Sooooooo, I was doing so good. From January to about May I didn't go to Walmart but I think one time? Well, I have gone about three times over the summer. Twice because my father (who I drive on errands because of his vision) insisted on going. But at least once I went on my own volition. I admit, I was lured by the back to school prices. I happened to be in Mississippi where the state tax is lower and had an opportunity to be child free during back to school shopping. I was weak, I caved. But I did save...
Overall, it's not been hard to avoid it. I use Target, grocery stores, Amazon (GREAT prices on Gluten Free foods if you need them! Organic too.) Wal-Mart is fairly easy to avoid.
Will I go back to shopping there when this experiment is over? Probably. But probably not at the frequency I was before. I buy less STUFF by not going there because I focus on locally owned grocery stores. I'd rather put my money in a family owned local business than a huge conglomerate. I'm blessed with a variety of stores to choose from, I realize not everyone has that choice. I appreciate the deals WM affords people, I just wanted to see if I COULD do it. Admittedly, it's not easy and I've not gone COMPLETELY without shopping at WM, but I've done pretty good.
Thanks for following my journey! I'll do a final update at the end of the year.
~~Amy
The Hesitant Homeschooler....Mama's Little Monkeys
Showing posts with label experiment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label experiment. Show all posts
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Year Without Wal-Mart Check In
Well, so far so good. I've done several shopping trip this month and not had to set foot in WM once. If you've no idea what I'm talking about, read my previous post here.
I've not even noticed a difference so far. I've used the local grocery stores, Amazon, and Sam's Club (yes, I am keeping Sam's because I already paid for the membership, I'm not throwing money away. There are also some business expense items I get there.)
I seem to have still spent the normal amount, no more then usual, for my groceries. Sure I've noticed some things are more costly at local grocery stores, but even if I pay 1.50 for taco seasoning versus .50.....it's still a savings when I don't buy 20.00 worth of nonsense stuff I can't resist!
I shall keep you posted, but so far, so good!
~~Amy
I've not even noticed a difference so far. I've used the local grocery stores, Amazon, and Sam's Club (yes, I am keeping Sam's because I already paid for the membership, I'm not throwing money away. There are also some business expense items I get there.)
I seem to have still spent the normal amount, no more then usual, for my groceries. Sure I've noticed some things are more costly at local grocery stores, but even if I pay 1.50 for taco seasoning versus .50.....it's still a savings when I don't buy 20.00 worth of nonsense stuff I can't resist!
I shall keep you posted, but so far, so good!
~~Amy
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Tasty Tuesday: Gluten Free King Cake
Okay, so I hate cooking. But I love to bake. I figure if I must slave in the kitchen, sugar should be involved, right?
Well one thing I miss terribly since going Gluten Free over 6 years ago, is King Cake. Our family doesn't even celebrate Mardi Gras but I LOVED king cake.
So, I wanted to attempt a GF version.
Now, if you eat GF you know, what you make GF is never EXACTLY like the original. I've accepted that and a new level of dessert contentment helps me accept that!
(Please excuse my photos, it was an overcast day and the lighting in the kitchen is awful)
This is ONLY GLUTEN FREE. If you have other allergies, you'll have to make your substitutions.
Ingredients:
Chebe Cinnamon Bread Mix and required ingredients for basic recipe (on box)
Cream Cheese Filling (optional):
8 oz Cream Cheese
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp lemon zest (I didn't have this and it was fine)
1 tsp vanilla
Icing:
3 TBSP soft butter
4 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4-6 TBSP milk
Now there are other icing recipes that involve only powdered sugar and lemon juice, but I had no juice, so I found this one. Worked for me.
DIRECTIONS:
Make cinnamon chebe (which is delicious by the way), as directed on box. I doubled the recipe to make two separate king cakes. If you want a larger king cake you could double the recipe and roll the dough, intertwining it like you would a bread.
But I digress, make the chebe bread as directed to the nearly last step about rolling it and cutting. This is where you decide how you want to design your king cake. You can make 'mini' king cakes by continuing in their directions and basically making a cinnamon roll with king cake toppings. I rolled mine flat as directed then cut it in half. Then I rolled each piece into a 'log' and connected it to make a circle (traditional king cake shape).
The dough was a little skinny, but that was fine with me.
(by the way, it is NOT pretty by any stretch of the imagination)
IF you want the cream cheese filling, make the filling then insert it in the dough BEFORE YOU ROLL IT. To make the filing just beat the filling ingredients until smooth.
Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.
Once out of the oven, I prefer to let it cool a bit. I left the blue/green cake cool, I did not let the red/yellow cake, and you can see the difference when you pour on the icing.
To make the icing:
Beat the butter until softened. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat, gradually adding milk until a glaze consistency is achieved.
Okay, I'll be honest, I totally didn't do it this way because I didn't read the directions first....I just put the butter, vanilla and milk in one bowl and added it straight to the powdered sugar. When I started beating it, it didn't glaze up well so I just put a bit of milk in it until it reached glaze consistency. Still worked out okay.
Pour icing on top of king cakes and then add colored granulated sugar on top.
Enjoy!!
VERDICT: No, it's NOT the same as Randazzo's or Rouses's king cake, but until they make a GF version, it's better than others I've tried. I DO NOT KNOW how it will turn out if you change anything for allergy reasons. I'm hoping the cream cheese one is better after it sets up a bit because the cream cheese still tasted warm when I tried it, and I'd rather it be cooler. I'll be sure to try it again tonight just to check :)
Well one thing I miss terribly since going Gluten Free over 6 years ago, is King Cake. Our family doesn't even celebrate Mardi Gras but I LOVED king cake.
So, I wanted to attempt a GF version.
Now, if you eat GF you know, what you make GF is never EXACTLY like the original. I've accepted that and a new level of dessert contentment helps me accept that!
(Please excuse my photos, it was an overcast day and the lighting in the kitchen is awful)
This is ONLY GLUTEN FREE. If you have other allergies, you'll have to make your substitutions.
Ingredients:
Chebe Cinnamon Bread Mix and required ingredients for basic recipe (on box)
Cream Cheese Filling (optional):
8 oz Cream Cheese
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp lemon zest (I didn't have this and it was fine)
1 tsp vanilla
Icing:
3 TBSP soft butter
4 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4-6 TBSP milk
Now there are other icing recipes that involve only powdered sugar and lemon juice, but I had no juice, so I found this one. Worked for me.
DIRECTIONS:
Make cinnamon chebe (which is delicious by the way), as directed on box. I doubled the recipe to make two separate king cakes. If you want a larger king cake you could double the recipe and roll the dough, intertwining it like you would a bread.
But I digress, make the chebe bread as directed to the nearly last step about rolling it and cutting. This is where you decide how you want to design your king cake. You can make 'mini' king cakes by continuing in their directions and basically making a cinnamon roll with king cake toppings. I rolled mine flat as directed then cut it in half. Then I rolled each piece into a 'log' and connected it to make a circle (traditional king cake shape).
The dough was a little skinny, but that was fine with me.
(by the way, it is NOT pretty by any stretch of the imagination)
IF you want the cream cheese filling, make the filling then insert it in the dough BEFORE YOU ROLL IT. To make the filing just beat the filling ingredients until smooth.
Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.
Once out of the oven, I prefer to let it cool a bit. I left the blue/green cake cool, I did not let the red/yellow cake, and you can see the difference when you pour on the icing.
To make the icing:
Beat the butter until softened. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat, gradually adding milk until a glaze consistency is achieved.
Okay, I'll be honest, I totally didn't do it this way because I didn't read the directions first....I just put the butter, vanilla and milk in one bowl and added it straight to the powdered sugar. When I started beating it, it didn't glaze up well so I just put a bit of milk in it until it reached glaze consistency. Still worked out okay.
Pour icing on top of king cakes and then add colored granulated sugar on top.
Enjoy!!
VERDICT: No, it's NOT the same as Randazzo's or Rouses's king cake, but until they make a GF version, it's better than others I've tried. I DO NOT KNOW how it will turn out if you change anything for allergy reasons. I'm hoping the cream cheese one is better after it sets up a bit because the cream cheese still tasted warm when I tried it, and I'd rather it be cooler. I'll be sure to try it again tonight just to check :)
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
A Year Without Wal-Mart
DISCLAIMER: This blog is not affiliated with Wal-Mart or any of it's trademarks, names, places, employees, or stores. I have NOTHING against Wal-Mart and have been a faithful shopper there as long as I've had money to spend! This is merely a social experiment and blog project. Please don't sue me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have spent a LOT of money in Wal-Mart (WM) over the years. The lure of the place is amazing. Everything you need in one, giant building. But, can I go one year without shopping in Wal-Mart?
First off, this will be very difficult because I take my disabled father grocery shopping once every 2 weeks or so, and normally we go to WM. However...that doesn't mean *I* need to shop that day. I can merely be a chauffeur and cart pusher.
Second, I am starting this challenge not because I have some bone to pick with WM as a big, giant conglomerate or big business. I actually am a fan of big business. Especially a big business started by one little man with a dream. Has the final product changed from his original vision? Sure. But that's to be expected as time goes on and he is no longer around to run it. But this project has nothing to do with politics, fighting for anything or against anything. I do not care to Occupy Wall Street or Un-Occupy Wall Street. I run my own handmade business, so I understand the need, desire, drive to push products and sell an item. I'm down with that. Me and Sam Walton are A-Ok.
Third, some people that I care for very much work or have worked for Wal-Mart. This project has nothing to do with those people and they should know I love them and they can still bring me half price candy anytime... :)
I am starting this challenge because, A) my husband thinks I spend too much money at WM. B) I WOULD rather buy local or handmade. C) I just want to see if I CAN.
So here's a little background of my family and hometown situation and rules I'll set forth for myself:
We are a family of four, two adults and two kids, and one fat dog. We live in a fairly large town on the Northshore of New Orleans, LA and have plenty of access to local and chain grocery stores. I am an avid Amazon shopper (see, told you, no issues with big business.) Three of the four of us are Gluten Free.
I can do this.
RULES:
1.) I am allowed to set FOOT in WM. As I said, I need to take my father grocery shopping, and he may need to go to WM.
2.) If I must shop in WM, I must account for it here and confess WHY I had to. (and could I really have avoided it?).
3.) I must keep receipts of all money spent, so we can attempt to compare to previous year's Wal-Mart purchases. Not necessarily, to share all my financial business with you all (although, I do heart you all, you don't need to know EVERYTHING!) But for myself so I can see if I notice a significant difference in our budget. My husband does the bills so really he will be the one to notice this.
4.) This will all tie in my goal of "A Handmade Year," which involves, making what I can make, buying handmade what I cannot make, and buying local what cannot be handmade. Also, doing without if it cannot fit any of those descriptions.
5.) I still get to go to Target, because, well, I love my Target and you can't make me not go. Baby steps, baby steps.
Think I can do it? Want to join the challenge with me? Think I'll lose money? Save money?
I admit...I'm scared. I'll probably make one last maniacal Wal-Mart run on December 31st, just to do it...
I don't suspect I will miss it terribly. I think once I get used to changing my shopping ways, it won't be that bad.
It is on like Donkey Kong.
I'm on a mission...
The challenge starts January 1st.
~~Amy
Pin It
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have spent a LOT of money in Wal-Mart (WM) over the years. The lure of the place is amazing. Everything you need in one, giant building. But, can I go one year without shopping in Wal-Mart?
First off, this will be very difficult because I take my disabled father grocery shopping once every 2 weeks or so, and normally we go to WM. However...that doesn't mean *I* need to shop that day. I can merely be a chauffeur and cart pusher.
Second, I am starting this challenge not because I have some bone to pick with WM as a big, giant conglomerate or big business. I actually am a fan of big business. Especially a big business started by one little man with a dream. Has the final product changed from his original vision? Sure. But that's to be expected as time goes on and he is no longer around to run it. But this project has nothing to do with politics, fighting for anything or against anything. I do not care to Occupy Wall Street or Un-Occupy Wall Street. I run my own handmade business, so I understand the need, desire, drive to push products and sell an item. I'm down with that. Me and Sam Walton are A-Ok.
Third, some people that I care for very much work or have worked for Wal-Mart. This project has nothing to do with those people and they should know I love them and they can still bring me half price candy anytime... :)
I am starting this challenge because, A) my husband thinks I spend too much money at WM. B) I WOULD rather buy local or handmade. C) I just want to see if I CAN.
So here's a little background of my family and hometown situation and rules I'll set forth for myself:
We are a family of four, two adults and two kids, and one fat dog. We live in a fairly large town on the Northshore of New Orleans, LA and have plenty of access to local and chain grocery stores. I am an avid Amazon shopper (see, told you, no issues with big business.) Three of the four of us are Gluten Free.
I can do this.
RULES:
1.) I am allowed to set FOOT in WM. As I said, I need to take my father grocery shopping, and he may need to go to WM.
2.) If I must shop in WM, I must account for it here and confess WHY I had to. (and could I really have avoided it?).
3.) I must keep receipts of all money spent, so we can attempt to compare to previous year's Wal-Mart purchases. Not necessarily, to share all my financial business with you all (although, I do heart you all, you don't need to know EVERYTHING!) But for myself so I can see if I notice a significant difference in our budget. My husband does the bills so really he will be the one to notice this.
4.) This will all tie in my goal of "A Handmade Year," which involves, making what I can make, buying handmade what I cannot make, and buying local what cannot be handmade. Also, doing without if it cannot fit any of those descriptions.
5.) I still get to go to Target, because, well, I love my Target and you can't make me not go. Baby steps, baby steps.
Think I can do it? Want to join the challenge with me? Think I'll lose money? Save money?
I admit...I'm scared. I'll probably make one last maniacal Wal-Mart run on December 31st, just to do it...
I don't suspect I will miss it terribly. I think once I get used to changing my shopping ways, it won't be that bad.
It is on like Donkey Kong.
I'm on a mission...
The challenge starts January 1st.
~~Amy
Pin It
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Twas the Night Before Disconnecting....
and all through the house, not a monkey was stirring...because after a loooooooooooooong, exhausting day, my glorious husband took them out of the house for a couple of hours. I. Love. Him.
Well, if you've not read by now, I'm taking a month long break from social networking. I will still be online for a short period of time: 1x a day to check shops/package orders, check email and blog progress! That's it! No facebook, no shopping online, no twitter, no googling....this is going to hurt...
I have to say....already I'm going to miss my friends. I know some people scoff when they hear "online friends." They think, really how can you REALLY be friends with people you've never met?
But you can! No, I may not have met them all, or even necessarily know (or remember) their last names...but I KNOW them. I know their favorite mediums to work with. I know if they are addicted to watching Dr. Who. I know if they struggle with money. I know if they have children who they love but drive them crazy. I know if they are going through a divorce. I know because they tell me. Because they share their lives with me through the various forms of social networking and forums available in our tech-filled world.
So, yes, I have online friends. I have casual acquaintances as well, people I know due to the Six Degrees of Separation philosophy. But I do truly have friends. Many of them are you, dear readers. You listen to me talk about my children, their up's and down's. You help me perfect my craft. You purchase my handmade items. You retweet links I share about children's charities, gluten free life, handmade and more. You read....and I assume you read because you ARE interested and you DO care.
Do not think this goes unnoticed. Do not think I do this for naught. I do blog partially for my own personal needs, to get it out, to practice my writing skills. But I also blog for you, my friends and strangers. I blog because maybe one of my tutorials will help a struggling mom at home make something cute for her child. Maybe my dealing with Eli's Autism will help another parent realize they are not alone. I blog because I can and need to.
So, I hope you understand this 'girl, disconnected' series is not to get away from any of my friends. It's not to find out if I NEED the internet...I know I do!! :) It's to help me refocus my personal family and business goals. It's an experiment to see if I can streamline my online time.
But I will miss it, I know it already. I know I will miss seeing my friends update their lives and share it with me. Several friends have already expressed how they'll miss me, and believe me I am touched, I really, truly am! I will miss you too!!
So stay tuned....I'll be blogging my jonesing for the net in a few days...or less.....
With Love...
Amy/mama
Well, if you've not read by now, I'm taking a month long break from social networking. I will still be online for a short period of time: 1x a day to check shops/package orders, check email and blog progress! That's it! No facebook, no shopping online, no twitter, no googling....this is going to hurt...
I have to say....already I'm going to miss my friends. I know some people scoff when they hear "online friends." They think, really how can you REALLY be friends with people you've never met?
But you can! No, I may not have met them all, or even necessarily know (or remember) their last names...but I KNOW them. I know their favorite mediums to work with. I know if they are addicted to watching Dr. Who. I know if they struggle with money. I know if they have children who they love but drive them crazy. I know if they are going through a divorce. I know because they tell me. Because they share their lives with me through the various forms of social networking and forums available in our tech-filled world.
So, yes, I have online friends. I have casual acquaintances as well, people I know due to the Six Degrees of Separation philosophy. But I do truly have friends. Many of them are you, dear readers. You listen to me talk about my children, their up's and down's. You help me perfect my craft. You purchase my handmade items. You retweet links I share about children's charities, gluten free life, handmade and more. You read....and I assume you read because you ARE interested and you DO care.
Do not think this goes unnoticed. Do not think I do this for naught. I do blog partially for my own personal needs, to get it out, to practice my writing skills. But I also blog for you, my friends and strangers. I blog because maybe one of my tutorials will help a struggling mom at home make something cute for her child. Maybe my dealing with Eli's Autism will help another parent realize they are not alone. I blog because I can and need to.
So, I hope you understand this 'girl, disconnected' series is not to get away from any of my friends. It's not to find out if I NEED the internet...I know I do!! :) It's to help me refocus my personal family and business goals. It's an experiment to see if I can streamline my online time.
But I will miss it, I know it already. I know I will miss seeing my friends update their lives and share it with me. Several friends have already expressed how they'll miss me, and believe me I am touched, I really, truly am! I will miss you too!!
So stay tuned....I'll be blogging my jonesing for the net in a few days...or less.....
With Love...
Amy/mama
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Renewal Experiment Results...
Okay. I hate numbers. I need an accountant! Thankfully my friend AvalonStudios helped me run these numbers and I trust her! :) So go check her shop out because without her mad math skills, this experiment would have died out!
Alrighty, in case you've forgotten here was my plan.
Renew the SAME item on Etsy at various times of the day for 1 month. I ended up skipping every Saturday because that's my 'churchin' day and I didn't want to turn into a pumpkin for doing work on the Sabbath. But it all evened out to more than 30 renewals because I listed new stuff on occasion also.
Now these are numbers ONLY from my Mama's Little Monkeys Etsy shop. TECHNICALLY my sales went up on Detash City also, BUT I can't prove it was from the renewal without drowning in hellish data from Google Analytics and honestly there's not enough vodka to make me do that. So since the test was really ONLY for the MLM Etsy shop, that is what we'll look at.
I started on 10/25/09 and went until 11/25/09. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I started selling more nearly as soon as I started renewing.
Here's the rundown:
Total Sales Without Shipping (as shipping is not profit): 166.00
Total Fees (not shipping but, relisting, renewing, transaction fees): 25.08
Total "Profit": 140.92
That looks great to me.
At first.
Here's the thoughts on this:
So what is one to do about this? Obviously sales went up when I started renewing. Ironically the very item I kept renewing (I renewed the same one to keep it consistent) NEVER EVER SOLD. EH??? So renewing, in theory, seems to equal sales. But at what cost?
Now, granted, I don't do this to roll in the dough. I do it because I like to create, I like to do something JUST for me, I like the online community, I enjoy the challenge and I generally enjoy doing it.
But what if I did NOT like it? I'd be slaving for 1.45 an hour?
So here's my plan:
Continually to occasionally relist. I have built a decent customer base, and there are items I repeatedly sell like my Swiffer pads. I will continue to promote my Artfire shop MORE than my Etsy shop (since I don't pay any fees there and I like AF better. There I said it!) and that is where my domain links to.
I have multiple shops, and those kind of take care of themselves. My soap shop is really more to show to wholesale inquiries because that's how I prefer to sell soap. My flower pens are just there...if they sell, they sell! :) Again, good for wholesale inquiries. My destash shops are a combo of purging my multiplying piles of supplies and of providing decent handmade supplies to other artisans.
Here are my thoughts for other artisans:
I hope this helps some!! Remember to do what you love and love doing it!
~~Amy/Mama
Alrighty, in case you've forgotten here was my plan.
Renew the SAME item on Etsy at various times of the day for 1 month. I ended up skipping every Saturday because that's my 'churchin' day and I didn't want to turn into a pumpkin for doing work on the Sabbath. But it all evened out to more than 30 renewals because I listed new stuff on occasion also.
Now these are numbers ONLY from my Mama's Little Monkeys Etsy shop. TECHNICALLY my sales went up on Detash City also, BUT I can't prove it was from the renewal without drowning in hellish data from Google Analytics and honestly there's not enough vodka to make me do that. So since the test was really ONLY for the MLM Etsy shop, that is what we'll look at.
I started on 10/25/09 and went until 11/25/09. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I started selling more nearly as soon as I started renewing.
Here's the rundown:
Total Sales Without Shipping (as shipping is not profit): 166.00
Total Fees (not shipping but, relisting, renewing, transaction fees): 25.08
Total "Profit": 140.92
That looks great to me.
At first.
Here's the thoughts on this:
- It cost me 25 bucks to run that ONE Etsy shop for the 30 day period.
- It costs me, well, zero to run my MLM Artfire shop because I write for HandmadeNews and get a free verified account. I do pay for my Destash shop on Artfire. For ten bucks a month for 2010. BUT the sales were not the same on AF for that time period. Just a fraction of what they were on Etsy.
- That 140.92 in profit then has to factor in these things: the times I undercharged on shipping and I had to eat the shipping; the items I sold at clearance just to get them out of the house; cost of materials and time.
- I would have to sit down and really figure out the time it takes to create the items sold, and it varies. But for the sake of argument, let's say I sew/craft/work on the business for approximately 4 hours a day. Which is true. I may not be sewing that whole time, but I'm packaging, shipping, creating, promoting, organizing, doing books, etc. That's 24 hours of work a week (6 days a week) for 96 hours for 30 days. So, if I divide 96 into 140 I get about 1.45 an hour I got paid.
- 1.45. Really?
- I mean for real, I could work at fast food here and make 8 bucks an hour STARTING pay! (we pay a lot post Katrina).
- And I haven't even factored in taxes in this equation. I need more vodka before I do that.
So what is one to do about this? Obviously sales went up when I started renewing. Ironically the very item I kept renewing (I renewed the same one to keep it consistent) NEVER EVER SOLD. EH??? So renewing, in theory, seems to equal sales. But at what cost?
Now, granted, I don't do this to roll in the dough. I do it because I like to create, I like to do something JUST for me, I like the online community, I enjoy the challenge and I generally enjoy doing it.
But what if I did NOT like it? I'd be slaving for 1.45 an hour?
So here's my plan:
Continually to occasionally relist. I have built a decent customer base, and there are items I repeatedly sell like my Swiffer pads. I will continue to promote my Artfire shop MORE than my Etsy shop (since I don't pay any fees there and I like AF better. There I said it!) and that is where my domain links to.
I have multiple shops, and those kind of take care of themselves. My soap shop is really more to show to wholesale inquiries because that's how I prefer to sell soap. My flower pens are just there...if they sell, they sell! :) Again, good for wholesale inquiries. My destash shops are a combo of purging my multiplying piles of supplies and of providing decent handmade supplies to other artisans.
Here are my thoughts for other artisans:
- Use multiple venues to see which fit is right for you.
- Etsy needs to lay off the damn transaction fees. 3.5% is too high when you sell an item for a high value! If you sell and item for 50.00 you paid 1.75 in a transaction fee, plus listing fee (and how many times did you pay to renew it?) PLUS paypal fees. Sure it SOUNDS like just pennies but when you start to add the up, your profit goes down and down.
- Artfire needs to step up the promotion. Sure they are growing, but they need to compete with Etsy. Etsy is still not a household name, although it is growing more and more popular. I have seen it mentioned in magazines at least once per month. Where is Artfire's mentions? I am the first to say that Artfire is doing a fantastic job in keeping sellers happy, making our jobs easier. BUT if we don't have buyers to promote to...what's the point? Etsy has buyers for us but crappy service, crappy favoritism, and admins to laugh at.
- If you have a big enough customer base, consider just running your own website or domain. Or if you only sell for wholesale purposes, list your items and renew only when absolutely necessary. Then you can keep your Etsy bill low.
- Renew responsibly. The item I renewed was my Chalk Cloth bag. Thus far, no one else on Etsy in the first 10 pages of searches has one just like me. They have bags SIMILAR but no one has a lined back made of chalk cloth that holds a pack of chalk and wipe. Is it because of this unique item that I stayed on top? Would this renewal experiment have worked if I sold jewelry? Look at your competition and see what you have that is unique to renew. (but not SO unique no one thinks to search for it.
- Get on TEAMS! Build your prescence online! Get your name out there!! Build friendships, comradarie and have FUN! If this isn't fun, why are you doing it?
- Get prepared for competition. As handmade venues grow and grow (and you should also anticipate it might burst at some point) you need to stay current and on top of trends. Sites like Etsy are being touted in magazines as a great way for people to make side money. If you sell jewelry and 100 new jewelry stores open up ever day on Etsy, where does that leave you?
- Be prepared to step away and say goodbye. If you are going in debt, not enjoying this, and it's stressing you, it is okay to take a break. Put your shops on vacation, take a break, and get back to creating because you LOVE to create, not for the almighty dollar.
I hope this helps some!! Remember to do what you love and love doing it!
~~Amy/Mama
Sunday, October 25, 2009
A Renewing Experiment
So, I have a bit of a cold/flu thing this weekend and in my dayquil induced stupor, I pondered an idea. As my old buddy Rockerchic did once upon a time, and in an effort for an idea for an upcoming article for Handmade News, I would start the Great Renewal Experiement. (Nifty title still in the works.)
My plan: On my Etsy shop, www.mamaslittlemonkeys.etsy.com I would spend the next 30 days renewing ONE particular item. I may renew other items if they are about to expire..I may not. (I just renewed some things ABOUT To expire.) So today is day one. The item in question which I shall renew EVERY DAY is:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29450234 My Chalk Cloth Bag. At this time, Oct. 25th, when you search "chalk cloth bag" on etsy.com you find 27 results. 10 of which are not mine. The other 17 are either my finished Chalk Cloth bags, or the pattern/DIY Kit I have for sale in my Destash shop. And of the 10 that are NOT mine, none look like mine. So I think this is good, it seems I have a unique item on a venue that is increasingly becoming NOT unique.
Now while I realize google searches are days old, so anything I renew, I won't see the effects of for some time, I also just searched google for "chalk cloth bag". Of the 457,000 results, on the front page, my DIY kit on ARTFIRE ranks number one. My etsy listings? Zilch on the first three pages which in Googleland means I won't be found because no one really looks past the first two pages.
So, the point? Well, it appears I have a unique item that if someone actually searched chalk cloth on Etsy, they would reasonably find me if I renewed every day right? So we shall see...DOES renewing every day actually get you sales? And at what cost? I will break down what this item costs me to make then factor in all the relisting and selling fees if it sells. I'll try not to be to boring but want to be accurate also.
So let the renewing madness begin...
~Amy
My plan: On my Etsy shop, www.mamaslittlemonkeys.etsy.com I would spend the next 30 days renewing ONE particular item. I may renew other items if they are about to expire..I may not. (I just renewed some things ABOUT To expire.) So today is day one. The item in question which I shall renew EVERY DAY is:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29450234 My Chalk Cloth Bag. At this time, Oct. 25th, when you search "chalk cloth bag" on etsy.com you find 27 results. 10 of which are not mine. The other 17 are either my finished Chalk Cloth bags, or the pattern/DIY Kit I have for sale in my Destash shop. And of the 10 that are NOT mine, none look like mine. So I think this is good, it seems I have a unique item on a venue that is increasingly becoming NOT unique.
Now while I realize google searches are days old, so anything I renew, I won't see the effects of for some time, I also just searched google for "chalk cloth bag". Of the 457,000 results, on the front page, my DIY kit on ARTFIRE ranks number one. My etsy listings? Zilch on the first three pages which in Googleland means I won't be found because no one really looks past the first two pages.
So, the point? Well, it appears I have a unique item that if someone actually searched chalk cloth on Etsy, they would reasonably find me if I renewed every day right? So we shall see...DOES renewing every day actually get you sales? And at what cost? I will break down what this item costs me to make then factor in all the relisting and selling fees if it sells. I'll try not to be to boring but want to be accurate also.
So let the renewing madness begin...
~Amy
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