Goals ? What goals ?

Goals? We had goals? Are you sure?

So, we're 1/3 of the way through 2010, how are you doing on your business goals for the year ?

On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being excellent), I've got to give myself about a 3. I had lofty goals but I feel like I've been grounded by my own form of volcanic ash -- just can't seem to get off the ground.

It seems when an obstacle popped up, I accepted it and sat back and relaxed instead of finding a way around it. Don't get me wrong, my sales for the year on a whole have been pretty good. My online sales have not.

I definitely have not stuck to my plans of listing at least one new thing or renewing an expired item in the shop each day. I'd do okay for about six days and then drop the ball.

I did not throw a lot of effort into promoting for Easter. (Okay, let's be honest, I did NO Easter promoting.) Mother's Day is almost upon us and I haven't pushed there either. Talk about missed opportunities !!

Not everything was a disaster.

I DID get a Facebook business page up and running ! (Something I set out to do almost a year ago.) A work-in-progress, it's been up and running for about a week now. Please stop in and check it out at www.facebook.com/Splashincrafts .

I DID reach out and find several new big swag bag opportunities. (This is a marketing approach I have found works well for me.)

While it started out as a personal goal as it is not really business oriented, I have to believe my new food blog, Splish'n'Splash Kitchen, will also be of some benefit to the business. I do plan to have a sidebar ad for the shop and will occasionally push one of my kitchen related products like an apron or potholder set. In any case, it is an accomplishment for me to boast about!

So, in review, I need to get busy, regroup and redirect my efforts. (Think I'll go list something in the shop !)

Are YOU on track for your goals?

Bits'n'Pieces

You never know who you'll spot at the Post Office "just taking care of business!"

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I've had some odds and ends of news and stuff floating around for a few days but had specific posts planned so just held them in. (I should have made some notes!)

Facebook:

First, and foremost, I FINALLY set up a Facebook Fan Page for my Estsy shop, Splashin!!! I started out to do this almost a year ago. At that time, I didn't set it up correctly and ended up simply canceling the account. Recently, after being begged by quite a few friends, I rejoined Facebook with a personal account and have had a ball reconnecting with old friends and setting up quicker communications with family members. (Most of the younger ones moved on from e-mail to Facebook quite a while ago.) It was those younger ones who were pushing me to get a Fan Page going.

As many of you know, Facebook requires you to have 25 Fans before allowing you to have a short page title. When you start out, it's a little bit of a complicated link with several parts and lots of numbers. Right now, 30 hours into this venture, I'm still a few short of that number but you can check out my page and Fan me if you'd like by clicking on the Facebook button on the left sidebar here. Or, you can click here and get there, too. Whichever you'd prefer, I'd love to have you stop by and check it out. Please let me know what you think of the page and what you'd like to see there, either by commenting on the Wall, leaving me a note here or even e-mailing me from the Splashin page.

Splish'n'Splash Kitchen:

In other news, I'm developing a second blog. This one will still be my daily spot to chat but I wanted a designated place to discuss food and everything related to food. Yes, I admit it. I AM A FOODIE. So, to deal with that fact of life, I'm diving into a food blog.

I'll be launching Splish'n'Splash Kitchen this weekend (probably on Sunday.) There will be a recipe from time to time but this will mostly be a place for food news, food humor, cooking tales - good and bad, family cooking and eating together, features about folks who are involved with food in some way or do a craft that is food oriented or inspired (I've already lined up a few of those.) I have some food events I plan to tell you about and maybe even a food game or two. The reviews of all those culinary mysteries I love to read, will now appear over there.

This will NOT be a low-fat venture!!!

I don't know if I'll be posting there daily but I hope to get something up at least 4 or 5 times a week. I've spent some time preparing some posts to start off with and I will be reprinting a few that have run here over the last two years, also. I hope you'll take a few minutes to check it out from time to time. I'll let you know which day it actually takes off.

BBQ Competitions:
We'll be judging at the first BBQ event of our season this weekend. Pork in the Park will take place in Salisbury, Maryland Friday through Sunday. This particular contest has grown quickly to become one of the largest competitions in the country and the biggest this side of the Mississippi. They are expecting 125 competitors this year.

Keep your fingers crossed that we'll have good weather. The first few years, this event was plagued by monsoon-like rains but last year was absolutely perfect and the crowds definitely turned out. Over 31,000 people came for the food, crafts, music and other entertainment. We're definitely ready for some great slow-cooked BBQ!!! It's been a long winter.


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There were some bits of national news that fired me up earlier in the week ("enraged" might be a better word) but I've had a few days to calm down and won't repeat my tirades here. ( My family and friends were already subjected to to that!)

Daylight Savings Time - We're Springing Forward....

Spring's coming. It really is!!! Time for fresh starts, new growth and pushing forward.

It's been a weekend of catching up with folks through some long phone calls and newsy emails. Maybe everybody is just waking up from winter's hibernation. Spring MUST be on its way - we turned the clocks forward. It was well worth sacrificing an hour's sleep to encourage Spring to get here soon!

I finished up a fair-sized order this weekend and it was picked up today. Good news is, I've got more orders to work on. Business has begun to awaken from its deep winter sleep. (It may have been in a coma as opposed to a nap!)

In the spirit of fresh starts, I think I've created a monster within myself. I reopened my Facebook account that I had closed last June. I've spent a lot of time logging on to see who has responded to my friend invites and actually catching up with some folks that I haven't had a chance to speak with recently. I haven't posted a lot there yet as I'm still getting the hang of it.

Last year, I found too few of my friends and family there and never really learned the gist of the whole thing. Now, many of those folks are on there and have settled in well. At the moment, I only have a regular personal page for friends and family. When I finally get a Fan Page set up for my shop, I'll let y'all know.



Then, when I should have been working on some merchandise or at least getting this blog together, I got into reading the many blogs I follow. It' so easy to get lost in that activity!!! I truly find it relaxing to read what everyone else is up to and commenting to so many.

I'm still working my way through the plan to visit with each and every one of my Followers. While many are already on my blog list, I constantly find new folks to follow. So much chatter, so little time!

Zhu Zhu Pets - A Social Networking Marketing Success

What's new? Kung Zhu !!

Ninja hamsters ?!? Yep.

In going over their phenomenal holiday success, Zhu Zhu Pet creators realized their little mechanical pets had a bigger appeal to girls than boys. (Winning "Toy of the Year" accolades, they also took the title of "Best Girls Toy" at the 107th American International Toy Fair last week in New York City.) So, how do they grab the other half of the market while still appealing to their original fans?

They evolve ... and, they multiply! (Just like the real thing!)

With only four of the fuzzy, squeaky little critters last season the family is definitely expanding. More than 40 new hamsters will hit the market in 2010. Joining "Mr. Squiggles" and "Pipsqueak" will be "Pax", "Kingston", "Rider" and "Roxie", Zhu Zhu Rockstars ! They'll be long-haired with A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E !! A smart chip gives each their own distinct personality but they won't interact with each other.

Then, there's the Kung Zhu crowd aimed at 8 - 12 year-old boys. These will be split into two battle groups - "Ninja Warriors" and "Special Forces." Again, a smart chip will create both good and evil action figures. They can be "trained" to change their personality from cute and mild-mannered to fighting, battling warriors. (Now, not to create a stereotype, but this appeals to boys!!) They'll feature snap-on armor, weapons, vehicles and even an arena called the "battledome" to fight in. The catch? You never know who will win. (Okay, I'll admit it. Our little lady will definitely want these! So, she isn't dainty!!)

Tiring of hamsters? Then check out the Zhu Zhu Wild Bunch - "Stinky" (you guessed it - a skunk), "Sweetie" (bunny), "Rocco" (raccoon) and a hedgehog (to be named later). There will be more playsets, hamster-powered cars and boats, even beauty salons. The critters, themselves, will still be under $10.00 with accessories going for as much as $30.00.

So, what made Zhu Zhu Pets such a hit?

Well, most obviously the price. then, there was the almost lifelike unpredictable activity involved. Everybody wants to see what they'll do next. All the fun of a pet without the mess, cost of feeding and responsibility. When you tire of it, throw it in the toy box for a while.

The big story here, though, was the marketing !!!

Ultimately, the general public hit the cyber world and pushed these crazy little rodents to the top of almost every kid's Christmas list! Sales took off mostly on the word of parents raving about them online in social network settings. Mom's tweeted about their sweet appeal and where they got them. Facebook friends shared the news and passed the word. Parents blogged about their antics and how adorable they were. Other media lifted this info from the web and put it into print and audio broadcasts. Demand went up, supplies got tighter. Moms, standing in line to get the precious little items (many stores limited purchases to 2 to a customer) tweeted to all their followers where they had found them. Word spread like wildfire!! Sales went over the top!

With the introduction of the many new characters, I foresee a collectible market much like Beanie Babies.

Still wondering if Twitter and Facebook can help sales?

Just another sleepy Monday

Well, it was back to the old grind today. Or, at least it was supposed to be. I just couldn’t get my act together today. There was absolutely no motivation at all. I did most of the necessities but not all the stuff I should have done. We’ve got overnight guests arriving tomorrow morning again and I did nothing to prep for them except a little grocery shopping. I guess it’ll be a busy morning tomorrow.

The most important omission of the day was not working on my Etsy shop at all. I hardly even looked at it. There’s plenty to do like taking some photos, listing some of my new items and actually making more stock. In an attempt to justify my laziness today, I reminded myself I don’t like to list on Mondays. It seems so many people block load on Mondays that single items get lost immediately in the hubbub. I usually don’t list more than one item per day. However, I could have worked on production or at least done some promotional work. Nope, I was just lazy. No other explanation.

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A few months back, I told you I was trying an experiment to see how well Twitter worked for promotional purposes. I have to admit, it does get me views. I still believe more views will lead to more sales - eventually. I do now have one sale that found their way to my site through Twitter.

I will admit I do not spend all day sending Twitter notes. I try to do a few in the morning and a few sometime later in the day but I try to keep actual promotional plugs down to between 20% - 25% of my total Tweets for any one day. After all, it is a social network not a sales machine.

I also do not go out in search of Followers with all my energy. I know this flies in the face of my theory on more views = more sales as the standard train of thought is more Followers = more people to view your site. I just don’t think the various folks out there trying to push dating services, money making schemes, online marketing techniques, etc. are my target audience. I do pick and choose those folks I want to follow by reading their profiles and reviewing their recent posts. I have also chosen to unfollow a number of people whose messages push products or activities I am definitely not interested in, or spend all their time discussing dating, singles bars, etc. as I have nothing in common with them and I don’t think they are part of that target population I am going for. Some just get on my nerves by aimlessly posting the same one line sentence numerous times a day. I do have some faves that I do look forward to reading and have developed some dialogue with and I enjoy their posts.

All in all, I’m just not sure it is an efficient marketing tool. I plan to continue it for a while longer as I do enjoy posting there but I’m not sure it’s worthwhile from the business vantage point. If you’d like to follow me on Twitter, click here.

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I’m told I need to be active on Facebook now, too. I have a Facebook account but have not been active. At the moment, I just haven’t had the time. Maybe that will be my next universe to conquer.

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In the meantime, I’m planning to conquer the laundry in the morning and do a little straightening up before my company arrives. If I get up early, I could paint a bit, too!


Here’s hoping you were all a lot more creative and productive than me today.

More Bits'n' Pieces

Just a few more items I plan to post in http://www.splashin.etsy.com/ within the next few days.

The little school box holds some humorous “gag” type items (life saver, rubber band, etc.) that signify the various roles a teacher fulfills in our children’s lives. It makes a great “end of year” gift for

a favorite teacher. (The shop listing will include more details.)






The tray is wood and is coated with a polyurethane finish that can be wiped clean with a damp cloth.





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Facebook ???


I’m still a little stymied with the Facebook thing. Maybe I’m too old to learn this new trick. As I said yesterday, all suggestions for how to do Face book are welcome! Everybody keeps telling me I should “Twitter,” too. (I’m sooooo confused!) I’m still just learning my way around this blog thing.

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Upcoming Roadtrip --

We’re making plans to do our semi-annual drive West to visit the in-laws. It takes us about 20-22 hours actual drive time to go from home to Omaha, NE. We generally stay in a hotel at least one night each way although we did prove to ourselves once that we can do it in a day if necessary. (Actually, The Big Guy has done the straight through thing twice!) The first day is pretty grueling but we try to switch drivers every 100-150 miles and make frequent pit stops. We generally arrive by lunchtime the second day. While it is a long drive, it doesn’t do us in completely and we‘re usually ready for a full day of visiting when we get there. I’ll be totally computer free on that trip so I haven’t yet decided what to do about the blog. I’m thinking of preparing posts ahead of time that will automatically post each day. Have any of you done that? How has it worked for you? The other possibility is to have a few guest bloggers but I’m not sure just how that works so I need to do some research. Any thoughts on this issue?

Hope you're out there keeping the creative juices flowing this week!

Keeping up with my reputation (for unique gifts!)

So, we spent Saturday at a Birthday Bash for a pair of adorable one-year-old twins that are very important people in our lives. Thirty years ago, I set a precedent of giving really unique, handmade and personal gifts to their dad and he expects nothing less for his little ones. That "unique factor" has been a tough reputation to maintain over the years!!!!



After a lot of brainstorming, I finally came up with these personalized stools. The twins are both beginning walkers and climbers so it was important to have the stability factor these stools seem to offer. They're also low to the floor so there's less distance to fall! (They measure 11 3/4" x 11 3/4" and sit 8" high. A the base, the depth is 14" so they do sit solid.)

I haven't decided whether I'll list these in my Etsy shop yet. They are a lot more time consuming to produce than painting clothing, due to the great amount of prep work required on the wood base and the drying time involved for each coating of paint. Ultimately, it makes them a much pricier item and then shipping is considerably higher due to their bulk and weight. I'm still mulling all this over in my mind. What do you think?

In the meantime, I'm working on some new Spring outfits for the shop which I hope to get listed by the end of the week. So, stay tuned for a sneak preview. (They're too hard to photograph with wet paint, so I need to give them a little time today!)

In other business, everybody has been after me to "join Facebook" for quite a while. I took the plunge yesterday and signed up. Now, I'm totally confused!!!

I really don't get it but I had some folks sign up to be my friends! Yeah, I have friends!

I still haven't quite gotten the feel for it and I'm not sure how to post pictures and such on it. If anybody wants to give me advice, I'm open to suggestions.

My name on Facebook is "Splashin Crafts." I think I have a profile page and a business page set up, but I can't be entirely sure. It definitely isn't the easiest site to maneuver. I'm determined to conquer it but it might take me some time. I'll keep you posted.

Go out there and be creative today!!