2011 Goals

I hope to make 2011 a banner year for both of my websites. My goals are plentiful but my number one goal is to get organized. After 4 months of festivals, shows and home parties, my office is a wreck and it's a wonder I can find anything at all. Just wanted to share a few pictures with you of the "before" and I will share some of the "after" shots when I am finished.

2011 Goals

1. Orangize my office and work space.

2. Mark my agenda for daily marketing and listing plans.

3. List more items on both websites on a more consistent basis.

4. Reach 5,000 in sales on http://www.bountyofbeads.etsy.com/ store.

5. Work at understanding SEO and all aspects of marketing opps available to me.

6. Participated in 18 Festivals last year, let's make that 30 Festivals for 2011.

This is just a start for my 2011 goals and I will be adding to them I am sure. So here are the pictures of my office right now. (posting these pictures will be added incentive to show you the after pictures).

2010 Christmas City USA

Just finished setting up for the 2010 Christmas City USA at the Biloxi, MS Coast Coliseum and Convention Center. Am really tired, it has been a long day, but kinda like the way it looks. See what you think.....

Festival Photos

Hello Everyone, thought I might post a few pictures from a festival I did this summer. I like to use wroght iron busts in addition to the busts to diplay my jewelry. I also like to use risers of different heights for dimension and just a different look. Let me know what you think....Oh, by the way, the front of my tent is draped with about 60 foot of sheer material I bought on clearance, just kinda dresses up a dull tent.

New Promotional Frenzy

I have just joined another thread on Etsy that is a Promotional Frenzy, lots of creative and talented women there, hope to learn more about posting, promoting and how to update my blog. Please come join us if you can, we would love to have you join us.

Last night there were several present at the Promotion and I believe that most of us gained over 60 fews on any single item in one hour which is fantastic.
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6663721&page=1

Traffic For Our Shops

Wow, here it is already at the end of September and we are still working on getting more traffic to our shops. My traffic has improved over the last month due to more time spent on Etsy Forums and tweeting more. I did realize that trying to work or spend time in 20 different threads was a waste of time so I picked 2 or 3 threads that were suited to my needs and have cultivated some great relationships with those other etsians in those threads. In turn, that has give me lots of exposure and referrals from other sellers that has turned into sales for my shop.

Twitter is a great way to get 20 to 30 people to look at a given item almost immediately. This usually translates into sales within 24 hours.

I also have started using craftopolis to see what more people are looking at so that I will know which sections are working and which sections are not working in my shop. Just these few little changes have resulted in a slow increase of sales in my Bounty Of Beads shop.

So, I will keep moving forward and I plan on trying to take full advantage of the upcoming Holiday Shopping Season.

More Shop Views??? Maybe...

Just considering all my options for obtaining more shop views... Let's face it, unless we can get the traffic to the store then we are NOT going to make any sales.

I currently use Twitter, Etsy Forums to post in a few times a day and am working a Facebook page. This blog is something that I am currently re-working and wondering if any of you would like to share your tips on how to gain more followers and more shop views. Feel free to add your tips here and maybe we can all learn from each other. Off to look through the etsy forums, will report back soon............... Yes, that non-sound is me leaving this site...

A Hand Grenade Was In His Truck?????

OK, So here is how my afternoon went. After a very successful day designing and creating new beaded Lanyard ID Badge Holders for my teachers and nurses; I left my home at my usual time to pick my daughter up from school.

Got to the intersection I normally turn onto, where I can actually see the school, and was flagged by a police officer to go the other way. I am truly aggravated now because I am going to be late picking up my daughter and she will not know where I am. After much panic and frantic phone calls, my husband is now en route via a shorter distance to get my child. Upon arrival to the school, we realize that there are police all over the place and none of the children are leaving the school. My husband; mans man that he is; proceeds to tell the police officer that his little girl is in that building and he is going to get her. Yes, they decided they had better let him walk up there. aaahhhhh, my hero.............Here he comes with my beautiful daughter by his side, Mom can once again breath....

Now, here is what all the uproar is over. Someone has just visited a home where they found a live hand grenade. Threw it in the back seat of their truck and decided it might be fun to call up a few buddies and tell them what fun he is having.... Really???? Yes, really. It only took about 3 phone calls for someone with common sense to realize that maybe they should call the police since this idiot is now parked across the street from a Jr. High School and these kids will soon be walking down the sidewalk right beside this guys truck.

The Bomb Squad comes and pulls the grenade out of the truck and off they go to "an undisclosed location" to detonate this grenade. The news station referred to this grenade carrying idiot as "not to bright"...You Think!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sooooooooo, How as your day????

Welcome Back!!!

Hello There, Long Time No Blog. Had to take some time off to revamp my store on etsy, close down my jewelry store in etsy and really spent a lot of time working on my festivals, shows and events.

Have lots of new goodies to share with you all and am really looking forward to getting back to where I should be on my blog.

Hopefully I will have lots of new followers and you will suggest my blog to all your friends. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions on what would make my blog better and stand out more!!! Thank you all so very much,
Bonnie