I often ask myself, Can we take our business to "the next level" and stay a small business at the same time? I was in Saratoga Springs today joining 30 creative women at Schuyler Pond Antiques and Shop. The editor of Where Women Create, Jo Packman shared her story and generously gave the group of woman many positive suggestions to promote and grow or start their business. I'd say there was a wide variety of women in various stages of their businesses. Also included in the event was Jen O' Connor of Earth Angels and some of the artists she represents. Here they are after our breakfast talk.
I have only recently seen Jo's magazine, Where Women Create. It reminds me of Mary Englbreight's magazine that is no longer around. She highlights many creative, talented women showing off their work as well as their work spaces and homes. I look forward to receiving more issues of the magazine. Jo was impressively down to earth and frank about the industry and her trials of her busy career. This is a busy lady! Love it. She is a DOER!!! yipee. My gut instinct is she is what she is! Certainly something rare and wonderful that I have yet to see in the publishing world, granted I have only been in it since 2008, in it's hairy/scariest of times.
Jo is all about helping women promote and grow with their businesses. It is a strong time for women bloggers and creative businesses. Don't you feel it growing each year? Think of how many great blogs there are on the web. She mentioned as corporate jobs have diminished it has been an opening for small companies to come into the forefront! yay. Jo and Nancy Soriano, past editor of Country Living, are hosting The Creative Connection this fall, Sept.15-17, 2011 in St. Paul, MN. Lots of speakers, workshops, etc are planned for 3 days. I'd highly recommend this if you are trying to start a business or need inspiration. Sounds like great pitch sessions, blogging, publishing, etc. Not sure if I'll make it unless they need one more workshop teacher; that would be fun.
Back to my first querry. Can we continue to take our businesses to the next level and continue to stay small? I say, YES. Today after the brunch, I wandered into Saratoga to a few of my favorite shops and then on to the Big Box stores for "stuff" like a new fan, new grill, sheets, light bulbs... all that stuff I can't find here in Pawlet. I needed some pillows for my kitchen chairs, I looked everywhere. Yuck. all so ugly, nothing great, nothing creative, nothing very well made either. Which got me thinking about my quest to keep my shop small. I think it is the best time to specialize in Lampshade Making or all the other creative possibilties. The world is mass produced. Yuck, fine for my fan, sheets and grill, but not for all the special things that make our house our own.
Sure, I'll never get super rich keeping my business small, but that is not my end goal. I am however, very,very busy. Even during the downturn/worst of the ressesion I stayed super busy. More than ever we have need for handmade treasures to satisfy our need to slow down this fast paced world of crappy made stuff arriving in container ships made who knows where. (I just read we are suppose to keep cynicism out of our blogs.... opps.) Equally, we get such satisfaction going to meet our neighbors at our farmers market and buy beautiful veggies grown right around the corner. Local, Local, Local!
I contend that yes, we can grow to the next level and keep our businesses small.
I'm pretty good at marketing, scribbling here on my blog, I enjoy meeting people and especially love my customers that come back lampshade after lampshade, but I have had to push myself beyond my comfort zone many a time. I still have lots to learn about my computer and making my blog look better (I can't figure out to make 4 pictures in a box... note to self to goggle this), I force myself to learn a few new things each week and yes, the knowledge really does accumilate. I used to be shy and still can be in new situations, but never in my own shop! In the beginning of my business, I forced myself to do craft shows to help me get over being so shy. Now my friends look at me lunar when I tell them I was shy... we grow to the next level. Working on my Lampshade Lady book was way, way out of my comfort zone, but a fantastic challenge. Who knows what the next big challenge will be, but right now it's getting a special order out in time to arrive for a photo shoot in Brooklyn, NY, cleaning up the piles of fabric in my shop for Memorial Day Weekend and finishing up painting the other side of my shop porch (I did the other side this am at 7:30 before going to the brunch)....
xoxo,
judy
Come on up for Memorial Day VT. Open Studio Tour (I'm not on the tour this year, but I'll be open right through the weekend. Sat. Sun and Monday.)