The Business of Being In Business

Gee, I have had 3 sales in 9 days....that is very unusual for me. The funny thing is that once again I have been totally absorbed in preparing for the September craft show, and the only etsy thing I am doing is making sure that I renew things that are about to expire. That's it.

I sold a photo note card and a photo from FourDogDay and little planter from MyOtherShop. I would show you pictures of what I sold, but for some reason blogger won't let me upload any at this time......UGH!

When I think about my etsy sales, I certainly wouldn't mind more, but for someone that works a full time job and does this evenings and weekends, I think I am doing okay. I have sold things to family and friends and the transactions didn't take place through etsy, and I have had sales at the two craft shows I've done...so all things considered...I am pleased with where I am at.

I know I am a much happier person now than I was before I started my business. It has filled a tremendous void for me. I didn't realize how much I missed crafting until I started doing it again. Now, I don't know what I would do without it.

I said before that I have tried so many different things from the cards, and jewelry to decoupage and now to the aprons and totes....and it isn't that I am indecisive...it's that I haven't found my niche yet...although I think I am getting close. I am finding the most satisfaction with the aprons and tote bags and can't wait to make some place mats and napkins. It's the fabric thing....I really have a thing for fabric. :)

I don't worry any more about how much money I am or am not making....it's all about what it brings to me on a personal level....my goal is to have my crafting supplement social security when I retire...so I have plenty of time to grow my business as I find my way.

If you have your own business, how long have you had it? What expectations did you have when you started? Have they changed? What does owning your own business mean to you?

High On Life

I am just so happy today! Last night I clicked on The Queen of Cups Runneth Over's blog to see how she was doing. Queen is a SAHM (stay at home mom) and a couple of days ago she was having one of those days all parents have from time to time. She was a bit stressed, and I had left her a comment on her blog telling her to hang in there and I gave her a tiny piece of parenting advice.

Imagine my surprise when I arrived at her blog last night to find it was about me! It was so sweet that it brought me to tears. You can read her original post and my comment here, and then the one she wrote yesterday here. It made me feel so good to know that I helped in some small way.

Then I get up this morning, open my personal e-mail to find an e-mail from a very dear friend of mine that lives in Washington. Nancy and I have never met in person. We met online through an ad on Craig's List. Funny story. You can read about it here. Nancy has been battling cancer for two and a half years. She was having another scan on Monday, so I knew that the e-mail would be the results of the scan. Imagine my joy when I opened her e-mail to huge capital letters that said, "I AM IN REMISSION!!!!!!"

More tears.....

Lastly, when I received my invitation to Tresa's "Girls Night Out", I just knew I had to make something similar. It was the cutest darn invite I had ever seen. I don't make invites and I really have no interest in making invites, but I put the invitation on the shelf above my computer where it was always in sight. Occasionally I would take the invite down, admire it, think about what I could make like it and then put it back when I couldn't think of anything.

My etsy shop, FourDogDay, is photo notecards, bookmarks and tags. I don't do anything printed on a computer, nor do I want to. Well this morning I took the invitation down yet again, admired it and WOW a big glowing light bulb went on! It was kind of like the V-8 commercials, only I wanted to hit MYSELF in the head! How silly could I be? I don't have to make invitations...I can make photo notecards like I have in my FourDogDay shop, but I will use the style of the invite! I don't want to share too much just yet until I try it this weekend and see how it looks, but let me tell you....I am SO psyched!!

So, what a day it was...and all of that happened right before bed last night and before 6:15 this morning! I am so high on life right now!

Do you ever get just crazy excited about little things that happen in your life?