I have to admit something: I've been cheating on my blog with another blog. Ok, non-clever joking aside, I have a new blog. Not that I'm abandoning this one, because the two are totally different and unrelated. But the other one has certaintly been holding my attention lately! It's called The Broke Student's Guide to Stretching Your Dollar. It's aimed at college students, and focuses on all the ways that students can save money and get the most value for what little money they do spend. I focus a lot on getting things for free, earning money doing practically nothing (like paid-to sites) and taking advantage of all your campus has to offer, as well as tips and tricks on the things you do have to purchase whether you like it or not - like textbooks and groceries. Anyway, if any of thats useful to you, please follow! And then link all of your friends to it!
http://brokestudentguide.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label tips and tricks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips and tricks. Show all posts
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Creating a Working Closet Series
I wish I could take credit for this, but unfortunately, someone much more organized than me has begun a weekly series about creating a working closet. In her words,
In other words ... organization. So that people like me, with seemingly infinite supplies of clothes, can stop standing in front of our closets frustrated thinking OMG, I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR. Because how lame is that? Anyway, the series is awesome and you should read it:
Part I
http://kendieveryday.blogspot.com/2010/12/create-working-closet-part-1.html
Part II
http://kendieveryday.blogspot.com/2010/12/create-working-closet-part-2-assess.html
I can't wait to see the rest of the series!
A working closet is one in which you can remix what you own into infinite cute outfits. A closet that doesn't scream "go shopping now!" at you every time you walk in. One that knows when a new piece is needed and when it's time to let an old one go.
In other words ... organization. So that people like me, with seemingly infinite supplies of clothes, can stop standing in front of our closets frustrated thinking OMG, I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR. Because how lame is that? Anyway, the series is awesome and you should read it:
Part I
http://kendieveryday.blogspot.com/2010/12/create-working-closet-part-1.html
Part II
http://kendieveryday.blogspot.com/2010/12/create-working-closet-part-2-assess.html
I can't wait to see the rest of the series!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Ways to Make Extra Money at College
I haven't updated much lately - I've been too busy moving into my swanky new one-person apartment at Indiana University for my (first) senior year! It's pretty freaking amazing, but unfortunately I'm finding myself quite broke. My dad has decided he can't spare me any more money than the cost of my books (roughly $400, ouch!) so I've been having to scrape together some pocket change on my own. Luckily, I'm fairly good at that. Aside from my 3 hours a week job at my dorm (literally, I have a 3 hours per week cap on what I can work. That's about $22 a week, tops, but I don't have enough time to get another part time job) I have a variety of ways to scrounge up pocket change. I've already shared a couple on my blog, but here's a refresher course:
1. Earning money online doing paid surveys, clicking on links in emails, and filling out offers (mostly signing up for newsletters and such, yay for spam filters!) If I spend a couple of hours a week doing this I can make about $30 a month. You can read my complete list of proven legit sites here. Right now my favorites are Treasure Trooper, SendEarnings, Inbox Dollars, and MyPoints (email me to get a referal link to the last one, it's invite-only). The last three I earn primarily through their paid emails, where you get about $.05 each for clicking on ad-supported emails. They send maybe 5-10 a day, so it actually adds up really quickly. Clicking through them all is my favorite mindless thing to do while watching TV or on the phone!
2. I have a few other suggestions in this post, explained in greater detail. In short they are donating plasma, selling extra stuff, advertising your skills on craigslist (math tutor? knitting lessons? strong guy available to lift stuff?), or creating a blog or website to sell advertising on or sell goods/services.
The other one I list is paid university studies. I'd like to go into more detail on that one because I've been looking at a lot more of them lately and they are perfect for college students in particular. If you're at a large research school, there is an excellent chance that there are some studies that will pay you to participate. These can be anything from sitting at a computer answering questions for an hour to participating in a group discussion. You can find Indiana University paid experiment at this website. To find some for your own university, just search "[Your College] Paid Psych Experiments" or similar. I also find a lot of them pasted up on flyers around major classroom buildings, especially the psych building, but even in the business school here. They say something like "18-24 YEAR OLD FEMALES, GOOD HEARING, HEAVY DRINKER, SMOKES LESS THAN 5 CIGS A DAY, $10/HR" with some pull-off contact sheets. They are looking for just about every type of person, and don't be afraid of participating in the ones with qualifications like "heavy drinker/drug user" because that's not a ploy for turning you into the police, it's just a qualifier for the study! (I'm assuming that fact, as I do not actually qualify as either a heavy drinker or drug user. But if I did, I would totally be using it to get more money. To support my habits. Or you know, whatever. In my actual case, it's more like a shoe habit).
Other college-specific things I'm doing right now are selling off my old appliances that freshman didn't know they need but now that they're at college they totally need (Like last year's window fan? My new apartment has Air Freaking Conditioning. I'm happy to provide the same luxury of cool air to dorm-dwellers at a fraction of the price of the same appliance at Target!) Also, now is the prime time to sell textbooks on places like Amazon. Students are still enrolling in classes, being accepted on waitlists, and switching into other classes, so textbooks are being purchased like crazy. I bought mine yesterday, and they were probably twice the price than if I'd bought them in the summer! They will also likely pay more for shipping right now. If you don't want to sell on Amazon, use Craigslist or a University supported forum (most colleges have one - Indiana's can be found on OneStart. )
Do you have any good ways to make extra money at college? Please tell me. I am so broke. And my readers probably want to know too! :) Happy earning!
1. Earning money online doing paid surveys, clicking on links in emails, and filling out offers (mostly signing up for newsletters and such, yay for spam filters!) If I spend a couple of hours a week doing this I can make about $30 a month. You can read my complete list of proven legit sites here. Right now my favorites are Treasure Trooper, SendEarnings, Inbox Dollars, and MyPoints (email me to get a referal link to the last one, it's invite-only). The last three I earn primarily through their paid emails, where you get about $.05 each for clicking on ad-supported emails. They send maybe 5-10 a day, so it actually adds up really quickly. Clicking through them all is my favorite mindless thing to do while watching TV or on the phone!
2. I have a few other suggestions in this post, explained in greater detail. In short they are donating plasma, selling extra stuff, advertising your skills on craigslist (math tutor? knitting lessons? strong guy available to lift stuff?), or creating a blog or website to sell advertising on or sell goods/services.
The other one I list is paid university studies. I'd like to go into more detail on that one because I've been looking at a lot more of them lately and they are perfect for college students in particular. If you're at a large research school, there is an excellent chance that there are some studies that will pay you to participate. These can be anything from sitting at a computer answering questions for an hour to participating in a group discussion. You can find Indiana University paid experiment at this website. To find some for your own university, just search "[Your College] Paid Psych Experiments" or similar. I also find a lot of them pasted up on flyers around major classroom buildings, especially the psych building, but even in the business school here. They say something like "18-24 YEAR OLD FEMALES, GOOD HEARING, HEAVY DRINKER, SMOKES LESS THAN 5 CIGS A DAY, $10/HR" with some pull-off contact sheets. They are looking for just about every type of person, and don't be afraid of participating in the ones with qualifications like "heavy drinker/drug user" because that's not a ploy for turning you into the police, it's just a qualifier for the study! (I'm assuming that fact, as I do not actually qualify as either a heavy drinker or drug user. But if I did, I would totally be using it to get more money. To support my habits. Or you know, whatever. In my actual case, it's more like a shoe habit).
Other college-specific things I'm doing right now are selling off my old appliances that freshman didn't know they need but now that they're at college they totally need (Like last year's window fan? My new apartment has Air Freaking Conditioning. I'm happy to provide the same luxury of cool air to dorm-dwellers at a fraction of the price of the same appliance at Target!) Also, now is the prime time to sell textbooks on places like Amazon. Students are still enrolling in classes, being accepted on waitlists, and switching into other classes, so textbooks are being purchased like crazy. I bought mine yesterday, and they were probably twice the price than if I'd bought them in the summer! They will also likely pay more for shipping right now. If you don't want to sell on Amazon, use Craigslist or a University supported forum (most colleges have one - Indiana's can be found on OneStart. )
Do you have any good ways to make extra money at college? Please tell me. I am so broke. And my readers probably want to know too! :) Happy earning!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Want to make some extra money?
Want To Make Some Extra Money?
As a full-time college student (click here to read more about me!) I am constantly bombarded with a need for more spending money. New books, new clothes, late night Starbucks... *ahem* you know how it is. Of course, I have very little time between studying and, uhhhh,
Treasure Trooper Paypal Payment1. http://www.treasuretrooper.com/ Treasure trooper is my favorite - mostly because they've made me the most money! See those pictures? I've made almost $200 for fill
ing out some dumb surveys and doing free offeres! They mail checks or deposit in your paypal.
When Do They Pay? They pay out the 15th of every month as long as your earnings are over $20.
Favorite Feature: Fast paying! The offers are usually approved the same day you fill them out and it's easy to get the $20 needed to receive p
When Do They Pay? They pay out the 15th of every month as long as your earnings are over $20.
Favorite Feature: Fast paying! The offers are usually approved the same day you fill them out and it's easy to get the $20 needed to receive p
ayment.PRO TIP: search for keyword "email address" or "zip code" - all you have to do is enter your email/zip code! No forms! They're my faves. Open up a new email account to handle all the spam.
Bonus Features: a slot machine where you can win extra money, a $100 treasure hunt, a "trading hut" where you can trade the coins you also earn completing offers for prizes, and more fun stuff! Join Here
Bonus Features: a slot machine where you can win extra money, a $100 treasure hunt, a "trading hut" where you can trade the coins you also earn completing offers for prizes, and more fun stuff! Join Here
Treasure Trooper Payout To Date $249.35Best Feature: The "pay per click" emails. Super easy!
When Do They Pay? You can request payout when you get $30. It takes me about 3 months to earn the $30 JUST by answering the emails (but it's faster if you also do surveys and offers).
Bonus Features: SendEarnings has pay to play games, pay-to-shop on some great sites, surveys, and offers, plus a great referal program.
PRO TIP: save your daily emails up and then answer them all in a big bundle once a week - they're less annoying that way and you can see all at once how much your money jumps up from the emails!Join Here
Send Earnings Payout To Date $27.203. http://www.inboxdollars.com This site is essentially the exact same as Send Earnings. You get sent emails which are worth about .02 each - which really adds up! You can also do free offers and surveys for money. You get $5 free from signing up. Just think - if you do this along with Send Earnings, you'll be getting at least $60 just from clicking on emails!
Best Feature: The "pay per click" emails. Super easy!
When Do They Pay? You can request payout when you get $30. It takes me about 3 months to earn the $30 JUST by answering the emails (but it's faster if you also do surveys and offers).
When Do They Pay? You can request payout when you get $30. It takes me about 3 months to earn the $30 JUST by answering the emails (but it's faster if you also do surveys and offers).
Bonus Features: InboxDollars has pay to play games, pay-to-shop on some great sites, surveys, and offers, plus a great referral program.
PRO TIP: save your daily emails up and then answer them all in a big bundle once a week - they're less annoying that way and you can see all at once how much your money jumps up from the emails!
Join Here
Join Here
InboxDollars Current Earnings: $2 to Payout!
Read more about CashCrate here.
When Do They Pay? after you reach $20.
Bonus Features: They also have points and surveys, and some really good referral benefits!
PRO TIP: Click Here to read an excellent guide on making your first $100 on CashCrate.
Join Here
5. MyPoints no link for this one cuz it's invite-only, you have to give me your email address (email me at lia.saunders (at) gmail.com). It's another one that sends emails that you click on (plus surveys/offers, but I like to be lazy.)
PRO TIP: Click Here to read an excellent guide on making your first $100 on CashCrate.
Join Here
5. MyPoints no link for this one cuz it's invite-only, you have to give me your email address (email me at lia.saunders (at) gmail.com). It's another one that sends emails that you click on (plus surveys/offers, but I like to be lazy.)
When Do They Pay: You get points that you can then redeem for gift cards, and you can cash in your points as soon as you've earned enough for a reward. There are several different point-reward levels. The retailers you can redeem gift cards at vary from department stores to online retailers to resteraunts. My first reward was a $50 gift card to Macy's, and it hasn't taken me long at all to earn another $50 card.
Bonus Features: Gift cards to my favorite resteraunts/stores, and daily pay-per-click emails that usually contain excellent deals to shop at some of my favorite online sites. (I ACTUALLY use them for shopping. Now that's a good deal!)
6. ChaCha ChaCha is essentially google from your phone: you text 242-242 (CHACHA) a question, and somebody online looks up the answer for you and texts you back. When you work for them, you are the one answering questions, and they pay you about .10/question. It is a really legit company - you have to fill out a W9 online, and they have about an hour's worth of training material for you to read before you can even be TESTED to become a guide. It's really quite fun and addicting! You can make about $5/hr on average answering questions.
PRO TIP: Their "Daily Spin and Win" feature is a quick and easy way to get a few extra points. You can spin once per day and win up to 10,000 points! Also, like the other paid-to email sited, MyPoints paid emails are best to do all at once in a group, and are good for mindless activities such as when you're on the phone or watching TV.
When Do They Pay? You can get money sent to your bank account after you reach $100, or you can sign up for a debit card with them. There are tutorials explaining payout on the ite.
Bonus Features: Answering strange questions is extremely interesting. I have learned so many strange and unusual things that I never thought I wanted to know! Plus, you can select which categories you'd like to answer questions for, to keep it interesting for you. There is also a quality team which pays extra for good answers. NOTE: ChaCha is not always hiring.
So. I've made over $300 on the survey sites I listed, money that I can promise you I have actually received, no scam, into my bank account and straight to my wallet. Think of all the luxuries you could afford to buy! Seriously, sign up, and share your referral links if you've got any.
In addition to this article, check out these awesome posts as well:
*Supplement Your Income With Sweepstakes
*Ten creative ways to earn extra money
7. https://www.mturk.com This is a really awesome Amazon site that is essentially a marketplace for online labor. A company who has a task to complete - something you can do at a computer, like check links to see if they are still up, check if photos are blurry or grainy, taking a survey, proof-reading, etc - lists it as a "HIT" on Mturk, and then users can choose to complete it if they qualify and earn money for each HIT that is accepted. It's great for the company because they can get a lot of different people doing the same tasks - less margin for error that way - without needing to hire someone to do something unskilled and mind-numbingly boring like checking photos for blurriness. Although I just started out on the site (check out my whopping $.70 haha) I found it through a friend who assures me that it is indeed too legit to quit. Score! Amazon is so awesome.
8. Twitter. Yeah, you probably have a twitter already (Follow Me!!) Well, so does everyone else- which some have realized is a great potential market for paid advertising! How can twitter users cash in on this? A variety of sites offer programs where they tweet advertisements under your name and pay per click, referall, or post. The more twitter followers you have, the more your account is worth to advertisers. I'm new to this so no payouts yet - let me know your experiences! Here are some legit, review-backed sites I've found:
So. I've made over $300 on the survey sites I listed, money that I can promise you I have actually received, no scam, into my bank account and straight to my wallet. Think of all the luxuries you could afford to buy! Seriously, sign up, and share your referral links if you've got any.
In addition to this article, check out these awesome posts as well:
*Supplement Your Income With Sweepstakes
*Ten creative ways to earn extra money
Thursday, July 15, 2010
How to get the most out of your shopping trip: 11 easy rules to remember
Some people really hate shopping. I am not one of those people. Those people and I generally do not get along well as I do not understand them. I LOVE shopping. I love it so much that I'm going to start a personal styling business that I can shop for other people. And when I shop, I shop HARD - 2 hours minimum, usually more like 4, or until store closing - but I also shop SMART. Here are my rules for successful, effective shopping:
1. Do not bring anyone else along shopping with you, unless they are acting as your personal stylist or shopping assistant. This means no boyfriends (although my boyfriend is a wonderful shopping companion, he tires out far more quickly than I do and I end up feeling guilty and leaving early) no friends (they never want to go into the same stores as you and you typically end up losing them in the store anyway) etc. If you happen to have someone as amazing as *me* in your life, however, by all means take them along. What I mean by this is that when you take me along on a shopping trip, I run through the entire store, find things that make you look amazing, stand in the dressing room while you try them on and tell you how each of them looks, then leave you to relax in the dressing room while I find you more things. I build outfits for you. I accessorize you. Hire me, I'm amazing. But in general, shopping along is best.
2. Take care of your basic needs. Don't shop when you're hungry, thirsty, tired, or need to go to the bathroom. Shopping can be exhausting and you should never torture yourself. There is a REASON malls have food courts, drinking fountains and public restrooms - use them!
3. Dress conciously. When going on a shopping trip, there are 2 options for dress: first, wear an item that will go with everything you try on, like your favorite pair of jeans if you're trying on tops, or your favorite top if you're trying on bottoms. You want to see how the item you're considering will fit into the wardrobe you already own. Second option is to wear something that's easy to put on and take off over and over again, like a simple, loose dress. DON'T wear anything with lots of buttons, hooks, snaps, or that takes more than 3 seconds to put on and off. Also be concious of your underwear - wear what you ordinarily wear. So no bathing suit tops unless you're trying on beach cover ups, that sort of thing. Also don't wear heels unless you are a marathon heel-wearer and do not get tired in them, ever. They are a pain to take on and off and shopping requires a lot of walking.
4. Have an idea of what you want. Even if you're just going to browse, have a few things in mind that you'd been thinking about lately (for me right now, this includes rompers, maxi dresses, ruffly tops, statement bracelets and necklaces, a tan bag, a black bag, a chambray button-up shirt, and some military trend stuff. I don't NEED these things, but it helps give me something to look for.) The more specific, the better - for example, for me, not just any romper will do, it needs to also be flowy and loose - that will help you seperate "worth trying on" from "will look like crap on me" and help avoid wasting your time or energy carrying around armloads of garments that you will not buy. Try browsing a store's online catologue to get an idea of somethings you might like to try on.
5. Choose your stores wisely. Always visit Your Store. You know - that store that you ALWAYS find something cute in, that makes you smile and feel like you're home (or maybe that's just me), that store that is a haven of clothes that fit you and make you feel wonderful. Always, always go to that store! For me - and lots of cheap fashionistas - that store is Forever 21. And also Marshall's and TJ Maxx. Ah, how I love them. *sighs happily* Anyway. Don't EVER be intimidated by a store - the days of the Pretty Woman sales clerk from hell are over! You can go into any store you want as long as you can afford the clothes there! It's your money that keeps those stores running - don't ever feel embarassed or scared to visit a store. And if you feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start, ask a salesperson for help. They're usually quite friendly and eager to help you, especially in higher-priced retailers where they often work on commission. They are your FRIENDS, and don't be scared to ask them to find you an item in your size, or if they have an item you're looking for - that's what they are paid for!!
6. First impressions are everything. Once you get yourself into the dressing room, give yourself about 5 seconds after you put on an item of clothing and look in the mirror to make a snap descision about how you feel. If any of the following phrases pop into your head: "I love this!" "I need this in my life!" "OH MY GODDDD AMAZING!" "This will go with _______ and _______ and I can wear it to _______." Buy. That. Item. On the other hand, if any of the following things phrases into your head, proceed to step 5: "I like this, but I don't LOVE it," "I'm not sure how I feel about this," "It's ok."
7. Deciding on a "maybe" item using price. If the item is good but not GREAT, name a price in your head for how much that item is worth to you - a price you would be happy to pay for it without feeling like you were ripped off. (Try not to look at the tag first, it makes this step much harder.) If the actual price of the item is significantly higher than what you came up with, don't get it. If you STILL can't decide, move on to step 8.
8. Ask yourself the following questions before purchasing a "maybe" item:
1) Are there any flaws in this item? Buttons missing, broken zippers, holes, hem too short, baggy, illfitting? This is a common occurence in "maybe" items, and the majority of people should NOT get these items. Why? Because they will never fix the flaw, and thus will never wear the clothing. Unless you have a history of taking a flawed item home and repairing this, and have ACTUALLY done this before, don't purchase a flawed "maybe."
2) How many outfits can you imagine off the top of your head for this item, using your current wardrobe? If you will need to purchase additional items of clothing in order to have even ONE good outfit, don't purchase that maybe. However, if you can come up with several different outfits that the item will fit into using clothes you already own, this might be a good buy.
3) Where will you wear this item? And how often? For example, when deciding on a cute but expensive pair of jeans, consider how often you wear jeans. If you wear them almost every day, then simple math can tell you how many days you will need to wear the item to earn back its use (example: for a $70 pair of jeans, wearing them over 70 times will have earned back the item's value and thus the jeans will have essentially paid for themselves). With the exception of special occasion items like prom dresses or wedding wear, you want an item that you will wear often enough to earn back its value, and that you have places you can wear it regularly.
4) Is this item comfortable? Is it too tight anywhere? Can you sit down in it comfortably? For shoes, how well can you walk in them? How well can you balance? One thing I like to do for a "maybe" item - especially shoes - is to wear the item around for several trips around the store. If I'm deciding on purchasing an expensive pair of shoes, I'll usually wear them until I'm finished shopping to make sure that they are comfortable. For clothes, I like to wear them out of the dressing room at least once - that way I can gauge how I feel walking around in the item (restricted? confident?) and get a fresh view in the mirror when I come back.
5) Will I miss this item if I don't buy it? This is a test I usually end up putting expensive "maybe"'s through. If I love an item and I know it isn't apt to dissapear anytime soon, I leave it in the store, go on my merry way for a while, and see if I'm still thinking about the item enough to come back and get it. This is easy on a mall shopping trip, but I recommend it even on one-store trips. Leave it for a few days. If you find yourself thinking about the item and wanting it, go back and get it. This worked out well for me when I fell in love with a $300 Betsey Johnson jacket. I couldn't afford it at $300, so I left it - but I found myself thinking about it constantly, dreaming about it, buying fabric to attempt to make my own, looking at it wistfully online .... all those things you do when you're in love with an item of clothing. So when I went back to the Betsey Johson store and found My Jacket on sale for $90, it was an immediate buy. I've been lusting after that jacket for MONTHS. If you leave something in the store and don't find yourself wanting to go back and get it, that's a sign that you don't love it enough to purchase it.
9. Ignore the haters. If you feel sexy in a top, but you hear your mom's voice in your head harping on about how you look like a harlot, stop thinking about your mom, buy the top and then take care to never wear it around her. Similarly, if you're trying on a sexy piece of lingerie that makes you feel uncomfortable but you know your boyfriend/husband would go bananas over, don't buy it. Buy something sexy that you FEEL sexy in. You should never have to be talked into buying an item: if you have to be talked into it, you don't love it enough to wear it once you take it home. And don't let anyone talk you out of something you love if you see yourself wearing it once you take it home. People can hate on my faux fur vest and my bright purple silk high waisted shorts all they want, but in the end, I feel great wearing them and that's all that matters!
10. Only buy what you love. "Maybe" rules aside, if you don't love something, you won't wear it - and spending money on something you don't wear is stupid, even if it's really cheap! (I learned this after buying a lot of cheap crap at thrift stores that I later had to donate back to the thrift store after not wearing any of it.) Even if you are a difficult shopper - like my mom, who had to be talked into buying a properly fitting bra and throws a fit about anything that's not shaped like a giant bag and horribly unflattering - there's always The One, that item of clothing that makes you smile when you see it and you have to stop yourself from wearing every day with everything you own, that makes you feel super hot and confident.... even the most difficult shopper can't resist buying The One. My mom, world's most difficult shopper (as her personal stylist, I know this) spent about 3 seconds in a cute top from Chico's before she dropped $80 on it without a second though. She LOVES that top. I've seen her wear it several times now, and she feels great in it. It's her "I want to look hot today" top. Worth it? Definetly. Unusual for her to buy? Absolutely. But was it The One? It was!
11. Return policies are your friend. Everyone makes mistakes - luckily for everyone, this is why we have return policies! Make sure you know about the return policy before you take an item home - clearance items are typically final sale. Do not rip the labels out of all your new clothes the second you take them home, and do not throw away the receipt. Give yourself a 2 week period to make sure you wear whatever you bought. If you haven't worn it by 2 weeks, you aren't going to wear it, and you need to take it back. If you wear it for a couple of hours and you feel like crap in it the whole time, you need to take it back. Do NOT return an item because you spilled something on it or ripped it - that's your fault and the retailer doesn't need to pay for your clumsiness! DO return an item if you don't wear it or don't like the way you feel in it after wearing it for a couple of hours.
May your shopping trips be filled with joy
1. Do not bring anyone else along shopping with you, unless they are acting as your personal stylist or shopping assistant. This means no boyfriends (although my boyfriend is a wonderful shopping companion, he tires out far more quickly than I do and I end up feeling guilty and leaving early) no friends (they never want to go into the same stores as you and you typically end up losing them in the store anyway) etc. If you happen to have someone as amazing as *me* in your life, however, by all means take them along. What I mean by this is that when you take me along on a shopping trip, I run through the entire store, find things that make you look amazing, stand in the dressing room while you try them on and tell you how each of them looks, then leave you to relax in the dressing room while I find you more things. I build outfits for you. I accessorize you. Hire me, I'm amazing. But in general, shopping along is best.2. Take care of your basic needs. Don't shop when you're hungry, thirsty, tired, or need to go to the bathroom. Shopping can be exhausting and you should never torture yourself. There is a REASON malls have food courts, drinking fountains and public restrooms - use them!
3. Dress conciously. When going on a shopping trip, there are 2 options for dress: first, wear an item that will go with everything you try on, like your favorite pair of jeans if you're trying on tops, or your favorite top if you're trying on bottoms. You want to see how the item you're considering will fit into the wardrobe you already own. Second option is to wear something that's easy to put on and take off over and over again, like a simple, loose dress. DON'T wear anything with lots of buttons, hooks, snaps, or that takes more than 3 seconds to put on and off. Also be concious of your underwear - wear what you ordinarily wear. So no bathing suit tops unless you're trying on beach cover ups, that sort of thing. Also don't wear heels unless you are a marathon heel-wearer and do not get tired in them, ever. They are a pain to take on and off and shopping requires a lot of walking.
4. Have an idea of what you want. Even if you're just going to browse, have a few things in mind that you'd been thinking about lately (for me right now, this includes rompers, maxi dresses, ruffly tops, statement bracelets and necklaces, a tan bag, a black bag, a chambray button-up shirt, and some military trend stuff. I don't NEED these things, but it helps give me something to look for.) The more specific, the better - for example, for me, not just any romper will do, it needs to also be flowy and loose - that will help you seperate "worth trying on" from "will look like crap on me" and help avoid wasting your time or energy carrying around armloads of garments that you will not buy. Try browsing a store's online catologue to get an idea of somethings you might like to try on.5. Choose your stores wisely. Always visit Your Store. You know - that store that you ALWAYS find something cute in, that makes you smile and feel like you're home (or maybe that's just me), that store that is a haven of clothes that fit you and make you feel wonderful. Always, always go to that store! For me - and lots of cheap fashionistas - that store is Forever 21. And also Marshall's and TJ Maxx. Ah, how I love them. *sighs happily* Anyway. Don't EVER be intimidated by a store - the days of the Pretty Woman sales clerk from hell are over! You can go into any store you want as long as you can afford the clothes there! It's your money that keeps those stores running - don't ever feel embarassed or scared to visit a store. And if you feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start, ask a salesperson for help. They're usually quite friendly and eager to help you, especially in higher-priced retailers where they often work on commission. They are your FRIENDS, and don't be scared to ask them to find you an item in your size, or if they have an item you're looking for - that's what they are paid for!!
6. First impressions are everything. Once you get yourself into the dressing room, give yourself about 5 seconds after you put on an item of clothing and look in the mirror to make a snap descision about how you feel. If any of the following phrases pop into your head: "I love this!" "I need this in my life!" "OH MY GODDDD AMAZING!" "This will go with _______ and _______ and I can wear it to _______." Buy. That. Item. On the other hand, if any of the following things phrases into your head, proceed to step 5: "I like this, but I don't LOVE it," "I'm not sure how I feel about this," "It's ok."
7. Deciding on a "maybe" item using price. If the item is good but not GREAT, name a price in your head for how much that item is worth to you - a price you would be happy to pay for it without feeling like you were ripped off. (Try not to look at the tag first, it makes this step much harder.) If the actual price of the item is significantly higher than what you came up with, don't get it. If you STILL can't decide, move on to step 8.
8. Ask yourself the following questions before purchasing a "maybe" item:
1) Are there any flaws in this item? Buttons missing, broken zippers, holes, hem too short, baggy, illfitting? This is a common occurence in "maybe" items, and the majority of people should NOT get these items. Why? Because they will never fix the flaw, and thus will never wear the clothing. Unless you have a history of taking a flawed item home and repairing this, and have ACTUALLY done this before, don't purchase a flawed "maybe."
2) How many outfits can you imagine off the top of your head for this item, using your current wardrobe? If you will need to purchase additional items of clothing in order to have even ONE good outfit, don't purchase that maybe. However, if you can come up with several different outfits that the item will fit into using clothes you already own, this might be a good buy.
3) Where will you wear this item? And how often? For example, when deciding on a cute but expensive pair of jeans, consider how often you wear jeans. If you wear them almost every day, then simple math can tell you how many days you will need to wear the item to earn back its use (example: for a $70 pair of jeans, wearing them over 70 times will have earned back the item's value and thus the jeans will have essentially paid for themselves). With the exception of special occasion items like prom dresses or wedding wear, you want an item that you will wear often enough to earn back its value, and that you have places you can wear it regularly.
4) Is this item comfortable? Is it too tight anywhere? Can you sit down in it comfortably? For shoes, how well can you walk in them? How well can you balance? One thing I like to do for a "maybe" item - especially shoes - is to wear the item around for several trips around the store. If I'm deciding on purchasing an expensive pair of shoes, I'll usually wear them until I'm finished shopping to make sure that they are comfortable. For clothes, I like to wear them out of the dressing room at least once - that way I can gauge how I feel walking around in the item (restricted? confident?) and get a fresh view in the mirror when I come back.
5) Will I miss this item if I don't buy it? This is a test I usually end up putting expensive "maybe"'s through. If I love an item and I know it isn't apt to dissapear anytime soon, I leave it in the store, go on my merry way for a while, and see if I'm still thinking about the item enough to come back and get it. This is easy on a mall shopping trip, but I recommend it even on one-store trips. Leave it for a few days. If you find yourself thinking about the item and wanting it, go back and get it. This worked out well for me when I fell in love with a $300 Betsey Johnson jacket. I couldn't afford it at $300, so I left it - but I found myself thinking about it constantly, dreaming about it, buying fabric to attempt to make my own, looking at it wistfully online .... all those things you do when you're in love with an item of clothing. So when I went back to the Betsey Johson store and found My Jacket on sale for $90, it was an immediate buy. I've been lusting after that jacket for MONTHS. If you leave something in the store and don't find yourself wanting to go back and get it, that's a sign that you don't love it enough to purchase it.
9. Ignore the haters. If you feel sexy in a top, but you hear your mom's voice in your head harping on about how you look like a harlot, stop thinking about your mom, buy the top and then take care to never wear it around her. Similarly, if you're trying on a sexy piece of lingerie that makes you feel uncomfortable but you know your boyfriend/husband would go bananas over, don't buy it. Buy something sexy that you FEEL sexy in. You should never have to be talked into buying an item: if you have to be talked into it, you don't love it enough to wear it once you take it home. And don't let anyone talk you out of something you love if you see yourself wearing it once you take it home. People can hate on my faux fur vest and my bright purple silk high waisted shorts all they want, but in the end, I feel great wearing them and that's all that matters!10. Only buy what you love. "Maybe" rules aside, if you don't love something, you won't wear it - and spending money on something you don't wear is stupid, even if it's really cheap! (I learned this after buying a lot of cheap crap at thrift stores that I later had to donate back to the thrift store after not wearing any of it.) Even if you are a difficult shopper - like my mom, who had to be talked into buying a properly fitting bra and throws a fit about anything that's not shaped like a giant bag and horribly unflattering - there's always The One, that item of clothing that makes you smile when you see it and you have to stop yourself from wearing every day with everything you own, that makes you feel super hot and confident.... even the most difficult shopper can't resist buying The One. My mom, world's most difficult shopper (as her personal stylist, I know this) spent about 3 seconds in a cute top from Chico's before she dropped $80 on it without a second though. She LOVES that top. I've seen her wear it several times now, and she feels great in it. It's her "I want to look hot today" top. Worth it? Definetly. Unusual for her to buy? Absolutely. But was it The One? It was!
11. Return policies are your friend. Everyone makes mistakes - luckily for everyone, this is why we have return policies! Make sure you know about the return policy before you take an item home - clearance items are typically final sale. Do not rip the labels out of all your new clothes the second you take them home, and do not throw away the receipt. Give yourself a 2 week period to make sure you wear whatever you bought. If you haven't worn it by 2 weeks, you aren't going to wear it, and you need to take it back. If you wear it for a couple of hours and you feel like crap in it the whole time, you need to take it back. Do NOT return an item because you spilled something on it or ripped it - that's your fault and the retailer doesn't need to pay for your clumsiness! DO return an item if you don't wear it or don't like the way you feel in it after wearing it for a couple of hours.
May your shopping trips be filled with joy
Monday, June 28, 2010
Trend Report: "Antique Romance"
One style that I've noticed trending this season is what I call "Antique Romance." The colors are nude, sand, cream, shell-pink, late afternoon sun, straw, peach, taupe, pearl. The hand is gauzy-soft, impossibly delicate, with practically unfinished, ruffled edges and lace detail. This is what romantic-era farmer's daughters wore around their moderately wealthy family estates: soft, flowing chemises; ruffled peasant tops and blouses; simple, frothy dresses.
Where can you find this look without breaking the bank? Here are a few places (excluding the items shown in my Polyvore trend board - click here to view them). You can find another awesome post about this trend at Cupcakes and Cashmere.
Pink Rose Ring, $3.80
Pearlescent Cluster Ring , $3.80
Sheer Rosette Pearl Bobby Pins
Mesh Flower Pearl Necklace, $5.80
Rose Pearl Necklace, $8.80
-Tops-
Flowy Draped Top
White Tank with Ruffled Leaf Detail
-Dresses and Skirts-
Tiered Ruffled Skirt
Peach and White Ruffled Chiffon Cocktail Dress, $13.50
Pink Frilly Flirty A-Line Party Dress, $29.99
Peach Ruffle Neck Corsage Dress, $33.00
Flowy Draped Top
White Tank with Ruffled Leaf Detail
-Dresses and Skirts-
Tiered Ruffled Skirt
Peach and White Ruffled Chiffon Cocktail Dress, $13.50
Pink Frilly Flirty A-Line Party Dress, $29.99
Peach Ruffle Neck Corsage Dress, $33.00
-Shoes-
Lace Open Toed Slingbacks, $59.98
Camel-Color Lace Open Toed Booties, $79.98
To complete the look, style your hair and makeup subtley: peachy eyeshadow, a nude pink lip, and whispy, whimsical hair. Try this look, from the Alexander Wang s/s 2010 show:
Blow dry hair upside down for extra body and volume - you can also use a volumizing mouse like root pump volumizing spray mouse from Big Sexy hair. Then sweep or flip all of your hair over to one side. Seperate the chunk closest to your face and create a cowlick with either a round brush and a blowdrier, or a curling iron (tousle afterwards for a more natural look if you iron). Leaving the cowlicked section hanging free (or if your hair is all one length, very loose), braid the rest of your hair loosely in front of your shoulder, starting just below your ear. Braid all the way to the end, stopping roughly an inch from the ends of your hair. Secure with an elastic. Starting with the hair just above the elastic, use your fingers to pinch a section of braid and pull it out slightly, loosening the braid. Continue pulling sections outward gently (Don't pull them all the way free from the braid) until your braid is the same thickness all the way from top to bottom (you will need to pull more at the bottom unless you have very thick hair!) Finally, pull some whispy pieces of hair from the unbraided side for a tousled, relaxed look. (Does this make sense? If not, I can make a video tutorial.)
To complete the look, style your hair and makeup subtley: peachy eyeshadow, a nude pink lip, and whispy, whimsical hair. Try this look, from the Alexander Wang s/s 2010 show:
Sunday, October 11, 2009
5 Easy Ways to Earn Extra Money
So, times are hard, bla bla bla. You need extra money for gas, for your kid, for those shoes, whatever. Doesn't really matter to me, I'll take extra money whenever, bad economy or not! As such, I've become an expert at figuring out ways to sneak extra cash into my wallet. Every little bit helps and it all adds up over time. However I do remind you know that the tips I'm sharing are NOT a substitute for real, substantial income. Its more like some extra pocket cash. Second, I have already written a review of ways to make money via paid-to and survey sites, which brings in about $30-$60 a month extra for me! You can see that information here: http://omglia.com/makemoneyonline . But here are even MORE good ways to make extra money!
Checkbook Cover by bagladiesinpa
1. Donate plasma. Every decent sized town should have a plasma donation center. Donating plasma is fairly easy and you can do it up to twice a week after you pass a screening and fitness exam which takes about 2 hours - additional visits take much less time. You can make roughly $200 or so extra a month donating plasma. For more information and to find a donation center near you visit this site: http://www.bloodbanker.com/plasma/
2. Sell any extra stuff you might have lying around in your house on Ebay, Craigslist or Livejournal. Some things you might sell include clothing, CDs, video games, DVDs, action figures, keychains, old jewelry, unused makeup, purses, shoes, or craft supplies. If you're absolutely desperate and have low standards, people will also buy your used underwear. (I've never tried this, but apparently you can get $30 for a pair of your panties. Hey, if the demand is there, why question it? Or even think about it and wonder what kind of people would ever want to buy a pair of used panties? .... exactly, let's not.) Livejournal has loads of awesome selling communities, though you'll need to know a bit of HTML and join lots of communities to get your items out there for people to see. Ebay is great too, but once you add your items, they can tend to get lost in the fray. To boost visibility of your stuff, advertise the items with an image or two on livejournal! There are communities just for that sort of thing - if you want some help finding them, just check out my profile.
Earrings by hollee
3. If you have a marketable skill, put up an ad on your local craigstlist offering your services. Marketable skills can be anything from cleaning houses, to walking dogs, babysitting, making websites, creating artwork, whatever. Charge on a sliding scale to attract more business - remember, every little bit helps!
4. If there is a university where you live, check out whether they have a research program that offers paid studies. For example the psych department at my university offers up to $10/hr for certain studies, and they are always looking for demographics like people who smoke pot, drink often, don't drink at all, have good hearing, etc. It's similiar to the "paid surveys" that are on the make money online tutorial, only its for academic research, not market research.
Cash Ledger by orangebeautiful
5. If there is something you know a lot about that other people are interested in - for example, social networking and marketing, cooking, MMORPGs, anything -- make a blog about it. Once you get a lot of entries and a decent amount of readers, charge money to advertise on your blog with Google Adsense, Project Wonderful or private advertising. This idea is definitely more long-term and takes a lot of work. To me it's one step below opening up a handmade store in terms of the amount of work it takes compared to the profit margins - but if you've got time, you've got a computer, and you've got something to say, go for it! For an idea of how to maximize profit potential on this particular idea, here's an awesome example of how to make $2500 in a month.
If there's anything you know is a surefire way bring in extra cash, let me know and I'll add it here! I'm always open to new ideas!
Checkbook Cover by bagladiesinpa
1. Donate plasma. Every decent sized town should have a plasma donation center. Donating plasma is fairly easy and you can do it up to twice a week after you pass a screening and fitness exam which takes about 2 hours - additional visits take much less time. You can make roughly $200 or so extra a month donating plasma. For more information and to find a donation center near you visit this site: http://www.bloodbanker.com/plasma/
2. Sell any extra stuff you might have lying around in your house on Ebay, Craigslist or Livejournal. Some things you might sell include clothing, CDs, video games, DVDs, action figures, keychains, old jewelry, unused makeup, purses, shoes, or craft supplies. If you're absolutely desperate and have low standards, people will also buy your used underwear. (I've never tried this, but apparently you can get $30 for a pair of your panties. Hey, if the demand is there, why question it? Or even think about it and wonder what kind of people would ever want to buy a pair of used panties? .... exactly, let's not.) Livejournal has loads of awesome selling communities, though you'll need to know a bit of HTML and join lots of communities to get your items out there for people to see. Ebay is great too, but once you add your items, they can tend to get lost in the fray. To boost visibility of your stuff, advertise the items with an image or two on livejournal! There are communities just for that sort of thing - if you want some help finding them, just check out my profile.
Earrings by hollee
3. If you have a marketable skill, put up an ad on your local craigstlist offering your services. Marketable skills can be anything from cleaning houses, to walking dogs, babysitting, making websites, creating artwork, whatever. Charge on a sliding scale to attract more business - remember, every little bit helps!
4. If there is a university where you live, check out whether they have a research program that offers paid studies. For example the psych department at my university offers up to $10/hr for certain studies, and they are always looking for demographics like people who smoke pot, drink often, don't drink at all, have good hearing, etc. It's similiar to the "paid surveys" that are on the make money online tutorial, only its for academic research, not market research.
Cash Ledger by orangebeautiful
5. If there is something you know a lot about that other people are interested in - for example, social networking and marketing, cooking, MMORPGs, anything -- make a blog about it. Once you get a lot of entries and a decent amount of readers, charge money to advertise on your blog with Google Adsense, Project Wonderful or private advertising. This idea is definitely more long-term and takes a lot of work. To me it's one step below opening up a handmade store in terms of the amount of work it takes compared to the profit margins - but if you've got time, you've got a computer, and you've got something to say, go for it! For an idea of how to maximize profit potential on this particular idea, here's an awesome example of how to make $2500 in a month.
If there's anything you know is a surefire way bring in extra cash, let me know and I'll add it here! I'm always open to new ideas!
Friday, July 17, 2009
The Best New Promotional Tool!
The other day, as I was browsing through my Google Webmaster Tools and searching through all the links pointing back to OmgLia.com, I stumbled across something .... amazing. It's a site called Polyvore and it's basically the coolest thing I've ever seen! From the site:
bEhinD my S M i L E, you'd be suprised how much i H i D E by »emmα;; &&iT'S THE [CLiMB] ♥ featuring Louis Vuitton bags
"Polyvore is a free, easy-to-use web-based application for mixing and matching images from anywhere on the web. It is also a vibrant community of creative and stylish people. Polyvore lets you create sets composed of individual images using an easy to use, drag and drop editor. After you have created a set, you can publish and share it with your friends and the Polyvore community."
Essentially, it's a group of creative people who are interested in fashion, creating style boards using images from all over the web- including OmgLia.com! Unbeknownst to me, users had added all of the pictures on my site with plain white backgrounds and begun using them in their fashion spreads. As an apparel merchandising/fashion design major, this site appeals to me in just about EVERY way possible. I'll be making my first spread soon.
Why I Find Polyvore to be an Excellent Promotional Tool:
1. When an item is added from your site, Polyvore provides a prominent link back to your site along with a price, tags, and a link to other items from your site.
2. Internal links to an item on a website are rated higher in SEO (search engine optimization) than homepage links - aka, as a result of these internal links, my site shows up higher in search engine results!
3. With just a click, your image is added to a database of thousands of members to be featured artistically in ways you never imagined! Not only is the creator of the spread perusing your items, but they are turning it into a beautiful work of art to be appreciated by thousands more!
4. Advertising potential! Using your items in visually appealing situations lends opportunities for ad copy and, with permission, even graphic design potential. For example: "Look how cute these earrings look with a lavender shirt and a pair of Mary Janes! *pic of outfit*" Once a customer can visualize your item fitting into her closet, she is already on her way to purchasing it!
5. The creators of the style board AND the owners of the items featured are both given excellent, easy-to-find, prominent credit.
This site is my FAVORITE new promotional tool!
Arguments Against Polyvore
Many on Etsy have brought up the point that Polyvore is encouraging "stealing" of images and items for an unintended purpose. For example, a photograph that is altered within a spread. My counter to that is this:
1. Your item is given a link back and is clearly named and credited to you both with a hover-over and a sidebar link. Also, I have found that commenting on a work and saying "thanks for using an item from *my site link*" is another great way to further promote credit for one's work. It is quite similiar to being featured in a blog with a link back - but much more artistic and creative!
2. Worried about your images being stolen? Sadly, images are practically free for the taking online. Most of us don't have copyright lawyers to defend our work. The solution: watermarks. Don't post an original photograph without a big stamped URL over top of it! That way no matter where your image ends up, your site is always credited - plus no one but a customer has the original image.
3. Etsy items and, as I understand it, Photobucket and Flickr items, are not allowed to be added to Polyvore. This prevents uncredited items and encourages direct links back to original content on the website of the work's creator.
Take a look at some of the gorgeous creations featuring OmgLia items! Can you find them? It's like a treasure hunt!
Are you a member? Post yours!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
First craft fair of the summer!
So my first craft fair was a total success! I tripled my entry fee and then some. Of course, let's keep in mind that this was the cheapest of all the fairs I'm doing this summer ... the one coming up in July is $500!
See the 10 or so carebears chillin around my table? They are KID MAGNETS. As if my booth wasn't already pink and girly enough, little girls could NOT resist dragging their mommies into my booth to point out each of the carebears by name and squeal happily (meanwhile, their mothers looked at the jewelry! Win!) I also had some other kid-magnet props like a unicorn head and a gumball machine. *tents fingers evilly* little kids cannot resist the gumball machine.
Unfortunately for me, little kids also have no money, so I have to rely more on parents and older chicks for sales. My first two sales were to women in their 30s, one of which kept stopping in to tell me how many compliments she'd gotten on her new skull earrings! And one preteen girl and her mother apparently shared the same taste in jewelry and bought over $50 worth of merchandise between them!! Now that is my FAVORITE kind of sale.
I've definitely learned some good lessons from this first fair which I'm going to apply to my future fairs this summer. Hopefully these can help some of you as well.
1. Accept credit cards! Over half of my sales were charged to a credit card, and the majority of the sales on credit were higher cost items. I use ProPay, an affordable credit card processing platform. As long as you have the CC number, expiration date and zip code, you can go online to the propay site and process any amount on the card. I couldn't figure out how to work my Knuckle Buster so I ended up writing them all down by hand and shredding them once I had processed the cards, but all of the orders went through and I'm really glad I took CCs!
2. Showcase your least expensive items! My stud earrings are $3-$5 and I put them front and center. Lots of shoppers made impulse buys or didn't want to spend very much, so having them featured like that really helped them to sell, in my opinion.
3. Use eyecatching displays! Heads literally turned when people passed my booth. Not only is everything bright pink and colorful, but I had so many interesting props to look at that several people came in just to examine them! I found most of my props at yard sales and flea markets for cheap!
4. Don't pack up until the fair is really over. My biggest sale happened less than an hour before the fair was schedule to end. I know it takes a while to dis-assemble a booth, but it's not worth saving an extra few minutes if you lose a customer!
5. Test your display before attend a fair! I ALMOST did this. I set up my tables and tablecloth in a room in my apartment, and halfheartedly tossed some of my props on top. But I didn't set it up completely and I'm really sorry I didn't. I need another table, more displays with varying heights, and better necklace displays. Luckily I've got time to get these things before my next fair in a month!
See the 10 or so carebears chillin around my table? They are KID MAGNETS. As if my booth wasn't already pink and girly enough, little girls could NOT resist dragging their mommies into my booth to point out each of the carebears by name and squeal happily (meanwhile, their mothers looked at the jewelry! Win!) I also had some other kid-magnet props like a unicorn head and a gumball machine. *tents fingers evilly* little kids cannot resist the gumball machine.
Unfortunately for me, little kids also have no money, so I have to rely more on parents and older chicks for sales. My first two sales were to women in their 30s, one of which kept stopping in to tell me how many compliments she'd gotten on her new skull earrings! And one preteen girl and her mother apparently shared the same taste in jewelry and bought over $50 worth of merchandise between them!! Now that is my FAVORITE kind of sale.
I've definitely learned some good lessons from this first fair which I'm going to apply to my future fairs this summer. Hopefully these can help some of you as well.
1. Accept credit cards! Over half of my sales were charged to a credit card, and the majority of the sales on credit were higher cost items. I use ProPay, an affordable credit card processing platform. As long as you have the CC number, expiration date and zip code, you can go online to the propay site and process any amount on the card. I couldn't figure out how to work my Knuckle Buster so I ended up writing them all down by hand and shredding them once I had processed the cards, but all of the orders went through and I'm really glad I took CCs!
2. Showcase your least expensive items! My stud earrings are $3-$5 and I put them front and center. Lots of shoppers made impulse buys or didn't want to spend very much, so having them featured like that really helped them to sell, in my opinion.
3. Use eyecatching displays! Heads literally turned when people passed my booth. Not only is everything bright pink and colorful, but I had so many interesting props to look at that several people came in just to examine them! I found most of my props at yard sales and flea markets for cheap!
4. Don't pack up until the fair is really over. My biggest sale happened less than an hour before the fair was schedule to end. I know it takes a while to dis-assemble a booth, but it's not worth saving an extra few minutes if you lose a customer!
5. Test your display before attend a fair! I ALMOST did this. I set up my tables and tablecloth in a room in my apartment, and halfheartedly tossed some of my props on top. But I didn't set it up completely and I'm really sorry I didn't. I need another table, more displays with varying heights, and better necklace displays. Luckily I've got time to get these things before my next fair in a month!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Ways to Drive Free Traffic
Selling on the internet is all about getting hits. I know it sounds like something involving drugs and alleys, but hits just means traffic, which means the amount of people looking at your site. The more exposure, the more likely someone will buy something, so hits are a vital part of owning an online shop! I thought I'd share where most of OmgLia's hits come from. Now I personally haven't done much in the way of paid advertising - which I imagine would be FAR more rewarding - but I'm offering my advice for getting FREE hits specifically because those benefit everyone!
1. Project Wonderful, which tracks referrers, unique users and pageviews on every page where its ad boxes are displayed
2. Site Meter, an excellent free counter that also tracks referrals
3. Google Analytics which tracks very efficiently but is difficult to place on every page of a domain - much more effective for a blogspot blog or etsy shop.
2. Topsites Listings and Directories. If you've never seen a topsites listing, go and run a search for "topsites [use a keyword from your site here]. A topsites list is a big list of sites with banner ads that you can add your site to for free. Here is one example. Its order is ranked by the amount of "votes" you get, or people clicking from the topsites link on your site to visit the topsites list. There are top sites for everything and the more you join, the more traffic you'll get from them. Just make sure you have a place to link back to the site from - like a myspace or a blog - so that you can keep your link on the front page! Directories are similiar to topsites listings, except without the whole voting/rank thing (which I personally find is useful if you have enough traffic to generate a lot of votes, because then you stay on the front page.) Some good free directories I use are The Handmade Product Directory and Indie Collective.
3. Google Search and Google Image Search, as well as other misc. search engines. I know, big DUH there. But why is it that I'm getting so many targetted google hits for specific items (like, "cute funky jewelry" or "handmade wallets" - things that are definetly on my site)? Google ranks the results of its queries based on a few different items: one is the amount of links back to the site that exist on the web (see above 2 ideas to raise that number significantly), and the other is keywords and tags. Etsy users already know how to use tags properly, but if you have your own site or blog, it can be trickier. First make sure your TITLE is descriptive enough to pop up as relevant to Google and relevant to the person searching: if you sell knit scarves and your blog is called "Katie's World," for example, then you might get far less hits than if your blog was called "Katie's World: Knitted Scarves and Other Crafts" or something more descriptive and specific. You'll notice that my blog title is "colorful plastic jewelry". Secondly, make sure that you use keywords and tags in the BODY of your posts. If you have a domain, make a little opening statement that has a few key words (for an example, see http://omglia.com and read the opening paragraph). If you blog, make sure you're using descriptive terms that will show up as relevant to google. And use lots of images. I get tons of hits because I once posted an entry about making jewelry displays, and included pictures, and that image links back right to this blog.
4. Links from other sites. This refers to link exchanges, links on blogrolls, anywhere someone posted a link back to omglia from their personal site. A lot of the time these are voluntary links that I had nothing to do with, but there are 2 ways to get more links to your site up on other people's sites:
a) Link Exchanging. you post their link, they post yours, everybody wins. With Etsy, this can be great for other shops because the only link that works on an Etsy announcement or profile is another Etsy shop, so consider offering a section called "Shops I Love" and putting link exchanges there. Approach blogs and other domains that you think might mutually benefit from an exchange - more often than not, they're looking for ways to get more links out there too (Remember, more linkbacks = more google results!).
b) Make it easy to link back to your site. I have a Link Back page with all of my advertisement banners plus a simple copy-paste HTML code for immediate postage to a myspace, blog, etc. If people like my site, they can share it with friends without having to do anything but copy and paste. For blogs, this might mean an "add to your blogroll" or "share with friends" link somewhere to a site like Google Reader or Digg. The easier it is, the more likely people will use it.
5. StumbleUpon I think many Etsy users have already discovered the joys of StumbleUpon, but I'll reiterate. Stumble EVERY new item you post, EVERY blog you write, EVERYTHING. And USE KEYWORDS/TAGS like your traffic depends on it! (Newsflash: It does!)
6. Forums and Message Boards. This includes Etsy forums, Crafster, Diyscene, even your World of Warcraft message board or your Motherhood forum. My random MB that gets me hits is HoboWars -- shameful, but effective! Make sure EVERY signature contains a link to your site, and if possible use a universal username or avatar for brand recognition and familiarity (mine, predictably, is omglia.).
7. Misc: Myspace, Flickr, LinkReferral, etc. These are the ones that everyone has heard of that always get tossed around as good places to get hits. I know I've left of several that you can probably list from the top of your head (Twitter, Facebook, etc etc). I don't get a bulk amount of traffic from any one of them in particular, but combined they are definitely invalueable. Have as many profiles in as many places as you can, and if you happen to maintain them, even better (I'm kind of a fan of leaving my link and moving on, personally). Remember, the amount of time spent on customizing and editing your profile (and then keeping it updated) will result in a greater amount of traffic. The more you put in, the more you get out of it, as is true with most things. You can use a URL shortener like Bit.Ly to track the number of clicks you receive on any specific link.
So there you have it. Remember, I excluded paid advertising! That's another HUGE way to get hits. ProjectWonderful is a good way to dip your toes into paid advertising, but if you're looking for places to advertise the best place is to search for keywords relevant to your site and then from those results, find as many blogs or domains offering advertising as possible. Also, if you need banner advertisements (which I find vital in attracting my target market, personally) I sell them at very reasonable prices. *Wink*
One last thing. If you have the abilities to keep track of where your hits are coming from, CONCENTRATE your efforts on the places that seem successful! For me, that's Livejournal - those mass advertisement posts take hours, but they're so worth it! If you start to see a lot of hits coming from topsites or message boards, find more of those and join them! Whatever you're doing right, keep doing it! Good luck! And please feel free to comment with some suggestions of your own!
Traffic Buttons by Buttered Parsnips
First, how do I know where I get my hits, you ask? I use 3 traffic trackers to get a well-rounded idea of my traffic and referall sites:1. Project Wonderful, which tracks referrers, unique users and pageviews on every page where its ad boxes are displayed
2. Site Meter, an excellent free counter that also tracks referrals
3. Google Analytics which tracks very efficiently but is difficult to place on every page of a domain - much more effective for a blogspot blog or etsy shop.
Now onto the sites. In order of most referalls to least, here are the places that OmgLia gets it's hits:
Traffic Light Decal by Elephannie
1. LiveJournal Communities is a HUGE place for hits. It's a very targeted blogging site that mostly caters to the under-25 crowd, and happens to have a wonderful community for selling in particular. There are livejournal selling journals, selling communities, and advertising communities. Each community has around 500+ members looking at any given day, and although there are often many posts per day (think the Promotions section of the Etsy forums) one well-designed advertisement posted to about 30 communities (again, at 500+ members each) usually gets me TONS of hits when I take the time to mass-post. This is a VERY time-consuming but VERY rewarding way to get hits. First you have to find and join the communities, then you have to make your banner ad, then you have to copy and paste it 30 TIMES. But my traffic skyrockets every time I do this which definetly makes it worth it to me! Feel free to add me on LJ and join the communities I'm already in!Traffic Light Decal by Elephannie2. Topsites Listings and Directories. If you've never seen a topsites listing, go and run a search for "topsites [use a keyword from your site here]. A topsites list is a big list of sites with banner ads that you can add your site to for free. Here is one example. Its order is ranked by the amount of "votes" you get, or people clicking from the topsites link on your site to visit the topsites list. There are top sites for everything and the more you join, the more traffic you'll get from them. Just make sure you have a place to link back to the site from - like a myspace or a blog - so that you can keep your link on the front page! Directories are similiar to topsites listings, except without the whole voting/rank thing (which I personally find is useful if you have enough traffic to generate a lot of votes, because then you stay on the front page.) Some good free directories I use are The Handmade Product Directory and Indie Collective.
3. Google Search and Google Image Search, as well as other misc. search engines. I know, big DUH there. But why is it that I'm getting so many targetted google hits for specific items (like, "cute funky jewelry" or "handmade wallets" - things that are definetly on my site)? Google ranks the results of its queries based on a few different items: one is the amount of links back to the site that exist on the web (see above 2 ideas to raise that number significantly), and the other is keywords and tags. Etsy users already know how to use tags properly, but if you have your own site or blog, it can be trickier. First make sure your TITLE is descriptive enough to pop up as relevant to Google and relevant to the person searching: if you sell knit scarves and your blog is called "Katie's World," for example, then you might get far less hits than if your blog was called "Katie's World: Knitted Scarves and Other Crafts" or something more descriptive and specific. You'll notice that my blog title is "colorful plastic jewelry". Secondly, make sure that you use keywords and tags in the BODY of your posts. If you have a domain, make a little opening statement that has a few key words (for an example, see http://omglia.com and read the opening paragraph). If you blog, make sure you're using descriptive terms that will show up as relevant to google. And use lots of images. I get tons of hits because I once posted an entry about making jewelry displays, and included pictures, and that image links back right to this blog.
4. Links from other sites. This refers to link exchanges, links on blogrolls, anywhere someone posted a link back to omglia from their personal site. A lot of the time these are voluntary links that I had nothing to do with, but there are 2 ways to get more links to your site up on other people's sites:
a) Link Exchanging. you post their link, they post yours, everybody wins. With Etsy, this can be great for other shops because the only link that works on an Etsy announcement or profile is another Etsy shop, so consider offering a section called "Shops I Love" and putting link exchanges there. Approach blogs and other domains that you think might mutually benefit from an exchange - more often than not, they're looking for ways to get more links out there too (Remember, more linkbacks = more google results!).
b) Make it easy to link back to your site. I have a Link Back page with all of my advertisement banners plus a simple copy-paste HTML code for immediate postage to a myspace, blog, etc. If people like my site, they can share it with friends without having to do anything but copy and paste. For blogs, this might mean an "add to your blogroll" or "share with friends" link somewhere to a site like Google Reader or Digg. The easier it is, the more likely people will use it.
5. StumbleUpon I think many Etsy users have already discovered the joys of StumbleUpon, but I'll reiterate. Stumble EVERY new item you post, EVERY blog you write, EVERYTHING. And USE KEYWORDS/TAGS like your traffic depends on it! (Newsflash: It does!)
6. Forums and Message Boards. This includes Etsy forums, Crafster, Diyscene, even your World of Warcraft message board or your Motherhood forum. My random MB that gets me hits is HoboWars -- shameful, but effective! Make sure EVERY signature contains a link to your site, and if possible use a universal username or avatar for brand recognition and familiarity (mine, predictably, is omglia.).
7. Misc: Myspace, Flickr, LinkReferral, etc. These are the ones that everyone has heard of that always get tossed around as good places to get hits. I know I've left of several that you can probably list from the top of your head (Twitter, Facebook, etc etc). I don't get a bulk amount of traffic from any one of them in particular, but combined they are definitely invalueable. Have as many profiles in as many places as you can, and if you happen to maintain them, even better (I'm kind of a fan of leaving my link and moving on, personally). Remember, the amount of time spent on customizing and editing your profile (and then keeping it updated) will result in a greater amount of traffic. The more you put in, the more you get out of it, as is true with most things. You can use a URL shortener like Bit.Ly to track the number of clicks you receive on any specific link.
So there you have it. Remember, I excluded paid advertising! That's another HUGE way to get hits. ProjectWonderful is a good way to dip your toes into paid advertising, but if you're looking for places to advertise the best place is to search for keywords relevant to your site and then from those results, find as many blogs or domains offering advertising as possible. Also, if you need banner advertisements (which I find vital in attracting my target market, personally) I sell them at very reasonable prices. *Wink*
One last thing. If you have the abilities to keep track of where your hits are coming from, CONCENTRATE your efforts on the places that seem successful! For me, that's Livejournal - those mass advertisement posts take hours, but they're so worth it! If you start to see a lot of hits coming from topsites or message boards, find more of those and join them! Whatever you're doing right, keep doing it! Good luck! And please feel free to comment with some suggestions of your own!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Craft Fair Sign Tutorial
This is the tutorial for my sign displays!
You Will Need
1. Good cardboard. Any ordinary cardboard box will be fine. It doesn't matter if it has writing on it. You'll also need a bit of lighter cardboard, like a cereal box. Yay, recycling!
2. Pretty paper. I used a combination of scrapbooking paper from a craft store and free paint samples from Home Depot! Construction paper, wrapping paper, etc will also work well. Whatever looks good. If you want your signs to match, though, make sure you have enough! I didn't, as you can see, so they're all kind of in the same general color scheme.
3. Access to a printer and computer for designing the actual text. If you're fabulous at handwriting or something, I guess that'll work too, but I found that printed text makes it look more proffesional.
4. Scissors! And possibly a box cutter if you're into that.
5. CLEAR PACKING TAPE. This is important. It's to waterproof everything so it lasts longer!
Let's Begin!
1. Design your labels, print and cut them out. My labels included the name of the item, its price, and sometimes discount for multiple purchases.
2. Cut out strips of cardboard. You will be folding these in half, so make them twice the length of your sign size. To find the width, I held up the cut-out label on top of the cardboard and cut around it. You can of course also make them all one size.
3. Fold your cardboard strips in half. Now they should look like little tents! Cute! If you're using cardboard with writing on it, consider folding them with the writing on the OUTSIDE and the blank side on the INSIDE, because that way you won't see any of the writing stuff once it's covered up *shrug* I'm OCD, are you? Hehe.
4. Time to get out your tape! Cover your cardboard strip with the decorative paper, tape it in place and then tape all over it (in straight lines, so it looks neat). Also tape your label in place on one (or both, if you like) sides. See the picture to the left for what it should look like now!5. To prevent sign your flattening on your table, we're going to make a little bridge at the bottom of each tent to hold it in place. I used paint sample paper; any light cardboard (get out those cereal boxes now!) will work fine.
Fold your tent again and set it at the angle you would like it to stay at forever. Cut out a strip of light cardboard the width of the bottom of your tent. Then tape it to the bottom on top AND bottom of the strip. This is kinda hard to explain, but I'll try. Place a strip of tape underneath the cereal box strip so it goes around on top of the decorative paper sides of the sign, and also one on TOP of the cereal box strip so it stays in place with the tape going up the sides on the INSIDE of the tent. Does that make sense?
Now your sign is done! Just repeat these steps to make the rest of your signs. They should be sturdy and waterproof, as well as proffesional looking and perfect for your craft fairs! Here is an action shot of my signs:
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Craft Fair Tips
I've been thinking, and I've decided that with 3 craft fairs under my belt (2 not-so-good ones and one very succesful one) I might as well write down some tips for the n00bs. In no particular order, here are mine:
1. Bring everything on this list. I packed up a big box for my first fair and just bring it to each subsequent fair, and nothing ever gets left behind!
2. Make a big excel file of all of your inventory and its price. When you sell something you can cross it off, and then at home you can tally up everything you've sold on the computer to keep track of it really easily. Plus it helps if you forget the price of something or other.
3. Mark prices very clearly. Some people don't like to ask, and some people decide what to buy based directly from the prices they see. This picture shows my pricing signs: they are little triangles made out of recycled cardboard and pretty paper, laminated (and waterproof) with clear tape. Easy fast and cute, and I can reuse them over and over! I'll make a tutorial if anyone wants one.
4.Have freebies, either from your shop or other people. It creates loyalty because everyone loves freebies! Freebies for your own shop (promotional freebies) should be USEFUL so they don't just get thrown away. My favorite item for this is magnets, which I make myself. Pens, mirrors, etc might also work wonderfully! Make sure your URL is on there and all that. I gave away all but 3 of the 50 or so magnets I had sitting out there, and now they're all sitting on people's fridges for them to see every day!
5. packaging! Bring bags (NOT recycled wal mart bags) with your url or logo somewhere on it. Include a biz card inside. I also toss in etsy promotional packs, makes them feel like they're getting more freebies! Consider wrapping and whatnot if your item works that way.
6. Have a draw like the giant teddy bear I used at my last fair! (see my previous entry for pics) it will attract your target demographic. If you're a soap seller, think about how The Body Shop always has that little dish set out with yummy smelly samples in it OUTSIDE their store, to draw people in, for example. If you sell plushies, make a huge one. If you sell clothes, put your best outfit on a mannequin. Etc! People will see it from far off and want to come check out your stuff!
7. Displays. Think about how you want your items to be seen. If you are marketing adult-oriented, sophisticated stuff, you may want all matching displays. I personally chose a variety of themed displays for my tables, so it doesn't match very well but does look interesting. For some ideas on DIY jewelry displays, click here. The picture is of an old, dirty necklace stand that I painted! Get creative.
8. You'll hear this one a lot - levels! You need your table to have lots of levels so it doesn't look all boring just laid out in one spot. I personally like to put a box underneath my
tablecloths to mix it up and then put things on top of that. The picture is an example. See how one jewelry display is much higher than the other? It makes it look more interesting. Plus, you can fit more stuff on your table that way! Also consider hanging things from the side of your tent. The more levels, the better!
9. Be friendly. My last craft fair, I was going through a breakup. I was SOOOO not in the mood to smile and sell my stuff. But I did anyway (plus my friends showed up to help, which cheered me up!) and I got a lot of return customers from one day to the next! All these teenage girls kept coming back to talk to me, it was adorable! If I would've let my mood take over I would've sat glowering at everyone, but instead I said hi to each customer and sold my products cheerfully. Always stay proffesional.
10. Promote your fair. I know, that's the job of the advertisers ... but in my case, I wasn't sure there was advertising to my demographic. The fair organizers had advertised in the newspaper and around their neighborhood, but I hadn't seen anything on craigslist, facebook, or myspace!! So I got promoting, created a facebook event and a craigslist post. We all know how to advertise here, and the more customers a fair has, the better EVERYONE benefits.
If I think of any more tips I will update! Please add your own too!
1. Bring everything on this list. I packed up a big box for my first fair and just bring it to each subsequent fair, and nothing ever gets left behind!
2. Make a big excel file of all of your inventory and its price. When you sell something you can cross it off, and then at home you can tally up everything you've sold on the computer to keep track of it really easily. Plus it helps if you forget the price of something or other.
3. Mark prices very clearly. Some people don't like to ask, and some people decide what to buy based directly from the prices they see. This picture shows my pricing signs: they are little triangles made out of recycled cardboard and pretty paper, laminated (and waterproof) with clear tape. Easy fast and cute, and I can reuse them over and over! I'll make a tutorial if anyone wants one.4.Have freebies, either from your shop or other people. It creates loyalty because everyone loves freebies! Freebies for your own shop (promotional freebies) should be USEFUL so they don't just get thrown away. My favorite item for this is magnets, which I make myself. Pens, mirrors, etc might also work wonderfully! Make sure your URL is on there and all that. I gave away all but 3 of the 50 or so magnets I had sitting out there, and now they're all sitting on people's fridges for them to see every day!
5. packaging! Bring bags (NOT recycled wal mart bags) with your url or logo somewhere on it. Include a biz card inside. I also toss in etsy promotional packs, makes them feel like they're getting more freebies! Consider wrapping and whatnot if your item works that way.
6. Have a draw like the giant teddy bear I used at my last fair! (see my previous entry for pics) it will attract your target demographic. If you're a soap seller, think about how The Body Shop always has that little dish set out with yummy smelly samples in it OUTSIDE their store, to draw people in, for example. If you sell plushies, make a huge one. If you sell clothes, put your best outfit on a mannequin. Etc! People will see it from far off and want to come check out your stuff!
7. Displays. Think about how you want your items to be seen. If you are marketing adult-oriented, sophisticated stuff, you may want all matching displays. I personally chose a variety of themed displays for my tables, so it doesn't match very well but does look interesting. For some ideas on DIY jewelry displays, click here. The picture is of an old, dirty necklace stand that I painted! Get creative.8. You'll hear this one a lot - levels! You need your table to have lots of levels so it doesn't look all boring just laid out in one spot. I personally like to put a box underneath my
tablecloths to mix it up and then put things on top of that. The picture is an example. See how one jewelry display is much higher than the other? It makes it look more interesting. Plus, you can fit more stuff on your table that way! Also consider hanging things from the side of your tent. The more levels, the better!9. Be friendly. My last craft fair, I was going through a breakup. I was SOOOO not in the mood to smile and sell my stuff. But I did anyway (plus my friends showed up to help, which cheered me up!) and I got a lot of return customers from one day to the next! All these teenage girls kept coming back to talk to me, it was adorable! If I would've let my mood take over I would've sat glowering at everyone, but instead I said hi to each customer and sold my products cheerfully. Always stay proffesional.
10. Promote your fair. I know, that's the job of the advertisers ... but in my case, I wasn't sure there was advertising to my demographic. The fair organizers had advertised in the newspaper and around their neighborhood, but I hadn't seen anything on craigslist, facebook, or myspace!! So I got promoting, created a facebook event and a craigslist post. We all know how to advertise here, and the more customers a fair has, the better EVERYONE benefits.
If I think of any more tips I will update! Please add your own too!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Wholesale/Consignment Tip
Along with many other sellers this summer, I'm not selling a thing! I haven't had a sale in almost 3 weeks now, the longest time ever since I first opened up my shop! So, what to do? Give up? Toss in the towel? No. The answer is, devote my time to other alternatives and opportunities during this slow summer. For me, this means a couple of craft fairs and wholesale/consignment work.
For those not familiar, wholesale means you sell a large amount of your items at a reduced price to a store to sell at whatever markup they like. Consignment means you send items to a store along with a list detailing what prices they should be sold at, from which you receive 60% and they receive 40%. Wholesale means upfront payment; consignment means payment when your item sells. I think of consigment as a 24/7 craft show: your item is on display in a shop with lots traffic! I'm going to be doing my first consignment orders this summer.
What I did to jump-start this re-focused attention thing was write up a Wholesale/Consignment Tip Sheet with every item I wholesale, the minimum price required to buy to receive the discount, and its price. The same items are also available for consignment. Next, I visited my Etsy Thread which lists loads of stores who sell handmade goods, along with their locations! (In alphabetical order *ahem* you're welcome!) I clicked on every website (though, if you're really ambitious, you could probably google the ones without websites listed as well) and if the store looked like it fit my target demographic (edgy, funky, alternative) I found their email address and added it to my list. Once I'd compiled all of the stores, I sent out a mass email with a link to my wholesale page and a couple of suggestions (for example, I can make custom wallets: local-themed wallets, political wallets, graphic wallets, etc! I suggested these as a great personalized shop-specific selling item and, surprise, I now have 2 consigment orders for them!) Not all 30-something of the shops I emailed have gotten back to me yet, but I have several new orders to work on and now I don't need to rely on my dead Etsy shop and Website for income.
To make your own wholesale info page, you don't need a website, although it does help (mine was just simple HTML). You can also write up an email in Notepad and copy-paste it into your email provider to send it out to multiple people. Your wholesale tip sheet should include example pictures that showcase your items (I had pictures of previous orders I'd done as well as my best items from each category), prices, and if you have any requirements for wholesale/consignment or feedback from other wholesale buyers, you can include that too. I can't wait to hear back from the other shop owners! And remember, even if they don't order from you right away, you're now in their file of potential sellers!
For those not familiar, wholesale means you sell a large amount of your items at a reduced price to a store to sell at whatever markup they like. Consignment means you send items to a store along with a list detailing what prices they should be sold at, from which you receive 60% and they receive 40%. Wholesale means upfront payment; consignment means payment when your item sells. I think of consigment as a 24/7 craft show: your item is on display in a shop with lots traffic! I'm going to be doing my first consignment orders this summer.What I did to jump-start this re-focused attention thing was write up a Wholesale/Consignment Tip Sheet with every item I wholesale, the minimum price required to buy to receive the discount, and its price. The same items are also available for consignment. Next, I visited my Etsy Thread which lists loads of stores who sell handmade goods, along with their locations! (In alphabetical order *ahem* you're welcome!) I clicked on every website (though, if you're really ambitious, you could probably google the ones without websites listed as well) and if the store looked like it fit my target demographic (edgy, funky, alternative) I found their email address and added it to my list. Once I'd compiled all of the stores, I sent out a mass email with a link to my wholesale page and a couple of suggestions (for example, I can make custom wallets: local-themed wallets, political wallets, graphic wallets, etc! I suggested these as a great personalized shop-specific selling item and, surprise, I now have 2 consigment orders for them!) Not all 30-something of the shops I emailed have gotten back to me yet, but I have several new orders to work on and now I don't need to rely on my dead Etsy shop and Website for income.
To make your own wholesale info page, you don't need a website, although it does help (mine was just simple HTML). You can also write up an email in Notepad and copy-paste it into your email provider to send it out to multiple people. Your wholesale tip sheet should include example pictures that showcase your items (I had pictures of previous orders I'd done as well as my best items from each category), prices, and if you have any requirements for wholesale/consignment or feedback from other wholesale buyers, you can include that too. I can't wait to hear back from the other shop owners! And remember, even if they don't order from you right away, you're now in their file of potential sellers!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Things to Bring to a Craft Fair: The Ultimate List
I've been reading as many articles and posts as possible in preparation for my first 3 craft fairs, and I've compiled a giant list of things to bring (aside from your items + setup stuff, which I hope is obvious.) Here it is! Please add if you don't see something listed.-business cards
-credit card accepting things if applicable
-lots of extra change (1$s and coinage)
-Notebook to Sign Up for Mailing List
-photo album of work sold
-prices for everything
-wear my items
-tempting basket of free candy
-other crafter's freebies/promo packs
-bags for people who make purchases (paper, staples?)
-Bring something to work on while you sit behind the booth. Doing your craft on the spot draws in customers.
-Have different levels on your display.
-Bring a CALCULATOR for sale totals
-small plastic bag for trash
-signage
-folding chairs
-bring extra lighting
-CLIP ON BACKS and needlenose pliers for jewelry, just in case of requests or repairs
-receipt slips or papers
-tape, paper, pens, scissors
-tablecloth
-mirror for jewelry or clothing
-Sign up sheet for mailing list or custom orders
-Writing pens for customers to write checks
-Notebook to note who bought what, payment type & price
-paper towels/baby wipe/purell
Please let me know if I've missed anything!
I found another great link here http://sunshineglassworks.com/articles/craftshowlist.shtml
(Ps - the picture is of jewelry I made over spring break to take to my shows, so it's not TOTALLY unrelated. I think it's an awesome pic though!)
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