Building a Biz: One week

Isn't it funny how much can change in a week?  A little while ago, I was about to sit down and write a post about what a slow time of year this seems to be for the business, how I'm losing my motivation and how I need to get my painting mojo back. It was a bit of a sad post :(

Only a day or two later, the emails started to roll in...

Over a period of 6 days, I had completed a commission, sold a small dresser with someone on a waitlist for it, had a request to view my collection and sold two chairs, plus provided 2 quotes for new commissions.  I know, I know, it's completely wonderful.  So why can't I seem to ride those highs and lows very well?

It's definitely something I need to continue to work on.  Next time I'm fretting, I'm going to come back and read these posts! Do you have any advice to pass on dear friends on how to stay more level?

On a non-business note - there's been other changes in my life too. Two weeks ago I was having some heater issues with my truck and the mechanic delivered the sad news that I needed at least a few thousand dollars worth in repairs - if not, many more. Um really?  That totally sucked!  My little red truck is now 11 years old so I had to do some hard number crunching and make the really tough decision to buy a car.  Nothing stressed me out like vehicle issues, so I sucked it up and went car shopping and traded in my little red truck for an almost new compact SUV.  Perfect for Winnipeg winters and delivering furniture!  Car payments, well that's just inevitable.  And yes - that all happened in the span of a week as well!

So it's been pretty up and down around here so I thought I would fill you in.  Doesn't a week seem so short when you think about it?

Sorry for no pretty pictures today, I promise more tomorrow...

Building a Biz: The highs and lows of social media, relisting and commissions

Hey all!  It's Wednesday and the weather is doing a massive shift here in Winnipeg.  My mood tends to flow with the weather patterns so I'm definitely feeling more reflective as we move into hibernation season.  Yes, our winters are that fierce!  I'm already a homebody, so add bad weather and you'll find me at home almost all the time. Which is okay, I just have to be careful not to avoid too many social outings.  That's part of keeping my spirits up during cold weather.

To make matters worse, my truck heater has stopped blowing hot air on the eve of our big snowstorm.  Can you believe it??  One of life's little curveballs I guess.

For now, I'm thinking about the business.  Things have slowed down a bit as we've come out of summer.  So I'm using this opportunity to do a check, a state of the union if you will!  Here's what's on my mind this week...

Relisting - Because I sell my furniture on Kijiji (free local online classifieds), I often list an item only to have it get lost after a few days of other listings being added.  Items are shown in chronological order of listing and because my pieces can take a while to sell, I regularly relist them.  This means they pop back up to the top of the searches and get more visibility.  Relisting is an emotional process - there's a high when I list, as I imagine my perfect buyer stumbling over my piece.  This is followed by a low after several days of no nibbles.  But after everything I've sold, I've had buyers tell me that they just found it and they love it.  So I have to remember that some items will sell quickly and some will sit for a while, but the more I relist - the better the odds of reaching that perfect buyer!

Social Media - I'm definitely finding it hard to keep up with all the different social mediums.  The blog gets priority, but now that I'm building a following on Facebook - I have to get better about updating my photo galleries and keeping my 'for sale' links up to date.  One thing that's fairly new to me is embracing Twitter.  I read an article about how to better utilize Twitter for small business and I'm taking their advice.  In the last few weeks, I've sought out women in Winnipeg to follow, in an attempt to broaden my local audience who don't shop on Kijiji.  I'm also trying to connect with the local crafting community in hopes of meeting some kindred spirits and becoming a part of that network.  I'm definitely starting to see Twitter's value as a place to get info quickly and reach those who wouldn't necessarily take the time to follow a blog or read long posts. 

Commissions - The word of mouth is spreading about commissions and I'm feeling grateful for that.  I'm finishing up a second piece for a client, which means she was happy with the first one.  I'm also starting a project for an old friend I used to work  and have had an inquiry from another friend. It gives me joy to know my friends would invest in me.  At first I was intimidated by commissions, could I make my clients happy?  But they've made it so easy that I'm really liking the blend of working on my own designs and creating for someone else. Word is also spreading that I love to collect free, solid wood furniture, so I'm happy to have had some offers to take furniture off people's hands! 

Business expenses - Okay, this one's eating away at me a bit.  I track all my projects and sales, but I have yet to enter my business expenses into the computer.  Yep, three and a half months later my receipts are still sitting stuffed in an envelope. This kind of thing is so not my strong suit but I know if I don't buckle down and do it I will have a big mess on my hands come tax time.  Please give me a guilt trip so I will finally do it!

So that's what's swirling around in my head these days.  Any words of wisdom to help me along?  What's on your mind when it comes to business these days? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts my friends.  Because you are the ones that keep me going, just knowing you're out there reading feels wonderful!

Building a Biz: Lessons Learned 3 Months Later...

Can you believe it's only been 3 months since Lather Creations was born as a business?  I sure can't, it really feels like longer to me.  So I'm taking some time to reflect back on what I hoped to achieve, what I have achieved and my future goals.

 To date, I've transformed 24 pieces of furniture.  I've sold 16 pieces in total, including 13 original pieces of my own and 3 client commissions.  I currently have 8 for sale.  Break that down to 4 sales a month, which is ahead of my initial goal of completing and selling 2-3 pieces per month.   Yes, I'm a bit of a 'goals geek', it helps me stay motivated!

Here's a little recap of the lessons I've learned and continue to learn as I go:

1. Know your worth - Everyone told me to make sure I priced accordingly, but it's hard in the beginning to believe you have something valuable to offer.  I've had to turn a few people away after a few lowball offers on my pieces and when you're first starting out - ouch that isn't easy! But I am slowly beginning to believe in myself.  My pieces are timeless and very well made.  I search high and low for quality pieces and this takes time.  This is what I have to offer when you buy one of my pieces.
2. It won't always be fun - Even though I love doing it, painting furniture isn't always fun.  Some days I don't want to go the extra mile and add coats of finish...but I always do.  I fundamentally enjoy it at the core and that's what I have to remember.  The little details?  That's why it's still called work!
3. Building takes time - I used to really feel the highs and lows.  I'd have no nibbles for weeks and think this was all a big mistake.  Then I would have a series of sales and I'd be on top of the world.  Luckily, I live with a VERY patient man who constantly reminds me to look back at the last few months, not the last few days.  It's so much more rewarding to see your successes as a whole rather than focusing on one short period of time.
4. Keep track of your customers - I'm lucky enough to work at an ad agency and this gives me a little bit of insight on research and marketing.  It's not huge, but I always send out a short email questionnaire to my buyers after they've purchased a piece.  I ask them to provide some info on who they are, their style and why they choose upcycled.  It helps me validate who I'm marketing to and better focus on the product traits that appeal to them.
5. Keep track period - No, I'm not the best at this but I'm working hard to make sure I document everything - from my supply costs to my days on the market to the age of my buyers.  Even if I'm gathering slowly, I know I will be able to use this information in infinite ways in the future.  and I'll be prepared to do so!  Plus the tax man can come get me if I don't...
6. Don't say yes to everything - I was approached by someone who had a lot of old furniture ans wanted to perhaps be a regular supplier to me.  I did buy some pieces and they're perfect for me.  But he also had homemade pieces that didn't quite fit my brand of vintage and antique furniture.  It can be hard to say no when the price is right but I have to remember I'm building a niche.  Store commissions are another area that I'm asked about , but if customers are happy and buying my goods now - why would I want to take on the risk in a shop of something not selling or getting worn or damaged?  It's hard not to get excited about opportunities but I've had to learn when to say no.

Every business is different, these are just some of the things I've learned along the way.  I have so much more to learn and I can't wait to look back in another three months.

For you biz ladies out there...what's been your biggest lesson learned?  I'd love to hear your wisdom!

Thursday Blog Share: Creative Inc.

My books are here!  My books are here!  My heart goes pitter patter when I splurge on a Chapters order and yesterday was one of those special days. 

Normally I love the browse the shelves and pick out books in person but I was specifically looking for Meg Mateo Ilasco's books Creative Inc. and Craft Inc. and they weren't in stock locally.  Plus since I had to graciously bow out of my book club due to scheduling conflicts, a gal pal and I decided to do our own book thing over coffee and our chosen book Secret Daughter was on special sale online!

But back to Meg - she's the author of two books on owning your own creative business.  Craft Inc. is all about turning your homemade goods into profit and Creative Inc. is for creative freelancers looking for business advice.  With Lather Creations, I kind of fall into both camps since I do my own thing plus commissions.  I'm so jazzed to curl up with both these books and gobble up all the fantastic wisdom she has to share from turning her stationery-making skills into a full-fledged biz. 

You can check out Meg's site here and her blog here.  She is going on a blog tour, guest posting on a number of great sites so there's an opportunity to find even more great sharing blogs!  Hope you enjoy as much as I am!

Have a great Thursday friends!

Banner Day for LC

I'm giddy with delight and you know I love share it all - my ups and my downs...well today is a super UP day - not just because of my bra but Lather Creations had a new customer drop by and take home 3 pieces!

Janique lives in the country with her hubby and 2 little daughters and picked out these for her house.

The Elegant Grey Art Deco Table.

The Shabby Chic End Table.

And the Celery Green Vintage Chair.

I had my doubts about selling on Kijiji, but it's really been about being patient and waiting for the right buyer, because they do come.  Thanks Janique and hope you enjoy your new furniture pieces!

Have a great Tuesday night friends and as always, thanks for listening.

Building a Biz: Always Be Special

There's a lot of people out there buying a lot of things...and I'm just one gal trying to sell my wares.  So it better be special!  But sometimes I think I get caught up with what I'm doing and forget that I have to always go that extra little bit to really get noticed.

A few weeks back, I finished a bedside table I was working on.  You may remember the Tart Twist bedside table?

I was pretty happy with how it turned out and I really thought the vibrant colour and pretty glass pull was enough to make this little guy stand out.  So I posted it for sale.  And I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

It wasn't selling.  But more than that, something was nagging at me.   The comments I got about the Sweet Blue bedside table were that it had something special, because of the printed paper detailing.  And I knew I should have done that for Tart Twist.  So I did.  I revisited the project and adding that extra special touch.

And you know what?  Within a few days I had three requests to purchase the newly revamped Tart Twist Bedside Table.  A nice lady named Cara came by tonight and took it home to her brand new house that she's decorating.

It was a good reminder to me to always make the extra effort and add the special touch.  Lesson learned!

Building a Biz: Treasure Hunting

I can't lie.  Part of what I love about Lather Creations is the treasure hunting. 

Shopping has always been my little getaway time to wipe away all thoughts of deadlines, laundry, and other things on my mind.  Now that I'm doing it as part of the business, I find it even more fun.  Because the key to finding secondhand furniture that's worth upcycling -  is doing it often!  Because you really only find something good every so often...

I've been asked where I go to find things and what I look for, so I thought I would share that with you.

Value Village - This secondhand mecca has always been my go-to place for cheap furniture.  Plus I buy all my paperbacks here, which means I'm a frequent visitor.  They've stopped carrying furniture at the Ellice location, so I don't go to that one much anymore.  Like everywhere on this list, it's always hit or miss, but I've found many gems and all for under $20.

The Salvation Army - I used to think Value Village was a good deal until I started frequenting the Sally Ann - or as Rosemary of Ro Ro Ro Your Blog calls it 'the S&A Boutique'.  Darn that place is cheap!  I love it and some of the bigger SA's have really big furniture sections.

Goodwill - Is it back that I think the Goodwill is expensive?  I was a little sticker-shocked when I visited after SA.  But the cool thing is, the Goodwill marks down the date they put out the item, with reduced prices for the weeks it stays on the floor.  So if you're patient, you can take a risk and keep your eye on something you like, waiting for the price to drop.  But of course, it could get sold under your nose!  The Goodwill on Princess has a MASSIVE upstairs dedicated to furniture.  I wasn't in the market, but last time I saw the most amazing solid wood, mid-century modern dining set for $130.  Not bad.

Kijiji and UsedWinnipeg.com - These are free online classifieds where the average Joe can list their furniture for sale (amongst many other things).  What I love about these sites is inspecting the photos and going through lots of inventory to see what I like.  What I don't love is that items go really quickly, so if you're not on the ball - they're gone!  Plus, you have to take the time to go look at something and maybe find it's wobbly or poorly made.  On the upside, I've scored some of my most amazing finds on these sites. 

Garage Sales - Personally, I'm not a huge fan of garage-saling, unless it's a big community sale or a multi-family sale.  I find it very time consuming to wander from sale to sale and I find furniture is a really tough item to hit gold on.  But...I'm sure there are many others who would argue with me!

Estate Sales - I haven't ventured into this territory yet, although I'm sure that if you hit on the right place - you could have your socks blown off!  I've heard sometimes the prices can be quite high for what's being sold, so do your research if they offer any pre-sale info like lists of the items, condition and any prices.

Hopefully you're inspired to seek out some great finds of your own.  Do you love to treasure hunt?  If so, what are your favourite places to go?  Anywhere I've missed?

Building a Biz: The very first sale!

It's a big day for Lather Creations - I've sold my first piece!  A nice lady named Amy came by tonight and picked up the sweet blue bedside table to take home.

I was so excited when she contacted me that I mocked up some product tags right quick to set the right impression!  My awesome designer B will be doing my Lather Creations logo and business cards/tags but I had been holding off while I registered for the business name.  So this is what I came up with in a pinch!

That first sale was exactly what I was needed to give me that boost of confidence to keep going.  I adverstised and sold the piece through Kijiji, the most popular free online classifieds here in Winnipeg.  I really struggled with the decision to sell on Kijiji, because I loved the idea of Etsy and being a part of it and that being more my target market.  But I also knew I wasn't ready to take on international shipping plus additional fees.  So I'm glad it seems to be working out so far!  Now I've got a couple of other items (the red stool and the green bedside table) listed and I'm really feeling like it's just a matter of the right buyer coming along.

Tomorrow I'll have my new blog button available for you - so I hope you will grab it for your own blog!  And I've been fooling around with a few other things, check out my new custom signature down below...pretty fancy eh??

Happy Monday to you all and thanks for letting me share the good news!

Building a Biz: Harder than I thought

This is a bit of a penance blog post, to come clean about why I've been a bit of a neglectful blogger lately (at least in my mind).  The truth is that ever since I publicly announced the upstart of Lather Creations, it has been consuming me!  Plus I work full time, plus I like to sleep!

So this is a blog post about how it's been harder than I thought.  Since I'm a research gal, I've been knee-deep in business registration, taxation, target markets, shipping, naming, logos, never mind my actual pieces of furniture!  Which is the part I love most of course.  But I was getting very overwhelmed and feeling like 'what the heck did I get myself into'??  So I wrote a little businesss plan and I met with a local women's small business advisor.  And I gave myself a good talking to....and decided that I'm making it all bigger than it has to be.  I've been so worried about covering off every angle this minute.  And it's just not possible.  So I'm taking a deep breath, I've sorted out a lot of the 'biz' details and I'm going to try not to let it get the best of me.

Sadly, I'm one of those gals who puts WAY too much pressure on myself.  Which can be a bit disasterous (as poor J saw lots of teary moments this week!).  So I'm starting small.  I'm registering my business name, but I don't have to worry about provincial sales tax or GST due to my numbers.  I'm going to put a few of my pieces online through a local free classifieds and do a temperature check on buying interest.  I'm going to take a break when I need it and I'm going to work on my furniture when I'm inspired.  I'm going to keep basic books and records in case I decide to grow things in the future.  And I'm going to make it what I intended it to be - FUN!

So thanks for putting up with my less-than stellar posts lately and thanks for listening to this rant.

Are any of you entrepreneurs?  Any sage words of wisdom you'd be willing to send my way?

XO
Lenore

Things that make you go hmmm...

Do you believe in fate?

Two very cool things happened today in the learn-as-you-go world of Lather Creations.  One - in my search for fellow Winnipeg upcyclers, I came across a blog and Etsy store run by a lady named Rebecca. 

It just so happens that today Rebecca posted about the fact that she had joined an eco-creative collective that is opening a store in the empty space I drive by every day to work.  The space that previously held the Ken Segal Gallery and I blogged about how sad I was a local business was closing.  In fact, this morning I was wondering what would come of that space...

Two - I walked over the Old House Revival Company on my lunch break to pick up some vintage glass knobs for a piece of furniture I'm working on (more on that later this week!).   I started talking to the gal working at the front and asked about how they commission their vendors (I had seen upcycled vintage chandeliers in the shop).  She was very helpful and passed along the names of the owner and the accountant and advised they rent 5 x 5 spaces for under $100 a month.  Granted, this is not feasible for me at this intro stage but a great contact nonetheless!  She also mentioned that when they are lookign to get rid of older pieces that aren't selling, it's good to have contacts willing to buy them and upcycle them.

All in all, not bad for a Monday lunch break!  I love it when you wave out into the universe and it waves back at you...

How is your Monday going?  Do you believe in fate?

Written with love,
Lenore

PS:  The blog redesign is just about ready to go so be sure to get your peek on Wednesday!

Building a Biz: Excuse Busting

With only one night to ourselves (J had to work all day Sunday), we decided to head out to the lake for the night.  With the sole purpose of just relaxing!

I spent my 'relax time' finishing this book that I picked up a couple weeks back.  Every since I decided to move forward with my furniture upcycling business, I've had tons on my mind and this book helped ground some of my thoughts.  I've decided to call the biz Lather Creations., and I thought I would bring you along for the ride as I figure it all out with my new Building a Biz series.  Hope you enjoy!

I thought long and hard about what was holding me back from doing this thing and how I could start to shut down my excuses and move forward.

Excuse #1 - I don't have a big enough work space.

I have an office, half a spare room, a kitchen table, a closed front porch, half a root cellar, a deck and a backyard.  Surely I can find room to work somewhere!  Sure, it's a pain to move supplies around weather permitting, work in confined spaces and constantly have to clean up.  But as Jelena from Poppyseed Creative Living reminded me "Martha Stewart started out baking cookies in her mother's basement!".  You have to just start somewhere.

Excuse #2 - It's too complicated.

Everything's complicated before you learn how to do it.  And everyone starts out from that place of not knowing.  There's no rush, one step at a time.  So I'm reading a book about it.  And I opened my own Etsy shop.  I'm preparing my shop profile, checking out my competition and getting the lay of the land.  I don't have enough stock to start selling but each little step I take towards my goal keeps me going forward.

Excuse #3 - I'm not good enough.

Says who?  My inner voice of course!  But if I'm interested in beautifying old furniture, saving money and owning one of a kind pieces, who's to say someone else won't as well?  As the saying goes, no risk - no reward.  Things won't be perfect right away, but I'll get better as I go.  This will happen by starting RIGHT NOW.  I'm buying supplies and working on my craft. I'm reading books about different painting and upholstery techniques. Today I've been working on three different pieces and I'm excited about getting better with each one.  I'm following the blogs of people I think are good enough, to learn as much as I can.  And I'm creating.  Yay!

Do you have any experience starting with something new?  How did you stay motivated?  What holds you back from doing what you love?

Written with love,
Lenore