One class i am glad i took in school

is Economics.  In fact i took several classes and now seem to filter my life through the lens of economics.  Why discuss economics on a blog dedicated to art business?  Hmm, they kind of go hand in hand.  Economics is a social science… a science of how money and spending occur, and what impact changes in behavior have on the overall life we know.

That is why the discussion.  We have done 4 shows in the past month, and a pattern is beginning to emerge.  The market is cautious, and people are holding off on those fun purchases that may or may not be necessary…. those impulse purchases, those little luxuries.  At least we are  beginning to wonder what the buying consumers are thinking because they are holding on to their pennies, nickles, dimes etc.  Images in Bloom has carefully developed products in a variety of prices, to make it more affordable to enjoy luxury of home made olive oil based soap we have developed a small “mini” bar for 50 cents.  And last year our soap was selling very well.  But this year things are moving kinda slow! 

We think it is another economic principle at work…. unemployment leads to shortfall of funds, leads to curtailing of sundry spending, and that means our customers are not as able to spend money to buy soap.    The funny thing is that right now this is our only means of income, and the cycle repeats in our home, and business… less income leads to less capability to live, pay bills, buy supplies or even afford the show fees.  This is a season, and we remain eternally hopeful that America will stand up again, and find economic footing to get back to a place which allows living space for the middle class. 

Come to think of it, i wonder why i said i was glad i took economics in college?  Knowing the patterns, cycles, principles, and theories that govern the economy is a double edged sword… You can see patterns emerging whether of increase or decline.  Both have their place in life, but they carry far different responsibilities.  Knowing that economic cycles occur is good, but understanding when we are in a downswing is also painfully obvious. 

Recession? Depression?  Yes, i know our government officially tells us that things are looking up, but why are there still so many people out of work, looking for work, willing to work for half what they once made and do just about anything? CLearly we remain in a recession, but i believe this has been a period of depression approaching that of the “Great Depression”. 

So why do i think about this?  As a young company, and fledgling enterpreneur i want to find my footing and build this small endeavor into something that will provide employment for others, pay my bills, and allow me to save a little for my old age.  I have a dream to help women who have need for dignity, income, and purpose.  How this will come about is still a plan on paper, but one day i want to be able to say that there are people rescued from the stormy waters of underemployment or unemployment.  But I cannot grow my dream until someone visits my tent and supports my efforts with the purchase of a bar of soap, or a scarf, or reblooming bag.   

Economics is cyclical, and I know  i will look back to this time and remember the struggle was worth the reward and privelege of growing a business.  For our economy to begin humming again we all have to begin supporting the local economy – buy from the local butcher, baker and candle stick maker… keep our money in our community, and facilitate growth by buying what you need locally.

Wonderful Burton

Tents

Last year we invested in a tent for doing outdoor shows.  It was an E-Z Up Pop up tent.  It is a slick structure with a nice canvas canopy of a heavy gauge nylon/canvas. The structure works like an umbrella.

Our trusty tent has seen a year of activity, and last weekend it was loaned out.  We got it back and when we set it up two of the trusses were snapped in half….our trusty tent would not stand up on one corner.  The thought of spending another 200 dollars for a new tents made a shutter, mostly because we don’t have that kind of money right now . 

The internet is an amazing source of information.  Research can be found if you look hard enough.  My husband had to turn on the ingenuity and came up with a solution based on several found online.  E-Z up offers replacement parts but the shipping doubled the cost of the parts, out of our ballpark budget. Hubbub to the rescue.  He remove the damage trusses  and replace them with wooden ones . He reinforced each wooden beam at the joint with metal plates  and wrapped the wood in a white extra strong reinforcement tape.  There is one more truss to replace but the tent looks dirty and I think this is a workable solution . 

We are learning to make due, to repair and work to maintain our tools.

Getting ready for the summer.

Pop up pearl is now behind us and thoughts turn to our outdoor gear…tent, tables, and bigger racks.   Yeah, we love the adventure of summer fairs and festivals.  

Our focus is turning to Saturday and “A day in the country market” in beautiful Burton Ohio.  We will be setting up our tent right on the square near the log cabin .  we look forward to seeing a familiar faces from last year and enjoying the company of civil war reenactors who will be at century village . 

we have been working hard to create product .  Our soap inventory is well stocked , plenty of hand dyed silk scarves including the new 90 inch gossamer silk , and finally, yes, the Reblooming bags are back .

Gossemer silk is a new item for me, but it is

Consistency of events

It is odd to write about this but I am trying to process and saturdays event ,pop up pearl.  Last year was the first year for pop up girl and people were hungry for an event.  the old brooklyn neighborhood has been starved for festivals there’s another feature events.  so last year was the perfect storm of people hungry for events, eager people wanting to show case the neighborhood, the many talented people of the neighborhood , and the desire to see the neighborhood shine . the first pop up pro was remarkable amazing and wonderful .  As a vendor I made a good profit and found a great joy in meeting and greeting all of the people.  Foot traffic was great and there was not a problem being indoors because people felt free to come into the store fronts.

Fast forward to 2012 and the crowd was a much different crowd of pop up pearl.  people seem to have difficulty visiting the storefront .  and most people were spending money on food but not thinking about supporting any of the artist for vendors .  I can say I made my 10 dollar booth fee back but I didn’t make very much beyond that .  so what was different than what changed in a year? 

1 key components of difference was the woman organizing the vendors .  last year she was on stafford old brooklyn um but a gal that handled that moved on to a new job .  this year they outsource to a woman who manages fairs and festivals for a living .  it might also be the economy and I’m people reserving a refund for it for practical things like food . the capacity was there was a large on a page spread in the plain dealer the day of the event . the news media was there and reported kindly  on the events .  I will really truly never know what changed or why people were not spenders this year. 

a mental note to myself is that if I do participate in pop up pearl next year I will have a tent on the street as opposed to a booth in a storefront . 

thank you to everyone who did visit me .  please know that you encourage me greatly .

But at the center of my purpose for this post was to discuss consistency.  I strive to be consistent with my products my marketing and my advertising .   Tremont Art and Culture Festival has been one that maintains a steadfast consistency each year.  The operations are fine tuned.  Vendors (art) are carefully juried, reducing the rummaged sale and made in China products.  Artists are concentrated in a village with food in another location.  Predictably the crowds come, and the buying public support local art. 

The pop up crowd did not seem to be an arts buying crowd.  But it also brought down the market to have rummaged sale tents.

As a vendor I am at the mercy of the planner of the event to discern through the many applicants and filter carefully to ensure quality, and minimize the Chinese resale junk.  Some do well, maintaining a high level of artistic, hand made quality, and some not so much. 

As an artist I am competing with a deep discount mindset…..most people are financially driven, opting for cheapest price over quality.  Thankfully some will see the hard work, skill and labor involved in what we do, and appreciate its worth.   So the rummaged sale/cheap Chinese imports just play to the “cheaper is better” mindset.

Getting ready for the summer.

Pop up pearl is now behind us and thoughts turn to our outdoor gear…tent, tables, and bigger racks.   Yeah, we love the adventure of summer fairs and festivals.  

Our focus is turning to Saturday and “A day in the country market” in beautiful Burton Ohio.  We will be setting up our tent right on the square near the log cabin .  we look forward to seeing a familiar faces from last year and enjoying the company of civil war reenactors who will be at century village . 

we have been working hard to create product .  Our soap inventory is well stocked , plenty of hand dyed silk scarves including the new 90 inch gossamer silk , and finally, yes, the Reblooming bags are back .

Gossemer silk is a new item for me, but it is very ultra light silk which is ideal for summer. 

We loved our time in Burton so much that we told a lot of our array friends.  So try to stop out and visit.  The civil war will be rumbling on at Century Village and if you are looking for a good cup of coffee and wonderful pastries you have to visit Coffee Corner, located in downtown Burton.

Are you a new vendor? Part 1

While we are only at this for a bit over a year, at each show it seems we run into more people who have just started out, and have lots of questions, or are looking for their way into the marketplace. 

This is hopefully one of a few blog posts on ideas, suggestions, things we have learned, and hopefully helpful direction.  Steve and I believe strongly in the idea of sharing what we know with others, and forming alliances with other enterpreneurs.  Some of the most amazing leads or directions we have gotten have come from others working their business.  So first tip – no business stands on its own – find friends, build alliances, and encourage each other.

1.  Sit down and write a business plan.  (I know, you are probably saying business what?)  A business plan is simply a document that you list  your plan, and how you will accomplish it.  The US Government offers a wonderful bit of information on how to write one, and the best news is it is free.    Click this link to visit the page and learn more about writing your business plan.

2.  Honestly evaluate the market for your item.  I can tell you for example that hand dyed silk is a very boutique/art market, and often at many of the shows we do the silk does not sell.  However, when we target higher end juried shows my silk flies off the racks.  So ask your self who your products appeal to…. are they women, men, young people, kids?   Part of the work of the business plan is to try to figure this out.  This will save you time and effort trying to test markets….

3. Be honest in evaluating the costs of your products…. the raw materials, the packaging, the time invested.  And analyze what the market might bear for your product.  One good source of comparison quickly is etsy.com or artfire.com.  When we evaluated the price per bar of our soap we knew what our base cost to break even was, but wanted to see what the going rate seemed to be online.  The price we had calculated for our soap was right in the middle of the range charged on etsy.

4, Your price is your price – Early on in our business a wise art business woman told me that universal pricing is a very important practice to adhere to.  Universal pricing states that the price you set your product at will remain the price wherever it is sold, whether online, at a fair, festival or outdoor market, or in a gallery.  OK, for those of us who have begun getting our product into galleries you will know they take between 30-50% as a commission for selling your products.  Think your pricing out and then stick to it, take the hit on the commission… but keep your integrety of the price being the same wherever your customer finds you.  Take off your business owner hat, put on the customer hat, and i think you will agree that you don’t want to be charged more for something just because the item is at one event, or gallery!!!  Your price is your price.  We have found a loyal following of customers because of this.  It works.

5.  Get your transient vendor license from the state of Ohio (if you live in ohio).  Transient, by definition, means you are transporting your goods, setting it up somewhere, and that is temporary.  Click on this link to visit the page at the State of Ohio website for details.

6.  Part of the business plan is the budget.  Here is a list of things we set aside funds for:

• Supplies for manufacturing your product (ongoing)
• Packaging supplies for your product  (ongoing)
• Tables  – Sam’s or Costco has lovely folding tables
• Table Cloths – Get something that will wash well, simple, and will not take from your product.  We use commercial grade black tablecloths.  I keep at least 3 in my bag.
• A large tote for your equipment.  I happened to have sold a catalog product at one time, and have a large tote with big handles, multiple pockets… suitable for holding different things, like signs, small racks, and table cloths.
• A plastic tote with necessary items like pens, paper clips, clamps, business cards, tape, glue, scissors, hole punch, ball of twine…. all those little things that oops – you just may need.
• A 2 or 4 wheel cart – As your busiess grows you will find that a cart is helpful to unload and reload your products from car to venue.   Harbor freight has a lovely cart  (downside is small wheels) for $30.00
• A banner – Make one, or have one printed.  Because we sell silk i hand dyed one myself. 
• Business cards – the cheapest is vistaprint, but i would encourage you to pay for them, and go for a style that not everyone is using… stand out. 
• A 10ft x 10ft pop up tent – again, sams or costco sell an easy up tent that is solid, well constructed, and will survive an outdoor show season.  Get one with side walls that can be attached… very important if you set up for a multiple day show and need to secure your tent.
• If you are doing the tent, 4 huge cinder blocks to anchor the corners of your tent. (I have also seen people make weights out of 4 inch pvc pipe, filled with concrete and a big anchor bold at the top…whatever works for you. Outdoor shows can pose new issues, like wind, and weather…. and the last thing you want is your tent rolling down the street taking out everything in its wake!  Weigh down those corners. 
• 1-2 comfortable chairs – there will be time sitting around – get comfortable!!!!
• a cash box
• Bags…. paper, or plastic, but have something to put your products in.  Write on them if you wish, or buy printed ones.  We are big fans of uline.com and have found they sell quality items, relatively affordable, and quick delivery. 
• A small notebook for collecting names and addresses for your mailing list.  – Nothing fancy, but just an opportunity for people who are interested to stay in touch with you.

OK, this is part one…. and it is my hope to write sequels with additional information, at least once a week.  If you have questions, or comments please feel free to comment. 

 

Wire Crochet/ Reblooming Bags for Pop Up

My little fingers have been flying with a crochet hook, working on getting some of my more unique wire crochet jewelry pieces created for saturday’s Pop Up Pearl. 

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So the Reblooming bags need buttons, labels, and lining…. which will happen tonight.  The wire crochet is done, for now…. however i do have to adhere the pin backs to them.  I adventured into a few wire crochet earrings, to match the bracelets… we shall see what happens with them.  And my experiment is wire wrapped necklaces on a black faux suede cord.  I really like how the light blue shell ones turned out… but that is what i had in large beads.   So again, an experiment.

I have silk dying and in various stages of drying… photos to follow tomorrow.  I am rolling out gossimer silk 90″ scarves…. wonderful around the neck, as a waiste sash, or just about any way you would like to embellish yourself.  The silk is very light and airy…. and lends to a more airy dying process.   I promise photos to follow.

We are both excited for the actual day of Pop Up Pearl.  Steve is busy organizing the Blues and Barbeque portion of the festival, and coordinating all of the help from Grace Church.  4 cases of ribs are ordered, and our house smells like pork central with him having smoked and slow roasted 6 large pork butts so far for pulled pork.  All the pork is packed and frozen awaiting saturday. 

So you will find Steve in the grass area between Mr E and the vacant restaurant (formerly Theo’s) … just follow the smoke to the grills where he will be celebrating all things blues and barbeque.

And you will find me, and the Images in Bloom booth in the Cavana Building, in the vacant storefront with the awning marked “Truely Carpet”.  We promise to chalk the sidewalks to point the way to our shop.  Please visit.  Mention this blog and I have a small surprise for you!!!

Saturday – May 19th Noon to Dusk – Pearl Road from the Zoo to the Library in good Old Brooklyn!!!!

Spin In at Pop Up Pearl

I am so excited that my friend, Linda Zeiter, has gathered many of her fellow spinners together, and they will be having a spin in at pop up pearl.  What is a spin in?  Really?

Yes, Linda is going to be demonstrating how to spin fleece into yarn. It is a delicate and skillful hand that can create functional and beautiful yarns from the wool of animals and Linda has worked with so many different types of animal fur and fleece. 

So when you visit pop up pearl be sure to stop and ask Linda to show you the ball of golden retriever yarn she spun for a friend… and I know you will soon learn that there is a whole world of skilled hands and strong hand eye coordinated people spinning amazing things.

Pop Up Pearl Countdown

We have less than 1 week to the long anticipated 2nd Annual Pop Up Pearl Complete Street Festival…. so much excitement, so many great things arriving for a day of festivities:

• 65 artists and vendors
• 3 seperate music venues – including Blues at the Blues and BBQ, various artists in front of the two churches, and a dj at the pop up skate park
• a pop up park, fully landscaped for the day
• food trucks
• ice cream vendors
• kids zone
• chalk artist
• skateboard park
• parking space design contest…. you gotta see this.
• wild about old brooklyn art contest winners
• and so much more….

Want to learn more… visit the official website:

POP UP PEARL-A complete Street Fair