I've made up my mind

Well after much thought and research I am going to focus on boys clothes. It just makes more sense…considering I am soon to have 2 boys myself. Plus I believe that my ideas of what little boys should look like will be something that many other moms will enjoy too. I even made my first button up shirt yesterday. It will be Logan’s since there are a few minor flaws….but that’s how you learn. I was pretty impressed with myself…considering I am a self-taught sewer. I even impressed the hubby with my skills.
I will still make girls clothes too…don’t worry about that. But all in all you will see more boys clothes is all. Nothing else will change…the name will still be the same…the site will look the same. Some may never even notice. We shall see.
Right now I am researching labels for clothes. I have about 10 left of the tags I have been using. I don’t like them so I want something completely different. Also I’d like them to do double duty as tags for clothes and tags that I can put on the burp cloths. So they can’t be too huge or too obvious. I’m throwing around the idea of either having just “AUNT ART” on the label or “auntART.com” Can’t decide.
Joann’s’ had a huge sale on notions so I stocked up on needles and snap tape and snaps. These things I can always use and they don’t take much room to store them.Trying to get as many burp cloths made as possible before little man arrives. After he arrives I’d like to market to some of the boutiques in Seattle. I started doing a pack of them for the alternative mom…they are pretty cool if I must say so myself. Even the dad won’t be embarrassed to have the burp cloth on his shoulder.

The wheels in my head are turnin'

“What is special about your product (what are the unique features and benefits of your product) that no one else is offering?”
I found this great quote on a discussion board I frequent (www.switchboards.com). And it has started the wheels in my head turnin’. The conversation was about finding your target audience…which I was just reading about the other day in an entrepreneur magazine. I’d say my target audience is moms. But even that is too general. Since finding out that the bebe in the belly is another boy I’ve been throwing the idea around of specializing in boys clothing. Though I will say I’m hesitant because it seems as though moms with little girls are always more than willing to spend $ on their precious to look adorable. Why aren’t the moms of boys? Or are they and I’m totally missing them? I know from my own experience I tire of looking at navy blue and gray over and over again in every store or the little boys department. And when I stumble across a boy’s boutique line typically it’s either so close to being girly that I just can’t bare to put my son in it or it’s plain boring. I mean I want cute clothes for my kids. Even if I do have boys. I don’t think boys should only wear sweat pants and jeans…there are more options. And these statements are coming from the mom of a kid who loves mud puddles and getting dirty.
As you can tell I’ve been thinking about this a lot.
It’s one of those things that if I do specialize in boys clothes I want to go whole hog. I’ll always have girls clothes too though I would imagine because otherwise I know a few customers who would be upset. And they know where I live…haaahaaa. So here I am again….what is special about my product that no one else is offering?

Trial and Error

Well the show didn’t go as well as we would have liked. But as I told the other venders when you’re hosting it yourself it’s trial and error to discover when a good time to have it is and what you need to do to get the word out. The next show Corie and I do will be around the holidays at my house. I’m making sure to keep notes of ideas so that we remember to set them up beforehand.
The burp cloths though were a hit among the few who came to the event. Another vender who makes and sells gift baskets mentioned that she saw burp cloths at the latest Gift Show and that my prices were better than anything she saw there.…so that’s promising.
Went to the midwives yesterday and they said after this week I can have this baby at any time. I will then be considered full term. Fingers crossed he decides to come early. I am beyond ready. They even gave me an herb to take to speed things up…hey whatever does the trick I am all for.
So during this slow period which always happens for my business this time of year. I am trying to remain positive, which is always hard when you are self-employed. These are the moments when you discover if being an entrepreneur is for you…the down periods. Anyone can be an entrepreneur when the sales are high. But the slow period is when you separate the hobbyist from the businesses, in my opinion. After saying all that…to occupy my time and thoughts I am preparing for the fall. The fall and into winter are when my sales are typically high. People are buying gifts for the holidays. I already have a weekend show in November set up, plus Corie and I will host another show and I’d like to add more venues. By that point I’ll be able to hand the kiddos off to the hubby and take off for the day.
Speaking of kiddos….I hear my angel awaking. Till next time.

The bad Blogger

As my husband pointed out last night…I am a bad blogger. I promise to try and be better. But with my “free time” …the phrase makes me laugh. I can’t remember the last time I had free time. What on earth would I do if I didn’t have a gazillion balls up in the air at one time?
I started making burp cloths last night. I made some when I was preggo with my son and he is 21 months now and we’re still using them. Though now they are getting used as washcloths after he eats and has food all over himself. So I thought I should make some and try and sell them. They are really turning out nice. A lot fancier than the original ones I made for my son, Logan.
The countdown has begun on the arrival of baby #2. I am trying to get my website looking fresher before his arrival. I don’t know why I put this pressure on myself to have it done before baby arrives but hey that’s how it gets done I guess. So I have taken all of my inventory and re-taken pictures of everything in the same format. So there is a more uniformed look to the site. Also need to get on there and get rid of all the winter stuff…who’s buying crochet hats now? No one.
My friend Corie and I are hosting a party this Saturday. Looking forward to meeting new people and seeing what the response is to the new products I have going on right now. I’m hoping the burp cloths will be a hit. I know as a seasoned mom they sure do come in handy…it’s the gift that keeps on giving. I may even use the burp cloths to get into some boutique stores. That is on the list of things to do after baby arrives and I’m functioning again as a normal human being. I want to hit boutiques and get my products out there for people to see. It’s the only way my biz is going to take off. People need to see the products up close to see for themselves how fantastic they are.Well it seems as though Logan is finally asleep…I can now sneak into my work studio and get some sewing done.

Spring into Summer Party

Myself and other local Seattle women business owners are getting together on May 21st to have a One Stop Shopping Party. If you're in the area please stop by. Here is a link to the invite.

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