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business

Happy New Year – 2017

Holidays , Personal • Jan 1, 2017

2017

It’s always crazy to think that the holiday season is over. So much work and so much energy for a few weeks of festivities and a few dinners with family and friends. You then get that awkward week between Christmas and New Years. The last week won’t make or break your yearly work goals and your not ready to accept that 2017 is going to bring an all new slate of goals. I have to admit though.. It’s worth it!

But then your also hit with New Years Resolutions. Do I make them? Do I skip them? Do I even know what my resolutions where from this year? Regardless I always take the time to make resolutions. I do my best to set realistic expectations for myself though. I’m not going to change the world but I can change the impact I’m making on myself and others around me.

I’m starting to ramble so let me bring it back, lol. My small side business has grown tremendously from a small idea to .. Well .. THIS!. I couldn’t be happier. My numbers don’t begin to compare to others around me but I’m happy. I took an idea and made money from it! My resolutions are going to center around this site and the customer base I’ve built around it.

Starting a business isn’t easy. To be honest I don’t feel that it was initially my intention to even do. I realized right away that a small business wasn’t just making things that I enjoy but so much more. I can make the items but then I have to actually deliver them to my customers. Boxes, bags and shipping supplies came as a surprise (oddly enough). Having stock of the items that my customers wanted was crucial along with the customer service I provided if there were any bumps along the road.

I believe that customers will come if you have the right product and the proper back end support to handle the business. In 2017 I’m going to work on the back end logistics that customers will never see. I hope to be reflecting a year from now on the success I’m striving for.

I wish everyone a happy and safe new year! Are you starting resolutions?

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New Site Design

Business , Etsy , GGMT • Nov 19, 2016

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I’m excited to finally release a new site design! It features everything the site had before along with an integration to my shop items. I apologize if some of the updates are coming up slowly. It’s taken me a little bit longer than expected to learn the features of the new theme.

Etsy has truly been great to me and i’ve had somewhat moderate success but I know i’m going to outgrow their services at some point. My fees have seemed to be somewhat heavy for such a small shop but i’ve understood their important (marketing, storefront, etc). I can imagine paying the amount of fees i’ve been paying as my business continues to grow. On a small item the fee eats the majority of the product. Profit is the end goal (someday) but right now any income that’s coming in is going straight to product upgrades and stock merchandise.

I hope that everyone enjoys the new layout! I look forward to any feedback. Thank you as well to http://helloyoudesigns.com/ for the beautiful design and assistance with any setup and this beautiful stock image above.

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Opening My Own Business – Vol 1

Crafting , Etsy , GGMT , Personal , Project Life • Feb 15, 2016

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I’ve decided to go out on a limb in 2016 and start my own business. Yes, my very own baby! It definitely wasn’t an overnight decision and was something i’ve been wanting to do for sometime that i’ve kept to myself. The idea for the store came with the want for a Silhouette Cameo came to me.

If your not familiar with the Silhouette machines it’s definitely worth checking out. I wanted the machine more for Project Life but couldn’t justify the $199 price tag. Then it came to me.. I spend all this money on stickers and stamps for my planner why not make my own? I crunched some numbers and thought that it might actually be possible to make my money back! My hope is to make enough to  balance the cost of the machine. I figure if I haven’t made back the money i’ve spent on the initial investment by the end of the year, then the venture may not be worth it.

So.. let’s keep it real.. when i ordered the machine I actually spent about double what I was expecting to spend. Oops, lol. I found an intro package that had a bunch of accessories I felt were important. Better to have it instead of getting stuck when I need it. At some point I would love to do a review of the tools. As a newbie it’s been essential having most of them if not all of them (amen for the scraper).

I opened my Etsy store on January 24th, 2016 and so far i’ve had TWO SALES! Sounds exciting but one was my partner and the other was my best friend from high school, lol. I will take it though! It’s a start. I’ve done a lot of research on Etsy and how the site works so i’m hoping that the sales being to boost my store within their site.

Currently my main focus is going to be Planner Stickers. Mainly in the Icon style format. I’ve branched out a tiny bit with Hello Kitty and Inkwell Press inspired designs. My goal is to get into vinyl and expand my options a bit more. Below is an example of one of my sets, titled #ADMINPROBLEMS.

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I haven’t been active enough on my blog in years. Ugh.. the struggle is real, lol. I feel like it’s never had a purpose outside of my fanlistings so i’m excited to see what this adventure hold for me and the brand new God Give Me Truth.

I would love for anyone interested to a place an order. Between now and August 16, 2016 I am offering a 25% discount to anyone that visit’s my site here and places an order. Just use code WEBSITE25!

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Downsizing – Good or Bad?

Business • Sep 26, 2013

The business of banking banking is (and i’m sure has always been) a challenge. It is an ever-evolving industry. My grandparents can remember the days when the ATM did not exist. My grandpa loved to tell stories about waiting in line, HIGH rates of return, and of course walking 3 miles in the snow to get to the bank. On top of all this I can only imagine behind the scenes what it was like without our beloved computers!

The industry as a whole is really moving towards electronic touch, high efficiency, and well… less people. The bank will forever need people to sell products but I think that they are beginning to forget about needing people to service these accounts that are being sold. A few years back Bank of America installed in Times Square state-of-the-art teller machines that look and interact like a human being, but .. well .. it’s a computer!

It’s almost like Siri becoming your new teller! It’s crazy and at 23 years old still a challenge to get a solid grasp upon. At 26 I think that most people assume that I do all of my banking online. A portion of that is true, I do check my balance online as well as on a mobile app provided by my bank, but other than that I like the old fashion way. I balance a checkbook to the penny and pay all of my bills by check!

Even though technology is meant to make our lives easier I do think at times that it’s making it harder for some. As we go to machines to handle the daily work at the bank where does that leave our tellers? Why hire bodies when a machine can do the same work (or so most industries are saying). I am all about turning off a light when i’m not in a room or even buying off-brand groceries to save a few dollars but knowing that hundreds, thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of people may lose their jobs simply because I find it convenient to deposit my paycheck via my cellphone just doesn’t sit well with me.

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