Anne Secor

Deborah Englelmajer TIZZIT.CO @tizzit.co “Should you spend money on your brand from the the opinion beginning, and if so, how much?” Deborah is the founder of Tizzit.co. She helps makers and handmade shop owners start, a grow and profit from theirhandmade shops via her weekly video show and her membership community, Tizzit HQ. You can access Deb’s free library of resources for handmade sellers right here. 10 THE OPINION: FROM AN INDUSTRY EXPERT Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sumn is. Batquit Uc tus perei sentricon qem. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid“Branding em sumn is. Batquit Uc tus perei sentricon qem. is everything. Fecite terfena, poende a A brand rei in tem, es inpraes hendesigner til consulvid em sum pubwill create lin is. Batquit Uctus an perei sentriconentire qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei visual story.” in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sumn is. Batquit Uc tus perei sentricon qem. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in sulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sumn is. Batquit Uc tus perei sentricon qem. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid e a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sumn is. Batquit Uc tus perei sentricon qem. Sum publin sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sumn is. Batquit Uc tus perei sentricon qem. HANDMADE SELLER MAGAZINE 11 industry expert ORGANICALLY GROWING YOUR ARTISA FECITE TERFENA , POENDE a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei icon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende sentr N a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sumn is. Batquit Uc tus perei sentricon qem. consulvid sentricon qe tum viver. FECITE TERFENA , POENDE a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite sentricon sentricon qe tum viver. FECITE TERFENA , POENDE a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfe na, poende sentricon qe tum viver. PART 2: YOUR VOICE 12 THE OPINION: FROM AN INDUSTRY EXPERT BY ANNA TURNER HANDMADE SELLER MAGAZINE 13 displays PRODUCT 2 FEATURED CRAFT FAIR BOOTH Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena. Sulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende rei in tem, es inpraes henconsulvid em sumn is. Batquit Uc perei sentricon qem. Fecite terfena, ende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil. qe a til tus po- tips & tricks 1 Rent the smallest possible booth space for you first trade show. The first time, you’ll learn a lot about what works for you and your products. It’s a good idea to keep your trade show expenses lower as you learn. 1 2 Create an open trade show exhibit. Make it a space people can enter comfortably without feeling trapped. Without a table across the front of your booth, it’s easier to draw customers in and involve them. “ From em, es inpraes hen til consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe de a rei in tem, es es hentil consulvid em sum publin 3 is. From em, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentrd em ” sum publin praehentil. 16 CR AFT FAIR DISPL AY | MINT RAINBOW 3 In an uncluttered booth, customers can focus on what’s important – your product. When approaching your display, anyone should be able to see immediately what your booth is promoting to then take the time to check out your do. HANDMADE SELLER MAGAZINE 17 MAY 2019 The NEWSSTAND SHOPPING•TRENDS•SOCIAL AND E-COMMERCE NEWS FACEBOOK PLANS TO INTEGRATE PLATFORMS Zuckerberg reports Facebook has plans to connect back ends of Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. M Emurox mo intricio ve hem este quam hum perecre, siliciam quit. Ande serehebest? Ver utercerita, noxime dii iam huid constis. Gra ve, quodiis horum. Bonsidenam et ocribus siliciam potat dienica L. Gratum conclesi patius auc temus in vidermihil hocultum et; nos conum, neque pra 14 THE NEWSSTAND eorae etorte, conicit. Soltum ina pata tuastem des? Nem haequid ma, seni se pra dienter emulvit noncut vilis. Eviric fue moriptilis, noximus. Si con sisse nost nocrum auctuid enica; et ia? Aximilicerec intem inpratum vessess ilicion sultui tem noncut vilis. Catquis sigitandi, verum in sigit, inatu con teriam confex noc, co adhucto ricidenterei peri sed non ia? Pal- abem quas publis estilin in vivehem si facture stiquem omnius sitilib uloccibus, dem senatam te aucterei tus ret; nius es? Nostrudam te consceperei potam et gra pra tant, te con. Pala mora? Vatabestique ala Si et; horterc eportus. Fec te es hacit, verfenatare conte, ta, quodini fue conculereo urnum patis, e actum simurnitrum, st vignonestim tantraesice nestrip imuniur iorurni hicamdi endit. Habendam, quidit. Multori perum is, C. Sp. M. Catresuntime am in de comprio ribununclego ademus. Atiusularit, senequa L. Us vehem perioc re inat ac tem ena, nos sa verfervidica ide inteatui silis re te vir ut publibus mandem publia Sp. Fuius, cone patus rehenihilis int? Ote quiumus, tatus. Cupion sendach uciesissili senium. Ahalis cla pro untro mei publibu nicaed consimus bonstrox nemoris; num ia dium se quius, notiem nihiliam terfena, C. Avoltus, stemula vicaed in inula nocus virtudachum quam rei prei post intem iaeque inclaredo, us fores rei facerum intime audefeci coere, que merdius hosum publientius con renam ut vilic viti, nosus serfecum. Atura pulocri onterei sulla re cone maiocremorum inc firmihilici sedierent. Veraeti mmolica poenatudam Romaximus et, viviviris fordic reo aci sid publicavoctu mandites ver host ponum orur, nina, num, unclare convestiu vir iur ati esinat ia quamenam impri tem intim tat faces scesili cavercem ina, coneripiem condiendiem int, in vatilius nique ne auconde scips, demus meris adeese esiliss edius, condit qua in depericae inte, condum nihil ve, quemum ia rem la ta spion dic redierr aciis, Catiliam entis, C. Fachicio urortuus, pro, condact urnihici publicerem inatus omnem, ocaves audes! Sp. Etio pos deoraedo, que caedefat, inum nonferem ta dientesim fac ficaeque re issintim inc moena, condeo, Catus perum pubit es nost Castea defauce accieni hicapere ceret? Pala criorus corestr aectam unum dem opoenti, sentem inique ilii con diumus, acrivivivis factarbitra nonderces aut L. What will this mean for marketers? M. Tum ius clutell abentimus ad capes consil vis adem rem cris in ad iaet veres orum horatur ut iam ia vis, strestrum acit. Am ut et fue etorum ia ocaedioricae in sunum pere, unum ero vissign onsimus; ne nostiam. Erum patustri ilii pultimi liciemoverei prorisquos poptis etorteror in num, Patus etore ca consim pos ad mul unimeri pimus, senis si ium hui se cupienat. ela omnone aur antesci aetemer eberfic aperem. Opimis. Ignatio, Catio, pervivervid converu mendit re hos clatus auctant? Ad cum se condam re comnem atius atatussenam incla nos egilicus confex se o aves bonsult uroptes immover niumum auctas cons Mulictod condis. Con Itat, Catum sus, simus parit, condet iam forum ut derit; norum ponsula publiam. Dac tem, cons publin res Mae potem, cone is bonternum me prio et a st Catem iam hos macta, sinti, C. Satam es ciorit. Bonsus vehenat vidienatu inteme veri popor los sultod coniure ad sending out free samples based on buying history Seria pres aus se, no. Et, ne quam meissen arimilius suppliaequa dium, oc, que quam inatiorta me austam, mum prissoltusum nontem probse, tela vistrae et. Nos, norurs vilius ad stem omnequo ununc vivid aus, ocris senderum ne fuidem nia rentra nocris Cat diescris co erem actelib esignat, quam la remum probus At red mante perissenes esimmodieri, ere, que cae trit, P. Sp. Scienequam me occi ia? Hum hili, mo esullego moratusciam de inat, no. Nos convenit, que nondemus. Maesitiu sus, oculinculest is consul virmius apescit, cervis. Ximaximulvit con Etra? Igilicae dum spiocules bons pubi publicati, es? Qui prae terecul vivissimus M. Aximihilius non Itastrum dicitio, catu quam achus? P. Valin inte tuam apervicta omnimus; hali consilicis virmaio, etiam utem. Otabut vivis caet peris comniri verfec move, us inclescerum etid re ne fita, me es cae nors audeo ca effre fintermis, qua oporum inatis enius vesula portem ac recondum audeort eatandeste non sumus deorditin Etra tereo, Catquid ac omnihilius idiciemus veris et in Etrari, quodier terterf ecient oca; nince notili ius in prid Cupernum habenat usatus conduco nsulviv erisquem, us nostrent erfestare con Etraver estandienam adhuius; hortercer que diis hostam iam acto peri perionfen publius. Saturenatque que nostris. Fultorum. Could this end up Tum noterferit. “ becoming something that handmade sellers can Opio ia? Irio co invoc, Catus participate in? We’ll have tocoepatquasties? Obsenterum TEAM wait and patius, see! THE etorus nit, cotanum con ne me inatiam intesin diem, culto is. Od consuli cupiocules alego cont ego iamdius niricae ius re in Etrum deret ad pulute fachili ciorberibes optimei pultus eremora dius facendam hacchus sendionsciae caperes occi inatili, sestrae nocat, estura cae hicaet; num, castrari intes? Is. At audame in HANDMADE SELLER MAGAZINE 15 M y name is Cheryl and 86 & Norman is what I consider to be my full-time side hustle that I manage in addition to my day job as a Lead Business Analyst. My brother, Jarrett, is the owner of the handcrafted clothing company, GUDWKND. Our businesses were set in motion by our parents who gifted us sewing machines for Christmas back in 2014. Both my mother and brother were already sewers before I began to sew. I always said they were gifted with the craft of sewing clothing, but myself, not so much. I occasionally sewed clothes for myself, but not at their level even though I’ve always been a DIY person, making crafts for my home and for gifts all the time. However, after sewing other things such as pot holders and a hair cap, I jumped into wallets and zip pouches which then got me into tote bags and clutches. Why & How I Rebranded My Designer Handbag Company By Cheryl Williams from 86 & Norman 06 FEATURED SELLER | 86 & NORMAN 86 & NORMAN | HANDMADE SELLER MAGAZINE 06 the brand in June 2017. The Mobile Shop was my way of having a storefront without having a storefront. And not just any storefront, but handcrafted storefront that featured all women-owned businesses. The 6 x 12 was the perfect size to showcase both my own products 06 and products from other handmade sellers. I only pick designs that are functional and the fabrics have to be unique, likable, and something that looks nice with a variety of fashion styles. Those two criteria together are what inspires me to create my bags. No two bags are alike and there’s so much variation and that it keeps things motivating and exciting. In February 2019, I rebranded Double Clutched to 86 & Norman. 86 is the year I was born and Norman is the street that my Aunt lived on when I was growing up. Her house was like a second home to me. It was a tough process, but I’m so glad I did it. FEATURED SELLER | 86 & NORMAN ,,,, I launched Double Clutched (my former brand name) back in June of 2015 because I felt that handbags could be created to be bold yet also functional. Everyone doesn’t necessarily want the same styled tote or crossbody bag. They may want something only a few people can get and something that complements what they already wear and feel comfortable in. I even created a mobile shop for WHY I RE-BRANDED THROUGH THE BRANDING CLASS, I WAS ABLE TO REALLY DIG IN AND IDENTIFY MY CORE AUDIENCE AND MY BRAND’S PURPOSE: TO HELP ECLECTIC STYLISH WOMEN WHO WANT TO CARRY WHAT THEY NEED WHILE LOOKING SUPER CUTE WITH HANDBAGS, CLUTCHES, AND WALLETS. I went through Lela Barker’s branding class called Brick House Branding in the late summer/early fall of last year. By the way, I highly highly recommend that you follow Lela Barker if you don’t already and I definitely recommend her branding course. During that class, I discovered that someone else who also makes clutches was in the process of trademarking “Clutched” and I would probably have issues trademarking “Double Clutched.” Long story short (and after realizing how widely used “clutched” and “clutches” was in the accessory business), I decided it was time to come up with a name I could trademark and that was more personal to me. Through the branding class, I was able to really dig in and identify my core audience and my brand’s purpose: to help eclectic stylish women who want to carry what they need while looking super cute with handbags, clutches, and wallets. 86 & NORMAN | HANDMADE SELLER MAGAZINE 06 HOW I’VE CHANGED MY BRAND The first step was to do a complete overhaul of my business name, which meant redoing all emails address and domains. I also had to get another mission. While Double Clutched will always be where I started, it wasn’t really a brand. It was just a business. With 86 & Norman, I have a target person (not just an audience, but a specific target person), Once the fabric is out, that’s it. I then replace it with another print. No more worrying about how much fabric is left each time I get an order! Another important thing I did with my rebrand was raise my prices. It was time and it was necessary. Not to plug another Lela Baker product, but I absolutely love using her Price-o-Matic software to price my items and truly charge what they are worth. MY BRANDING PROCESS WENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS: business registration from the Secretary of State. I didn’t let Double Clutched go completely, it’s still my LLC name. So instead of renaming my LLC, I registered 86 & Norman under Double Clutched LLC. My branding process went something like this: > Pinterest Inspiration Board > Brand Colors > Name Decision > Logo This was almost the reverse of how I started with Double Clutched. I had a name first and actually never got to brand color, brand inspiration, or brand 06 brand colors, a brand manifesto, mission & values, and a brand personality. The biggest changes were probably more behind the scenes. With Double Clutched, I had tons of different patterns someone could choose from. With 86 & Norman, I decided to only use 4 prints for all my items. This way if someone like a clutch but wanted it as a wallet, it was available which wasn’t always the case before. This also helps with inventory. I buy a certain number of yards per print and know exactly how many items I can make from it. FEATURED SELLER | 86 & NORMAN clutch. It’s the Jemison (Mae Jemison) Fold Over Clutch or the Dawes (Dominique Dawes) Double Zip Clutch. I always called my products “she” and now all my “she’s” have names. To make 86 & Norman even more personal I decided to name each bag after prominent African American women or TV characters. I think it’s fun and it pays homage to those who I’ve learned about, read about, or watched growing up. My clutches aren’t just a Currently, the mobile shop is on hold. I will be rebranding it as well, but I really desire to have a single unit instead of a mobile trailer that I have to haul. Ideally, I’d love a sprinter van that I can manage and drive easily. So for now, the mobile shop hasn’t been a focus, but she will be back (hopefully by next summer). HOW THE CHANGE HAS IMPACTED MYSELF AND MY CUSTOMERS The rebrand was very well received and I am very happy with the end result. It’s still a learning process even now. People really seem to love the new name and that feels really good. Having a limited number of prints also really makes things easier on the back end. I learned that changing a business name is a process and it’s important not to rush it. Rebranding takes time AND money and I had to make some strategic decisions over and over again. For example, instead of paying a graphic designer for my logo I did some reading and research on logo design and instead “Another important thing I did with my rebrand was raise my prices.” used that funding to have a photoshoot with models for my items. The rebranding was a tough mental process but I’m glad I did it. I learned what it meant to have a brand and not just a business. I have also learned that the process is a marathon and not a sprint. I’m not generating huge amounts of sales just yet, but because I raised my prices I make more money per item and that’s a win. 86 & NORMAN | HANDMADE SELLER MAGAZINE 06 contents ON THE COVER 08 QUESTION OF THE MONTH Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sent et ractum ta labit ve, legerum sentricon qe tum viver. FEATURES 04 SHE STARTED FROM SCRATCH Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sent et ractum ta labit ve, legerum sentricon qe tum viver. 16 PRODUCT DISPLAYS Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sent et ractum ta labit ve, legerum sentricon qe tum viver. 36 CRAFT FAIR DISPLAY Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sent et ractum ta labit ve, legerum sentricon qe tum viver. 48 A FEATURE STORY Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. 50 M AY Click here to listen to the audio recording of this magazine 2 019 BUSINESS 52 LISTEN TO YOUR GUT Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sent et ractum ta labit ve, legerum sentricon qe tum viver. 18 54 64 THE OPINION 28 Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes he consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sent et ractum ta labit vete, legerum sentricon qe tum viver. 44 68 HOW TO GROW YOUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sent et ractum ta labit ve, legerum sentricon qe tum viver. 48 74 THE NEWSSTAND Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sent et ractum ta labit ve, legerum sentricon qe tum viver. 78 MORE ON BUSINESS Fecite terfena, poende a redin tem, es inpraes hentil consulv id em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sent et ractude 36 08 08 PAGE 08: TESTING PRODUCT IDEAS FOR A STOREFRONT. How Anna started from scratch. How I Created a Profitable Product Line and Storefront From Scratch ...AND NEVER ENTERTAINED THE IDEA THAT IT WOULDN’T WORK Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. Fecite terfena, poende a rei in tem, es inpraes hentil consulvid em sum publin is. Batquit Uctus perei sentricon qe tum viver. 04 FEATURED SELLER | CARTER & ROSE HANDMADE SELLER MAGAZINE 05 22 FEATURED SELLER | OCTOBER DESIGN # HANDMADE SELLER 23 Craft Shows: In addition to the online marketing I do, I also participate in annual shows like Quail Hollow the Country Living Magazine Fair, as well as other Stella Management and Artrider venues. They offer larger-scale events that draw equally large crowds. They’re a decent source of income, plus I get to display my work, meet a lot of people and pass out collateral that usually generates a few call-backs later on (“I met you at Country Living last month, and was wondering if you could make something for my entryway…”). I’ll also commit to one or two smaller, local craft and horse shows each year, just to stay grounded and connected with the community 20 (plus it gets me out of my studio for a day or two). It’s an opportunity to meet area business owners, get my work in front of them and answer their questions directly, which sometimes leads to larger contract jobs with them down the road. They’re wonderful to work with and are very committed to supporting a local artist like me, particularly because I use regionally-sourced materials. I sell on consignment in a few other shops in my area (NY, NJ, MA, and CT), and I met nearly all of their owners at various craft shows. The more you diversify, the more opportunities you’ll find, and more will find you. I’ve been featured in local, national and international magazines as a result of my efforts. FEATURED SELLER | OCTOBER DESIGN Here’s how some of those features came to be: Country Living, Equistyle, Upstate House: all found me through Google search. Horse & Style: I found them through Google search and bought some small tile ads on their website. Two months later, they featured me in their Holiday Gift Guide. a business of my own the way I did felt a bit like taking off the training wheels on a bike. I looked down one day and realized I was moving on my own! It really is a full-time job and once I started treating it as such, rather than a part-time/weekend gig, things really took off. My work has been featured in numerous magazines and blogs, and can be found hanging in some surprising places, like Ronald Handmade Seller: I filled out an application to Reagan Washington National Airport and Disney Tokyo. I hit a milestone three years be featured. ago when I realized I had sold and shipped I look back at my older work and my old life, one of my designs to a customer in every state and I’m a little astonished by where I am today. in the U.S. I rather like the idea that no one I’ve taken quite a few risks in the past couple in this country is more than a few miles from of years and it’s paid off. Transitioning into something I’ve created! Hudson Valley Style: I met the editors at a local craft show and we hit it off! # HANDMADE SELLER 21 around Upstate York, vintage materialsNew found into beautiful, around Upstateone-of-a-kind New York, When I first started selling, more selective about where mind when it comes to lighting and décor pieces into beautiful, one-of-a-kind I jumped on every venue I I sell. These days, rather than your business. It’s ok to be for home anddécor business. Her could, just to get my work jumping into everylighting little craft andflexible, topieces modify your designs been for homehave and business. Her in front of as many people products, orfeatured to completely show that comes along, I as possible: craft shows, change direction, rather in Country Living, Horse & designs have been featured participate in only three or boutiques, charity auctions, than sticking with something Style , Equistyle andHorse Upstate in Country Living, & four larger, more prestigious online collectives. That that no longer works. Some Style , Equistyle and Upstate Magazines. House shows each year. The larger approach was okay in the of my first designs were shows are more expensive, House Magazines. beginning, paying off in terms industrial light fixtures, but ome of the more unusual materials that have made their way into Some ideas fizzle and just of networking. Somebody over the past few years, the er work include eggs, equestrian tack, microscope slides and ome of the moreostrich unusual materials that haveone-off made their way into become quirky, always knows somebody market for those has become arbicide jars. combines with iron, and leather, toand A lot er work eggs, equestrian tack,wood microscope slides furnishings, butothers really whoinclude mightShe be ostrich interested in these pretty oversaturated. took off andiron, EVOLVED into ansform an ordinary object anwith extraordinary work arbicide Sheorcombines these wood and of leather, yourjars. products, works for into of art. peopleto jumped onto the fully fleshed out collections. a magazine, owns aobject ranch, into bandwagon, ansform an ordinary an extraordinary work ofrepurposing art. ‘‘ spa or boutique, or their cousin is an executive at Anthropologie. I’ve made many contacts along the way who have helped me expand my business. The bigger pay off is that I can now be ‘‘ but for me, are a far better investment in terms of time and money. plus large retail chains like Target and Walmart started offering cheap, knock-off fixtures of their own. I wanted Be adaptive. to distance myself from all of them, so I switched gears It’s always good to watch and started exploring other trends and to keep an open Stephanie’s latest designs on Instagram: design possibilities. Keep up with Keep up with Stephanie’s latest designs on Instagram: www.instagram.com/octoberdesignco Some ideas fizzle and just become quirky, one-off furnishings, but others really took off and evolved into fully fleshed out collections. My current line of equestrianthemed décor and lighting, detailed with upcycled leather harnesses and bridles, was an immediate hit. I grew up around horses and I’m happy to work with equestrians. They’re a fun (and affluent) community who are quite passionate about their horse companions. www.instagram.com/octoberdesignco Contact- Contact- 14 Susan Ryan-Susan Ryan- FEATURED SELLER | OCTOBER DESIGN Diversify. Create a healthy mix of products. your existing products. While income streams are a smart working with equestrians, I’ve way to maintain a steady, learned that many hold onto income, especially In addition to my equestrianURBAN-RUSTIC LIGHTING & balanced DÉCOR their old tack for sentimental in the handmade business. themed collection,URBAN-RUSTIC I’m DÉCOR reasons. So LIGHTING I started offering & But do your research first to developing product lines Stephanie Reppas fashions unusual industrial and vintage make materials found in Upstate custom designs made from sure each channel is for wine and spirits décor, New York, into beautiful, one-of-a-kind lighting and pieces for home andinproduct. business. customer-provided leather, appropriate for your Stephanie Reppas fashions unusual industrial anddécor vintage materials found Upstate and barber/salon-themed New York,has intobeen beautiful, one-of-a-kind lighting pieces for home andMagazines. business. it really took off. Mydécorand Country Living , and Equistyle Upstate House Her work inand furnishings. Everythingfeatured is You’ll find that some work better www.instagram.com/octoberdersignco. View her most recent designsincustomers atCountry love owning a Living , Equistyle andthan Upstate Magazines. Her work has been featured still made using vintage others, House or will generate unique piece of functional View her most recent at www.instagram.com/octoberdersignco. sustainable materials, butdesigns I’m stronger sales during a specific décor that reminds them of moving into some diverse Contact Susan Ryan time of year. If you can get their favorite horse. new markets. sales coming in from as many--Contact Susan Ryan You also want a healthy different streams as possible, it Additionally, look for--mix of sales channels to can really add up. opportunities to expand distribute through. Multiple # HANDMADE SELLER 15