Sharing: A head full of Business

*Waving*

It's week two and, while I've got a bunch of things going through my mind (the most saucy being a constant dream of my future working space), I've put everything in order! Wish my room would do the same for her contents! I've decided to stay focused, meaning not to post random personal photos, and share all my business ideas and difficulties during these two weeks in two categories - one about some personal work decisions and the other containing all about Etsy including some images from my forthcoming shop.

• Crafting, crafting and again crafting. In my mind.

~ Before I came home I had quite some time to work over the design of my main product for the time being: magnets. The whole concept sprung out of the need to draw and create something simple and cute for a change (and not cat-eating three-eyed sharp-horned bears). I've wanted to replace detail with a respectful degree of negligence and the creation I finished up with looked (and still looks) like this:

All of this was fine for the personal need I had for magnets - something bright and shiny to fix the dark Gollumish fridge-room. It's cute, childish and colorful. However, recently I was trying to describe my target audience (wow, what these blogs could do with you!) in order to think of a proper strategy and even to come up with a way to widen it. Mostly women, my buyers would be either artistic and child-spirited or have kids who'd enjoy the shiny animal on the food-crate. Somehow this sounds like me in the present and future but it did not satisfy me. I want my magnets to be able to fit in a room where decors are more stylish, more subtle. Simply said, I want them to fit in this:

I want them to be a subtle accent. That's why I'll be experimenting with background and coloring this week. Ideally, I'll end up with two kinds of magnets which would offer a bit more options for each client. Whether I've succeeded and what's the outcome, you'll see all about it next week.

~ Speaking of target audiences and blogs, I've decided to take my Etsy shop as a more serious undertaking than I initially thought it would be. I don't want to open my shop and wait for a miracle, I want to make the miracle happen to me.

Trying to pour some brain in!

At the local book fair I saw a marketing book published by some Harvard lecturers who teach MBA. Although I'm still at the beginning of the book, it should be helpful in making me understand the basic things about having a business to sell. Moreover, I'm looking forward to a masters in Publishing which teaches a lot about selling and I want to be prepared whatever the situation. Thanks to my newly born interest in business affairs hopefully my Etsy story will be a step ahead. Oh, and if I fail to understand it (well, yes, I do read fiction only) there's always my smart partner to explain things to me. Phew!

Smart boyfriend + Smart book = Definite success!

~ Taking it on the next level has been my motto for a while. My plans include finding a way to explore interior design theories (know a useful book, anyone?), buying myself a sewing machine for simple packages and learning more about photography than how to press the Auto button. While rummaging through Etsy, I found this site: http://digital-photography-school.com/ and I'll find the time to read all of it after we buy my very first photographic stand (is that even its name?!). I'm quite excited about all of this and can't get rid of this feeling that I have to learn more each day. Wonder if that'd end well! And there is this other thing...

• The reality of earning pocket money to fuel crazy craft projects.

~ While this blog and all my other thoughts have been a constant source of working experience, I do know that I need actual money to buy actual supplies if I'm to realize all of this. And, yes, I'd like to go on a holiday and not to ask my mom for money every second day. I was preparing my psyche for some boring low-paid job, but then a spark of hope appeared on my mobile's screen when a friend called offering me the opportunity to work with him and a bunch of American doctors. It's going to take 12 days but the pay will probably cover a holiday and some supplies while not leaving me penniless! I'm also quite excited to do something new (Americans, wow, really?) and spend some time as an adventurer! I will miss my partner, but I'll make sure to terrorize him over the phone at least twice a day! 

~ After this job is done, I will probably start working as an intern of a Bulgarian publishing house. Volunteer work, but the experience will surely be worth my time! Tomorrow will be the day to arrange my internship program, so wish me luck! 

• Conclusion, conclusions!

This post contained a bit too much randomness, but it did present my business process at the moment. Feel free to share some of your dilemmas or suggestions on how to resolve mine! Or just be random, we tolerate random. Having agreed to work for these Americans, I'll be away for the next two weeks, but the blog will be kept alive thanks to scheduled posts! Anyway, this week I'm all live and writing making sure you can get your weekly finds and tips. Join me on Wednesday, when we'll be looking at some creations with purpose in the Alternative Finds section, this week called "Purpose per pose"!

Trying to figure out what is it that the aliens gave to humanity in a form of camera.

Throwing enthusiasm here and there,

Bilyana