If you’re wondering just what this “cloud” thing is and how in the world it could apply to your business, you’re not alone. While the term has become immensely popular, understanding remains murky at best. If you’re a small business owner, that’s an opportunity missed, as the cloud has many features that can speed business processes, reduce paper, and guard against data loss.

Definition: Just What is the Cloud

In its simplest and most relevant form, cloud computing is the use of shared servers to store data, which users then access via the internet. So, rather than waiting for a colleague to hand you a flash drive with a Microsoft Word Document for you to edit, you might download that document from a cloud server, or work directly on an online platform without ever downloading at all.

This has numerous benefits for small businesses, as data can be accessed and stored among a wide web of collaborators at rapid rates. But just what can the cloud do for your business? For a deeper theoretical look, take a browse through this guide to cloud computing and get to know our following top 5 cloud applications below.

1. Evernote

When you’re a small business owner, marketer, salesperson, and manager are just few of the many hats you may wear. With your hands in so many parts of the business, you’re probably having, “Eureka!” moments all the time, and you want to stay abreast of the best and brightest ideas brainstormed throughout your office. But pieces of paper go missing, and it can be hard to get inspiration or a bird’s eye view with such a disconnected brainstorming web.

Look instead to Evernote, a note taking app that works on all of your devices so you’ll always be able to jot those big ideas down, no matter where you are. Even better, Evernote has a clear organization system, allowing you to create notebooks for different projects which can then be organized into a greater library to be shared with the whole of the organization. With constant access to this cloud-based app, your organization will have a set of shared knowledge across employees, freelancers, and contractors alike, as well as an easy way to spread new thoughts and connect through ideas.

2. Dropbox

Ever wanted to edit a project at home, only to realize you forgot to email it to yourself? How about those moments when you’re feeling extra productive, but you can’t get anything done because you’re waiting for an employee to email documents you know she finished weeks ago? With Dropbox, data storage and access couldn’t be easily. Just download the Dropbox folder onto all of your devices — desktop, laptop, smart phone, and tablet — and you’ll be able to easily drag and drop your files for instant syncing. This means you’ll not only be able to access files on any chosen device no matter where you are, but you can share your work by sending a get file link to a colleague or inviting them directly through the app. Overall, Dropbox makes sharing data easy and offers backups even for large files, so you can ensure the security of your data even when you spill that glass of orange juice all over your hard drive or lose your smartphone for the millionth time in a month.

3. Google Drive

When it comes to email, search and a host of other products, Google is already the choice of small businesses. It should come as no surprise that the newly launched Google Drive is also proving popular among businesses small and large. Google Drive is a powerful collaboration platform. With a host of tools like Google Docs, Spreadsheets and Projects, you can work directly in the cloud without ever downloading a file. This can be done concurrently as colleagues also edit the same file, eliminating the need to compile edits. It also makes for easy sharing, as you need only grant another user access to the file at hand. This make Google Drive an excellent solution for just about anyone, but especially so if your business relies heavily on remote workers.

What’s more, Google Drive offers similar storage and syncing features as Dropbox, so your data will be backed up and accessible across a wide range of devices.

4. Shoe Boxed

If you’ve got a pile of receipts and bills on your desk waiting to be entered into your accounting program, you’re not alone. Sure, you’re eager to receive those tax credits, but perhaps not if it requires hours of data entry. Forget the hassle with Shoe Boxed, an effective receipt to digital data app. Just send any paper documents to the company in a pre-paid envelope or scan them into the uploader or the free app, and the company will organize that paper for you. Likewise, emailed receipts need only be forwarded to the company’s email address for processing. When tax season rolls along, you’ll have all of your relevant images neatly organized, along with a few handy expense reports. In other words, with Shoe Box there’s really no good excuse for not getting those taxes in on time.

5. Mailchimp

Email campaigns are an essential part of any small business’ strategies for developing brand loyalty. MailChimp makes the whole process easy and fully customizable, providing email newsletter and announcement templates as well as simple to use forms, should you want to poll your customers. Just upload your design or message, choose from your contacts, and you’ll be good to go. MailChimp ties in well with social media, with buttons for your Facebook page, Twitter account and more. It also has a reliable auto-responder and provides insightful metrics, so you can see things like just who is opening your mail and whether or not your message is getting through.

Take-Away

Though the term cloud can be a confusing one, the concept is both simple and powerful when applied to small businesses. In fact, much of the confusion about cloud computing stems from the fact that it can do so much; it can be hard to wrap your mind around all that there is. These 5 apps will prove a great place to start. Good luck, and enjoy your new streamlined, cloud-based business.

Author Bio

Lucas Clum is a designer and marketer from Seattle. Follow him on Twitter @lukeclum

This isn’t your regular ‘product image’ blog post. There are many, many tips online about how to take professional looking product photos and how to edit your photos so they look their best. We are not going to talk about that today.

Don’t get me wrong, good product photographs are very important: they send a message to your audience, they convey detail, and they are highly shareable! But because of the ways that images are getting shared online (pinned, shared using the share button on Facebook, being found using Google image search etc.) it is also becoming increasingly important to consider how your images themselves are branded.

One strategy that I often recommend is to brand your product photos by incorporating your logo, your brand colours, any designs/patterns/icons associated with your brand, your fonts, your overall style. This can be as simple as a consistent watermark that you use every time, to a more elaborate ‘branding bar’ or branded background that you use for every image.

You may be thinking: “Why bother? No one else seems to be doing this.” or “I was told to keep my images simple – nothing extra.” or “I don’t sell a physical product so don’t really have any images to worry about, this doesn’t apply to me”

Here’s why I think you should bother.

There was a time when people went to your shop (your website) to look at your products – having simple, unbranded images on display in your store is very much like having the products themselves on the shelves of your shop. And if you didn’t have product photos (because your product is not a physical thing that can be photographed) that was ok because you had all of the details on your website instead.

But now people are not always finding your product while IN your shop. They are on Pinterest or Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or YouTube or blogs and they just may be seeing your product or service on display!

(We want them to see our stuff as they cruise around online, that is why we are marketing our businesses using these tools!)

So you want those images to be linked to your business, always. And if you brand those images just as you would any other marketing material (a promotional flyer or a business card for instance) they will be inextricably linked to your business, they will help you create brand recognition, and they will make your products stand out from all the other similar offerings out there.

Because in the end, there are likely a number of other businesses offering something similar to yours.

As an example, let’s say you have some great images that show off your awesome product – a 4 week eCourse to help you declutter your home and get control of your life. And these images are pinned, shared on Facebook, used in a few blog posts by bloggers who have reviewed your product, maybe even handed out at a networking event.

Consider this:

Option A – Your photos are fantastic, they clearly show the result of the course with a before and after: a crazy cluttered world vs. a zen-like peaceful one. Plus they are specifically branded with your brand look, your brand message, and your business info. People see the photo and think, yes I need that! And then they see it somewhere else and think, oh yes I remember that! I want that! And then they get annoyed with their cluttered life, remember your product, hop online and find it again and get your info to buy your thing. Because your brand has become linked to that product in their mind.

Option B – Same fantastic photos. Before and after. Very powerful. But they are not branded to your biz. People see the photo and think, yes I need that. And then they see it somewhere else and think oh, I remember seeing that, I wonder if that is the same product I saw before. Hmmm. and then they get annoyed with their cluttered life, hop online and search for ‘declutter your life eCourse’ and purchase the one that seems like the best deal. Because your product has not been linked to your brand, any similar product will do.

Which option would you prefer?

Branded product images are a great way to build brand recognition, to keep your products linked to your business, and to make it easy for your business to be shared by your fans online. Sounds good, right?

Would you love to learn how to create your own branded templates for your product images, along with other types of biz images such as infographics, testimonials, media kits, and more? Join the visual marketing DIY workshop… it’s time to get creative & have fun with your marketing! 

This is a guest post from Karen Gunton of Build A Little Biz. karen gunton is a blogger, teacher, and creative designer. her passions are helping women in biz get unstuck and brainstorming awesome ideas for little businesses. she developed the online workshop “visual marketing DIY” to teach people how to easily create their own images for marketing their business in a way that will stand out from the crowd.

 

Do you sell jewelry? If so, we reached out to many of our readers and followers who sell jewelry and asked them to share their best marketing tips and strategies for selling their jewelry. Here’s what they had to say and if you have any tips you’d like to share, please leave a comment below this article.

• I believe the best marketing tip for my jewelry business or any business for that matter is to be “impeccable” with your word.  To stand behind the quality of your work and the quality of your team.  Mostly to be honest and fair and to treat people the way you want to be treated yourself.  Taking pride in everything you do will always come back to you in some form.   I am a firm believer in “quality versus quantity”. - Jeannie Manzo from Say Hello Diamonds
  
  
• Get your jewelry on as many people as possible. Don’t be hesitant about loaning. That’s what’s insurance is for. - Kim Carosella from Sorellina
  
  
• When I first launched my jewelry business, I didn’t have much of a budget for advertising, so I invested my time into mastering SEO, or search engine optimization. At first, I sort of stumbled on it accidentally. But once I figured out that search engines were bringing me traffic, I began to implement SEO much more intentionally. Once I got the hang of it, it quickly became my top source of visitors. Funny thing is, as a result of my success with it, others started asking me how they could incorporate SEO into their business too and now I teach online retailers and wedding professionals my SEO system through my company Bride Appeal. – Kathy DalPra from BrideAppeal
  
  
• Run strategic Facebook advertising campaigns. For certain holidays, make sure to advertise special deals that are only available to Facebook fans. These campaigns are great, because you can target consumers according to certain demographics: age, gender, location, and whether or not the people are connected to your business. Also, you can set a strict daily budget and select how long you want your advertising campaign to run. This has been very successful in helping me obtain countless new likes and customers. – Claudia Montez from isabellegracejewelry
  
  
• Take fabulous macro photos. Show off that great detail you handcrafted into each piece with vibrant, clear photos that make your customer believe they are holding the piece in their hands. If you don’t have good photos, no amount of social media, google ad words or e-blasts will sell your product.  If you don’t know how to take photos, or have the time to learn – invest in someone who does! - Marja Huhta from Glass Elements
  
  
• Every person you meet is a potential customer. Wear a piece of your jewelry every day, every where you go.  Be friendly, positive and smile to everyone you see. When people compliment you on your jewelry, say thank you, hand them your business card, and say, since you like these earrings or this ring, bracelet, necklace or whatever it may be, please visit my website to look at my other jewelry. The person will happily take your business card and you now have a new potential customer.  - Diane Batoff from Micassileo Jewelry 
  
  
• I launched www.journeycharms.com as inspirational reminders for women. Each charm come with a motivational saying.I sell them online and at many leadership events for women. I also incorporate them into my blog posts on www.purposefulwoman.com I am now building an affiliate program as a new revenue avenue to share the wealth while inspiring women. - JJ DiGeronimo from Journey Charms
  
  
• We would like to share a few methods that have worked for us in selling our fair trade jewelry from Bali.  In addition to the traditional avenues, website, markets & fairs, etc. we have found that finding “outside the box” ideas work really well for us.  For example, we donate to a couple of animal charities in Bali (BARC & BAWA) and wanted to be a part of animal charities here at home as well.  We have teamed up with a couple of charities in Chicago and either donated a percentage of our sales at a charity function or paid a flat fee for a table at an adoption function.  We have realized that by reaching out to the organizations that we want to support and sharing our ideas with them they are very receptive to us and are excited to have something different at their functions.  The other participants in these functions are happy because we are not direct competition and those who attend the functions are equally excited to have something different to shop for knowing that part of their purchase will go back to the animals.We have also teamed up with a couple of new bars/restaurants in our area to promote “Ladies Night”.  Women like to shop and they also like to go out with their friends.  This cross promotion works again because there is a lack of competition.  Being the only jewelry vendor at an event like this brings our business a lot of attention and by being there talking to the ladies they in turn stay longer and will enjoy the food and beverages at the restaurant.Finding what you are passionate about, besides your business, will help drive your ideas in the right cross promotional  path leading to long term relationships, which is what our businesses are all about. - Sara Davis & Erika Herrera from Sandpiper Imports, Inc.
  
  
• Reach hundreds of thousands of potential customers who are ready and able to buy by working with sale event websites which will host a dedicated sale promoting your designs.  I have worked with several and, while you generally have to offer a generous discount, it’s worth it for the sales volume they are able to generate. – from Michelle Esposito from NotJustAnyOldDay Datesake Jewelry
  
  
• Tell a story! Oftentimes in business, we are advised to be professional and leave out the personal. While I completely agree that remaining professional throughout the journey of your business is non-negotiable, I think one of the biggest missteps is actually not making it personal. Strike a balance. One of the strongest choices you can make as a business owner is to give your customers a genuine glimpse into who you are. It allows them to make a stronger connection to the work. By making that connection, they’ll be more likely to remember your work and return. - Betsy Cross from betsy & iya
  
  
• You must use social media as one way to market your brand, but the messages you give must be genuine. Get people interested in your brand through personal stories and thoughts, not through a sales pitch. The other piece of advice is to make sure you keep a steady presence on the different social platforms without being overwhelming. - Shana Farr from Shana Farr Pure Imagination
  
  
• I hired a web marketing agency to give my traditional sales approach a marketing makeover. I started with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and a newly designed and social centric website. The web marketing agency taught me how to blog and had me focus on frequently asked questions, what I stand for and what problems I solve. Because of the training I received and shift in my marketing approach – I previously had 2-3 jobs a year from the website – now, I get multiple custom jobs per month from it. People ship me their pieces to work on from all over the country and I’ve done custom wedding jewelry for people I’ve never met in the U.K., France, Sweden and the Arctic Circle. Getting into the online universe has helped me sell more jewelry and find the people who like my designs or want to design their own thing! - Calla Gold from Calla Gold Jewelry
  
  
• Constantly keep your customers updated and always wear your fashionable jewelry to represent your line. - Marlyn Schiff from Marlyn Schiff
  
  
• Getting your name out there, wherever you can…getting people to know about you. One of the best things, while difficult to do, is getting your product featured in a magazine (not an ad). You have to find the correct contact person (editor of a specific area of the magazine). Send them your info, either by email or hard copy, including any pics of your product. Offering to do a giveaway with them as well will get your name in the magazine. Just one great feature can bring in all kinds of business! - Bonnie Riconda from Calico Juno Designs
  
  
• Social media has become an amazing sales tool for us. We are working moms, so being able to promote ourselves via our iPhones and iPads makes running a business (on the go) that much easier. Our Instagram feed has especially allowed us to spread the word (and make sales) while showcasing our product. - Gloria Bijou & Renee Haddad from Wren & Glory Jewelry
  
  
• Having some of my jewelry at a retail boutique introduced new clients to my work.  I was commissioned to make new pieces for some of those clients. - Merrill Gambro from Merrill Gambro Jewelry
  
  
• My best tip for marketing my products is through the use of social media! Facebook friends and family are fabulous promoters of your products and the best part: FREE! Online fashion bloggers are always looking for pieces to add, and with my experience, they will post your products for the small fee of sending one of your pieces for free! - Kaitlin Durkin from DurkyDesigns
  
  
• Participate fully in shows and events. By this I mean taking the time to set up a professional booth with a consistent look. And, put down your cell phone…people want to shop with an artist who is present in the moment. - Sherry Trammel-Schauls from Balsamroot Ranch Jewelry
  
  
• Know who your consumers are and connect with them. Being able to relate to their lives and their style on a personal level is my ultimate goal for wristcandie. - Gina Chinino from Wristcandie
  
  
• My best tip is to utilize what is free and don’t just focus on one thing.  FB, pinterest, twitter, e blasts and blogging are great but you have to stay on top of it all and integrate all platforms together.  Since it is free you can experiment as much as you like.  It’s really rewarding to have so much interaction and feedback from customers. - Sarah McBrair from Love of Pretty
  
  
• To distinguish yourself from other artists, make sure your website & marketing materials speak directly to your prospects and convey an engaging story about your jewelry (of beauty, history, nature, myth, family, etc).  Give them more than just a list of metals, gems and dimensions so they can connect emotionally with your creations and be motivated to buy. – Alyson B. Miller from PivotGuild
  
  
• We are a part of the greatest marketing time ever, before the growth of major social networking it was difficult for a small business’ such as a jewelry designer to reach out to other areas to market. Today be sure to take advantage of all avenues of social networking and be sure to stay on top of them with new content and material.  People have an attraction to what’s new or a Sale, be sure to drive interest in your product by rotating it through different social sites. Google adwords and Facebook ads could be another driving force at bringing interest into your site and possibly into your pocket book. Be creative most social media is free of charge but the ads are not so be sure to budget ads correctly and you can be marketing to the masses in no time. – Fallon Morris from Din’e Creations
  
  
• People love to have unique jewelry customized especially for them.  Instead of relying solely on a website or direct customer interaction to market the jewelry, make it easy for retailers to make the sale for you.  Develop an attractive display to convey your story and showcase your quality.  The retailer then sells a packet or order form, connecting you directly with the customer.  While you may need to split your margin with the retailer, you gain a great deal more exposure and the retailer makes a good profit “brokering” the connection. - Sharon Herrman from Zelda’s Song
  
  
• When marketing your jewelry designs online be sure your photography is the very best.  Jewelry is hard to photograph but there are lots of tips and ideas available online and remember, your potential customer can’t pick up the piece of jewelry and hold it, they can only see what you show in your photos so never stop trying to improve your photography. - Paula Huckabay from Pacific Jewelry Designs
  
  
• Create a look, word or color that is distinctively yours. When people see your work and marketing material, your name should pop in their head. - Lauren Sigman from Lauren Sigman Jewelry
  
  
• My brand is like my personality.  I create quirky, fashionable jewelry that supports my values of being sustainable and budget conscious.  I gave serious thought to my values, beliefs, passions, creative inspirations and who I am as a person; the outcome of that is a brand that describes who I am and what I create, which in turn helps me focus on marketing to my target audience, and gives me a foundation on which to continue growing my business. - Merry Ware from This Merry Life
  
  
• I actually use Instagram a lot to market my jewelry. Often, I’ll post supplies for my supply shop because it’s easier just to photograph then with my phone and end up having someone who wants to purchase it as a made piece! It’s also great to get quick feedback about if people like an item! - Jenipher Lyn from Cherry Runway
  
  
• Creating Branding Content on Social Media Networks such as Twitter and Instagram! Utilize Hashtags to create a larger based audience for your product! You never know who might be paying attention. - Lisa Rocha from Ilaments
  
  
• I often dress myself and those I go out with in my pieces.  This way potential customers get to experience your work in person, and how it is meant to be worn. I’ve found that women seem more likely to approach someone who is wearing something that they like, and ask that individual where they purchased it. - Rosa Villanueva from Fornication Nation
  
  
• For online marketing of your jewelry work, it is very important to have clear and informative descriptions. What are the dimensions of the work? What are the materials used? Potential customers need this kind of information to help them decide on their purchase.  And to seal the sale, give a little insight into the inspiration behind the piece and a story about the techniques you used to create it.  Personal details will help your item come alive for the shopper. - Peggy Li from Peggy Li Creations
  
  
• I’ve found it’s  important to have lots of take-aways such as business cards or postcards at craft shows.  It helps indecisive buyers track you down later to make a purchase online, and is also a great way to get found by boutiques and show directors looking for jewelry to feature.  Some of my biggest leads for wholesale accounts and other shows have come from an email saying “I saw you at a craft show and took your card, we would love to have you… - Tess Fedore from Gilded Days
  
  
• I have found my own custom-made wedding “day of” and bridesmaid jewelry to be its own best advertisement–i.e. I wear it when I meet my customers. Once my clients see its beauty, functionality, and day to day wearability in a “real life” setting, I’ll get an order. - Lynn Jawitz from Florisan Wedding and Event Design
  
  
• My tip would be to embrace marketing as an important part of your jewelry business and not to be afraid to try new things. If you have a limited or non-existent marketing budget, take advantage of social media to make connections and get the word out about you and your brand, and also submit high resolution images to magazines and newspapers. Sign up for HARO. - Anne Bliss from Bliss Designs
  
  
• Using social media sites can be a great way to market a new business.  I recommend utilizing sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest to gain followers and awareness in your brand.  Setting up a page on Pinterest is easy and fun!  You can create the look you want for your brand, and use it to promote items or services you offer.  Creating short tutorials on the site gains you followers, that will ultimately turn into customers.  Facebook is a great way to advertise events and sales you have, and interact on a personal level with your followers.  You can answer questions directly about your products, engage in conversation with fans, and create polls and questions for ideas you may have for your business. - Heather Markowski from Posh Adornments 
  
  
• Up-and-coming jewelry designers have an opportunity to make a splash in the market even if they’re small because the Internet has shrunk the world in a way that allows us to connect so easily with buyers. These designers should utilize social media platforms– especially Facebook and Pinterest to promote their pieces. GET VISUAL! These platforms see high engagement levels with photos, especially something as flashy and sexy as jewelry, so use photos of your jewelry to create a buzz about you. You can build a large tribe of followers who love your pieces and can contact you directly to purchase. This is perfect if you’re small and selling to consumers (B2C) because a Facebook page can work as effective as a website and reach potential clients. If you’re trying to sell to stores, you can utilize Twitter. Set up a Twitter account and start conversations with companies by tweeting pictures of your collections to them. You can then find out who is their buyer and connect with them. - Jayme Pretzloff from Wixon Jewelers
  
  
• This has been my most important element in growing my business and it includes quick responses to questions, polite and informative answers, custom designs or re-sizing to fit the client, beautiful packaging, quick shipping and, above all, making a personal connection with clients. It is a great way to add that element of personality to an online shopping experience and it has resulted in repeat buyers, personal recommendations to other clients and amazing feedback which in turn helps new buyers feel comfortable purchasing your product. By making a shopping experience memorable, clients will always remember to you in the future! - Catherine Scott from JanJat Jewelry
  
  
• I have had my jewelry business for 13 years. I use many creative strategies to drum up business and get customers to spend. I always send out a holiday card with a special discount code that can only be used in person at a craft show or gallery show ( I list all the events on my card for that season). This makes my good customers want to come and see me in person. I can usually talk a customer into something bigger or more expensive if I can sell the piece in person rather than through my website. Trying on jewelry is such a big part of a purchase and it connects the wearer with the piece. Speaking about the jewelry… how I designed it, the materials, stones etc. also gives the customer that extra push to purchase. I also add into my holiday card that every customer who purchases in the month of December is automatically entered in to win a piece of my jewelry. I have the drawing on the last day of December and then email the customer so they know to expect a “surprise” in the mail. - Andrea Lucille Shin from Andrea Lucille Designs
  
  
• When you post on Facebook or Pinterest, it needs to be VISUAL and done CONSISTENTLY.  I take some time at the beginning of the week to gather some photos, quotes, product shots, and get them ready to go for use that week. I also find material to share from other sources that fit with my brand (blogs, products I like, photos that inspire, quotes).  Then each day I get up before my kids and schedule the Facebook posts.  I often do several days at a time, but it’s important to stay engaged and make sure you’re responding to posts.  Of course you can hire someone to do this for you, but I enjoy connecting to my customers in such a personal medium as Facebook.  This doesn’t mean you have to be online constantly.  Just schedule your posts in bulk and it’s really pretty easy. - Sarah Jane Nelson from Life is Rosey: Jewelry that Speaks
  
  
• Mix things up. Don’t depend on solely on one avenue, especially when you are in the e-commerce business. If one source dries up and that is your only lead/sales source, you are out of luck. I make sure to diversify our online marketing strategy to include numerous avenues where potential customers can find and buy our jewelry. We invest heavily into SEO, Social Media, PPC, Blogger Outreach, Shopping Comparison Feeds and Online PR. So far, our SEO and Shopping Comparison Feeds have proven to be the most effective for our business. Jennifer Dunphy from South Of Exotic
  
  
• My tip is, make it a religion to carry your business card, even to social occasions and. wear your products. Canvas not only as many outlets as you can in order to cultivate multiple possibilities to be seen and admired, like social media and  in-store visits, but  social interactions as well.  As Mark Twain said:  ” Lord save us from the Hope tree that has lost its faculty to put out blossoms.” - Jennifer Aston from Art On A Wire Jewelry
  
  
• The line is currently sold in 650 stores! Marlyn Schiff is marketed mostly at the fashion and accessory trade shows held in New York City. We also market the Marlyn Schiff brand through our website that sells both to our wholesale and retail customers. Marlyn has sales representatives all over the country selling the contemporary line. Marlyn Schiff jewelry can be seen in major magazines every month including InStyle, Oprah, MORE, US Weekly, People Style Watch and OK Magazine. We have also had jewelery featured in television fashion segments such as Good Morning America, FOX 29 and ABC 6 News. Aside from these marketing strategies, the company makes use of social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and the Constant Contact mass emailing system that helps to keep all customers up to date on the latest designs. – Marlyn Schiff from Marlyn Schiff
  
  
• My best tips are: – Online website with great photos & SEO (sight engine optimization) so people searching for what you offer will find you. Also found Etsy, Facebook, Twitter & Ebay to be very low cost & effective; Offline (craft shows, school & church boutiques/fundraisers, street fairs, giving jewelry donations for charity auctions is a great way to be seen!); Wholesale to stores (calling & going into stores to show them what I have to offer & selling my line at wholesale to them); Independent sales reps selling the line for me like Avon/Scentsy/Pampered Chef, etc. either doing home parties, having their own facebook pages, showing up at their own local fairs/churches/school functions, etc. My sales reps make what my stores make, the difference between wholesale & retail and these motivated women are great sales for me because they are passionate about the line & wear it daily which is just more exposure for the line! - Rachael Miller from Go Sports Jewelry
  
  
• The best tips I can give are the following: Make sure your photos are of the best quality, as people are buying online and can’t hold your items, you photos must be fantastic! When marketing online, you must make sure that you are optimizing your site with good SEO (search engine optimization) Your tags, titles, and descriptions must match one another and be relevant to what you are selling. Use social networking for great promotions.  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Wanelo are all great ways to promote your shop. Good Customer service.  Respond prompty and try to solve any problems that come up quickly and make sure that your customers know exactly what they are getting before hand so there are no surprises. - Joleen from Wasataylor
  

• As a jewelry entrepreneur and a former PR person, here are the tips I’d like to share: Host a jewelry trunk show, by yourself or with other jewelers who do not produce the same type of jewelry that you do (less competition). Produce a few pieces to be donated to high profile charitable auctions, to get yourself in front of the appropriate clientele. Don’t just go to craft shows,but expand your reach to religious holiday bazaars and showcasing your wares at networking opportunities. Always be wearing one of your fantastic pieces! You are the best showcase for your own jewelry – and when someone stops you on the street to ask where you bought that wonderful piece, you can say, “I created it and would be happy to create a similar one for you for $xxx.”Having a website is important but it constantly needs to be updated with current works. If you can’t worry about photographing new pieces, take pics anyway and let site viewers know that new works are in progress. Then post pics when you can. - Jocelyn Brandeis from JewelsByJocelyn
  
  
• One of the most important critical success factors for online product sales is having good images of the product; and this is especially important for an item as personal as jewelry. Unlike in a bricks and mortar store or at a craft fair, the online buyer doesn’t have an opportunity to see and touch the product in person, so good photos are essential. Good jewelry photography doesn’t require a professional photographer nor an expensive camera or any exceptional photographic skills, but it does require some planning on the part of the seller. I have found that most folks that sell jewelry do a good job with the layout of their subjects, but where they need assistance is on the technical aspects. - Stephen from Tabletop Studio
  
  
• Here’s some things that I’ve done and I still do to market my business:  I always offer advice and helpful hints to other business owners which in turn provides me business because when you help someone they never forget who help them and most of the time they will shop with your business or offer referrals which also brings business. I travel with my business to different vendor shows and even if the event is not lucrative in one, I find that people will tend to find our business on the social sites like Facebook and Twitter and for me that still shows support of my business. During the second year of business I started to write about my business and my products in magazines and articles. Currently I blog for two magazines and write for Examiner.com for the fashion, and business columns. Recently, I was named 2012 Best Fashion Blogger by Examiner.com. My ultimate tip for small business owners is not to pay for something you can do for yourself and yes this does include marketing. – LaNette Kincaid from  Just Pearlz

Are you a mompreneur struggling with scheduling your business with your personal life? Each week we reach out to you, our readers and followers, and ask you for your tips and strategies. This week we asked mompreneurs how they balance running a business with running a family. Here are some great tips and if you’d like to share your own, please leave a message in the comments below this article.

• The best tip I have for balancing motherhood with running a business is to create boundaries. When working from home, it is especially difficult to separate home and work life. I shut my laptop down from 6-8pm to spend time with my kids, hear about their day, eat dinner and help them get ready for bed. I then go back to my computer and try to finish up the rest of my work by 10pm so I can spend time with my husband before we go to bed. Working for a start up, there is always more work to be done. It is important to set limits and goals, and stick to them, otherwise you feel like a like a gerbil on a wheel constantly in motion, and you could burnout. It is important to have perspective and remember, there will always be more work to do, but your kids are only young once. - Andee Harris from Bedroom Chemist
  
  
• I write down focuses each day for my business before I start the day – that way when I get distracted during my son’s nap I can look at my list and get focus again. - Betsy Johnson from SwimZim

• One key to success for a home based business is structuring the day with business hours and following that faithfully. As moms we tend to get distracted by the chores we face in each room of our home from the moment we wake. The establishment of office hours empowers us to tend to the task appropriately when it is in our daily schedule. I take this to heart and approach my time with this frame of mind. It is liberating not to load the dishwasher because it is work time. Also, time spent at work is efficient because it is focused. I think of it is hybrid because I work on task completion mode instead of time investment. I see results of a much more productive day with true accomplishments completed. - Amy Vandenberg from Adventures By Amy
  
  
• Being organized in every aspect of your day – as much as possible.  Wake up early and plan your day. (Before the kids get up!!!!!) - Patty Gatter from Harper Grace
  
  
• The only time you want to balance anything externally is when you are feeling at least somewhat balanced internally.  So I tell allmompreneurs I know to take themselves out on a ONE HOUR ONCE A WEEK date with your Inner Diva.   That means no spouse, kids or even girlfriends (unless you’re choosing to make it a Divas-do-Lunch event – I’ll count that).  And yes, it can, and probably has to be, a flexible date/time.  Just make sure you do something that is purely fun, indulgent, calming, invigorating, inspiring or nurturing.

1. Taking a walk outside (anywhere near your home or office – a spot you’d call serene, beautiful or at least interesting). I use my voice for a living as a voice-over & commercial artist, writer, speaker, host, etc. so for me, being able to be in silence once in a while is a truly amazing gift.
2. Working on a vision board (it’s adult arts and crafts where you collect and cut out pictures, words, ideas from magazines and paste them collage style on a poster board) & again, I get to do it in silence and play cheezy 70s & 80s music in the background.
3. Retail therapy (need I say more?) As long as you’re not breaking the bank, that lovely scarf or a pair of shoes on sale has your name written all over it!
4. Bath with lavender salts – better yet – with an iPod plugged in so I can belt out my favorite Barbara Streisand tune. I do some of the best planning for my in-development cabaret show while singing in the bathroom.
5. Reading a good book. Currently I’m trying to get through 50 Shades and while I can’t say I’m really into it, because it’s such a poorly written work, I am curious AND it’s good to have as a comp for my own in-progress Spiritually Sexy book.
6. Go to the movies. I know this is something we don’t get to do enough of on any level, and it may be hard to explain to your spouse/significant other why you’d prefer to have them watch the kids so you can go out alone . . . but trust me, it’s invigorating when you can pull it off! And there’s no-one to criticize you for finishing the whole box of Raisinettes by yourself! - Shira Adler from Shira Adler & Diva-Mama
   
   

• Set up a schedule for yourself and your family. When you have a schedule of the things you need to do it helps you prioritize your list, keep on task and focus. In addition your family time does not get sapped away because you are so still working. - MaryBeth Reeves from Scrapbook Mamma
  
  
• When I started my business 4 years ago my best tip would have been to have a reliable nanny/friend/grandma to be able to assist at a moments notice.  Growing a business demands a lot of your time at all hours of the day.  Now that my kids are older, I bring them in to run the business with me.  They can pull orders, inventory, and sort styles when we receive a new shipment.  My kids grew up in the business and now, by making them a part of it, they feel close to me and I don’t feel like I am neglecting or leaving them to work.  They are invested in what I do, and it also helps that I pay them in gift cards. - Becky Harper from ReUsies Snack & Sandwich Bags
  
  
• Take the time to stop, take a deep breath and think about how you want to shape your children’s life and their future. It will pay off in the end.  When I was pregnant with my third son, a young woman told me, “Please raise competent men that are going to be full partners in their homes.”  I took that to heart. One thing I did is I taught all three of my boys to cook.  It mainly resulted in their liking to eat family dinners together, but their culinary skills now come in handy for making that daily event happen.  The reality is they are home before I am most days, and I need the help! - Jules Pieri from Daily Grommet
  
  
• If you work from home, devote a separate space for your office (ideally with a closed door and not in your bedroom).  Juggling motherhood and your own business is challenging, so it is important to use your time effectively…when you work, you work and when you are with you kids, you are present with them. - Kim Blanding from Gift it Green
  
  
• From the beginning, create boundaries between motherhood and your business so you don’t blur the lines and create an unfair situation for your children and your company. Carve out a separate office away from the rest of your home, so that when you are working, you are truly ‘at work.’ Also, create a go-to team of dedicated babysitters, both regulars and emergency ones, so that you’re always prepared with childcare. And on the flipside, make sure to ‘leave work’ when it’s time to be with your family. Turn off your email and work phone, and truly be present for your children. - Sara Sutton Fell  from FlexJobs
  
  
• Automate!  Try to automate and/or let someone else do the work wherever you can afford to.  For example, I have my garment printer do all the folding, bagging, and tagging of my shirts and onesies.  It costs a little extra, but it’s worth it in the time I save.  Other ways to streamline include getting an accountant to do your taxes, or using a service such as Endicia to streamline your shipping processes.  And one more thing: go easy on yourself.  There’s always more to do, so when you own your own business you need to make sure to stop working at a reasonable hour, get your sleep, and take care of yourself too! - Melissa Montanez from Technigirl
  
  
• Use lists and an online calendar that your spouse can access too – that helps us all keep on schedule and know what is coming up/planned for that day (e.g. – sports, dinner, church, etc.) - Brenda Cusick from Avocado Diva
  
  
• You need to be able to delegate both work and childcare to people you trust because you cannot be everywhere all the time. Realistically, you cannot completely separate your business and your personal time. When you own a business, you are constantly thinking about new ideas, solving problems and making it all happen so sometimes you need people around you to give you a hand. - Valeria Velandia from Miel Sisters
  
  
• The best tip to balancing motherhood and running a business is to prioritize and schedule tasks.  Every morning I make two lists – one of what needs to be done during the day like conference calls and meetings and I do this while the kids are in school.  The second list is anything that is independent work and I do this later, after their homework is done. This helps me stay focused to get the work done and allows me quality time with my children when they are home.  - Jill Scalisi from Scalisi Skincare
  
  
• Your best tip to balancing motherhood and running a business: The best tip to balance motherhood an run a business it to be flexible and always have a back-up plan.  Running my own business from home is unpredictable enough, but throwing a 2 year old and a 2 month old into the mix makes it even more challenging.  Always having a Plan B or an alternative schedule in mind helps if there is something that suddenly comes up with my children.  This way I am not distracted trying to do a task for work, while tending to the kids. By switching the schedule around I can devote my attentions where they are needed at a specific time. - Bridget O’Brien from Bridget O’Brien PR and Events
  
  
• Don’t apologize for being a mother and having kids. You run the business, you work harder than everybody else. If you have to take your child to the Dr. or leave during the day for drop off or pick up, and set you schedule a certain way to accommodate kids– that is your right as the business owner. Too often I see mom’s apologizing in the working world for having kids. Work hard, get results, and take care of your kids. - Sabrina Parsons from Palo Alto Software
  
  
• Don’t try to go it alone. You would be amazed and where you can get help when you need it. Be it a friend, a business mentor, a forum board, or even a phone app; help is right in front of you if you look for it. We are strong women and we have, or will have, a great business. Being a mom is a lot of work in and of itself. Being a mom and a business owner at the same time feels downright impossible some days. But you CAN do it. Know where your strengths are and get help for the rest.

Set and reset your priorities daily. Some things need more attention than others. Sometimes a kid gets sick. Sometimes a car breaks down. What you think you have to do and what can wait may be the same thing.
Make lists. Lots of them. You would be amazed at how the little things can just slip through your fingers. I like to use Cozi to keep my lists. This way, I can share the lists with other family members and I can do it all on my phone. - Michelle Cazella from Toddler Tech USA

• Organization & then flexibility, the best laid plans sometimes don’t work out… - Elizabeth Swartz from Elizabeth Swartz Interiors
  
  
• My best tip would be that you have to be organized. Calendars are a must! I have two calendars, one for business and one for home/family. - Doreen Foxwell from The Children’s School of Yoga
  
  
• Balancing motherhood and a career is the age old question. My thoughts- if you wake up one hour earlier each day, you add one full work day to your week.  That’s very powerful!  Everyone is always complaining about not having enough time, but you can control that (to some extent).  Also, don’t try to be perfect and prioritize what can be less than perfect.  For instance, leave the dishes in the sink so you can spend the time with your kids while they are still awake.  Something that you always hear and I truly believe is critical is to be sure to carve out time for yourself as well as time together with your husband.  If you aren’t inwardly happy, you wont be happy within the family.  I wake up early to run or do yoga every morning and I truly cherish that guilt free time by myself or with a friend.  Lastly, the real key is surrounding yourself with great people, both at work and at home.  That way you know things are getting taken care of properly at either place when you aren’t there and you can avoid the guilt about not being there. - Cozy Friedman from Cozy’s Cuts for Kids
  
  
• I keep a weekly schedule that allows for flexibility but allocates dedicated time to both the family and to work.  Most of my allocated time to the business are early morning school days for the children (Monday – Friday). This time takes care of telephone calls, completing orders, and often in-home appointments with customers without being interrupted with mother duties. Most Saturdays and Sunday afternoons we plan something fun and outdoors for the family to do. - Tica Bowden from Creative Waist Beads by Journey Armon

• Prioritize and Schedule – DAILY – prioritize the many things you have to do as both mother and business owner, check your motherhood schedule and then schedule your business requirements.  For me it requires focus and compartmentalizing.  Turn off business when mothering and turn off mother when working the business.  Because my children are in school, I can focus completely on business during school hours.  After school until bedtime, I’m totally mom. - Debora L. Griffin from Crafted Locally
  
  
• Maximizing time spent on your business as well as with their families, whether it is working late nights after the kids are asleep or scheduling full days for the business on dedicated days, finding a balance that works for us where we can adapt to ever changing schedules with our children. This is not always easy but being flexible helps to manage our busy lives and allows us to be happy in our home and work life. April & Marin both feel that success is not just measured by their business but by their families as well and being able to be successful on both sides of that coin give them a great sense of joy and accomplishment. -  April Bukofser and Marin Milio from AprilMarin Clothing
  
  
• I had to learn that it’s okay to say “no” at times. By focusing on my priorities, with family and business, I’m able to cut out unnecessary tasks that might distract me from my goals. - Shannon Miller from Shannon Miller Lifestyle
  
  
• After over 10+ years in business, with 8 of them being a single Mom, I know how it can be tough to juggle it all! I crafted my business to give me the time and space to be there for my daughter and have her home with me. The most important way I have done that is through consistent priority based scheduling. By scheduling my days to the tee it creates a structure. This structure allows me to be in a productive active mode rather than a stressful reactive mode. The key to successful productive based scheduling is understanding what your priorities are and setting boundaries so those priorities are protected. Once you know your priorities there will always be something to test you and really make you decide between them, so make sure to stay true to your priorities – even if it means you need to say NO! - Melinda Janicki from Online Business Transformations & OnDemand Virtual Services
  
  
• Surround yourself with a strong and loyal team.  Build an infrastructure of support around you.  One thing I realized last year was the need to hire a competent assistant to help me run my business. Jordana is like a safety net.  I also hired a COO to help manage the operations.  This allowed me to grow my business freeing me up to focus on the things I do best.   Picking my children up from school, making dinner, helping with homework and attending school events is as important as closing a big deal.  Making decisions and being highly organized helps me balance it all. - Debbie Greenspan from Dr. Doormat
  
  
• Running a business and being a mother are really both 24/7 jobs.  Make time for both.  Try to stay organized and make a plan for each day.  But be flexible… some days one might get more attention and other days the other.  Stay focused on your goals and true to yourself.  You really can have it all! - Christina Daves from CastMedic Designs
  
  
• As you go through play dates ,school functions and carpools, constantly collect referrals for child care so you have a long list and backup list. Interview them and ask about price, availability and access to a car before you need them. If it all fails on the day you need to go to a meeting, bring the child, silent toys and snacks with you. When you enter the room smile and say, “that’s the beauty of being an entrepreneur, you get to make your own rules”. No one likes to judge a working mother. - Bre Abbensetts from Nikki’s Magic Wand
  
  
• I work from home so vacation days are especially challenging.  My kids are older, so they like to sleep in on days off of school.  I wake up early, and am able to get several hours of work completed each morning before they are up and moving.  They know they need to let me work in the mornings so that I can spend the rest of the day with them.  We have lunch together and then ‘play’ for the rest of the day.  I often times do have to return to my home office to complete work after dinner.  Thank goodness for technology!!  I have also been known to respond to multiple emails while sitting at the neighborhood pool or while the kids are running around a Chucky Cheese! - Melissa Chelist from StorkGifts
  
  
• Reminding myself that the most important thing is family and that the little task that will take me away from my work will only last a short while, really helps me to be balanced. I take a deep breath and remove myself from the computer, smile and become whatever my son needs at that moment to make everything alright. - Kelley King-Spears from Spch Lang
  
  
• Making a list when things get overwhelming seems to work for me. It’s impossible to remember every call, errand (business or personal) without one. With two daughters ( 16 & 20 )who are pretty high maintenance in their needs, this seems to work for me as I am in my mid 50′s and can easily forget some things when the stress piles on! - Holly Xerri from Avenue X Innovations
  
  
• Invest time in organization, which will save you time in the long run. Some of the examples we use: shared calendars, mail sorter, laundry system (we have a ridiculous amount of laundry baskets), grocery and menu planning, shared apps (grocery list, baby tracking, to do list, etc.), and shared cloud folders. - Alicia Vanderschuere from rosieMADE
  
  
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Sometimes we get so wrapped up in managing a house and a business, that it may oftentimes seem easier to do things ourselves just to complete the task at hand.  But taking on too many of those tasks can become overwhelming and unhealthy.  Ask for help; you may be surprised at what you receive in return. - Heather Holtschlag from Heather Holtschlag Public Relations
  
  
• I’m home with my youngest kid, Mikkel (19 months) and Ella is in school three times a week.

1. That means when I’m at work (which is also from home/coffee shops with WiFi) I have to plan what to do in head of time, so I don’t waste time on other things when I finally can work for a tiny bit of time.I work at nap time and after the kids are in bed at night. Sometimes I work a little in the morning if I wake up before the kids.
2. My husband works also from home, so sometimes we switch, so he watches Mikkel when I’m working. We also have a babysitter who works a few hours a couple of days a week.I could never have done this by myself, so I outsource a whole lot to experts that really know what they’re doing.
3. I use www.odesk.com where I have freelancers working from all over the world, Indonesia, India, Holland, Seattle, New York.It’s so easy, you just post a job description and you get answers from all over the place, and you pick one based on ratings from others and experience.

So I found a graphic designer, a copywriter, a web master, an assistant, a drawing expert and a photo editor on oDesk.For my logo I used www.99designs.ca where I did a logo contest between logo designers. You pick the price you want (it’s a few suggestions) and only pay the winner. I had my family and friends to help me choose the winner logo because I couldn’t make up my mind:).For how to structure my business and let my company be visible online (and to let me know about the pages like oDesk, 99designs and all sorts of other useful websites), I use this great website called www.nextpage.no.So when I outsource so much of my work I have more time to be with the kids, which is great! I just needed to learn how to delegate work. - Vibeke Kvam Johansen from Ella’s Wool and Mikkella

• Juggling is a personal engagement in prioritizing what is most important to you. There are constant demands on a parent’s time – it is how you re-prioritize and when you choose to be “present” with work, family, friends. It is not a matter of how much time spent but rather being “present ” during the time you spend with them.  - Lisa Chenofsky Singer from Chenofsky Singer & Associates
  
  
• Here are a few simple things that work for me:

1. GET SOME HELP – Weather it is help with child care or the cooking and cleaning I had help, I put it in my budget to pay for it myself, even if I had my hair done once a month and not once a week, my house was clean and my children fed.
2. LET IT GO – There was a time when I could not go to bed at night unless my house was in perfect order and the laundry was neatly folded and put away. Not any more, at the end of the day if that laundry is still in the basket, and I am dog tired after a long day, I let it stay until the next day, it will not run away before you can fold it the next day and put it away, I promise!
3. TAKE TIME OUT FOR YOUR-SELF – An obvious solution you might say, but there are many women who forget to take are of themselves. It does not have to be major, it can be as simple as a short lunch alone or a long bath after everyone is a sleep, if it allows you to take a breath, make it happen. Take time to make sure that YOU are ok, your work and other task will suffer more if you are sick or broken down, so before that happens, take a little time for you and enjoy whatever it is that takes you happy. - Darlene Greene from Ina Mae Greene Foundation
4. We are two moms, Gennelle and Teresa, who own TagTailz, a fashion accessory company for girls, teens and women. Our tip to balancing motherhood while running a business is to prioritize and include your children in your business. Both of us have families and other professions and then decided on top of that to design a product, launch it and currently grow our business. The key to handling all of these responsibilities is prioritizing. As mothers, our families always come first, but as business owners you need to get the job done, so you must use the hours in the day creatively to complete the tasks needed for your business. As with many small businesses, when you love what you do, have a passion for your product and want to succeed you find the hours to work and spend time with your family, most of the time while combining the two. For example, our kids have helped us with different aspects of our business, from modeling, picking out and helping design new products, packaging products, attending trade shows and helping us sell our “kids” products to stores. We believe that having our daughters alongside us for this journey is a great lesson for them to see the work ethic, long hours and dedication it takes to build a successful business from the ground up. All the while we get to spend quality time together, in what one day may well be a family business for generations to come. - Gennelle MacNeil and Teresa Bonetti from TagTailz

• I try to include my daughter in the business as much as possible. She’s just four years old, so for now that means helping me as a model, and coming with me on errands like trips to the bank and post office. Anything I can include her in and turn into an activity becomes valuable time spent with my child. - Rika Gunawan from Republic of Pigtails
  
  
• Having two-year-old twins and trying to run a business has its challenges, but it is also very rewarding.  I have found that there is no sense in trying to get quality work done with kids pulling on my pants so when I am chief caregiver, my attention is on my kids.  My best work is done during nap time, after bedtime, and on the weekends.  Having a business that doesn’t require a 9-5 workday (regardless of whether or not it’s a work at home job) has been a huge benefit. - Heidi Danos from Dirty Knees Soap Co.
  
  
• My best advice is to be present. When you are with your children-be with your children and focus on your relationship with them. And when you are at work-be at work. Don’t waste time worrying about what the babysitter is feeding your children. Stay focused and stay productive. I do a lot of work after my kids go to bed. That way they are not seeking my attention and I can give all my focus to the business. - Allison Sims from Chamonix Bride
  
  
• On Sunday mornings my family sits down and discusses what is happening for the upcoming week and we then plan our dinners accordingly. The grocery shopping is done later that day for the week. This saves a ton of time! - Romy Taormina from Psi Bands
  
  
• I try to go to my offsite office while my kids are in school.  If I’m working at home while my kids are home, I try to shutdown my laptop by 5 or 6 pm at the latest.  It doesn’t always work, but I find that if I go to my office, I’m more likely to pay attention to home and my family when I’m physically at home.  If I work only from home, I find it’s harder to shut down work mode. - Valarie Moody from Fodeo
  
  
• I had to learn that it’s okay to say “no” at times. By focusing on my priorities, with family and business, I’m able to cut out unnecessary tasks that might distract me from my goals. - Shannon Miller from Shannon Miller Lifestyle
  
  
• Having a strong support team, family who are apart of the business and there for understanding and willing to pitch in. It truly takes a team to juggle and balance. - Jennifer Mills from SlickSugar
  
  
• I set a schedule and stick with it – every day.   I set aside time for work (from my home office) and time with my 2 year old, Mini.   And when I’m with Mini – I’m with her 100% without distraction.  And then when I’m at work, I’m at work 100%.     I start every day with her alone for about 2 hours – eating breakfast, taking a bath and starting our day – and then it’s off to my home office.   I also take a break in the late afternoon to spend time with her and my husband and eat dinner and play for a couple hours.  And then, it’s back to work, until 10 or 11PM.    I work Monday – Saturday like this and then Sundays are dedicated to family time.  On Sundays I only check email…and maybe sneak in a little work when Mini is napping. - Helena Fogarty from Mi Ola
  
  
• I find that keeping my family in the loop about the exciting things that went on that day with the business gets my kids interested and involved.  My son actually asks me now when he gets home from school how my day was with RAINRAPS. Now when I have business to deal with on “their” time, they understand. - Stacy Struminger and Rachel Teyssier from RAINRAPS
  
  
• My best tip to balance running a business and being a mom is… breathe. Use tools like Iphones etc to plan out everything including work, kids activities, eating and time for yourself. Be OK with the fact that you will not be able to do everything, just prioritize so you can handle the things you choose to do, well. Delegate as much as possible. Keep a sense of humor and don’t sweat the small stuff. No one will perish if they have pancakes for dinner or if you have to buy cookies from the store for a class party. And when both your kids and work are driving you crazy, give yourself a time out. Even 10 minutes to just breathe can set you back on track. - Rachael Sudul from Just In Case
  
  
• How I balance motherhood with running a business is having a minimum of 4 hours of daycare 3-5x per week.  Even though things get done at a slower pace they still eventually get done.     Also delegating business work to an assistant really help a lot! - Oreet J. S. from SharQui
  
  
•  I am a mom first and a entrepreneur second. When I am with my kids, I leave my phone in my office, so that I am not tempted to check my email, make a call, etc. I do my best to separate work from family. - Stacy Rybchin from My Secret Luxury
  
  
• I think that right at the start, and regularly after starting your business it’s important to clarify what’s important and how that can be manifested. So, for me it’s important to be a big part of my children’s everyday life – that means taking and collecting from school. - Julie Deane from The Cambridge Satchel Company
  
  
• Eat dinner together as a family each evening regardless of whatever else may be going on at the time. Families need routine, stability, and a time to share and talk without interruption. It’s always a struggle to balance motherhood while running a business. Here are other tips that help me:

1. Work from home if possible but only if you can have an office with a door so there is separation and boundaries
2. My husband and I work together and he is able to take on some of my workload if needed so we can make sure our son is taken care of first
3. Start a ‘babysitting’ swap with other moms in your area for a few hours each day. My son is in junior kindergarten so I have dedicated time to work each day plus a few extra hours with the babysitting swap.
4. Tools: We use the typical tools to help us stay focused and organized – 1password (password management), quicken (financials), wunderlist (todo list app). - Diane Hamilton from Binary Formations

• Time management is key and remember that you are running and doing your business for the benefit of your family and children don’t stress about the small stuff take in the sweet fun moments with your children they grow up really fast. - Kelly Harper from Mom2mommy
  
  
• My best tip for balancing work and motherhood would be my iPhone. I can send out emails while my two year old is laying next to me or when she’s climbing on my head. Making phone calls are another story. They take bribery( TV and candy). Luckily my product is geared towards kids so people are understanding when they do hear her. - Courtney Maslow from Loopeez
  
  
• So I really have 3 tips here. You can either take the one you like best or use all three:

1.  Be ultra organized. Plan out your clothes the night before, plan your weeks meals, keep a online calendar that you can access from a smart phone to avoid over committing. Nothing beats stress like knowing what is coming up next
2. Get up one hour before the kids. Take 20 minutes to work out or do Yoga, 20 minutes to meditate or sit in quite contemplation, and 20 minutes to eat. This 1 hour a day will increase your energy and focus, and pay incredible dividends of increased productivity throughout the rest of your day.
3. Know when to ask for help. It really can be too much some times. So make connections with other moms, use your family, your spouse or partner, whoever. You really can do it all, you just might need a hand from time to time. - Angela Ricketts from Better Life Maids

• Outsource!  Many moms believe that they have to do it all on their own and that’s simply not true, particularly when running a business.  As a business owner, it’s impossible to be an expert at everything so–if you’re not good at web design, accounting or copy writing–  outsource those responsibilities to professionals so that you can maximize your working hours and focus on the most important aspects of your business.And, don’t be afraid to ask your family for help too.  Whether it’s stuffing envelopes or helping with dinner, your children will learn to be more self sufficient adults if they are asked to take on responsibility at home. - Debra Cohen from Home Remedies of NY
  
  
• By making my health and wellness a top priority, in the way of regular pilates, tennis with my husband, and power-walks with my best friend, I am able to feel balanced and energetic, both of which are central to maximizing each moment of the day. Whether I am with my children and family playing in the yard, or at the office launching a new campaign for a client, if I feel healthy, I can embrace that which is right in front of me with enthusiasm and true joy, and have the energy for the many projects that come my way each day in my different roles. - Marybeth Cale from Cale Communications
  
  
• Playdates can double as networking opportunities.  Stay-at-home moms can be huge in spreading the word about your business or brand.  Nurture those relationships – they can turn into valuable business contacts for you and your kids will love the extra time spent with other children. - Alessandra Torre from Select Publishing
  
  
• Take a minute to organize and keep a schedule. In the world of motherhood and running a business, so many things can change. Without my day planner, I would very easily be the ditzy disorganized woman. And those women typically do not get hired!  - Kristin D’Aliso from Rocco Smith Photography
  
  
• Be prepared ahead of time for whatever you are doing; “winging it” is often a waste of time and only for the extremely lucky. My family appreciates it when I am organized and prepared– they know that their needs will be covered.  It calms everyone down.  With BFFL Co meetings go much smoother and faster when I am laser focused and know what I need to get accomplished. - Elizabeth Chabner Thompson, MD from BFFL Co
  
  
• It’s a challenge to find enough hours in a day to do both, so let the two areas overlap. Get your kids involved in your business in age appropriate ways. You will be getting things done while creating lasting memories and they will learn valuable lessons about business. One of the jobs my daughter helps me with is deliveries and it’s something we both look forward to each month. We talk, laugh, play games, have lunch together at the end and, she knows she could do the job is she had her license. Business can be a wonderful self-confidence builder for kids. - Tammy N. Woods from Do More Bars
  
  
• My best tips:

1. Get organized! Organization is key, both for your physical working space and your home space. I was overwhelmed before doing this, constantly wasting time looking for things, loosing things I had to redo. Organization, labeling containers, filing, having a specific place for everything, and always putting it back where it goes, not only saves tremendous time, it somehow energizes you. Clutter can be extremely emotionally depleting. Have a monthly and daily to do list (with priority items at the top). Get organized!
2. Set clear boundaries as to when you will be working and when it is family time. Do the most urgent things that can’t be carried over to the next day first, while at work. So if you don’t get to everything, you can move what’s left to the next day. Stop working at the time you set for yourself, just like you would if you worked a job away from home. Don’t take personal calls while at work. Keep the two separate to be most efficient, and to feel good that you did indeed work and get things done, once it time to shutdown shop for family time. Then turn off work entirely.  - Sylvia Binsfeld from Owl & The Tiger Dream Press
   

• You have to prioritize and have flexibility. Sometimes you have to put business projects on hold to accommodate your family.I try to do the majority of my work while my son is at school or sleeping so it doesn’t affect him. Its all about being prepared and scheduling work around family time as much as possible. - Jamie Yahne from Glitzee Glee
  
  
• My best tip is to have strict working times keeping in mind your priorities. Being an entrepreneur mom is a gift to you and to your family. Managing your time right you can fulfill yourself both in the career and as a mother. - Shoham Drori from PlaneTree Family Productions
  
  
• The best tip I can offer is setting designated times to work on your business when your children are asleep, out the house or otherwise occupied and be realistic about the time you can actually commit to in between caring for you children. - Asharah Damore from Chic Damore
  
  
• Since family always comes first and in order to get all my work accomplished for my company, MOMables, my children’s schedules are a priority.  My children participate in scheduled extra curricular activities only one day a week in order to eliminate time spent in the car traveling from place to place on numerous days of the week.   I also surround myself with team of moms who understand the challenges of juggling life/work balance, and delegate tasks to my team according to their experience, talents and passion.   Having three kids, I’ve realized that I can do it all, just not all at the same time, and I’m not afraid to ask for help. - Laura Fuentes from MOMables
  
  
• Roll with the punches and HAVE FUN!  Before I became a mother, I felt as though everything was critical.  Deadlines, meetings, getting to that gym class on time, making sure dinner was perfect, clothes perfectly pressed, everything!  Having children has forced me to have to accept that life isn’t always how we plan for it to be. Remember the first time you wore that brand new outfit and your baby spit up all over you.  Or that time, during those infant stages, when they missed their nap time  feeding time or you forgot to pack the extra diapers in the baby bag? Life as you knew it seemed to be coming to an end.  What were you going to do? It’s  sort of the same as waking up on the day you’ve been waiting for, that meeting you’ve been trying for weeks to get but your little one wakes up with other plans for you.  When that 103 fever won’t go down, the babysitter is unavailable and the husband is tying up lose ends across the world, you learn to run with the punches and laugh.  There just isn’t anything more a mom can do when she’s juggling a family and a career.  Each day I try to remember that whatever happens, whatever wrenches come my way, that it will always be ok.  NOTHING is ever that bad.  ”If you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never get anything done.”  Someone once told me.  I think about this when I find myself feeling frustrated.  It motivates me to find a positive solution. Brings out my creative side.  I’ve almost mastered typing with one hand! Remember, as a working mom, trying to keep things balanced, we are always learning.  Do what you can, when you can.  When you can’t, laugh!  Oh and maybe enjoy a nice glass of wine! - Assunta Swier from The Three Kitcheneers
  
  
• Get your work done on your own time, not on time your kids are with you. Wake up before they get up to get the bulk of your work done. - Mary Twomey from Saga of the Spheres
  
  
• My best tip for balancing motherhood and running is a business is that you need to embrace flexibility and take things in moderation. It’s easy to get into a habit of work all the time and push the kids aside or vice versa – put your business off because it’s easy to go hang out with the kids. You must learn moderation and the ability to constantly be flexible. - Desiree Wolfe from Desiree Marketing

Do you sell on Etsy and are looking for some great Etsy selling tips? Each week we reach out to you, our readers and followers and ask you to share your experience. Here are some great Etsy selling tips and if you have your own to share, please leave a comment at the end of this story.

• The strategy that worked best for me, particularly starting out, was to be proactive in getting featured on relevant blogs.  I started with sites that I already read and which resonated with me, and that were appropriate for my product.  Later, I actively sought new places to pitch to.  For art photography, interior design blogs and art-specific blogs tended to be the most appropriate.  On the blog, there is often a link to contact or submit your work to the author.  I would do just that, being careful to follow any instructions and to personalize my pitch.  I certainly didn’t get featured everywhere, but I was successful enough to really jump start my sales and get my name out there. - Diana Brennan from D. S. Brennan Photography
  
  
• Reply to every inquiry in a timely manner and try to make a connection with the lead to help make the sale…comment on their profile photo…ask them questions about their special event or the city where they live…just like you’d chat with a salesperson in a physical shop. - Coleen Akers from PaperFreckles
  
  
• Original products, great photographs and superior customer service. I believe these three things are the foundation for having a successful Etsy shop. Most importantly, customers want to see an original product. Adding new designs, updating colors and staying “on-trend” keeps customers coming back to your shop. Secondly, it’s so important to have quality photographs. I like to shoot my products in little vignettes. This not only showcases the product itself, but it gives customers to a look at your personal style and brand (When photographing, my best tip is: Natural light is a must!). And last, but certainly not least, is superior customer service. People appreciate the one on one attention they get when shopping at a site like Etsy. Respond to inquiries as quickly as possible and stay in contact with customers throughout ordering and shipping process. Good communication goes a long way! - Elizabeth Johnson from Pretty Smitten
  
  
• Etsy is where I got my start on creating handmade couture jewelry.  Since I have a full website (http://www.thepolishedtrinket.com), I put my best sellers on Etsy since it brings in a new crowd and an additional revenue source.  Without Etsy, I would have never jumped into launching my own business.  The best strategy for me was to cross-promote the products on Etsy, Pinterest, and  Facebook.  People ‘like’ the products and their friends see it on their wall.  Grabs new business and drives traffic to the Etsy page. Been selling since Sept 6, 2011. - Kim Bennet and Michael Wuest from The Polished Trinket
  
  
• Pay attention to the way Etsy searches work and really zone in on what they call “relevancy” — writing titles, descriptions and keywords that will get you found. Think about the two or three words you would use if you were searching for the same product. People won’t buy your stuff if they can’t find you. Additionally, great photos, ones that are bright and cohesive throughout your shop, are a must on Etsy. Since people can’t pick up your item in a store, your images are speaking for you and your products. And on Etsy, where people build collections of pretty things with items they find on the site, nice images make you more likely to appear in those collections and possibly be featured on the front page or in the daily Etsy Finds email. - Stephanie Hinderer from Red Letter Paper Company
  
  
• We enclose a small card with each bracelet we sell with brief information regarding the shop and the website so that satisfied customers can share with friends..word of mouth seems to work best. - Yasmin Qazilbash from Eden Autism Services
  
  
• As for Etsy, my chief suggestion is for shop owners to take out a $7 weekly ad when you feel confident your shop has something “Killer” to offer. I did this during the Christmas season lead-up, aka “Advent”, and offered 7 different Advent calendars, which clearly resonated with international Etsy shoppers, sending $500 of them around the world. I will continue to build audience by adding to my “Circles”, which gives you greater intra-Etsy exposure. Lastly, I believe the hand-written note I sent with every order, the fact that every person who bought a calendar or item from my Shop is now added to my Christmas card list, and that mailing goes out shortly: Mid-January. Etsy is a universe unto itself, and there are some great business videos that the Etsy Team puts out that are worth watching to help with expanding one’s stream of income. Some shop owners grow their Etsy shops so strongly it becomes a BIG part of their income. I’m hopeful I can continue to grow my business with Etsy by leaps and bounds. - Chrisanne Robertson from Chrisanne Robertson
  
  
• As a way to get eyeballs from all angles, I am constantly putting out updates on various sites. It’s a lot of work. I post information on Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn groups, and my blog for SEO and marketing. It doesn’t matter how small the idea is. These posts cannot only be plugs for my work, but what makes me who I am – what I like, interesting things I’ve found online, what I do with my spare time, etc. Ultimately, who you are as a whole creates a brand around you. I’ve learned that when you develop a presence out there in social media, your posts have to be a conversation, not a never-ending stream of self-promotion. - Kim Piotrowski from kipi 
  
  
• My best tip would be for sellers to have Good Communication- Many shoppers in my shop are especially pleased when I update them continually about the status of their order and respond to their questions and concerns within a few hours. I like to keep a personal relationship with each of my customers because this reduces some of the anonymity associated with online shopping and people feel more inclined to give me positive feedback later on. This can also bring sellers one step closer to getting more repeat customers, which is the key to having a strong customer base. - Yamini Kukreja from Kangaroo Crafts
  
  
• Tag your items properly!  Think of different ways your product can be used, follow commonly-searched themes, keep upcoming holidays in mind, and tag accordingly! Great products and great pictures don’t mean anything unless people can find it! - Michelle Cavanaugh from The Shower Planner
  
  
• My number one tip would be to tell everyone you know about your business. My family and friends have been wonderful supporters. Even if they don’t buy from me, they tell others about my products. I also let everyone know by adding my website as my email signature and gifting my products at every opportunity. I’ve gained numerous customers who fell in love with my items after receiving them from me as birthday, holiday, coach or teacher gifts. - Angie Barrett from Angie’s Suds ‘N Such
  
  
• Word of mouth still seems to be the most effective way for us to sell stuff. When we share our items on sites like Facebook or Reddit we see a massive increase in traffic to our Etsy page. When we first started our page people told us to space out launching our products so that we’d have something on the main page for as long as possible. We decided to upload everything at once since we had more than 5 products – the plan was to show the whole line of toys and make us look like more established. This worked well for us. As we’ve introduced new products we’ve added them to the site 1 by 1 and never seen as much traffic as we did when we launched. - JB Israel from Sonech•co Toys
  
  
• Participate in teams — list my own items as appropriate and asked for, take part in mutual promotion, and share in team discussions — generally being a good team member — much of my sales come from other team members and team promotions, like treasuries. - Elizabeth Cogliati from Lizbeth’s Garden
  
  
• Dark and unfocused pictures do not give a buyer confidence about your work.  Take great photos.  You are asking people to buy your work unseen and untouched, except for the photographs.  Make sure the photos are crisp, uncluttered, and show your work at its best. - Liz Stewart from Lush Beads
  
  
• This may sound counter-intuitive but don’t focus on selling.  Focus on quality, persistence, and a good story and they (the buyers!) will come. Also, renew your listing often to let others know you are in business. - Maryann Reid from TheRedWorkshop
  
  
• Best advice I can give is to: (1) Create a very unique product. What can you create that not many others can? Turn that skill into a great quality product. (2) Who is your target market/buyer? Promote to those people. I would also look for a target market that has disposable income to spend. If they don’t have the money to spend, then they can’t buy. (3) Always keep looking for new opportunities to promote your business. Mainly, I mean free opportunities. Free social media “pin”-style sites, free marketplaces, free events, etc. Or if there is a fee…do lots of research to see if it might really turn into profits for you.  This knowledge has helped me establish my small business and continue to help it steadily grow. - AnnMarie Cernoch from ElectronicGirlGifts
  
  
• Your best tip to selling your products on Etsy: Price your products for a realistic profit margin, and remove all products that do not allow you to make that profit margin. Bundle items together for increased average sales, if it makes sense for your product offerings. Think quality of jobs vs just the number of jobs. - Kristi Richardson from Bloomed to Last
  
  
• Be personal and tell descriptive stories about your product. Since most of the items on my site are vintage, people want to know where it came from, who owned it and why. I give as much info as possible and show several photos of each item. For example, a vintage dress that is new on my site was worn to President Lyndon Johnson’s Inaugural Ball in the 1960s. Now that’s something to talk about so I have all kinds of details about that affair along with documents and photos. Be honest and positive and tell everything you know about your item for sale. - Anna Donahue from TheLandofColor
  
  
• Effective Tip:  Title, Description and Tags are most important- use them to your advantage. - Beth Picard from Great Graphics
  
  
• My best tip is, promote and sell in real life. I mostly wholesale my work and have used my Etsy shop to approach wholesale buyers off site so they can take a look at my product. I simply find out who the potential buyer is and their email and send them a link to my shop. This is how I landed a wholesale account with (DNC) in Yosemite National Park. My work has my contact info on it and my sales have increased greatly just from tourists seeing and buying it at the Ahwahnee Hotel gift shop. If you’re thinking of wholesaling be sure to have consistent retail pricing in your Etsy shop so that you’re not undercutting your retail outlets. They tend to frown on that. - Dana Morton from Earthborne Art

Do you design your own handmade products or make one of a kind products and are wondering if you should sell wholesale? We reached out to some of our fans and readers who are selling their handmade products wholesale and here is what they had to say:

• If you’re trying to sell wholesale to retailers, you may want to trial a little mystery shopping program. You can either ask a good friend to do this for you or if you’re in the hurry, create an email address on Gmail, and pose as a potential customer asking if them if they stock your product. When they say no, you (or your friend) say you/they saw it on xxx (your site). You can either wait for them to actually contact your website because they’re interested in the product mentioned, OR you can mention that customer XYZ likes their shop and has contacted you to see if you’d sell it there because it’s local, has nice staff etc and go from there. Everyone loves a little praise! - Elizabeth Ball from It’s In The Stars
  
  
• Here are my tips!Your best tip to selling your handmade products wholesale (in other words, what advice would you give others who are looking to sell their handmade or one of a kind products to retailers? What has worked best for you?)Our advice, from David and me, is, first of all, sit down and think and analyze what is your market and what kind of audience you want to sell to.
  • Start small.  It’s much easier to approach the owner of an individual store than the buyer of a chain.  After you get some experience and traction selling with smaller retailers, you’ll have a lot more leverage when negotiating with buyers of large retail chains.
  • When I sell my handmade products to retailers, I focus on making the process as easy as possible for the retailer.  For example, I provide them with product scripts and brochures to assist their employees in describing my products to their customers.
  • Another great tip for someone just getting started is to make sure that they’ve priced their products correctly.  Smaller retailers appreciate an easy-to-understand pricing structure, and this is also an excellent business practice that will make it much easier to expand your business. - Naomi Tapia from Lipzen
    
    
• It’s always important to do market research first and also see how big you want to grow.Be ready with all the right info from your suppliers before any order comes in, because if you are not ready, and retailers approach you, there is a chance that you can lose the opportunity.If you want retailers you have to go for it. Unless you know somebody in the industry who can help you, you have to do the work of putting you and your product out there to try to find buyers.There are trade shows, PR people, but starting local is always a good way to start. Everything that you don’t do yourself costs a lot of money, so you should learn for yourself every step of the way until you make it.Organization, organization, organization is the main thing for every business to succeed, and, of course, you will learn as you go! - Escauriza-David Martinez from Vania & David
  
  
• Make sure you have a clear pricing strategy when discussing wholesale with a potential partner.  Communication is extremely important when discussing new partnerships and use a Customer Relationship Management Tool (we use Streak.com) to manage where we are in the sales process with our potential partners. - Kim Bennett and Michael Wuest from The Polished Trinket
  
  
• Tips and advice for selling artisanal products to retailers and wholesale accounts.It is very important to set your pricing high enough to TRY to accommodate retailers margins. The more locations your products can be seen, the faster the growth of the business.In the end, the BLENDED profit margin is the important number. You’ll make great margins selling direct and not-so-great margins selling to retailers. Try to negotiate with retailers to accept lower than average margins on your products. Your product is unique/not available everywhere. Offer longer terms or helpful point of purchase marketing etc. These ideas have worked for me in negotiating lower than average margins with the retailers. - Jim Hamann from Duparquet
  
  
• The best advise I can give to someone starting out a company that makes handmade products is to start slow and let sales build your company so you don’t over leverage yourself with debt.
  • Showcase your product at local farmers markets and similar types of markets to listen and learn from your customers feedback. This is an important step to help you refine your selling and presentation skills. It’s also great for market research and testing certain packaging, flavor options, etc.
  • Listen to your customers! When your are ready to go after retail retail accounts start small. Go after small co-ops and mom & pop type stores first. They most usually have a buyer in-store that can make purchasing decisions, and they will also help you refine any glaring issues or problems with your product or packaging.
  • Once you get placement in stores it’s time to demo, demo and demo some more. In-store product demonstrations, especially in the consumer packaged goods arena can help tremendously in building your brand and is worth the time. Consumers appreciate meeting manufacturers especially in times when most food producers are large companies that don’t have faces or names to go with their products.
  • Once you build 3-6 months of retail sales data, pitch a regional buyer for a small to mid sized regional retailer (5-25 stores locations) or a regional natural foods chain such as Sprouts, Mother’s Market, Whole Foods Market, etc. We built our business through slow and methodical growth making sure we created long-term relationships with our buyers. It’s very easy and tempting to do things much quicker, but this will create a flash in the pan response, which is not something that we wanted for our long-term growth strategy. - Bill Keith from Perfect Foods Bar
    
    
• Get coverage by major sites (in my case Thrillist and Techcrunch) and do lots of in person sales to end customers to understand their listening and refine your pitch. - Brandon Peele from EVR1
  
  
• Don’t sell your self short. for the hard times that the USA has been in, hand made goods have been on a claim. make sure you pay your self first for you work being done. most retailers will try to bump your price down. they know handmade goods are selling that’s why they are asking you/i for our products. but they want them cheap like it was made in china. china has made a trap with hand made goods and selling to retailers. make sure the store your selling to can handle your retail price. if its high end price then don’t sell to a mid price store and hopes they can sell them. getting pumped do to getting a store who wants to sell your product can cloud your judgement  make sure the can sell at full price the year round and not 1 month later sell your product for 50% off do to cant move it of the shelf. bad for your name.If a store/boutique is a good fit but doesn’t want your product or is uneasy to take on your product. Give them 1,2 or 3 products to think it over. that works, not right a way but later on the road. i have gotten famous/stars by doing that idea. so at right off it will cost you but in the long run it will work out.Stop leasing to other people. leas on to your self. trust your self. believe in your product. Don’t sell to store/boutique who cant sell your product just for the sake of getting a new account. if they cant sell your product at full price then walk a way, or make a new product that is cheaper for store/boutique that are in lower price.The best tip that worked for me: Do to product is all hand made no maishens and its only me making the bags as of now. i sell them by word of moth. to keep control of products i do consignment in boutique stores, i am still very small right now, its only me making the bags. - Severn Lang from TSLANG
  
  
• Those looking to sell their one of a kind products should meet with people in person. I attended conferences, exhibit halls and really pounded the pavement to achieve the success I’ve seen so far. There’s just no replacement for meeting people face to face when introducing a new product like mine. And, be willing to try going through a distributor, but make sure to read the fine print. - Chad Archibeck from Re-String It
  
  
• If you are selling handmade products wholesale, it’s a good idea to break down your price structure into Volume Wholesale quantities.  For example, your wholesale price per piece for 1 to 2 pieces will be higher than the CPP (cost per piece) for a sale of 2 – 4 pieces, or 5 – 7 pieces, or 8 + pieces.  Decide where it makes sense for your price breaks to give more attractive volume wholesale prices. - Barbara Bergen from Cremation Urns by Legacy
  
  
• Never under estimate your customer.  The customer who buys a $20. set of coasters could be the customer who returns to by a $300. set of chairs. - Doreen Catena from Dordesign 
  
  
• When looking for a wholesaler, start locally and with a store you or your loved one frequents.  When presenting your product to the store owner, make sure you mention that you are already a customer of theirs and love what they do.  This will immediately give you a way past their defensive walls in that they don’t want to lose you as a customer.Always present your product as a benefit to your buyer.  While its easy to be passionate about our product, its not always easy to present our product in a way that benefits the person we are attempting to sell to.  Research their store, what type of items do they have? What type of clientele do they have?  How can your product be sold in their stores?  Have you researched their industry?  To do a successful sales pitch, you must research your client.  The more you know about your client, the more you will be able to overcome their objections in a confident manner.  - Erika D. Hampton from Tag’d Up Apparel
  
  
• My tip that I have for getting your products into stores is to be persistent, and always be prepared. When I first started my business about 8 months ago, like any new business owner I was searching for the best way to get my product and name out to others. I am constantly on the Internet looking for different venues, and outlets to house my product. My products are sold in a few local stores where I live, and I look forward to expanding to include big name retail stores within the near future. - Adrena Martin from CreationZ From A Dove
  
  
• In our opinion, the best asset that a handmade supplier can focus on is ‘customization’. While the market is flooded with products, ‘customization’ is something that takes a simple product a notch higher. To understand this well, you can imagine a scarf or a tie that you have received as a gift. And then imagine the same gift with your initials/name crafted on to it. Customization is a word with an array of meanings when it comes to business practices. One could also customize the service that goes along with the product. It would also be very special if packing and packaging is paid attention to in this respect.  We, at Funky Dori, try to combine our aesthetics with the customer’s requirement as closely as possible and have repeatedly got good buyers and quantities because of the same. - Divya Rai from Funky Dori  
  
  
• Make sure that you approach retailers that understand the nature and limitations of handmade or one of a kind merchandise (galleries, artisan product stores, etc.)- You’re probably not going to be able to make a 1000 units of something popular. Being handmade or one of a kind is a benefit on it’s own since it has built in exclusivity. - Angela Price from Eden Condensed
  
  
• Research your desired market. Talk with store owners. Ask what the fastest moving products are. Find out what customers are ASKING for – it may be something you can make that you hadn’t even yet thought of.I think if you can also partner with a store and create a store-specific, or brand-specific customized product which is only available through them, that is helpful. - Catherine Tingey from ILAN
  
  
• Stand firm on your wholesale price-point.  It’s flattering to know that a businesses is interested in retailing your items; however, make sure that they understand that your items are handmade and your prices reflect your personal touch & creativity. - Shauna L. Howard from Diva-In-Training Designs
  
  
• After spending the past year and a half working to create a solid online and local presence, we are now offering our products wholesale. For us, it’s a no-brainer.  I have no doubt that this will only help to grow our business.  We have spent a great deal of time making sure that we aren’t going to “giving away the store” in the process, however.  Carefully calculating all costs associated with each product is key.  This allows us to come up with a fair and equitable solution for both our wholesale clients as well as our pockets. - Heidi Danos from Dirty Knees Soap Co.
  
  
• The keys to selling handmade products wholesale, are the guarantee in swift production and turnaround, while not sacrificing the quality and integrity of your brand. Some of the handcrafted products that we carry on our site include cupcake wrappers and stands, wood-burned products and birch items, and we have very high quality assurance standards for these items. What has worked best for us is distilling down production times for each of our handmade products and components for each of the products to very specific metrics. We only introduce products our handmade products to retail clients when we have been assured that our products will meet the quick turnaround and quality assurance standards that we have set for Koyal. - Shreyans Parekh from Koyal Wholesale
  
  
• Most of my larger pieces sell via the Internet.  My jewelry which has a smaller price tag sell through retailers.  Since I am an artist first I want my creations to be appreciated therefore, I never approach a retailer. I will slowly build a relationship with the retailer making sure it is placed in a good location and displayed properly.   The retailer must like your product or it won’t sell. - Joy Scott from Coastal Art Glass
  
  
• When you pitch your product to retailers, make sure you pitch products that are a good fit with the other merchandise they carry.    If  most of the items in the store are made for  corporate or professional women, it would not be wise to pitch a 4 inch Hot Pink pair of earrings. Before I pitch to a retailer, I like to research the photos on their facebook page and website if I cannot physically visit the location. - Olivia Thompson from HypnoEars
  
  
• Selling your products at wholesale to the appropriate retailers is a great way to expand your business and build awareness of your products. In return, the retailer can rely on your quality products and buy them at wholesale to make a profit and expand their customer base. - Nancy Tomovska from Stance
  
  
• Quality over quantity with extreme discounts on future orders to keep customers coming back. Quality handmade attention to detail has been what people enjoy the most about our products. - Steve McGarry from McGarryGadGets
  
  
• Do the proper research BEFORE you approach the store’s buyer.  Go to the shop as a “customer”, see what other merchandise is similar to yours, see who the shoppers are, etc.  That way, if you’re lucky enough to get an appointment with the buyer, you will sound knowledgeable, prepared and polished.  Also, wear your product!!!  With my one-of-a-kind feathered headpieces I make sure to wear one when I browse a shop I’m interested in.  I have my 1-minute “elevator speech” ready to go in case someone admires it. - Andie Cohen-Healy from The Feathered Head
  
  
• We’ve found that connecting with business professionals on LinkedIn has brought us many wholesale opportunities. I spend as much time as possible answering questions in community forums for others and also just sharing ideas and that brings a lot of attention that result in wholesale inquiries. You never know if the person that your are helping out with advice has connections to a store buyer. - Jeffrey Nash from Juppy
  
  
• When turning handmade items into wholesale orders, it is important to remember that you must be able to mass produce the item. In other words, if you have been making those gorgeous one of a kind beaded earrings, and want to turn them into a wholesale order, you have to be able to have all materials on hand to make 20 or more pcs. and be able to assemble them. This is where it can get tricky, and you do not want to get in over your head. I recommend simple pcs. for wholesale orders. Pcs. where you know you will be able to get the materials you need, at a great price, and they will not run out of stock. Also, a handmade pc. that is easy to reproduce. If you get enough orders, you may need to hire help and you want your staff to be able to work on the designs easily.Because you are not going to be the face of the brand when it leaves you to go to a brick and mortar shop, I would recommend adding a personal touch to the item. Such as a hang tag with your logo on it, or a signature to the item. This can add to your brand awareness as well, and really helps with advertising. - Heather Markowski from Posh Adornments
  
  
• Unfortunately selling wholesale wasn’t something that worked well for me. Here is why? (1) I could not sell the product at a wholesale price low enough that the retailer could sell the product at the margin they wanted. (2) Most of the clients want some level of customization on the piece/design, even if it is a simple as a ribbon change. (3) I wasn’t willing to sacrifice quality of my handmade designs to drive costs down to produce in extremely high volumes. - Kristi Richardson from Bloomed to Last
  
  
• The best thing you can do selling handmade or one of a kind products wholesale is to make a sample, reach out to those who can influence that connect to your customer, talk to your customer, network and show the quality of your product. - Michael Flanigan from Expressionary
  
  
• The tips I want to share are:

• Set a price that allows enough profit for your time and energy.
• If you have an online presence state to any potential retailer your desire not to have your products on their website competing with your online price.
• Stay away from larger catalog companies unless you can truly fill their larger orders with a price that allows enough profit for your time and energy.
• Always remember tip #1
  
  
• The best tip that worked for me:
  • Personally walking into stores that might carry your product and talking with the owners.
  • State on your website you are open to wholesaling.
  • If budget allows, research and attend a wholesale trade show that best suits your product line. These can cost a bit to get in but can really increase your wholesale business. - Galen Dively from Burnt Impressions