Introducing One-OneThousand: A Midwestern Maker Community

Introducing One-OneThousand - a Midwestern Maker Community

We love meeting inspired entrepreneurs on a mission to put a spotlight on makers in and around our communities. We were lucky enough to be introduced to Sarah Artz, the Founder of One-OneThousand. One-OneThousand is a new organization focused on bringing together Midwestern makers with workshops, markets and other events.

Learn more about Sarah Artz and the mission behind One-OneThousand below – we’re sure you’re going to love it! You can also visit One-OneThousand here.

 

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At One-OneThousand, we’re working to build a community around handcrafted home and lifestyle goods and the people that make them in Madison, Wisconsin and the greater midwest. Right now we do this through helping professional makers hone their skills, sell their goods and build their businesses and helping hobbyists develop their creative skills and get access to buying well-made handcrafted goods. We host creative workshops, biz labs, pop up events and market and sell hard to find supplies and products.

Around seven years ago I started learning upholstery – I fell in love with the tactile, problem-solving, physical aspects of the work – it felt empowering and gave me a creative release I didn’t have at my day job. The functional side of furnishing my home with things I made with my own hands was very fulfilling and as I delved deeper into the craft, I looked for an artisan community to connect with. What I found was that there were many talented people exploring and making beautiful, practical things right here in my city but that they were isolated and disjointed. I knew other cities were building thriving handcrafted communities and building strong local economies around the niche and I wanted to create that ecosystem right here and connect it to the movement happening in the greater midwest.

The name One-OneThousand is meant to evoke a sense of anticipation. It’s a nod to the childhood counting game, one-onethousand, two-onethousand, three-onethousand, etc. It’s people counting down to something big together – building momentum, gathering energy and looking forward with excitement. And while we do serious work, we don’t take ourselves to seriously so I wanted the name to have a sense of playfulness to it.

One-OneThousand hosts a Shibori dyeing workshop at Wonder Studios in Madison, Wisconsin on March 5, 2016. The workshop was lead by Cara Moseley. Beth Skogen Photography - www.bethskogen.comWe’re winding down on events for the summer and we will have a busy fall. We’ll have a couple of events happening in July including a Floral Watercolor workshop, a drop in Weave & Sip, a drop in work day and a Beyond Shibori workshop in August. But we’re busy ramping up for a release of fall programming.

 

There’s so much to come – the pop up events have just been a taster. This summer we launched membership, which included a professional maker level and a hobbyist level. We’re also actively searching for a space to set up a permanent home base to expand our events, create a drop in workshop and have private studio rentals. We’re also working on creating some custom product lines from maker collaborations. Come fall, we’ll have a complete line up of creative workshops, biz maker labs, pop up events and our holiday market announced.

The best way to learn about what we do is by visiting our website at oneonethousand.net and signing up for our email news – we email twice per month and occasionally for special announcements. You can also find us on Instagram or Facebook.

 

Introducing ONE-ONETHOUSAND, A MIDWESTERN MAKER COMMUNITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share Your Talent: Teach on Skillshare and Earn Money!

Skillshare Share your Talent- Teach on Skillshare and Earn Money!

Have you heard about Skillshare? If not, you NEED to get to know this special platform where you can teach and learn a variety of skills. We partnered up with the Skillshare community to offer this special opportunity just for you! Get to know more about Skillshare and this awesome opportunity to share your craft below.

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Skillshare is an online learning community of over 1.5M creators. Take thousands of online classes focused on improving creative skills like Design, Arts & Crafts, or even teach a class yourself. We’ve seen your amazing Crafts skills & we want you to share them!

As a teacher on Skillshare, you’ll build your brand and reputation as a crafter while earning money for every student who enrolls in your online class. No prior teaching experience or special equipment is needed. To make a class all you need is your talent, passion and a computer. Skillshare will help with the rest!

Click here to get started. If you publish a class by September 30th, you’ll be eligible for a $100 cash bonus.

Have a question? Feel free to reach out to the aftcra team and we will get you in touch with the members of Skillshare.

 

Skillshare - Share your talent - teach on skillshare and earn money - handmade - talent - maker - business advice - aftcra - earn money

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From $0 to a Profitable Product Line – Introduction to The Handmade Seller Magazine

From $0 to a Profitable Product Line - Introduction to The Handmade Seller Magazine

You’ve probably seen ads for the Handmade Seller magazine pop up once in awhile or noticed other sellers talking about it on Facebook, but I bet you didn’t realize that this particular magazine isn’t actually about showcasing products, but about helping you learn how to become successful with your own product line. For example, in April we started a detailed video series showing you exactly how I get 20,000 targeted Instagram followers every 6 months. In each issue readers progress to the next lesson and eventually will complete that entire course, but that isn’t all they get. At the same time we have a series about starting a blog for your business, another one about getting exposure to your website, several about creating copy that sells, and many more helpful columns geared towards showing you how to be successful with an online platform. We even do keyword research for you and include those downloads in the magazine. Don’t take my word for it, though! You can check out our free sample here!

From 0 to a Profitable Product Line: Proof Inside - Handmade Seller Magazine

Hiii! J My name is Dani and I’m the CEO of theHandmade Seller magazine. First off, I’d like to thank Aftcra for inviting me to share the magazine with you! It’s been a pleasure working with them and getting to talk to all of you. Their platform gives you a great opportunity to get exposure to more online traffic, which everyone is a big fan of.

$52,930.45 From One Product Line.

I share these numbers to show you that the experts behind the magazine are experienced in selling online. I see coaches and courses pop up all the time from people who never prove they’re actually qualified to teach. The number above is the gross amount from one product line on Amazon that I launched in October, 2015. That’s after running out of inventory twice and I’m about to run out again because I can’t keep up with the demand.

Product Line

 

I personally have been selling online for 7-8 years (I’ve been so busy since that I can’t remember when I actually started, ha!) I still create product lines and my partners have all had/have successful product lines as well. Only qualified people contribute content in the magazine because we want you to have access to the best information there is.

Here is what our subscribers get access to each month:

1.     Monthly issues plus all of the previous issues

2.     55 – 65 pages which you can print out if you wish to

3.     Video tutorials (sometimes text tutorials just don’t cut it!)

4.     Resource links (we send you straight to the tools and resources you need)

5.     Keyword downloads (we do the keyword research for you!)

6.     Download guides and templates such as biography templates and trending colors

7.     Expert columnists in every field

8.     Knowledge to skyrocket your business

9.     Chance to have your story featured in the magazine or your product featured on our Pinterest accounts

10.  Letters to the editor (ask questions and get them answered)

11.  Featured stories from top sellers (learn from the best in your industry)

12.  Discounts on helpful products

If you’re interested in joining our family of subscribers, we’d love to offer you a gift for being a seller with Aftcra!

5% Off Coupon Code: AFTCRA

Happy Selling!

 

daniLearn more about Dani Marie here:
Dani has been developing product lines and selling online for the last 11 years. This has lead her to become the CEO of the Handmade Seller magazine, a best selling author, and the VP of Flourish (a coaching community for handmade sellers). Through these three avenues she helps others find success with their product lines and marketing strategies!

 

 

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Get to Know Aeolidia, Marketing Geniuses for Your Handmade Shop

Get to Know Aeolidia, Marketing Geniuses for Your Handmade Shop 08

 

If you’re in need of a business logo, or are struggling to find the inspiration for your product packaging, we’d love to introduce you to Aeolidia. Aeolidia is a group of creatives on a mission to help other creatives with their marketing initiatives. All small businesses need help from time to time to help create or enhance the brand for their business. And Aeolidia has a special place in their heart for handmade businesses – when they first started their marketing organization the Aeolidia team focused on handmade shops. We have heard nothing but rave reviews from shops that have had great success with Aeolidia, so we strongly suggest you check them out.

Want to know more? You can read our fun interview with Aeolidia‘s Captain and Founder, Arianne Foulkes, below. You can also sign up for their newsletter which is chock-full of interesting marketing tips and hints to improve your business.

Get to Know Aeolidia, Marketing Geniuses for Your Handmade Shop 01

1. What is Aeolidia and how was it created? What was the inspiration for Aeolidia?

Aeolidia is fun and friendly place to work with expert-type people on your creative small business. Mostly to develop a web presence, but for all the other bits and bobs that support that goal. We are professional, punctual, and client-oriented. We are deeply invested in each client’s progress and success.

We only work for creative, product-based businesses, and we like things that are unique, well-designed, and full of the maker’s personality.

 

2. What services does Aeolidia provide?

The core of our business is in brand identity (logos, business stationery, marketing materials, product packaging and display), and custom ecommerce web design. Our design work is unique to each client and meant to appeal to their particular customer. We don’t cut corners, and our work is transformative. When a project is done, our client has everything they need to move forward confidently.

I found out early on that there are a lot of things to cover when you’re building a transformative website for a business. The website itself won’t work if the content isn’t stellar as well. To support that need, we also have a copywriter, a product stylist and photographer, a marketing consultant, and a trademark lawyer.

Examples of our work are:

Logo Example:

aheirloom-logo-615x300 Aeolidia

 

 

 

 

 

 

Packaging Example:

Little Hip Squeaks Packaging Aeolidia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography Example:

sea-urchin-feature-830x500 Aeolidia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. How did you come up with the name for Aeolidia?

Aeolidia is the scientific (Latin) name of the shaggy mouse nudibranch, a lovely little sea slug. I studied marine biology in college, just for fun. There is no magical brand story that explains what a sea slug has to do with a web design company (why is a raven like a writing desk?). I just like it!

 

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4. Who all works for Aeolidia?

We are a team of about twenty, and we are growing a little bit in 2016 so we can take on more projects. Aeolidians love and believe in small business, and we’re dedicated to discovering each new business’ unique story, and helping them tell that story more effectively to their audience.

 

 

5. What are some of your favorite projects that you have worked on?

I’ve found that my favorite projects are less about the work we have done and more about the hard work I see our client putting in. When we’re working in tandem with a client who completely understands the unique value their business has, who exactly their target customer is, and can pull that all together into content and a marketing message that people adore, we know our work is going to help them shine. Launching a new site for a client who knows how to run with it and use it as a tool to promote themselves and create sales is a thrill!

Some standout clients include these hard workers:

Mapamundi Kids

June and January

Shop Sweet Lulu

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6. Do you do a lot of work for handmade businesses? If so, what kind of work have you done?

Yes, we used to only work with handmade businesses! We started out in that niche more than ten years ago, right before Etsy came on the scene. We have grown up along with these crafters and makers, and have learned so much.

Now our work has evolved so that we work best with businesses that started small and are experiencing growing pains and are ready to take things to the next level. We’re the right choice if you have a great product and a growing customer base, but feel held back from reaching the next step for your business. Our area of expertise is with businesses at the tipping point who want a push away from their DIY efforts and over to where they can make much bigger sales. Think Shark Tank, Oprah, Martha Stewart features. We like to prepare these small biz achievers for whoever may knock at their door.

 

7. Do you have any new projects that you would like to explore in the future?

Always! What we’re doing right now internally is perfecting and honing our core business so that we can create these transformations for our clients even more creatively, efficiently, and enjoyably. Hearing from potential new clients is one of the best parts of my day and it’s always fun to see who shows up and what we can do for them.

 

8. What are your social media profiles?

The best place to find out what’s going on and to keep in touch with us is our newsletter, which you can learn more about, and subscribe to here.

Subscribers get access to my 45 minute video presentation about branding which will explain to you why things seem so easy for others, and you can’t get any traction. This was previously only available to attendees of the Maker Mentors conference, but they’ve graciously given me permission to share it for free to my subscribers. In addition to that, I’ve built up a solid list of “how to” worksheets and downloadable PDFs that help you make decisions and improve your business.

Our Facebook group has been very busy and we’ve been hosting Q&A sessions with expert guests on everything from product pricing to getting new wholesale clients. That group is here.

– Also, lovely sneak peeks on Instagram.

– Tips, examples, and gorgeous products on Pinterest.

– Come say hi to me on Twitter.

Still want to know more about Aeolidia? Visit their Aeolidia site and take a look at all of the amazing marketing genius happening over there.

4 Passive Ways to Advertise Your Online Shop

4 Passive Ways to Advertise Your Online Shop by Danielle Spurge of the Merriweather Council on aftcra handmade shop advice

I’m sure you’ve read lots of information about how to advertise your online shop. There’s lots to think about and people are always coming up with clever ways to promote their products.

But we hear less about the standard, basic, passive ways to inform people about our work. Here are a few super simple and smart ways to passively generate more traffic to your shop and inform more people about what you do.

 

Email signature link
I love email signatures because they inform people of your pertinent info without any of the awkwardness. You decide what it should say – and where it should link – and plug it in once. With the volume of emails you’re likely sending for both personal and business reasons, not having an email signature that links to your shop is a missed opportunity.

 

Facebook cover photo + profile picture caption link
Facebook pages are garnering less and less organic engagement. The situation with getting people to like your Facebook page hasn’t changed much – but since that liker will most likely not see a majority of your unbolted posts, it’s important to make that first experience on your page a powerful one. Use the caption areas on your profile and cover images to introduce yourself and your business. Make your cover image clear, bright and branded – and leave a link to your shop. While you can leave links to your shop in other places on the page standard, we know people love to flip through photos.

 

Blogging
While blogging is in fact a decent amount of work compared to the other items on this list, it becomes passive in the sense that once it is there, it continues to work for you. Blogging is great for educating and informing your customers, but it is also great for generating traffic to your site. Blog posts tend bring in a lot of traffic from search so it is a good idea to write posts about your products every now and then that are highly focused on a particular key phrase. Of course you want to include links within the post to purchase the item that’s being discussed. These posts can continue to generate traffic for you even once they are a few months old or more.

 

Pinned tweet
If you use twitter, log in from your desktop and compose a tweet that directs people to your shop. Once the tweet is published, you can toggle the “…” and select “pin to your profile page.” It’ll show as the first tweet anytime someone views your profile, no matter what else you tweet, it will remain at the top!

 

What do you think? Smart and simple right?

 

About the Author, Danielle Spurge of Merriweather Council:
Danielle Spurge of Merriweather Council on aftcra - 4 passive ways to advertise your online shop

Danielle is a crafter, blogger and crafty business consultant. She empowers creatives to share their work with confidence, optimize their handmade shops + leverage their creations. More info can be found at the merriweathercouncil blog.