Today they’re offering crafty ideas and business suggestions to inspire you.

Angels can be tiny
Noreen has designed some tiny spool knitted angels that are easy and charming.

Layers Upon Layers
Cyndi explores making small quilts from rusted fabric. 

Painted Hearts Champagne Flutes
Make two of these romantic flutes for a special couple. Add a bottle of bubbly for a complete gift!

Photo Phun!
Some photos to use for your journals any way you choose.

Should We Brand or Not Brand Our Quilting?
Mary Emma at Quilting and Patchwork discusses the latest buzz word in business…branding.

What to Do With Used Disposable Pens
Don’t send your old pens to the landfill. The Pen Guy wants them for his art cars and pentings!

What to do when your sewing machine says “no!”
Is your sewing machine acting up? Here are a few basic trouble-shooting tips to that can get you back sewing.

ENJOY!

Post from: Blisstree

Crafty Ideas and Business Suggestions from the Arts Bloggers

The best way to find more information about quilters you’re interested in is to visit their web sites and blogs.  If they have a shop or gallery, and you know the name and town, see if you can find that web site.  It often will give you schedules, a phone number and e-mail.

Quilters’ teaching and workshop schedules often are posted on various web sites that list events.

Post from: Blisstree

The Whereabouts of Quilters

•  Currently the state of the economy in general may affect you as people have less money to purchase the items and services you provide.  Try to find something that’s necessary or practical and buyers are more likely to look for you.
•  Your health can enter into the picture and interfere with your ability to produce or direct your business.  During most of 2008, my daughter couldn’t do any quilting and fabric art because she was extremely ill with pancreatitis.  This came upon her unexpectedly and very suddenly.
•  Perhaps you have to move, due to a job change, family crisis, or some other factor.  If your business is predominately online, you usually won’t be very affected.  However, if your work was related to the building or community where you lived, you’ll have to make some changes…or even decide whether you want to start over.
•  A natural disaster can wreck havoc with one’s business plans.  A fire, tornado, hurricane or flood might destroy your place of business or that of your major buyer. 
• Changes in trends causes lack of interest in a product or service.  When I was making children’s appliqued vests, I knew I’d have to find other items to produce if I wanted to keep this business going.  Interest in the vests could wane.

 What can you do?

 You can’t control everything, particularly the unexpected and unplanned.  However, think ahead and consider what you might do if any of these occurred.

 For instance, after a fire destroyed a family business selling farm and garden equipment, we learned that a business, no matter how small should have fireproof file cabinets and safe.  Because my husband had these, his accounts receivable and other important papers were not destroyed.

 What have you done to meet situations that you can’t control or don’t plan on?  This is not to say that you have a disaster mindset and don’t look for success.  Simply give some thoughts to these matters in your business planning.

Post from: Blisstree

When There Are Aspects You Can’t Control in Your Quilting Business…

My guest post at Susan Gunelius’ Women on Business blog gives you 10 Tips On Finding Time for Your Home Business.

Whether you’re balancing a quilting business, writing business, or even a non-quilting business, I hope you find these tips helpful.

(Amazon image)

Post from: Blisstree

Mary Emma Writes Guest Post on Home Business Tips at Women On Business Blog

If you’ve developed a reputation for yourself already, you definitely can get top dollar when you begin a business.  But what if you’re fairly new and don’t have a household familiar name?

Jean Murray discusses this topic at Home Biz Notes, Should New Home Business Owners Charge Less?  Take a look at Jean’s post and see what ideas you come up with about charging in your own business.

Remember – Don’t downplay your talents and abilities.  Keep in mind what the market will bear in your area.  It will differ in various parts of your country and the world.  Also, figure out your costs/expenses so you don’t lose money.

How have you worked out the “charge factor” in your business?

(warehousedirect72 image at Amazon)

Post from: Blisstree

What Should You Charge in Your Quilting Related Business?

 Will this mean eventually there will be a cap on the income quilters and craftspeople can earn in their businesses if they accept government grants?  (Government grants aren’t necessarily bail out money, but they are government issued funds.)

Many artisans and writers accept grants for furthering their work.  These usually have guidelines or requirements for qualifying.  However, as far as I know, no cap on what the person(s) can earn in their business or as an individual has been instituted.

Is the capping of salaries in corporations using bail out money just the start of Obama dictating earnings to businesses of any type?

What’s your take on this?

Related Reading:

Is Obama Killing Free Enterprise in America

Will Obama Limit Profits & Wages in Small Businesses, Too

Post from: Blisstree

Will Quilting Business Income Face Cap If Using Government Grant?

I’ve enjoyed the newsletter where I’ve learned much about threads, realizing there are threads and threads.  I’m looking forward to Mother Superior’s Blog.

Post from: Blisstree

Superior Threads Now Has a Blog

Des Walsh, at Thinking Home Business, has a thought provoking post, Just How Valuable is Personal Branding.  Here Des differentiates between business and personal branding.  Is there a need for either?  When is one better than the other?

It got me thinking about the differences.  I recalled hearing that if you’re developing a business you may want to sell, don’t lock it in with your name.  That may be a disadvantage when selling.  Also, the new owners might take it in a direction you’d prefer not associated with your name.

When you’re an author, artist, designer, etc., your business generally would be associated only with your name since you’re the one who does the creating.  So, in that case, branding yourself and your name could be an advantage.

What have you done about branding and name recognition?

Post from: Blisstree

Should We Brand or Not Brand Our Quilting?

Then I took a look and realized my memories had dated me.  The quilt kits and fabrics at Fat Quarter Shop were Twiggy by Sanae for Moda Fabrics.  These include fabrics, fat quarters and charm packets with delightful designs including twigs and branches and leaves for a natural look.

Have you made anything with these Twiggy fabrics?  It seems to me they should fit in well with nature themed projects.

Post from: Blisstree

Twiggy Quilt Kits & Memories

Quilters/fabric artists, who develop their hobby into a home business or even a small business in a store front, often think because it’s a “little” business, they don’t have to worry about taxes.  However, they generally still do have to pay taxes and Social Security and develop a system of keeping track of income and expenses.

Jean Murray, at Home Biz Notes, has a great post with some initial tax information.  Check out 5 Myths About Work At Home Business Taxes.

Post from: Blisstree

Tax Tips for Your Quilting Home Business