Category: Store Updates

Information posts about our store including scheduled downtimes

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Beading and Crocheting

Now that spring is here we all want to dive into our favorite hobbies. For mom, it is crocheting and for me it is beading. The winter months are probably better for larger crocheting projects

Now that spring is here we all want to dive into our favorite hobbies. For mom, it is crocheting and for me it is beading. The winter months are probably better for larger crocheting projects as it has the added benefit of keeping you warm while you do it Sadly, mom can not see as well as she once did and has trouble crocheting these days. That means we will not have many more crocheting items to add to our inventory once I finish completing the liners for all the totes she has already completed. Sadly for me, I have to wait until the weather is warmer for my hands to cooperate with the tiny beads I like to work with. I am hoping that my girls will step up and start adding products to our inventory. We will have to see.

One of our products listed on our Handmade Amazon Shop

For those out there young enough to be able to create lots of great handcrafted projects we hope you will and take the plunge to create your very own business. There is a market out there for you to make money with your products you just have to be patient and persistent in your marketing efforts. Yes, most of the craft shows and festivals are slowly coming back but there is no reason why you cannot create your own online shop either through your own website or by joining Amazon’s Handmade Artists sellers group. Amazon, so far, doesn’t charge a monthly fee for listing but does when you make a sale. Etsy still charges $0.20 per item to list every 4 months plus a percentage when you sell. I do not have any experience with the other companies out there that specialize in Handcrafted items so read through their help sections to make sure you know what you are getting for your money and how they are going to help you sell.

One of our Products listed on our own WordPress website using WooCommerce Plugin

https://swconlinestore.com/product/variegated-turquoise-and-gray-4×10-inch-full-front-sleeve-dragon-scales-fingerless-gloves/

If you are going to do it on your own you might want to try SQUAREUP online stores. Their services constantly evolve to try and meet the needs of small businesses everywhere. Their credit card processing devices are great and they will help you create an online presence to sell from. This is great for someone who does not have more than 100 items they want to sell. Sadly, with their free online stores the more different items, you have to post the slower it takes to load. Signing up is free and getting one of their credit card devices is free as well. The more secure device that takes advantage of the new credit cards costs a little bit more but might be worth it when you begin to participate in shows/festivals once more.

If you already have a handcrafted business going online and live in the Northern Florida area we would love to feature you and your shop here or on our Southern Women Crafts blog. Use our CONTACT US form

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We Are Waiting on Spring

We Are Waiting on Spring

Are you waiting on the weather to get warmer? Even in Florida, we are waiting on Spring to come back. Once the cooler weather comes a little less often than it does we can get back to creating new items for our online shop. Sitting in the shop here in the Chiefland Farmers Flea Market during the cold months is kind of a challenge because we cannot turn on our little space heater. (Too many vendors on the same electric circuit trying to keep warm.) With my arthritis acting up it is kind of hard to get creative. Not that I don’t keep looking at new designs and dream of my own. I just hope I remember them when it’s time to get back to making new stuff,

We have learned over the last week that the U.S. Postal Service is experiencing a great many delays due to the weather, shortage of workers, and more people buying online all year long. One postal worker even told me that they are no longer guaranteeing overnight or priority 2 days deliveries for the foreseeable future! Please be patient or come on by our shop in Chiefland Farmers Flea Market – Saturday and Sunday – 10:30 am to around 3:00 pm both days.

For me and all of my fellow handcrafters out there we will be trying different things to get people to come in and shop in the store or even browse on my 2 online stores. I would rather have them purchase directly from my online store but the majority of my sales are still happening on my Amazon Handmade Store. Thank goodness they are still not charging a monthly fee for handcraft artists as they do for regular sellers.

Business Tips and Strategies

Amazon sends out emails giving us sellers suggestions on how we can improve our sales but most of those involve creating and paying for sponsor ads. The latest one involves uploading videos to our product pages. This requires that you change your account and register a trademark of your brand. I created a brand but to register it as a trademark requires a non-refundable application fee (a couple of hundred dollars), a lawyer (not required but strongly suggested), and re-registering every 5 years. It may be worth it to some of you out there but I am content with registering the Fictitious name every 5 years and paying for my domain. If I make more than just “mad” money then I will register as an LLC too.

https://swconlinestore.com/product/hot-pink-and-teal-blue-crocheted-dragon-scales-8×7-inch-tote-with-white-lining/

For now, I am going to stick with just the free marketing ideas I want to try over the next couple of months. Namely, creating more “How to” and “See What we Have” videos and post them on my YouTube Channel. Create a schedule of postings on my social media pages involving pictures of our merchandise and fun sayings based on holidays and seasons. So stay tuned and subscribe to our news feed here on the store and our great blog: https://southernwomencrafts.com

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Hand Crocheted 20 Percent Off for December

Beginning December 12, 2020, all our hand crocheted items will be 20% off till the end of December. Our shipping within the USA is still a flat fee of $6.00 for regular shipping and $20 for Priority (2 to 3 Business day Shipping – per USPS timetable) until December 18, 2020. No overnight shipping at all for any reason. Please get your shopping done early.
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Working on the Shop

We are constantly trying to update our displays as well as changing how the shop looks online and at the market. We have been planning on closing in our little booth for some time now and finally, this past week, we got most of it done. We now have two big display windows inside the walls and a real door. My granddaughter has been painting a cool scene on both sides of the door. Inside the door, she is working on a large spindly tree with grass on the bottom, moss up the sides, and new leaves along the branches. She will be including flowers, butterflies, dragonflies, ladybugs, and even a few fairies. Now if only I can get her to paint the pink dragon sitting on beaded necklaces and bracelets all around with loose pearls, crystals, and other shiny things.

https://swconlinestore.com/product/pink-tribead-and-purple-pearls-dangling-earrings/

With a little more luck and some more money, we can buy some white paint to finish off the walls in the front of the shop. The new wall and door help keep most of the AC inside but not enough. This weekend will tell the tale with the temps in the Nineties and no rain in sight. In the meantime, we are changing out the sales cards for all the merchandise to black cards to match all the earring cards. And I am hoping to start taking more pictures to replace those on the websites. It has been suggested that we try and do some short videos of our merchandise to post on our social media, website and YouTube Channel.

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What Have You Been Crafting

With everybody on lockdown, we have all had to keep ourselves busy. We were wondering, “What Have You Been Crafting”? Mom has been crocheting up a storm trying to stay busy and not worry about our current situation. Me, I have been working on writing a new book because all my beading supplies are stored in our shop nearly 60 miles away. Crazy, I know, but where we are located the nearest place we could find that wasn’t charging an outrageous fee for small retail spaces was a flea market. Chiefland Farmers Flea Market happened to still be in business, is more flexible about the monthly vendors, and the spaces they occupy and do not even require you to move your stuff for some big event happening on the property.
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