Craft Fair Dilemma ... small business handmade -v- hobbyist homemade and mass produced

Hello there long time no see!

Apologies for the lack of Blogs but having decided to close Dizzy Ducks Creations in the Autumn of last year my time has been channelled towards slowly selling off the contents of my workroom (still so much left to go) AND working hard to get into a position of launching a new small business; still a way to go with that.
fluffy love Mother Duck xx

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Craft Fair Dilemma
A few days ago I was having a chat with a lady who was trying to decide whether her hand knitted items would be something that people would buy at a craft fair. It put me in a rather awkward position because whilst her knitted items were lovely they had an air of 'made by me nan' about them - anyone that wore hand knitted sweaters to school a few decades ago will know what I mean; whilst they were made with love they were still clearly homemade.

I personally believe there is quite a difference between handmade items and homemade; the first giving the suggestion of beautiful individually created items that people would love to buy and the latter being made with love by a family member or friend but not always of the best quality. This is a simplistic description but I think most people will understand where I am coming from.

Some craft fairs do have a selection of stands that are of the 'homemade' variety adjacent to those of small businesses creating stunningly unique individually designed items. We also have to bear in mind that they both can be standing alongside stands selling imported mass produced goods. I personally believe the price point can often guide the customer (should they need the help) which category goods fall into. Many of those selling homemade items, often as a hobby, might place their goods at a lower price point, dare I suggest they might be going for quantity over quality. The sellers of the fine quality handmade goods will be at a price point that allows them to cover price of the materials, overheads and profits. The imports are also often at the lower price point - buy cheap, sell cheap.

It can be soul destroying for a small business selling at craft events to find themselves next to a hobbyist or indeed someone that has bought in their goods. They might find themselves watching people buying items from the others and passing them by; this doesn't mean that their goods are priced too high but it could be as simple as the available funds just are not there. More and more people are tightening their purse strings and they see high quality handmade items as luxury goods and are finding the lesser quality homemade or the imported goods more to their budget. Small businesses, should also bear in mind that whilst they may be watching the homemade hobbyist and the imported goods sell,the sellers are not necessarily making a profit or indeed feel the need to make a profit, they may be happy just to get back the cost of their materials and the stand fee. So standing next to the hobbyist saying I made £300 today when you have made far less than that has to be looked at objectively; that £300 may not take into account all the outgoings involved in stocking their stand and actually standing at the event. I have personally gone home from an event distressed a low sales but having spent the day next to someone selling homemade knitted items being sold at 50p - £5 price point, comfortably competing with the mass produced knitted goods found at the low end stores on the High Street versus my cheapest item at £10 and most expensive being £40+

Here in Yorkshire we seem to have had an increase in people putting on craft events, some more successful than others (trust me I have had a stand at many) often populated by hobbyists encouraged by TV programmes & books convincing them that anyone can make to sell and make money in the process. The answer may be for the small businesses in the crafting world to attend those events that have a selection process, curated to determine the quality of the goods being sold with some guarantee that a high percentage of items to be sold are handmade. 

This will always be an ongoing dilemma but we have to remember that no matter how good the quality of the goods being sold, how well advertised the event is nor how many people through the door, nobody can force customers to open their wallets and buy. 

So what is best homemade or handmade or mass produced at craft events? I think each has its own place but not necessarily all at the same event. 

I am my own worst customer for bespoke items!

How hard can it be?
After all I do it all the time, for customers
I am trying to create a bag for myself.
Seriously how hard can it be?

I sort of know how big it needs to be and I sort of know how many pockets it needs.
I sort of know just how long the handles should be too.
But I cannot translate that into a sketch, and I don't think I will ever get to the real design stage where I can draw a pattern for my bag.

When I talk to my customers about how they want their bags to look it all seems so much easier; they know sort of what size it needs to be and by talking to them I somehow manage to help them settle on the exact size and shape. So why is that so hard for ME to decide?

When I talk to my customers about what they need to put in their bags we manage to decide on the number of pockets, inside and out. So why is that so hard for ME to decide?

When I talk to my customers they know whether they want zips, magnetic catches, a flap over the top of the bag AND how long they want the handles. So why is that so hard for ME to decide?

The subject of fabric is always the one that causes the biggest problem ... because of course that is what decides what the bag will ultimately look like. The choice isn't as simple as patterned or plain fabrics; the type of fabric really helps decide on the finished structure of the bag, a simple cotton will not have as much structure as canvas for example (although a cotton fabric can be given structure if needed!) I haven't even thought about what fabrics I want to use!

I seriously thought making a bag for myself would be easy, after all I do it for other people but I am totally scuppered. I know that it needs to be large enough to carry all my kit and caboodle and a I prefer longer straps BUT that does not make a bag!

What do you like about your favourite use every day bag?
Do you carry things that need special sized pockets?
Do you like pockets to be on the inside or the outside?
What about zips - love them or hate them?

Tell me about your favourite bag and what makes it your favourite. I need all the help I can get to help me channel my mind into making a bag for me.

I think I might even be tempted into giving away a bag once I have made my own!
So keep watching the Blog (I know I don't write it as often as I should) and you will see my new bag created and I will announce a chance for you too win a new bag - the give away won't be one of my bespoke bags but the winner might have some say in the colours etc (I haven't decided yet)

So please help me create my perfect everyday bag by telling me about yours.

Not on the naughty step - just a time out.

If you follow Dizzy Ducks over on Facebook you will know that I frequently remind everyone that they should take some "me time" - I don't mean a spa break or desert island holiday (although both do sound rather blissful and divine). I mean just a 10 minute break from whatever you are doing to allow you to recoup your energy or flagging spirits.

I am as guilty as the next person for not taking breaks when I am up against a deadline or so into a project I just forget to stop. I have on occasion even forgotten to eat or stop for a drink!

No matter what you do find time in your day for some me time ... a 10 minute break in whatever you are doing (more than one a day would be better) or at the very least a lunch break. If you can, I suggest you leave your work area, a short walk maybe? Take a 10 minute break, a cuppa, lunch, a stroll, a walk round the garden ... ten minutes is often all you need to recoup flagging spirits, especially if you manage to eat or drink in the process.

So take a time out ... and not on the naughty step (unless you think you should) look after yourself, especially if you are working for yourself - I have heard the excuse "but I am a sole trader, if I don't keep going things just don't happen" - I say to those people remember that me, myself and I all become exhausted at the same time when working on your own. If you look after yourself you are making sure you are fit to look after your business.

Refuse to be flattered if they copy your work!

'It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation' .. Herman Melville



Imagine the scenario ... you have an idea, you sketch and re-sketch until you think it is just right. You then spend time creating the item to see if the idea will work, you work and re-work it until you are happy with it. Then the fun begins you get to do more research looking for suitable materials to create it in a form that you think it might sell. You order the materials and get excited when they arrive. After unpacking them, checking and rechecking your sketches and patterns you take the plunge and go for it; carefully and lovingly creating the finished item. Hurrah, it looks amazing and you can't wait to see what your customers think. You work and re-work the costing of the item making sure that you have dotted the i's and crossed the t's - you are happy with the figure you finally come up with.

Then there is more planning in preparation for the launch of the new item; it needs photographing and the words writing to describe it, making sure you show it at its best. Finally you are ready to launch it via whatever sales platform you are going to use, you announce it on your Blog, Facebook Page, Website etc and you wait, a little bit afraid that nobody will like it. If you got all the planning right someone will think it is wonderful and want to buy it; then you allow yourself to sigh in relief, especially if more than one person wants to buy it!

Then it happens, something that many crafter designers dread, you are told that so & so are selling a bag, box, vase, ring or whatever your wonderful new item is on their website, Facebook page, etc  you grit your teeth, try hard not to get angry and upset as you go in search of your item being sold somewhere else. There it is, maybe the colour is a little different and you are convinced the quality is no where near as good as yours BUT it is your new design in all its glory. What do you do next? If you are an emotional person you are likely to shout, maybe even scream and possible cry. After all, you put in all that hard work, for some crafter designers a new design will be years in the making, you can't believe that somebody has done this to you.

What do you do next? Some people will just brush it off and say hey its ok everyone gets copied at some time, others will prepare themselves for a battle and do everything they can to claim back their design as their own. If you want to do that, seek advice first, don't go in there all guns blazing, know exactly where you stand in the law etc. Just knowing it is your design is not enough to stop someone copying it and using it to make themselves a profit.

In the past I was told that I should be flattered that someone has copied my work. I wasn't, trust me. I was emotional, angry and weeping all over the place. I wasn't able to do anything about it at the time but I learnt from the experience. I try to make sure that photographs of my work have my mark on them ... often the company name, my name and the month/year. I have stopped sharing work in progress photos on Facebook, and I tend to only share ideas with people I trust but much of my new work never sees the light of day because I feel they are too easy to copy.

What I am trying to say here is, should you be tempted to copy anyone, stop and think before you do, think about all the hard work the designer has to put in BEFORE they created an object they considered ready to sell. After all think of what work YOU have to put in when you steal a design ... you may be able to copy the idea from photographs but you still have to figure out how the original was made; with some items it may be easy but with others you will have to buy the item and de-construct it, make a pattern and work from it. That is actually a lot of work, people, including me, have called those that copy LAZY but actually copying a design can be hard work too, the lazy part is the actual stealing the idea/concept.

Please be unique, use all the energy you have to copy in creating your own designs, give it a go you might be surprised at what you can do.

Lists,sticky notes & mind mapping BUT what is the answer?

No matter how hard I think things are as a self employed home worker I know that by some planning and hard work on my part I can actually make it easier.

THE TO DO LIST
How many people have a rolling to do list - one that never ends - as you take one job off the top you add half a dozen to the bottom. What happens to the BIG stuff, the important stuff that you know you have to do but avoid doing, those things that are perhaps a bit scary to face up to. Where do they go? Do you just hope you will get round to them soon or are you proactive and push through those scary phone calls and emails/letters? Mother Duck has lists upon lists upon lists and can guarantee that somewhere along the line something important will get lost or forgotten.
I am addicted to little sticky notes, in bright colours; I stick them on the shelf above my desk, on the desk, in my diary, indeed anywhere that I think they might act as a prompt to make me do something from the to do list. They fall on the floor, get lost and another 'thing' is forgotten.

MIND MAPPING
At the start of each month I try to create a mind map of the month - appointments, events I am standing at, orders to complete etc. from that I try to create a further mind map that should enable me to see exactly what has to be done for each appointment/event. On a good month this works but it is by no means foolproof, some things still get forgotten and have to be shunted to the next month.

THE DIARY
I have a business diary, a family diary and a personal diary!
I have to make sure that all three match but can guarantee that something will get missed out.

I am trying to find the perfect answer ... I have tried wall charts, to do lists, mind maps, diaries and the throw it all in the air in frustration method. I haven't yet found the one method that works for me, although I have to say mind mapping is the better of my choices, for me.

One thing I do try to do is move those important items off of the general to do list. I take those one by one and face them head on. They may be the most scary, which is why they have sat on the to do list for so long, but they are usually things that make me move a step closer to a more successful business. They make me acknowledge that I am a small business, that I have to answer to me and my customers if I fail to meet a deadline.

So what is the answer? I am sure that there are books on the market that will give you advice on how to organise your life, office or business. I have read many books giving advice on running a small business, running a craft orientated business, how to Blog (I'm still learning) indeed I have a shelf full of advice for my small business. I have used some of it successfully, some not so successfully and yet I struggle to find the most perfect way to organise myself and my workroom.

I am sticking (pardon the pun) to using my little coloured sticky notes and mind maps and I will be taking those scary items off my to do list one by one and facing them head on ... OK maybe I'll start with those tomorrow.

Anyone have any hints and tips to help organise this daft old duck they really would be much appreciated, leave me a comment.

But my Muse likes the mess

My workroom is in CHAOS!
Indeed it is getting out of hand; so yesterday I decided to tackle it, to put everything back in boxes and onto shelves - a big mistake. I started to discover some beautiful items which in turn sparked ideas which I just had to get down on paper; then of course I had to try some of the ideas which generated more chaos.

When in total chaos I do find that it winds me up and screams at me BUT this is whilst I am creating orders and stock. I don't like the clinical look of a perfectly clean and immaculately tidy workspace but I can no longer work scrabbling for a tiny bit of clear table space. It would be nice to be able to work at my desk without feeling claustrophobic from the piles of paperwork on each side and often obscuring the computer.

So I have pushed some papers, beads, ribbons, glues and other wonderful crafty goodies aside and started to create. I cannot see the desk top. I cannot see either work table. I cannot see most of the floor. I am not proud of myself but I cannot switch off my muse when it strikes.

I have some AMAZING shelves in the workroom AND most of the contents of the workroom do fit into boxes and onto the shelves.

BUT when I am creating I tend to take different bits from different boxes and stack the boxes on the floor next to me as I work. After I have knocked the boxes flying a few times I try and put all but the most essential ones back on the shelves BUT then they come out again because you can guarantee there is something I really need that I put back on the shelves.
It is a vicious circle.
I need taking in hand, I need an assistant, not in any real role just a wee person to sit on my shoulder reminding me to clear away as I move from job to job. To encourage me to tackle it without giving in to the temptation to create something new from treasures I find during the process.

Every so often I take a few days off and clear the workroom, until it looks terribly clean and organised. Massive work spaces uncovered, recycling dealt with, rubbish dealt with; all surfaces cleared and cleaned. Once this is done I then really struggle to become enthusiastic about being creative, almost scared to move anything, accompanied by a total creative block. My muse seems to leave home whenever I tidy the workspace completely and yet I don't see the point in doing half the job. I am sure it would be easier if I only did one type of crafting but I don't, I have so many irons in the fire (not all for the business) that it really is the problem. Yesterday somebody suggested that I tidy it in sections over the space of a week but I can't afford to take a week away from orders and creating stock.

My son took this picture of me, when we could see some of the work table ... he says I am wearing my halo BUT I am too ashamed to take a pix of what it looks like now!

In my past lives in office admin and teaching I had to be organised and tidy; often running several diaries for different people, working on lesson plans, marking etc etc BUT since I have let my creative muse take charge things have gone to chaos! The organised me exited stage left as my muse entered stage right.

How do you work?
Are you a super tidy workspace person of happy in chaos person?
Do you have any hints and tips you can share that might help organise this disorganised old duck?

love & fluffy hugs from a frustrated organised soul turned crafter
Mother Duck x

"It's the way you do it"

I have been a sole trader self employed crafter/designer/maker for a few years now and still my biggest problem is time management. When I was a teacher it was not a problem; when employed in various office roles it was not a problem. So why is it now?

Part of the problem is that I work from home; I know I am not alone in this as there are many people in different sectors working from home. Suddenly our working environment is the laundry, the dining room, the playroom or all of them. Our families and friends find it difficult (as do I, often) to distinguish between just being at home and working. 

So how do you solve the frequent visits, quick coffees and invitations to go out problem; how do you manage to get family and friends to accept that even though you don't leave the house you are working? 

I asked a friend this question recently and the reply was "it's the way you do it". I must have looked at her a little strange because she then tried to explain, at length, what I was doing wrong and how she thought I could put it right. In a nutshell she explained that I need to set boundaries, have fixed working hours and be stronger in saying no when asked out for a coffee. Simples!

Taking that advice on board I am now lucky enough to have a dedicated workroom in the house, making it easier to close the door on the rest of the house, especially at the end of my working day. I have looked at the number of hours I work and have tried to set fixed working hours; my hours are now 10 - 4 daily (Monday - Friday) BUT I often work evenings and of course weekends when doing craft fairs. If I have a craft fair at the weekend then I do allow myself time off during the week to counter the extra evenings/days.

This is all very well in theory but how do I train my family and friends to stick to my working hours? How do I train myself because I cannot control when I feel creative, when a new idea will pop into my head that I just HAVE to sketch/sew/make etc. So will find myself sketching on a napkin or scrap of paper when out with friends or at 3am when the idea just won't go away.

I don't have the answers, although I have started to plan my time better ... I love mind maps and find they are the best way for me to plan. I look at each month and try to map it ... looking at each craft fair, wedding fair and appointment deciding what they need in terms of stock to be made and supplies to be purchased.
I have abandoned my traditional style 'to do list' and each day I select one thing that I know I have been putting off and try to tackle it. I am playing with my to do list in that I avoid it being longer than 5 items long each day ... although I can of course add something new to the bottom if I cross an item off the top. Just a couple of things I am doing to make my day more effective.
This works to a certain degree but I still get easily distracted from what I should be doing by a coffee out.

I am fighting the time management demons and if anyone has any methods I could try to improve my success rate please let me know.

love & fluffy hugs from
Mother Duck

Beading Challenge Shelved

Many thanks to those that expressed an interest in the beading challenge, sadly there has not been enough interest to warrant the expense of creating the challenge boxes, sending them out, dealing with the admin involved.
fluffy love & hugs
Mother Duck

I had some of those but I didn't do that with them

How many times have you heard people say "oh I had some of those but I didn't do that with them" especially amongst creative people. Give a group of people each a box of exactly the same materials and it is almost a certainty that they will all create something different.

THE IDEA
Mother Duck has been thinking about this for some time and although the request for interest in such a project wasn't well received on Facebook I think I would like to give it a try ... what do you think? I want to create 10 identical boxes of beads, findings and random objects to give to 10 random people. There is a catch attached to this gift (well, you have all heard the saying "no such thing as a free lunch") If we do not get enough interest the challenge will be shelved for a future date.

THE CATCH
*The recipients will be randomly selected.
*The recipients will agree to writing a short blurb on their final design, for publication on our Blog.
*The recipients will agree to taking photos of their final design for publication on our Blog.
*The recipients will agree for said blurb and photos being used on our website and Facebook page.
*The recipients will agree to abide by all and any terms and conditions in place in the pursuance of fairness
*The recipients will agree to the time scale set by Mother Duck and Dizzy Ducks Creations.
All final terms and conditions to be confirmed.

THE PRIZE
The opportunity to write a guest Blog here to help you promote your small business

THE JUDGING
Mother Duck will publish the pictures of all creations received by the deadline here on our Blog and people will be asked to vote for their favourite. In the event of a tie Mother Duck will remove all other pictures and there will be a second round of voting. In the event of a second tie Mother Duck will have the casting vote, explaining why she makes her choice.

So that is it all in a nutshell ... what do you think?
Would you like to be one of the 10?
If you think you might like to participate please comment below ... once we know there is sufficient interest then we will ask you to email us with your contact details so we can notify the selected 10 and mail out the boxes and rules!

Fluffy love & hugs
Mother Duck
PS at the moment we have not declared this a challenge just for those in the UK overseas participants will have to pay postal costs that will guarantee delivery with enough time to complete the challenge in the time scale.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS CHALLENGE WILL NOT GO AHEAD AS THERE HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH INTEREST


 

Is a change as good as a rest?

Last year we changed our business Logo and several other small things concerning the business, the theory being that I needed to try and make a turn around in a difficult economy. Was it successful ? Yes, to a certain degree it was, I have seen a few more sales, not enough to make me a millionaire but enough to make me feel that it was worth fighting for my micro-business.

The change of logo was an expense but it did freshen the image of Dizzy Ducks Creations but I have received mixed responses; some people suggesting that it was too comic or immature for the products that I create. So I am in the process of deciding whether I should go for a total change again, maybe a more mature image.

Here is our current logo





I deleted products from our stock lines, added new lines. Started to make small changes in the way we run things at Duckie HQ but still it feels like I am chasing my own tail feathers. I know I am not alone, there are hundreds if not thousands of micro-businesses in a similar position some making dramatic and successful changes and others falling by the wayside and ceasing business.

We changed the events that we do, adding new ones and dropping the less successful so reaching a different face to face audience for our sales. We are updating the website, another part of the new image, and changing the shop system. We have also considered other online avenues for sales, such as Etsy, Folksy and Facebook to name but a few. We found that having a shop on Facebook was unsuccessful for us ... we had no sales over a period of 4 months so decided to remove it. We have tried selling via an album of pictures on Facebook again will little success, although many of our followers on Facebook declare how much they like our work. We had little success with Etsy although that is probably due to lack of effort on my part, something I have full intention of working on. I was trying to see how things went with Etsy before signing up for Folksy, although I have heard mixed reviews of both. I'll let you know in a future Blog how it goes with Etsy and if I join Folksy.

So is a change as good as a rest?
Do I feel better for making the changes I have?
Is the business better?

As a micro-business sole trader I think I can answer yes to all of the above but I also have to say that I have actively sought advice on running a small business, read several books on running a small craft business, followed Blogs and signed up for newsletters. I think the trap many of us fall into is a fear of change; we get comfortable in our small little rut and hear people around us saying things will change when we come out of the recession.

I believe the answer is to make small changes, update your branding, rationalise your stock, analyse your pricing, (have you got it right, are you charging for your time?).

Think about how others, especially your customers, see your business; is it looking tired and in need of an injection of something fresh? It doesn't have to cost a lot of money, a few sensible small changes such as deciding what stock works for you and what doesn't will help. Ask someone you trust to help you look closely at what you are doing; look at your pricing strategy etc.

You might be a sole trader micro or small business but you don't really have to do it alone, there are so many resources available to help.

Here is a small part of the stack of books I have on the desk, beside the desk, on the worktable, by the arm chair and in the car (I may be a little obsessed with self-help books for small businesses at the moment)  they are listed in no particular order - you need to research and see what is best for you. It is also worth checking Blogs - I will try and create a list of some I have found useful in my next Blog. If you have any books or Blogs to recommend please make sure you comment.

Some of my books (which I have to say are full of post it notes and pencilled comments)

*Crafting a Successful Business by Joanne Dewberry
(I also have this as an ebook on my Kindle)

*How to Make Money Using Etsy by Timothy Adam
(a new acquisition for me in the hope it will help me make some changes, I'll let you know what I think)

*The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos by Heidi Adnum
(I think this is a must have for anyone taking pix for a website, Etsy, Folksy, or any other media platform to sell their goods)

*The Craft Business Handbook by Alison McNicol
*Craft Business Heroes by Alison McNicol

What small changes are you going to make or have you already made them?
One of the things I like about being a designer crafter is that I get to meet many like minded people who are, in the majority, friendly and happy to share hints and tips. I hope you have found this small insight into my crafting business thought provoking; Why not take a small step back a take a long look at what you are doing with your own small craft business as I am sure some small changes could make it work better for you.
fluffy love from
Mother Duck

Enough is enough! Social Media & Networking can easily become all consuming

Mother Duck is feeling over whelmed by social media and the many platforms available to sell our products and give us an on line presence ... so when is social media and the internet too much?

Dizzy Ducks have their Social Media fingers in many pies Twitter,Facebook, Google +  and Etsy we do of course have our own website, we also have our Blog, although not all of these are up to date.
So as a technophobe and a sole trader with only so many hours in the day how do I keep up?
The answer is I don't.
I don't have enough know how to make the best use of what is available out there and so sadly Google+ and Etsy have been sidelined, twitter is hit & miss. The only one I have managed to keep up to date, after a fashion is Facebook; even the Blog and website are trailing behind and in much need of revitalising.

So when is social media too much ... when it is detracting from a work/life balance, when you spend more time on line trying to keep all the balls in the air. I know there has to be a simpler way of doing it ... I just haven't found it yet. I am constantly being told that I need 'get Dizzy Ducks out there' but to be honest there is only so much I can do. I am sure there is a way of linking all of these forms of social media, ways of scheduling posts (figured out I can line up posts and delay their posting on Facebook) so that each of the various 'pies' are getting an equal amount of attention. This is all very well but with the changes to Facebook, reaching my small audience is getting harder, I am never sure quite how to be effective on Twitter. I haven't been onto Google+ for a long time and my Etsy shop has been in holiday mode since before Christmas and finding time to update the website & improve the shop is getting harder.

So what is the answer?
Do I pay someone to control my social media presence?
Do I keep doing what I am doing and hope that enough people will see Dizzy Ducks?

I know that the answer isn't to keep doing what I am doing, I need to make what I say and do on social media platforms count.
I shall continue my daily posts on Facebook, I am currently trying to see what types of post get the most attention and what time it is best to post.
I think this old duck just wants to bury her head in the sand until it all becomes a little easier.

On another note that will get a Blog of its own in the future ... it has been suggested that I try to find a local networking group so that I can expand my local presence but as yet I have been unable to find a group that understands the 'designer/crafter' sole trader. The one group I did try were all businesses employing 25+ people with a whole different set of needs, I felt badly out of place and out of my depth. What about local networking - it has been suggested that as I cannot find a group that is suitable I set one up for other people like myself ... good idea but more time consuming than social media!

When I first entered the world of social media with Dizzy Ducks is was easier but as with everything it needs work and needs to be effective. So what is the answer ... do you know ... is it Facebook, Twitter, Gooogle+ or some other pie I haven't found yet?

Branding ... Dizzy Ducks in a nutshell?

I was reminded today how important it is to be able to explain to people you meet or on your website or other social media exactly what your business is … what you do.

I was told that I should be able explain my company ethos and what I do in the shortest way possible; especially as my Company name doesn’t tell people what I do. I have been to seminars where we have been asked to describe what we do in one sentence, an exercise I have yet to succeed at. So how do I do it, explain Dizzy Ducks Creations and Mother Duck, to anyone that doesn’t know me or the company?

The key words I need to use are – handcrafted, bespoke, one of a kind designs but none of those say what I do, I do all of those things and more besides, after all my page on Facebook has a gallery of things I have made, both old and new, but I don’t really sell from that page it is more of a community, a place of motivation, hints and tips etc. Those key words are not enough to explain the facets of Dizzy Ducks Creations … I think this challenge will be with me for some considerable time to come BUT I know I have to find a ‘strap line’ my one sentence and I have to be able to describe my company when asked.

This is what I wrote today when asked to explain and it doesn’t go anywhere near really describing me and what I do.

“On fb Dizzy Ducks is a community of people from all walks of life that share hopes, dreams and hints n tips. Our page is also a place for motivation when things are getting us down; it is also a place to go to see a gallery of our work old and new.

At craft fairs we sell a cornucopia of items ranging from greeting cards, bags, clocks, jewellery and so much more.

At Wedding fairs we display our wedding and special occasion stationery and favour boxes.

On the website you can purchase from all areas of Dizzy Ducks Creations including requesting a bespoke OOAK piece just for you”

How do I reduce all of that down to one sentence? How much of that information do people want or need to know and how important is the ‘do it in a sentence’ thing, would I be better off honing a great short paragraph? 

Branding can be a minefield, big companies employ people to do this sort of thing for them the cost of which I am pretty sure is out of the realms of a small business like mine. I selected the company name really without any thought of whether it explained what I did – it just fit me. I had the logo designed when we first started and upgraded it recently but again without thinking whether it explained what the company was about. 
So should I now be asking myself whether my choices have been right or good for the company? Should I continue the down the path I have chosen and find the words I need to add to the existing branding (Logo)?

   

How to put a cornucopia of handmade individually designed items and services into a nutshell?

Adventures into Twitter

I have finally given in, I have gone over to the dark side ~ I have joined Twitter.

As many of you will know I am not great with Technology and I am sure there will be times when I will want to scream BUT I have to give it a try. I am told that it will help my small business so I shall stick with it. One of the first things I need to figure out is how to include links or pictures in my Tweets.

So if any of you are on Twitter and want to follow me you can either look for Mother Duck or @dizzy_ducks

There are more questions then answers!

Having written my last Blog about the copyright restrictions for the major events happening in the Summer here in the UK, I began to wonder how we could otherwise be inadvertently abusing copyright in our creations.


I believe that when we purchase a fabric, craft papers, beads and other elements they are considered unfinished items allowing us to use them to create finished articles.
Is it the same if we up-cycle items?
Are we breaching copyright if we re-use an item to create a new item? 

We all know, or at least we should know, that Disney are hot on protecting their copyright over ANY of their creations; we also know that other film and TV characters are most certainly protected from reproduction by artists and crafters. So we can therefore, I think, safely make the assumption that unless we have a licence agreement with the original copyright holder to use their characters, we are not permitted to use them. But what about found objects or things like Lego bricks and Scrabble tiles? Are they still held by copyright restrictions of originators? Bearing in mind that these items were not originally intended to be used as components for jewellery. 

I ask the questions but I don't actually have the answers.

I can make some assumptions in my own work. If I am asked to create a replica of someone's work then I politely refuse and explain my reasons BUT if I am asked to use items such as Lego or Scrabble Tiles I am not sure what my response should be; I have seen some wonderful jewellery items created from both of these items  but does that mean there is no longer copyright restrictions on them? I have also seen some amazing cakes and cupcakes that portray popular children's TV and film characters, I am sure they are covered by restrictions. I have also seen some wonderful sewn items using the same characters ... should we make the assumption that the crafters/artists making these items for sale hold a licence to use the images?

If in doubt ask the original designer/creator ... don't use the Hello Kitty image or those wonderful Disney images unless you have asked for permission; you could find yourself coming up against legal teams that are paid your annual salary as a retainer to keep their client's copyrights safe. 

You may find that some companies that own images/designs/patterns will, for a fee, offer a restricted use licence on their products. If you are a paper crafter you may have come across the term 'Angel Policy' where you are allowed to use rubber stamps or images from CD ROMS or printed decoupage sheets to create items for sale; some such items may include a limited licence to make and sell items using popular characters. Always make sure you know what you can and cannot do with the products you buy for your own particular craft. Do not make the assumption that because you have purchased it you can then sell the items you make from it.

Do you have the answers?
Have you personally experienced difficulties after using an item in your work; either from the original creator/designer or their agent whose intention it was to prevent you from making items to sell from found items/fabrics/beads/craft papers or any other purchased items?

Remember you need to protect yourself and your customers, so the onus is on you to be clear before using something (that may have a copyright on it) in your creations that you may later want to sell. 

Happy crafting,
with fluffy love & hugs
from
Mother Duck

Sporting & Royal events Summer 2012 ~ will you be breaking the law?

Unless you have been slumbering for a while then you are probably aware that there are two major events happening in the UK over the summer; we are celebrating a Royal Jubilee and the Olympics. So how many of you are thinking of having a party to celebrate or perhaps as a crafter you are planning to make a collection of items related to both events that you could sell.

As a crafter are you aware of the high number of restrictions on the use of images AND words that are attached to these events? Were you planning to make cakes/cupcakes or maybe bunting/banners to advertise items you have made to help celebrate, or some cute cushions or jewellery items - you could be breaking the law!

Mother Duck has been astounded in the past few days at the number of restrictions ... I had expected it on images such as the rings or the logo etc BUT the words I was surprised at; likewise with the Royal Celebrations, I expected the Queen's image to be restricted but there are other restrictions too.

On my Face book page I always tell people that ignorance is no defence; just because you don't know about the restrictions doesn't mean they won't take you to court or force you to destroy your work for breaching their copyright or trademarks. It doesn't matter if you just sell a few things to family and friends or a few more through Facebook or a website or one of the Marketplace sites likes Etsy or Folksy (to name just a couple). It doesn't matter what you sell or where you sell it! If you are using the words or images that carry restrictions you could be in trouble.

The restrictions are lengthy and I would advise anyone planning to make items relating to these events to check out what you can and cannot use. I am including a couple of links that might help BUT these are just a hint of some of the restrictions. Remember that ignorance is not a defence and I do wholeheartedly encourage you to do some research BEFORE you make.



http://www.royal.gov.uk/HMTheQueen/TheQueenandspecialanniversaries/TheQueensDiamondJubilee2012/DiamondJubileeNamesandTitles.aspx

http://www.barkerbrettell.co.uk/news/London2012BriefingNotes.asp?referrer=current_news.asp&p=241


These events are such a huge opportunity for crafters ... my imagination is was running wild with ideas many of which I will not be able to do because of the restrictions. At least I have found out now and not after I had spent money on materials etc.

Please enjoy the events and the parties etc that I hope we will all be part of  but don't risk your business by using the images and words that are restricted.

Here is a link to a great Blog that probably explains all of this a bit better than Mother Duck has
http://www.lawdonut.co.uk/blog/2012/03/marketing-your-business-olympic-theme-are-you-danger-breaking-law 

How Much!?! Sorry it's too expensive for me!

I have been trying to write a Blog on pricing goods, I have deleted it and re-written it so many times. So hopefully today is the day and someone other than me is reading this.

So you had an idea; you put it down on paper and eventually it became something you are ready to sell. How do you decide what to charge? Well, you could pluck a figure out of thin air write it on a tag and hope it sells BUT is it a fair price? Have you covered the material costs, your time, the cost of utilities used etc? Are you making a profit?

There are lots of books, Blogs and videos out in the world that will give you many different equations on how to price your goods but there are so many variables that I feel it should be up to the individual how they make up the cost of an item.

Do we cost the research time for an item, the planning stages, the proforma stages or do we only count the time spent on the final item? If we are making items for say a craft market or to make stock for an on line store we probably only count the time spent making the specific item. If we are working on a bespoke item then the design time for a specific customer may to be taken into account.

Clearly there are so many variables to be added into any calculations used for pricing. Let us try and look at some of them individually and see if we can make our own equation.

1. Material costs ... you need to work out how much the materials cost you, don't forget to take into account the postage you paid or the cost of travel to collect materials. Did you pay VAT?
2. Your time ... so many of us under charge when we calculate this one! At the very least you should be charging at minimum wage BUT realistically as an artisan, a skilled worker you should be charging more than minimum wage. Your time is valuable and you should be charging properly for it.
3. Utilities ... when you are creating your hand crafted item the odds are you are using one or more of the following, power for tools, lighting, heating and running water.
   Who pays the bill? You do. So surely you should consider passing some of the costs to the customer.  
4. Profit ... that is quite a scary word to some people, often people feel embarrassed to talk about their profit on an item  BUT you are in business and as such you want/need to make a profit. How much profit margin you add to your items has to be up to you; some people add as little as 2.5% whilst others add 50% or more.
5. Wholesale or retail price ... these are different. Wholesale is usually when you are making a quantity of something for the same customer that they are going to sell on to their own customers. You need to charge a reasonable figure for wholesale but you also have to price it so that your customer will be able to make a profit when they sell it on. You will need to know your Retail price to calculate a RRP to tell a wholesaler (RRP = recommended retail price) If you are selling the items direct to the customer you are charging the RRP ... the difference between wholesale and retail is a % profit. BUT when you are selling wholesale you still need to make a profit.
   So basically you need to calculate two prices for your items the wholesale price and the retail price.
6. Are you charging VAT? If you are then you will of course have to add this into the calculations
   Please note that VAT in the UK at the time of writing this is 20%

So here goes at an attempt to make an equation ...

materials + time + utilities + profit = wholesale price

wholesale price + profit = retail price

Don't forget that you may also be adding VAT to the above equations

What we haven't taken into account here things like photography to display your items on line, stand fees and travel to craft events to sell your items, your time at craft events, website costs, postal costs, paypal or bank charges involved in taking payments, costs of other on-line stores. Only you can decide which of these you pass on to your customers. 

I can already hear people saying "if I charged minimum wage for my work plus all the other stuff being suggested people wouldn't buy my items." I ask you ... are you not worth minimum wage?

I am only making suggestions here, this is not set in stone, I am not telling you this is what you have to do, these are purely suggestions. You have to decide for yourself what you are going to charge but I hope this has given you something to think about, somewhere to start. You know your target market and the price range that they would be willing to pay. Believe it or not people will pay more for good quality hand crafted goods.

I am sure this is a topic we shall revisit as I am sure there will be much feedback from our readers, some agreeing with what I have written and others wholeheartedly disagreeing. 

fluffy love & hugs
from
Mother Duck

Should I really be flattered if my work is copied?

Why is it when people see a piece of your work or a picture of it they say "I think I might make one of those" rather than where can I get one of those? Even if said in jest it makes the designer of the original piece bristle and get upset.

How many times have you been at a craft fair and heard someone say 'I could make that' or 'that's expensive it's just a couple of beads(fabric or whatever)".
I have been creating items to sell via craft fairs and wedding fairs for a number of years now and I still hear it, yet every time I want to tell these people how long it had taken to make from inception to completion. Often at craft fairs or on the website we don't price items to their true value, taking into account the work put into the item, materials, cost of utilities used, transport to get it to the craft fair, your time for a day at a fair etc (the thorny issue of pricing our products are for another Blog) and we know that the people saying these things are unlikely to actually go away and do it but you never really know.

I spend a lot of my time making a product to sell; not just the physical time spent making it but the time spent sketching ideas, drawing or writing a pattern, checking the pattern works by making a prototype (often several to get it just right) and finally sourcing all the materials etc to make it just right BEFORE it gets to my stand at a craft fair or the website.

We are all told that pride comes before a fall BUT why shouldn't we be proud that we have designed something, if we've created the pattern, adapted it several times to get it just right and finally producing something beautiful ... even a practical item can be beautiful. Why shouldn't we be proud of the hard work, and final item?
Hold your head up high, say I designed and made that. If you are using someone's pattern then you can say I made this beautiful thing because such & such a person took the time to create the pattern; give credit where credit is due.


A word of advice if you use a pattern, whether knitting, crochet, sewing, jewellery or anything else make sure you read the fine print. Many patterns have a little note that says "for personal use only" which in a nutshell means you cannot sell the items you make from this pattern. You need to get written permission to sell items you make from commercially produced patterns; just because a crafter publishes patterns in their Blog it doesn't mean you can take that pattern, make it and sell items ... check with the Blogger first.  No matter where you purchase or find a pattern check the fine print ... even if the pattern is in a book there will be a note in the front or back of the book saying whether you can use the items made to sell. If you cannot find it in the small print then it probably means you cannot sell the items you make BUT no matter where you get the pattern from you should out of courtesy name the pattern creator. For example "this item is made using a pattern from ........." NEVER claim it to be your original design if it isn't.

Many designers of patterns that you can find in books or on the internet are happy to sell you a licence that will give you the permission you need to sell the items you make; obviously they set limits and these should be adhered to to avoid legal issues at a later date. A licence will cost you but better to buy the licence than risk a very expense law suit for breach of copyright. Some companies have what is called an Angel Policy which will mean that they give limited permissions for their patterns to be used, each is different so check them out don't make an assumption you can sell if they have an angel policy. The thorny issue of intellectual copyright is too complex to tackle here but is one you have to consider if using designs created by someone else.

There are many, many agencies that will register your unique designs to protect them; I haven't personally used these,yet, but if you do have a truly unique item and want to protect it then it might be worth checking the agencies out. The one I have noticed at larger craft events is http://acid.eu.com/  I have also had these two suggested to me http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/ and http://copyright.co.uk/index.html  I haven't used any of these Agencies and cannot vouch for them; you will have to make your own mind up whether you want to register your UNIQUE design/item and whether any of these can help in your own situation. You could also seek legal advice but be aware this may cost more from the outset.

As crafters, artists, and designers we enjoy making something new to share with the world but that doesn't give the world permission to copy what we have made and say that it is their own.

Be unique!
with fluffy love & hugs from
Mother Duck

And the winner is ...

Thank you to everyone that took time to enter our competition.
The winner is Sarah Stiff.
We selected the winner from all of the correct entries received by numbering them in the order they were received and selecting a number using Random.Org

I do hope Sarah gets great pleasure from her necklace when it arrives

much fluffy love
from
Mother Duck

Treasure Hunt or Hunt the Hunk as it has become known here

If you would like the opportunity to win this necklace from Mother Duck then all you need to do is go to our website
 www.dizzy-ducks-creations.co.uk
and follow the clues.
I must just say at this point that we have used pictures of scantily clad men and women to hold the clues! You have been warned, just trying to save your blushes LOL

Please note that we do not hold the copyright to any of the 'hunk' images (except the puppy, he's ours) they were all found on Google images.

So here’s how to be in with a chance to win ...
1.
Follow the clues, these will take you to our online shop, our gallery and our website.
You will need to open the picture of the item to find the clue and may need to scroll down on the picture of the hunk as the clues are at the bottom of the picture.
2.
When you find the last picture you will be asked a question (the answer can be found on the website).
3.
Once you have the answer send it in an email to competition@dizzy-ducks-creations.co.uk
4.
Only one entry per person ... we trust you not to enter using multiple email addresses

The competition closes at 8pm (UK time) Sunday 15^th Janaury.
The winner will be chosen at random from all of the correct answers received.

The winner will be emailed and once we receive acknowledgment from them, including an address for posting, we will announce the winner on the Blog and our facebook page.
The pix holding the clues will remain on the website until the winner is announced and there is nothing to say you can’t go and view the images more than once.

You have to be in it to win it and it's not going to cost you anything!

Have fun searching the website for the hunks and their clues.

love & fluffy hugs from
Mother Duck

So we have waved goodbye to 2011

So 2011 has passed into the filing system of time.

We should look at 2012 as a new chapter in the book of life, each day is a lovely new blank page for some wondrous adventures. As Mother Duck has always said we can make some amazing memories from even the most mundane tasks. 

My biggest dilemma for any New Year is the new diary selection ... I am so particular about its configuration and all the little extras that I want too. Am I the only one that is so picky and therefore finds it so hard every year to find the perfect diary. This year I have the answer, I think, I have a filofax. I am like a little  girl in a sweetie store I didn't know there were so many different things I needed for my diary! LOL

So what adventures lie in store for 2012 for Dizzy Ducks Creations?

The first wonderful thing happening is the updating of our logo ... we are not getting rid of Dizzy, we just couldn't do that; our Logo was one of the first things that we purchased when we started the business and Dizzy is one of the ways our returning customers can locate us at craft fairs and wedding fairs. So no he isn't going anywhere he is getting a make-over ... not a how to look good naked kind of make over, heavens we couldn't ask Dizzy to ditch his feathers for anybody! We have trusted the lovely Claire at  https://www.facebook.com/DesignatNo.11 with his make over. She is also creating Mother Duck's new business cards, letter head and compliment slips. We are so excited! We have had a peep at our new Dizzy and he is soooooooooooooooo cute but we are not giving away any secrets. We are looking forward to his launch on the website, our fb page and hopefully some new banners for craft fairs and wedding fairs.

Mother Duck's next  Blog will also include a little competition ... I will be offering the chance for someone to win the lovely necklace in the picture above. But I have a problem with this ... the last time we did a similar competition we didn't really get a great response. So let me ask you, is having a competition on the Blog a good idea? The competition would probably be in the form of a question to be answered and the winner will be randomly selected from the correct answers.

So apart from wishing you all the most amazing adventures in your book of life for 2012 Mother Duck wants to send you all lots of fluffy love & hugs.