimer out there now... I'll be posting again right before Mart (I mean like the day before it starts) so it ought to be an interesting one!
Heather
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 Some of you may remember from a previous blog entry that I have a bit of an e-mail obsession, as in I check it too often and at times when I really should be doing something else like going to bed after a long day. So of course I checked my e-mail when I got home tonight after standing outside all afternoon at a Christmas market where it was bleeping cold and I lost the feeling in my toes. I found a gentle reminder from Petra that I had a blog entry due.
Darn e-mail obsession!
Since my brain is adled from the cold, and I really must go count my money (he he he) I thought I would just show you what it looks like outside in December in Georgia. Some of you out there are probably Beeshop customers, but no doubt many of you are Beehive vendors and have spent many a cold night before Christmas in a restaurant courtyard or Fall Festival peddling your wares. Here's to you!
Oh, and see that big teal green bag hanging in the middle? It sold tonight! Yippee!
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The recession is official. As we put extra time and energy during these challenging times into ensuring the well-being of our famillies, our homes, and our businesses, we must not forget to take care of ourselves! Of course if you can afford a day at the spa, go for it, but for many of us, that may be a bit too much. Here are 5 simple suggestions for no-cost/low-cost pampering from head to toe-
(1) Soak in a hot tub- light a few candles, turn on some soft music (placed safely away from water!) and just soak. Close your eyes and just think about nothing.
(2) Exercise- physical activity (any) helps stimulate various brain chemicals and makes you feel happier. Jog solo, form a group of friends to do yoga in your livingroom, go walking with your children, clean your closets- purge unused belongings and calories at the same time.
(3) Chat with dear friends- sign up for a free account with Skype and you can chat your heart out, laugh and cry at no extra cost.
(4) Eat- host a themed potluck- Mexican, tapas, breakfast, or maybe just desserts and wine. Good company over good food can always boost your spirits, especially when everyone brings something to share.
(5) Take a nap- yup! Sleep deprivation can really wear you down emotionally and physically. Find a moment in your day where you can carve out at least 15 minutes to lay down, close your eyes, and rest.
Not suggested above but definitely one of my faborites: If you have any little ones in your life, ask for a hug. They always have a way of reminding us what's important in life.
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Now that I've got my booth figured out (yea right, at least I have a start though!) I needed to figure out what in the world am I going to hand out?
Pre-Show
I'm doing some pre-show marketing, thanks to America's Mart. They sent me 150 mailing labels (for FREE!!!) of stores that have said they are interested in products in the Body & Soul section. I'm in the process of designing a postcard that I would love to have in the mail in the next 2 weeks. I've opted for the oversized postcard & hope it will stand out from the crowd a bit. I'll be printing them at either VistaPrint or Modern Postcard. I've used both in the past & have been pleased with the quality & turn-around. Gotta love the freebies from Vista too.
At the Show
Postcards - to the rescue again! I'm hoping to be able to use a similar design to the Pre-Show postcard at the show to remind people who they saw & that they want to come back. Pictures are always better!
Sales Fliers - these are going to promote the show specials. Not sure what the show special is going to be yet, but I'm sure going to have one. I'm pretty sure that we'll print these in house (ie on the good 'ole ink jet) since I'm not 100% sure what the special is going to be or how many fliers I'm going to need.
Catalog or Tri-Fold - I'm not sold on the investment (both time & $) in the catalog, yet. I need something to highlight my product groups along with a couple of specific products which I think I can obtain through a tri-fold. But a catalog would be soooo cool! Either way, the price list will be seperate so that I can use any leftovers for either wholesale or retail. I'm looking at Print Place which has phenominal pricing on catalogs... which makes me wonder.
Post-Show
I like to think that I was raised well, and if that's the case, Thank You's are always a must! Postcards or Fold-Overs, probably from Vista Print will do the trick.
This is a great exercise for me to right out my plan to know what I'm doing & to add to the long list of the things left to do.
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"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
A person I know who advises small business owners recently said to me that being an entrepreneur is knowing that you are on an island and that no one is coming to rescue you, that if you want to escape, you must build the raft that will carry you away. Most entrepreneurs I know share this understanding, and rather than finding it frightening or depressing, the challenge spurs them to concept and build the most stylish, seaworthy raft you have ever seen.
These are, obviously, uncertain times for everyone. The impact of the economic crisis seems to get worse by the day, and none of us know how bad it will get, how life as we have known it will change moving forward. I feel for our new president in the comparisons to Roosevelt, whose New Deal helped steer the country back to economic stability. He and his team face an unthinkably complex challenge in getting us back on the rails, and it seems there will be widespread pain in the interim.
The idea of sustainable business, which is what I am charged to write about here, is nothing without individuals who can build the seaworthy raft, which by all means may be patched perhaps unattractively, but effectively, where needed to stop the leaks. For many of us who don't have the comfort (false as it may be) of a regular paycheck, these are times that require a real faith in our ability to do what it takes to keep our livelihoods going. Entrepreneurs are used to uncertainty, and tend to have iron stomachs when it comes to fear and risk. If you can't tolerate risk, there is little chance you are an entrepreneur.
Still, these times test even the resolve of the most hardy when it comes to our businesses. The daily headlines can tempt us to reside us in a realm of fear and dread rather than hope, optimism, and confidence in the future. Of course, there is no certainty, and many of us will have to make tough decisions to survive. For some, this may mean taking a part time job, or projects we might usually reject to get us through. I am not a religious person, but I honestly believe the universe brings us what we need if only we pay attention and make the most of our resources.
At the end of the day, I for one am giving thanks that as an entrepreneur I've learned a real faith in myself that no temporal circumstance can take away. Times will improve, and while we all may need to be a bit creative in the short run, I do believe that once you've taken a path to live life on your terms, that fundamental way of seeing the world sticks. I'm grateful for all my fellow entrepreneurs, especially those at Beehive, and wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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