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I had a great show back in April at the originals Spring Gift show held at Lansdowne park, Ottawa. I rented a larger space this time round to see if it made any difference on my presentation and flow of traffic. 10 x 15 feet. It gave me more room to merchandised the space with furnishings and I think it looked really great. Kind of like a proper boutique of sorts. Traffic flow was smooth and encouraged visitors to walk into the booth, around a table I had placed in the centre and front, and then out again on the other side. I get a sense that some visitors do not want to feel “trapped” inside a booth (which might make them feel uncomfortably committed to making a purchase when they only want to browse for the time being).  So placing merchandise closer to the aisle allowed passers by to see some of my merchandise up close, to touch it,  and enabled them to relax and have a wonder inside to have a closer look at other things. This larger booth size space is great. The cost of which goes up at the Holiday sale, so I am back to a 10×10 in November. Bohooo.

I introduced my summer collection of canvas shoppers and totes made with my prized French woven canvases. Many visitors were so very complimentary about the splash of colour in my booth and my bag designs in particular – they just stopped in their tracks and took it all in with a smile.  Once again, this experience was very validating and energized my creative spirit immensely. I met more terrific people and made some new friends. One of the great perks of hanging out with other artisans at shows like this is if you can find willing participants, you get to trade!  I think most of the talent at these shows, like me, just loves being around other creative people and shopping! I alternated days during the show wearing three new bracelets and a necklace that I was lucky enough to barter. Thank you Nathalie and April!  I hope you two are enjoying your new pillows and tea cozies !

I am shifting gears this summer on the sales front. Retail is where I am focused for summer and winter. So far I have rekindled some existing retail accounts and approached several new stores in Ottawa and Montreal. It’s hard work to keep things on track with so many boutique owners in and out of their stores.  I feel like a pest calling back and leaving messages. But if they are interested, I know we will connect eventually. And if my products just aren’t the right fit for certain clientele, well that’s perfectly fine as well. (I don’t worry about rejection, it’s the long hours spent making the sales that does zap my energy from time to time.)  I designed a small catalogue and price list for my fashion accessories and am working on one for my home decor collection.  I email these to prospective retailers I have visited and then follow up with calls to determine interest. I have no intension of just showing up with my bags in tow and introducing myself out of the blue. Not only is that an intrusion on the retail owner, but it can put them in an awkward spot if they don’t see a fit with your wares, and find themselves trying to gently tell you, “sorry, your stuff just doesn’t work for me.”  Best to let them peruse my e-catalogue and web site, and then when we speak on the phone, they can let me know if they are interested or not without any pressure.  I am finding most owners are very open to discussing what works for their clientele which is so interesting for me. I am more than willing to consider contacting them in future as well, as I evolve my designs and perhaps create are more fitting styles to suit their audiences. It will take time to develop a series of relationships with a few “key accounts” that I hope to work with on a seasonal basis. That is my goal. How long will it take to develop this client list?  My target is to sign up with 6 new stores before the year is out.

From the desk of a crazed saleswoman, I bid you farewell for now.  Will be sure to let you know as soon as I have added any new retail outlets to my “where to shop” page!

Meantime, happy sewing!

Anne

Why did I wait so LONG to get myself an industrial straight stitch sewing machine you ask? Why was I fussing with my three – second-hand- domestic machines for over three years now? oh no no no.. limited budget has nothing to do with it.. I guess I was hesitant to commit given there is so much choice out there  and I had limited knowledge of what best suited my needs.  I just kept putting it off.. and then, last week, my little crew of machines started spewing out uneven stitches, skipping stitches outright, and unable to pierce through my fabrics so I had to roll the wheel myself to help things long every few feet when I hit a thick seam..  I had reached the end of my tolerance for sewing with my little beauties having given me all that they have to give..

It didn’t take much time to sort out the problem as the dream machine I have been waiting for was sitting in storage just 15 minutes away in the safekeeping of a sewing expert whom I also happen to work for.. and voila.  Last week, I set up my new table, and my darling husband carried the 100+ lb machine up to my attic. After connecting the motor and filling the oil tray (for this self-oiling beauty)  I put it to the test.. Did I mention how quiet it is? I was giggling like a girl having just adopted a new puppy..  it sews like it is hungry to gobble up my fabrics and spit out perfect lines of evenly spaced stitches. yum yum yum..

My brand new “heavy duty, top and bottom feed lockstich industrial sewing machine” has already munched through some 25 tote bags and will be working on more this weekend. I am in love, in heaven, overjoyed and believe it or not, so much more relaxed because I no longer have to undo/redo a single stitch! Ahhh.  I bet some of you have had similar “eureka” moments.  I have finally joined the turbo sewing club and there is no going back!

In my last posting, I was venting about the limited time I seem to have and how I had committed to upgrade my production capacity and find more sewers (sorry about the venting).. Since then, a rather serendipitous connection has transpired when my husband was chatting with a colleague. Luck should have it that I be introduced to the wife of said colleague , who not only  sews, but she trained and worked in the fashion industry in South Africa where she has acquired years of experience and knowledge!   Not only is she a walking bible on sewing machine technology  and has a wealth of knowledge on production processes and sewing efficiencies –  she is infectiously enthusiastic; passionate about textile and all things crafty, and speaks with the most charming South African accent !  I am thrilled to have met her. Lucky for me she was interested in doing a little part time work and accepted to produce a small volume from me. We have already worked together for some three weeks and she has sewn cosmetic bags, place matts and aprons for my next gift show, all to perfection and with an attention to detail equal to that which I practice.  Happy Happy me.  What a great connection, with more creative energy likely to be exchanged and working together to transpire. Thank you my darling husband, Scott!!

Meantime, I continue to discover new avenues for sales opportunities.  I have been weighing the benefits and disadvantages of selling wholesale versus retail. A few of my friends in retail have been generous in sharing their insights on this subject. I recently read an article in Selvedge magazine (issue 39, March2011) that has given me interesting food for thought.  Sarah Campbell of  Mogwaii Design strongly recommends that artisans consider avoiding wholesale altogether.  In her article “Numbers game” she writes, ” Shops are always on the lookout for fresh, distinctive products and their approach to sell wares can be enticing. However, stop to think carefully about your product and your ultimate vision before you succumb. Selling to shops involves parting with your creation for less than half the retail price. …if stitch or hand knitting, or well, anything really handmade is your forte than you might be better keeping shops at arm’s length. Most will want multiples of the same products and if, like me, each repeat drains another drop of life blood from your creative system, then the wholesale regime is a pretty numbing affair. The hand makers who do wholesale are either impoverished or love management and employ a team of makers to produce for them.”  Ms Campbell goes on to suggest a handful of creative ideas for selling online and techniques for luring shoppers to your site by routine “tweeting” and blogging about your product. I also support her idea to maintain a regular attendance at specific trade fares, gift shows and perhaps galleries that target my specific audience.  All interesting advice. My wholesale ambitions are currently being re-evaluated.

Sewing lessons appear to be on the horizon. I have been contacted by a patron of the Christmas Gift show I attended in December to host a sewing class for mothers and daughters. In idea I had been offering to certain visitors who expressed interest in sewing (and who have teenaged children). She wrote to me the other day asking if I had any plans to hold classes soon, and it looks like we will be speaking next week to set up a date.  I am not yet fully equipped to host this type of activity with the space and comforts I had envisioned, but the living room will do for now. It will give me an opportunity to test drive the concept before I have a more suitable and spacious studio set up, hopefully, later this year.  I am also hosting a Home Party at the end of April. The Hostess seems so very excited about the event that it makes me smile.  Can you imagine a more flattering compliment?  Someone whom I have only just met through email (introduced by my husband, once again), wanting to invite her closest friends to see from my collection of much loved creations?  I am really looking forward to showing my work and having this opportunity to meet more women who also love this world of all things hand made. My kinda crowd!

I’ll be attending the Originals Spring Crafts Sale in Ottawa from April 14-17. Please stop by for a chat if you are in town!

talk again soon! Anne

Hi all!  I just added a number of you  to my distribution list for the first time today. Thank you for signing up when you dropped by my booth at the Originals Ottawa Christmas Craft Show this past December!  I hope you enjoy my musings..

My wish for the day is to have more hours! every day!   How am I supposed to get everything done by myself in a wee 10-hour day..  fewf.. I just spent three days loading up product photos on my etsy site. it just takes so long.. I am one of those people who wants to do it all.. yes, but should I?

Being a graphic designer means I want to do all things graphic.. all things photographic and all things related to marketing.. I love my Mac and getting on the computer for a few hours here and there..  Yet, as I was discussing with my good friend James just the other day.. where should I be spending my time to be of the greatest value to my enterprise!?  Being a one-woman show in the early days of my business venture means I have to do most things myself.. I simply cannot afford to hire anyone full time, much less on a regular part time schedule to do certain tasks for me. yet I can;t help but consider the need to sort this out before I sink this ship!

I have so much to do this year. I have to design a new collection for the summer. I need to get cracking with an electronic book keeping system – how else will I know how my business is tracking?  Then I want to launch a shopping web site later this year.  Every week I set aside some time to connect with a few shops in Ottawa where I am hoping to sell my designs.  Kock knock knocking on those retail doors.  My husband/ partner and I are hoping to build a new studio on our property later this year. I started to read a cool book called: “Business Model Generation” by Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur. I have been tackling a business model for Just B. It is looking very sound so far…

And then there is always production to be done.. Production, production! Notice my list begins with things that are non production oriented? what does that say about me..? hmm.. am I a planner first? A visionary perhaps? Does production come last? OMG!  Is this a common problem amongst us designers? Any thoughts out there?

Maybe it’s a sign.. hmm.. that’s it!  I need to get some help with production..   It’s perfect. This task CAN be outsourced..  I’ll get onto this “toute suite”..  Thank goodness I have you guys to hash this out with!

I am realistic enough about business to know that all these things take time and will get done in due course. (Even though I want them now…) I remember when I used to work in an office cubicle.. and the days just flowed by, one into the other.. and things somehow got done; deadlines were met, products were launched and no one died..  So why am I feeling so anxious to have it all done pronto?

If you have any ideas on how best to manage time and to make the daylight hours most fruitful.. I am open to your thoughts!

Meanwhile, I’ll keep you posted on the contract work I am going to outsource…
Happy Sewing!

Anne

Dear Friends, Family, fellow sewers, artists and knitters out there, I wish you all a very healthy, jolly and prosperous 2011!

This past year has been extremely gratifying for me. Not only did I finally get Just B off to a great start at my first Gift show in May 2010 (Tarts and Crafts), I had an amazing summer meeting great people and selling my craft at the Old Chelsea Market (May-October) and ended the year with a bang at the Originals Ottawa Christmas Craft Show (in December).  All of this excitement has given me so much to be grateful for.  In particular, I wanted to take this moment to thank all my friends and family for cheering me along my entrepreneurial journey with Just B Designs.

Special hugs go out to my sisters and friends: Karen, Donna, Kim, Lakshmi, Amy, Dave,  Tamara, Lesley, Ineke, Kelly, Laura, Jane, Sue, Cheryl, Gary, Lisa, Karyn, Laura, Joanne, Evelyne, Sheila, Emma, Harriet, Jocelyne, Chris, Heidi, Francine, Meriel, Leigh, Abby, Linda,  Beth, Sandra, Cathi, Jennifer, Lorri, Netha, Ersin, Loukia, Ayten, Hassan, Suzie, Richard, Derek, Victor, Szilard, Brian, Agnieszka, Aunt Pauline, Uncle David, Jill, Aunt Florence, Michealine, Martha, Hans, Patricia, Ross, Ana, David, Judy, Debbie, Vesna, Lisa, Carolyn, Bob, Barb, Richard and Fiona.   Extra special hugs to my dear friends who live nearby and managed to drop by my show booth this past December: Joanne, Evelyne, James, Erin, Jocelyne, Francine; and to Chris and Heidi for their overly generous time helping me set up the booth before opening day; to my sister Karen for driving from Montreal to help me out for a day.

Most importantly, I am eternally grateful for the love, affection and support I receive every single day from my loving husband and best friend, Scott..
He encourages me to dream big; routinely supplies me with brilliant ideas for products and marketing;  provides free delivery of coffee, sushi and falafel sandwiches at my shows;  encourages me to keep going when I get drained and throws a private party to celebrate each milestone passed.

Without your generosity Scott, it would be impossible for me to realise my entrepreneurial dreams or for Just B to ever have launched.
I appreciate all the amazing things you do for me and love you with all my heart.  XXXX

Thank you everyone for the positive energy you have sent my way this past year. Your words of encouragement put a smile on my face and a skip in my step every time.
Wishing the very best to each of you and yours in the New Year.  I look forward to sharing more news and reading your wonderful comments in 2011!!

Anne xx

Hi everyone!  It came and went with a whirlwind  of excitement and sleepless nights, but it was well worth it. The Ottawa Christmas Craft Show was a great success for me. Meeting so many visitors at the show who were so enthusiastic about and complimentary of my work was completely validating and affirming for me.  Sales were good and steady throughout the show and I certainly covered my costs and turned a profit.  Though I have yet to do my year end numbers, I am encouraged by the turn out from this show and the leads I have to work on in the new year.  A number of women were extremely thrilled to learn that I am planning to hold weekend sewing workshops next Fall, and I met up with three retailers who expressed a keen interest in seeing my wholesale price list and carrying some of my products in their Ottawa stores.  I also promoted my Home Party event management service and handed out quite a number of my cards. It was really positive for me to meet so many interesting and interested people!  I think I will be connecting with many of them for future purchases and with some, to get together over coffee in the new year.  I realised that I  really enjoy the retail aspect of my work. Getting the chance to know someone new, their story, their interests and meeting so many women who are also interested in sewing, knitting and working with textile. Just loved that.

Here is a photo of my show booth. It was 10 x 10 feet square.  Kind of on the small side.. but enough to showcase my wares. I learned a great deal about how to merchandise and how difficult it is not to clutter things up with everything I wanted to put on display.  I used the underside of my white table to hide some additional inventory and all my supplies.. it was just barely enough space to store everything.. but it worked out fine.  The show provided the black drapes and though I had hoped to use my own white curtains, I am glad I didn’t bother to make them. The black worked out just fine for my colour pallet and with the black rug I bought, it looked quite balanced.

The show proved to be quite a positive experience for me that I went and reserved a space for the Originals Spring show in April 2011. This time round, I reserved a 10 x 15 foot space. Hoping to improve on my floor plan and add some fashion photos to the walls. This  leaves a bit over three months to get my inventory ready.. so I start the whole process over again in a few weeks!  This time, since I have all my fabrics and know what to expect at the show, it should run smoother. I think I underestimated the amount of time I needed to produce the volume needed for a ten day show. Plus, I did not produce nearly enough of the smaller and less expensive articles such as my fingerless gloves, hats, coffee warmers and tea cozies.  These items just sold like hot cakes. They were prices between $25 and $38.  I sold out of gloves on my second day and found myself working until 4am on a Friday to get restocked!  Let’s just say I was running on caffein and pure adrenaline to do that.. and that it all caught up with me on the Sunday night as I flopped into bed at 7:30 and hugged my pillow for a blissful 10 hours straight.  ahhhh.

Today I tested my new Merrow 18-E blanket stitch machine.. OMG! It is très cooel! I stitched up a coffee Bodum warmer with some thick felted wool and it looks so fab.  The stitch is very pronounced and will permit me to improve on colourful border details on all number of products iI have in mind. Gives me a ton of new ideas for the Spring collection!   Stay tuned to watch it all unfold soon

& happy sewing!!  Anne xx