2/23/2013 TriValley Team Meeting Summary
In attendance:
Nilene, Andrea, Caroline, Yang, Lavonne, Theresa, Beth, Joan, Helena, Matt
Summary of what went on:
High Tea – What a great idea – nibbling finger food & sipping tea while we held the meeting.
Introductions – Everyone introduced themselves & shared their ideas for team goals
List of “Things I’d like the Team to help me with”:
Marketing/Promoting – Lots of us want help with and/or tips regarding the use of social media to direct traffic to our sites. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc.
Swap /De-Stash / Team Trade - Trading our unneeded supplies for ones we will actually use
Etsy shop troubleshooting & critiquing – As in "Is there something I could do differently that will get me more sales?"
Defining individual direction – I’m into so many kinds of crafts; should I narrow down what I offer, or open multiple shops, or offer everything on the same shop?
Group Purchasing – Buying in bulk to get the best discount, e.g. Firemountain Gems & Beads
Establishing a clearing house of upcoming boutiques & craft fairs – Keep a running list of places where we can vend (and possibly share tables)
Sharing photography tips – We can never get enough of those – good pictures are a key factor to on-line selling success
Other Stuff - We also heard many fun stories and harrowing tales of Life as a Crafter/On-Line Seller:
Stories from team members included: challenges of shipping large items, the unique aspect of marketing graphic design work, the hazards of texting while walking down a set of stairs, the value of family, friends, and co-workers who are fans of your work, Viking babies, Zombie fabric, how fun it is to have a local team of local crafters that can meet in person, the elusive nature of getting on that front page of Etsy, singing with the Sweet Adelines, the rude realization that holding a Home Holiday Boutique is illegal in the City of Livermore, the fun of working with a variety of crafty things like wire weaving, textile work, sewing, and jewelry making all at the same time, and lastly, Matt told us about selling a pair of his grandfather’s pants on EBay for over $2,000.00! (And no, his grandfather was not wearing them at the time.)
Many thanks to Nilene for her gracious hospitality, to all who brought yummy things to eat, and for everyone’s enthusiastic participation!
Next meeting date, time, and location TBD (High Tea at Nilene’s beautiful home will be a hard act to follow….)
