Etsy Business Forum topics and life

Fellow Etsians, don't miss two threads in the Business Topics this AM (some very interesting ideas and points about balancing Etsy and life):
1- if you turn off the computer...
2- sell employment breakdown...
I also added a topic this AM to which I would love to hear your respnse:
3- who/what is your backup?

I love everything about having an Etsy shop - but, although I know self-employment is, by its very nature, all-encompassing, I didn't think about how much more true that is for a 24/7 world-wide shop! Finding that sweet spot between great customer service and response and having some downtime for yourself and your family is tricky!
A couple of things I try to keep in mind are:

• Turn off the cumputer during creative time.
• Good communication - let customers know you are thinking of them - even if it is not the minute they contact you. (scheduled regular times to communicate are as good as instant response for most things)
• My Etsy shop - or even the purchase someone made there - is not necessarily the #1 priority for the rest of the world!
• My back can only take so many hours at the sewing machine

I try to have a schedule for my self and my shop.
7:30-9:00 - On computer (drinking coffe): update blog, check convos, check GA, respond to overnight sales, plan day
9:00-9:15 - Turn off computer and get ready for work (I needed to add this 'cause I was still in my robe at 3:00 pm some days):get dressed, comb hair, etc
'til 1:00 - Studio time (trained myself ala Pavlov to pace according to NPR radio): work on new stuff, uninterupted.
1:00-2:00 - HEALTHY lunch while checking computer (also started after finding I was forgetting lunch and eating crap at 3:00): check for new convo, sales, renews, etc
2:00 - 6:00 - either back in studio, photosessions, or supply shopping/idea research: I try to consolodate getting out for supplies and ideas on Tuesdays and (if needed) Thursdays. Photo session are usually on Fridays for sure, and as needed otherwise.
Evenings are variable; Amazing Race, House and Project Runway allow me opportunities to retouch photos, update spreadsheets, etc while watching and not feeling totally guilty!
It would be nice to take weekends off, but for example this past weekend, Sales were great early Saturday, so needed to do some quick replenishing (not a bad thing!), so they tend to be just ad hoc, but with time for Jon for sure! I also have to schedule a walk in the middle of the day. My back is starting to feel the hours of computer and sewing machine time - and Gina (my dog) is feeling neglected.

Well off I go - must keep to schedule!

Local Color - Madison WI

I have the distinct honor of living in one of the finest areas of the US. Madison Wisconsin is my home town and, although I have traveled a lot, still my favorite town. The reasons are many, but at this time of year the Farmers Market is alive with the abundance of the midwest. Flowers, fruits, veggies, organic meats... and - this being Wisconsin - every kind of cheese you can imagine!

The colors this morning were amazing! Even the pumpkins have evolved from the same old orange to a pottery-like variety of "glazes".

The gardners were harvesting the straw flowers, glads and  so many others, while also getting ready to plant the mums and other fall plantings. The peppers were amazing - every color and every taste from hot to sweet! One of the great benefits of being a university town, is that the visiting students from all over the world end up staying or at least their various ethnic heritages influence. Consequently there are always new and interresting edibles to see and try.

Finally, Madison is the site of what (in my humble opinion) is one of the most beautiful goverment seats in our nation. The WI state capital. Here is one outside view, but the inside is what is truly remarkable with the marble and murals. ( The model with the fall foliage is me - nice to meet you!)

Time to go home now, with my carmel apple, goat cheese, pumpkin flax bread, one pound of a mix of 10 varieties of tiny potatoes, wax beans, and leeks!

World Wide Etsy

One of the things I find so amazing about Etsy is the universality of it. It is amazing to me to think about people all over the world connected through this thing we call the web, and yet we are so disconnected in other ways. I was just looking over my Google analytics this morning and thought I would give you a synopsis of the facts there...

• My shop has been visited in 63 different languages - not surprisingly the top are English, French German and Italian... Finnish was number 19.
• People from 83 different countries (the shaded area in the map) have visited jill2day - again, the top five are not surprising, US, Canada, UK, Australia and Italy
• Lebanon leads the way for number of pages per view at 10 (followed by Serbia and Greece)
• Oman leads the pack for time spent in the shop at 19 minutes (maybe someone just forgot to leave!) followed by the Czech Republic, Lebanon, and Chili
• New visitors are from the Dominican Republic, Jersey, Jordan, Bahrain, Swaziland and Guatemala
• So far I have mailed items to a couple of places in the UK, Greece and Spain, we will see who is next!

I find this very hopeful. The more we all communicate, on even this very minute and mundane level, maybe we will start to seeing each other as individuals, who shop, and eat, and relax, and surf, and have families, and not just as other 'foreign' countries alien to us.

Chck out this video I just received about this same thing: Social Media

Have a good day today - wherever and whoever you are...

Repeat, threepeats; Loyalty and trust

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, but I choose to differ. I think repeat customers are. I am thrilled to find out that any customer got everthing they expected when they purchased an item, but I am especially happy when they liked it so much they come back for more!

If only they knew how that pushes me to try to come up with new and different style, color combos, and also to make sure everything that goes out the door is going to be a great experience when they open the package. New customers are always welcome, but special thanks to those for whom loyalty and satisfaction has brought them back again (and sometimes, again...)

Lots of new things!

Several new sweaters and three new scarves just went up on jill2day.etsy.com. Talk about hitting both ends of the spectrum... three of the sweaters are inspired by the colors of the Hot spots of the world; SanDiego, Hawaii and the Carib', and one of the scarves is inspired by the coldest place in WI - the home of the ice bowl: Lambeau! There is also this one, for Chicago!

My friend has just been doing a great job of modeling for me. I particularly love the fun we had with the scarves (this is the Lambeau)