Wisdom from the Handmade Marketplace Book

I'm pleased as punch that I finished this book so quickly. I can't tell you the last time I read a book cover to cover. I start a lot of books, infrequently and lose interest quickly. A finish is a good judge of content for me. This one was good.

I jotted notes as I read, hoping to gain wisdom necessary to improve my state of affairs in 2011, 2010 was not my year for many reasons. I can credit 2010 with an engagement to a wonderful man, just the rest of the year was the goo at the bottom of the barrel. I've been joking, I think there is a hole in the bottom of my barrel.

Anyway, here are some gems I jotted direct quotes of from the book:

"Do not underestimate the value of your work. If you undercharge, you not only hurt yourself but other crafters who are a part of your community." -Page 49

"Remember, your portfolio is only as strong as your weakest photo, so make sure all of your product shots are your personal best." - Holly Becker of decor8, Page 126

"Nothing helps people imagine something in their own life like seeing it in action." -Page 175

Here's a little wisdom for you. I hope you enjoy these drops of knowledge.

Quotes from: The Handmade Marketplace; How to sell your crafts locally, globally and online, By Kari Chapin.

Current Read: The Handmade Marketplace

I just opened a new library card at my hometown library in Northfield, MN (my old one had expired several years ago since I hadn't been living here). I love the library. My favorite sections are DVD's and the new release book section. Even when I was in high school I enjoyed perusing the new release book section. As I am sure you can imagine, with my new card in hand, I charged right over to that section to see what they have.

One thing I have always enjoyed about the Northfield Public Library, is the abundance of arts and crafts books. Living in the woods, we made regular use of those books to keep ourselves entertained as kids. That said, of course there were a few gems in this genre on the new release shelves.

I got my paws on: The Handmade Marketplace; How to sell your crafts locally, globally and online, By Kari Chapin. It was published this year and is filled with valuable information for independent artists and crafters. Heck, I bet any business owner looking to learn how to better market online would benefit from this book.

With $3.49 to my name at the moment, I am looking for any information I can to grow my handmade fashion business. This is one of my favorite topics to read about online and I try to find out what I can in my free time. The $3.49, numerous rejections from office job applications and frighteningly lethargic sales on my Etsy.com store this holiday season are what provoked me to give this book a careful and thorough read. It is oh so timely I stumbled across it at the library.

This book is current and a wealth of information for anyone looking to improve their small business marketing efforts. I'm reading it armed with pen and paper and have nearly filled a small notepad with ideas...lots and lots of ideas and tasks I wish to execute sooner rather than later.

One of my favorite bonus aspects of this book: it fits in my purse!

Available on Amazon.com.