Party Inspiration Board
T Length Invite Ensemble
T Length Invitations adorned with dandelions. Perfect Invitation complete with notecards, save the dates, favor seals, place cards, table numbers, menu cards, and so much more!
Add ons
If interested send us an email and we will give you a quote on the T length Invite Ensemble.
I recently had the honor of meeting Bill Tamminga on twitter! After chatting for a bit he asked if I would be up for an interview…SURE I was up for an interview! How cool is that! We had a great chat and here is the interview which is featured on his blog at A Crafty Lil Momma. Enjoy and please go and give Bill some love on his blog and on twitter @BillTamminga
February 24th, 2009 | Published in Marketing News and Tips
Jen Harris, CraftyLilMomma.com
One of the great things about blogging is that you get to interview all kinds of people and highlight some of the good that people are doing. Tonight I have the opportunity to shine a light on a friend and small business owner, Jen Harris. Jen started her business, Crafty Lil Momma, a couple years ago and it has grown steadily. She is a classic example of how a lot of people start a small business. Following is a portion of a the interview I was able to have with Jen today.
BT: Tell us a little bit about your business. What do you do? How long have you been doing it?
JH: I guess you could say my title is freelance designer. It all started when I was pregnant with my second son and I was making his birth announcements and I said outloud to myself “you’re one crafty little momma”… I giggled… the name stuck… and craftylilmomma was born! I do everything from birth announcements, to high-end wedding ensembles, to logos and business identity materials. I’ve been doing it for almost 3 years now and going strong!
BT: How much of your business comes from social media (MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and blogging efforts) in all? And what percentage comes from each of those individual sources?
JH: Most of my business comes from social media. I would say that at least 95% of my clients I met through MySpace, Twitter, or blogging. Before I got on twitter and started my blog, about 90% of my clients were from MySpace. I am also a member of two mommy networks (www.mompack.com and www.momsunitedinbusiness.com) and I get some business from there as well.
BT: Tell me more about how you conduct your marketing. Do you do any traditional marketing? Direct mail, newspaper/magazine ads, etc?
JH: I don’t do any “traditional” marketing. I have never put an ad in the paper or anything like that. I have a mailing list that I send Christmas cards out to. Sometimes I’ll add a coupon but that is rare. All of my advertising is on the internet or via word of mouth. I tend to let my work speak for me. And because I am a stay-at-home-mom and that is my priority over anything else, I honestly don’t want that much business just yet. Maybe when my children are in school I will have the time and resources to make it a full time business but right now my boys are very young and I need to spend as much time with them as possible. So it’s working well for me. I have built a wonderful client base and I stay as busy as I want to without cutting into my time with my family. I have been told many times that if I advertised more I would blow up and I wouldn’t be able to stop the orders from coming in. That’s a good thing for the future.
BT: Can you leave us with a few tips or best practices for online/social media marketing?
JH: The best thing I can say is that it will not happen overnight. It took me a long time to build up my list and get my name out there. I worked with businesses that complimented mine (in my case it was boutiques, photographers, wedding planners, etc.) to build my network. I don’t spam anyone. I make a point to showcase my talent on my sites.
I am open and honest with everyone and I believe that if you build an honest relationship with people they will trust you to do your job. A lot of my clients are moms just like me. I do my best to give my clients exactly what they want. For me it’s not about the money. I do it because I love it. I could quit tomorrow and it wouldn’t hurt us at all financially. I do it because I am passionate about design, I am proud of the finished product, and I love making people happy. I think my clients realize that and that’s why I have done so well on MySpace…I’m real, I’m passionate, and I honestly want to help them any way I can. That’s why I believe if social media advertising is done correctly, it is one of the most powerful marketing tools out there. Social media allows the client to see who you are and get to know aspects of your life that you can’t tell by going to a company website. The communication flows easier and its a friendlier than your typical business emails. It makes it feel more like you are doing a favor for a friend than conducting business…which to me is a huge plus.
BT: Thanks so much Jenny. You have done a great job laying the foundation for your business. This is solid information for anyone aspiring to venture out on their own.
JH: Thank you for having me.
There you have it. Jenny represents a huge percentage of business owners and I hope her information was helpful. Does she “get” social media? Does she know how to find early innovators? I would say that if 90% of your clients come from online networking, you’re probably doing something right with your small business. She’s poised to grow when the time is right.
Usually in this business you get very little recognition for what you do. Half the time I have to email the client after a week or so to make sure they even got the order…then I get a short but sweet email that says “Yes they are perfect, thank you” or something to that effect. Today was an exception. I got the sweetest email from my client Tara (the bride whom I made the beach wedding invitations a few posts previous for). I makes me so glad to get emails like this because it lets me know that even though I do this because I love it it makes my clients dreams come true…who could ask for anything more!
SUBJECT: I got my invites!
Jen:
I got my invites in the mail last Tuesday, and I can't even begin to tell you how much I love them. They are perfect, and I appreciate all your hard work. The color is gorgeous, very similar to the color of my bridesmaid dresses! I am so glad I got to have my perfect invitation and found you to create it. I can't wait to mail them out - which hopefully I can wait about 8 weeks to do so. As much as I love them, though, I don't know if I can!
You were great to work with from the very beginning. You helped me create something I'm proud to send to my guests, and that I'll be proud to display because it's just too freaking cute! I looked and looked for something affordable that I liked before finding you, and there really wasn't alot out there. I figured if I was going to spend the money, I might as well get something I love. Well, I know now that I definitely made the right choice to go with you!
Thanks so much, and hopefully some of my online friends will really go through with using you for some of their wedding stationary!
Good luck and best wishes!
Tara & Josh
Hi Jen!
For the month of February, we will be writing an article called "Posts of Note." Our theme for the month is "Get Crafty." We checked out our favorite "crafty" blogs and are planning to feature some of our favorite posts all in one place for our readers.
After scanning through your blog, I would love to feature your post " Girl's Night Out." It will run for the next few weeks in our Expand Your Perspective section of the website. If you would like, you can post the attached TodaysMama badge on your blog-- to show your readers that you're featured on our site.
Thanks for being such a fantastic blogger. We really appreciate you!
Rebecca Delight | Operations and Editorial Coordinator | Rebecca@TodaysMama.com
TodaysMama | online: TodaysMama.com | in print: Magazines & Handbooks
Let me know what you think! :)
…at least according to Sarah Prout’s (@sarahprout) new ebook! Sarah messaged me earlier today to tell me the great news! I am truly honored! Take a look… (excerpt from Sarah Prout’s website)
In less than 12 months I have created an online publishing empire on a shoestring budget. I feel it's my duty to share this information with people that are wanting to create a strong online presence without having to spend a single dollar on advertising. I currently get hundreds of clicks per day to my main site, blog & product pages without spending any money. Are you curious how I do it?
I am a non-tech savvy girl that has basic HTML skills & so I created an eBook that will share all of the resources that I have utilized to flood traffic to my website, build an online brand & get known as a 'social networking guru'.
'SECRETS OF AN ONLINE EMPRESS' includes the following sections:
1. SET CLEAR INTENTIONS (design & design your ideal lifestyle)
2. CREATE A SOLID FOUNDATION (web sites, blog, domain names, list building ideas)
3. BUILD YOUR BRAND (style,graphic insight,messages)
4. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT (eBooks,information products,merchandise)
5. MONETIZING YOUR SITE (sales, sales, sales)
6. CREATIVE MARKETING (ideas that will blow your mind!)
7. PR MASTERMIND (gettting the word out for FREE!)
8. THE KEYS TO ONLINE SUCCESS
This ebook has been designed for the 'technically challenged' individual that wants to make money online or already has a business & wants to boost sales with unique ideas.
FREE 'TWITTER INSPIRATION' mini-book features amazing resources to enhance your experiences with this awe-inspiring social networking platform. PLUS! 'THE TOP 111 BUSINESSWOMEN TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER' - a carefully compiled list of inspirational businesswomen to watch & learn from. Be inspired...
This product was featured on LA TALK RADIO with Sandy Grason!
It's been carefully compiled to offer an inspiring range of online resources to build, grow & expand your internet business horizons no matter what your stage of development.
Please go to http://secretsofanonlineempress.com/ to purchase a copy of these ebooks. And please follow me on twitter @craftylilmomma
SPREAD THE LOVE! 2009I am doing these birth announcements as a gift for some friends of mine. The colors of their nursery are pink, brown, & a little green. What do you think?
Here is yet another marketing campaign I am doing for Once In Every Life Photography. April, Adam, & Kim are AMAZING photographers in the Birmingham, AL area. If you are a bride in the area you really should look them up for your event!
And just on a COMPLETELY side note…posting blogs is SOOOOOOO much easier now that I downloaded Windows Live Writer! It’s so easy & fun & a lot less hassle than doing it in blogger! :)
It's no secret that Valentine's Day is the perfect day for a wedding. The month of February is all about love & marriage and the colors of red, white, & black!
Please contact us if you are interested in any of the items above and we will be happy to help you. I will be updating with a design of my own later on in the month :)
Highly educated workers were the most likely to telecommute, according to the BLS study. If telecommuting is your goal, career training can be a good first step.
The BLS advises telecommuting hopefuls to seek out employers with established telework programs. Certain jobs and industries are more prone to this arrangement, and some of them pay really well. Here are seven stay-home jobs with standout salaries.
More than ever, big companies are farming out their sales forces. But instead of jobs going overseas, they're going to the suburbs. According to the BLS, one in five sales reps telecommute. The highest paying sales jobs usually involve technical and scientific products. These sales jobs are more likely to require a bachelor's degree. Studying marketing, business, or communications can be excellent preparation for this line of work.
Stay-Home Salary: $68,270
Financial analysts help large companies and non-profit organizations figure out how, when, and where to invest their money. Often employed by investment banks, mutual funds, and insurance companies, the independent nature of the work lends itself to working from the home office. You'll need a bachelor's degree in finance, business administration, economics, or accounting to get in on the ground floor.
Stay-Home Salary: $70,400
This is another high finance, home-office profession. Instead of working with large endowments, personal financial advisors help individuals manage their money, protect their assets, and plan for retirement. Financial advisors work for financial services firms or investment and planning firms. A minimum of a bachelor's degree in finance, business administration, or accounting is required.
Stay-Home Salary: $67,660
Two career paths that are particularly well suited to telecommuting are graphic design and computing. These career paths intersect for the job of Web developers, also called Web designers. These creative techies craft a Web site's look and make sure it functions. Most employers are looking for a bachelor's degree, and many schools offer programs specifically in Web site design.
Stay-Home Salary: $47,000 to $71,500
These tech-savvy telecommuters design and develop commuter applications. Therefore, they need to be well versed in programming languages as well as operating systems. A bachelor's degree in computer science or software engineering is required, but your education is likely to pay off. The BLS predicts 38 percent growth through 2016, making this one of the nation's fastest growing occupations.
Stay-Home Salary: $83,130
Accounting is all about keeping the fiscal house in order--paying taxes, reporting earnings, analyzing budgets, and guiding investments. The individual nature of the work allows many accountants to routinely work from home. Certification and a degree in accounting are typical job requirements.
Stay-Home Salary: $57,060
Managers (in any department) are more likely to regularly work from home. Marketing managers may find creativity blooms with the freedom of the home office. Increasingly, a master's degree in business administration is becoming the norm for marketing managers, though a good track record and a bachelor's degree may suffice.
Stay-Home Salary: $104,400
Technically, to be considered a telecommuter you must regularly works eight or more paid hours at home each week. Telecommuting can cut down on a killer commute or carve out more time for the kids. It can help you find a better work-life balance. But let's be clear--there are a few things telecommuting is not designed for.
Working at home can help you save on skyrocketing gas prices, but it makes financial sense for your employer, too. A study done for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas showed telecommuters earning $44,000 a year saved their company an average of $10,000. And, telecommuting options improve morale, productivity, and worker retention.
All Things Pink & Girly
