Shop+Artist interview with Mod + Jo

The shop: Mod + Jo
The artist: Jordan Flynn

When Jordan created Mod + Jo, she wanted to provide unique and affordable accessories that women could buy for themselves and the other women in their lives. “I wanted to fill the gap between inexpensive mass-produced accessories we find at fast fashion shops and high-end designer accessories that make your wallet cringe,” Jordan said. 

Jordan has always been drawn to vintage or “mod” color combinations and modern style with a blend of what is current. That is part of what inspired her shop name. She incorporated that inspiration with "Jo," her childhood nickname. Her typical workday begins with coffee and emails. After taking care of the administrative end of things, she begins working on orders.

“I majored in merchandising at North Texas with a minor in business,” Jordan said. “I also worked at a high-end lifestyle store in Dallas. Having the hands-on experience working with a buyer and artisan pieces really helped push me into the direction of wanting to build something for myself.”

She grew Mod + Jo into what it is now while living abroad for a few years while her husband was on assignment for work. “I had the time to sit back and rebrand,” she said. “Without having the experience overseas through living and traveling, I don’t think Mod + Jo would be what it is today.” 

A big fan of the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash, this will be Jordan’s first time as a vendor at the show. “I’m excited to meet our customers in person, help them style our pieces, and make new relationships,” she said. “I have always been a spectator and shopper at the Bash. It will be exciting now to be on the other side.” Mod + Jo will be introducing some new pieces during the Jingle Bash in addition to offering special discounts for shoppers. 

Stop by and say hello to Jordan at the 2017 Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash where you can shop the best handmade artists from near and far. We will be at Eddie Deen's Ranch 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, November 11, 2017. See y'all at the Bash!

Don't miss these Labor Day sales from a few of our Etsy Dallas shops

Don't miss out on these Labor Day deals from some of our favorite Etsy Dallas shops. Here's wishing you all a fun and safe long weekend.

Expressions Bracelets - 20% off all hand-stamped jewelry. No coupon needed. 

Custom maps - 20% off. No coupon needed.

Mesa Blue Jewelry - Free shipping on all orders over $75. Code: FREESHIP

The Pig and the Peacock Soaps & More - 20% off. No coupon needed. 

Wandering Paper Co. - 30% off with code LABORDAY

Whipped Up Wonderful Bath Bombs - 20% storewide sale. No coupon needed.

P.S. Our newsletter subscribers got the scoop about these deals first. *hint hint*

Product photography for the person wearing all the hats

We asked Alexis, of Whipped Up Wonderful, to share some of her product photography tips with us. Her product photos are always so dreamy and beautiful. Here are her helpful suggestions for photography that will definitely up your Etsy listing and Instagram game!

If you are like me, you not only make your product; you package, label, ship and do all the marketing and photography. I’ve taken a lot of bad photos: I’ve tried an “edgy” crooked look, busy backgrounds and overlooked blurriness. Like anything, I improved with practice, and a little revisiting my photography class book from high school. Of course, I’ll also guess you don’t have a photo studio. The cool thing is all you need is a bright sunny window, and a few props, if any, and of course your camera or smartphone.

The White Background:
For your minimalist needs look no further than Amazon for a pop up studio. These fold away boxes offer a full white background, diffuse the light around the subject and make your handmade items “Amazon” ready.

The Catalog:
When you need a look that is more like a catalog style, or you want to try to sell by hitting an emotional key with your customers, then grab your items and let’s look around the house.

Your bath products might look great beside that lovely tub. Your candles might look great on your coffee table. Open those windows wide and get creative.

Pro Tip : Your house isn’t exactly House Beautiful? Pop over to your local home improvement store to create some unique backdrops using wood or tile. Not super handy? Try scrapbook pages or poster board for smaller items.

You might want to experiment with the lighting at different times of day in your house. Sometimes you might only have a few workable hours.

Invest in a tripod. If you need anything to keep a cohesive style, get a tripod, even if you are using your smartphone. You don’t need to drop a lot of money on it either.

Now for the editing. Very rarely will you take a photo from camera to computer and find it to be listing ready. Your computer might already have some photo editing software. If not, there are quite a few easy editing programs online that are cheap or free.

Pro Tip: Steer clear of filters. While trendy and eye catching, they will distort colors and rely on gimmicks (such as bokeh or color washes) that aren’t catalog caliber.

Focus on brightness, white balance and just a touch of saturation to balance and color correct your photos.

And there you have it! Smartphones and the internet have given us all a little leg up in the photography department. Good luck!

Spring Bash recap with YLK Photography

YLK Photography

We were so lucky to have Yony, an Etsy Dallas alumna and a professional photographer, as our official Spring Bash photographer. Her photos are beautiful. We love YLK Photography! Yony is self-taught. She specializes in lifestyle and portrait photography.

You can follow Yony on Facebook or Instagram to see more of her amazing work. She is a true talent. Here are a few of our favorite photos she captured at the Bash ...

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

YLK Photography

Spring Bash Artists Featured on Good Day Fox 4

Our Etsy Dallas vice president SaRatta Murphy visited Good Day Fox 4 to talk about some unique items for sale at the upcoming Spring Bash this Sunday. Watch the clip below if you missed it, and scroll down for more details on the artists featured in the piece.  

http://www.fox4news.com/news/252637591-story

mini Fab

Matt McCoy of mini Fab uses wood, leather and cork for his creations. He creates personalized beard accessories, including all natural beard balm as well as wallets, cuff-links, flasks and bottle openers. 

Joy Street Maps

Kim Dresdner of Joy Street Maps creates one-of-a-kind maps with watercolor and ink, featuring the local area and beyond. Prints and originals will be for sale at the Spring Bash.

MushTushy

Emily Curtin of MushTushy started out creating sock monkeys which eventually evolved into wood art, metal art and custom pet portraits. Most of her wood and metal designs are crafted from upcycled wood and license plates.

Odin Leather Goods

Odin Clack of Odin Leather Goods is known for using vintage baseball gloves and mitts to craft some of his most unique one-of-a-kind pieces. From key chains to handmade leather briefcases, each piece is designed and stitched in his local studio. 

The Pig and the Peacock

Jenny and Sabrina at The Pig & The Peacock create handmade bath luxuries using all natural ingredients. Check out their line of soy candles made from recycled and etched wine bottles. 

Tokodots

Molly Lam created Tokodots, a stationery and gift brand, after spending nine years in Japan. Look for her care package gift certificate for a unique high school graduation gift, along with other colorful cards and prints this weekend.  

We can't wait to see y'all at the Bash! 

Sponsor spotlight: Whipped Up Wonderful

We love Whipped Up Wonderful’s amazing line of bath bombs, bubble bars and perfumes. Alexis is a top seller of bath bombs on Etsy for a reason. You’ll love her items, all made with biodegradable and renewable ingredients. Everything in her shop is cruelty free and most are vegan. 

Be sure to stop by her booth and treat yourself at the Spring Bash this Sunday, May 7, at Gilley's Dallas. We will be there 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Alexis took a quick break from whipping up all the things for a Q&A with us ...

What are you most looking forward to for the 2017 Spring Bash?

Shopping! I always look forward to getting to meet some local makers. 

Is your shop offering anything new/special/different at the Bash?

I’ll be offering some debut products, like my rainy days bath bombs , my bath macarons, and hopefully my new Jelly Bean Bath Melts.

What is your favorite part of prepping for the Spring Bash?

I love planning my booth. Spring and Summer require different looks than Fall shows, so I get to really have fun and experiment. Also the time crunch - nothing makes you more creative than a deadline!

What makes this event special for you?

This will be the first year I’m attending the show not only as a vendor, but as part of the Etsy Dallas Leadership Team! I always make time for the Bash’s any way (being that they are the best independent handmade art and craft show in Dallas), but being such a part of making this show happen makes it all the more special.

Sponsor spotlight: Expressions Bracelets

The Spring Bash countdown is on, y’all. You don’t want to miss the Expressions Bracelets booth at the Bash. SaRatta's hand-stamped jewelry makes the perfect gift. Be sure to stop by to see her beautiful work and get your story on some jewelry. 

SaRatta took a moment for a quick Q&A with us …

What are you most looking forward to for the 2017 Spring Bash?

The Bash Bag line. It is so amazing to see people lined up and excited to get their Bash Bags. I mean, I would be excited too, there are a lot of cool items in those bags!

Is your shop offering anything new/special/different at the Bash?

eb will have some really cool mantra cuffs for moms and girl bosses. Cuffs with phrases such as, Raising lil humans, MOTHER HUSTLER, Nevertheless, She Persisted, BOSS LADY and our most popular phrase Be Badass Everyday.

What is your favorite part of prepping for the Spring Bash?

Planning my booth layout is my favorite part. It is the time where I get to shop for and create cool additions to add to my booth. From new banners to creating product displays, it is a whirlwind of excitement. 

What makes this event special for you?

Our dedicated shoppers. The shoppers make this event special. They help to create the excitement. Some come to look for your booth and talk to you. It's like catching up with old friends.

Apps You NEED For Your Creative Business

Good afternoon!  Allow me to introduce you to your new favorite time-saving, business organizing, unbelievably simple apps to grow your business.  You're welcome!

Photo by anyaberkut/iStock / Getty Images

Spark  - This app sorts email into newsletters/personal/important -- Our favorite feature:  You can SNOOZE (!!!) an email so you can ignore it until you want to see it again, and schedule it for that time.

A Color Story - Is an app by the blogging and social media gurus at A Beautiful Mess.  This elegant photography app features a ton of filters and effects, and makes your photos look like visual candy.  You can delete all your other photo editing apps, this is the one.  

Cool Note:  This app's namesake is also a beautiful hashtag.  Check it out, and add it to your hashtag bank!  #acolorstory

Later - This app is the number one platform for scheduling posts on Instagram.  Simple and intuitive, this app allows you to work ahead and organize and manage your visual marketing content.  If you get really into it, you can use it on your computer to preview your grid, create a bank of most used hashtags, and learn what works through powerful analytics.

Linktree - Since we are fresh on Instagram talk, go ahead and download Linktree.  Instagram only gives you one spot to link to an outside resource.  Linktree directs Instagram followers to multiple links- your blog, portfolio, store, or other social media accounts, for example.

Wunderlist - What's the first step in getting a bunch of things done?  Write a list.  Now, imagine that that list can remind you, be collaborative with others, and be accessed from all of your devices.  There is barely any reason to have a brain anymore, this will remember everything for you.

Pipedrive - So, you are a huge wholesale success now and you are having trouble keeping track of all your sales.  This is where Pipedrive shines.  Manage all you're business contacts in one place, ensure follow-ups, and organize your sales.  Boom.

ATracker - This app is your time tracking fitbit.  List your tasks, then tap when you start a new one.  It keeps track of your time commuting, designing, sleeping, whatever you need.  This is especially helpful when you are working on a project with a client that is priced hourly.  Create a task for their project, and tap it when you begin.  Much better than winging it when it is time to invoice!

Wholesale Tips with Alexis

So, you have been making for awhile, and are ready for the next big leap onto store shelves? Our resident bath bomb guru, Alexis of Whipped Up Wonderful, has joined us today to share some wholesaling how-to's.  Check it out, and don't miss her upcoming class at Dallas Maker's Space, Etsy Dallas Presents: Wholesale for Beginners + Q&A,  for a more in depth look.  You can sign up for the class HERE, and use "LEARN" upon checkout for a surprise discount! 

Getting your toes wet with wholesale can be as simple as your local coffee shop saying “Hey! I love your stuff. Can I buy 20 pieces?” Or it can catch you by surprise when an out of state shop asks for $1,000 of merchandise as fast as you can send out. I’ve seen both scenarios, and it has taken me about three years to be ready for anything. Now, let’s get you ready.

1. Reevaluate your pricing

Let’s look at your pricing. A quick Google search will get you tons of calculators on the matter. They all boil down to a simple equation.

(Labor + Materials) x 2 = Wholesale Price

Wholesale Price x 2 = Retail Price or MSRP

Break out the calculator, and all the receipts and settle in. Draw up a cost sheet for your product. My cost sheet looks something like this:

Don’t forget to factor in the labels, packaging needed, or anything else that makes it a finished product.

How are these prices looking? If a necklace has a cost of $50, do you think that you could get a wholesale client to pay $100 for it?

This is a great time to assess making sure you are getting everything at the best prices. Are there corners you could cut and at what cost?

Let’s think ahead. You have a wholesale client who wants to buy 50 pieces, is there a price for 50 pieces vs 500? Consider tiered pricing. You may not need it for the first year you offer wholesale, but you will thank yourself later when you are in hot demand and have those prices at the ready!

2. Policies - I developed my policies based roughly on my retail policies, but they have changed slightly. It’s always okay to change up policies, but consistency instills confidence. Here is a list of policies I make sure I cover:

Minimum Order - What is the minimum amount you would offer to a wholesale client? There is no magic number as some stores have no minimums and some stores have thousands. Based on your price points in your store, what would be a nice amount to make a little section of a store looked filled out? I find keeping this out of the astronomical side makes me more friendly to Mom & Pop shops.

Minimum for ReOrders - would this be the same amount, or less? You want your client to keep shopping with you, and top up their displays. This is typically a smaller amount than the initial order minimum.

Exchange/Refunds/Damaged Goods - Unless you sell whatever that metal is that Captain America’s Shield is made out of, I guarantee you you will have some damages. They happen. What steps will you do to fix this?

What about unsold goods? Will you return them?

What will the shipping policies be on those decisions?

Again, there are no correct answers here, but I like to put myself in the shoes of the customer. I want to know that my supplier will have my back. If I’m treated well, I’ll shop there again!

Zip Code Protection - Some stockiest may have a shop in a small town. Will you zip code protect in case the shop 10 minutes away also wants to buy your stuff?

Perhaps only on shops that spend a specific amount per month/year?

Net Payment Options - Net payments is when you collect money when goods are delivered. Current popular options are Net 15, 30, 60 - which means if you ship out your goods, the store has 15, 30, or 60 days to pay. You may only want to offer this to repeat customers. You may not want to offer this at all.

Other Payment Options - Stockists usually aren’t giant corporations but rather Mom & Pop Shops. Will you offer any special options for your return clients? Perhaps deposits on orders then net options after delivery? Payment at time of shipping? There are a ton of options, and you’ll probably get asked for all of them! It’s okay to be flexible, but do what fits your company best!

3. Photographs

Okay! We ironed out all that money stuff. Now for “sellin’ it.”

Because you are an online company, your customers rely on the photos and descriptions you provide. Look over your photos. Are you going to make them Amazon ready and photograph everything on white? This actually is a good default to have for your line sheet later. Which brings us to…

4. Line Sheet & Order Forms

Because everything is online now, I’ve never had to worry about a physical Order Form. However, you may have local clients who expect you to pop by and help them with their stock.

Line Sheets are an easy to read list of the products you offer and their price. Some line sheets even show the prices available in bulk tiers ($/20 $/100 $/100)

On Etsy, it’s easy to fill up a line sheet with your existing inventory. Or you can make one yourself.

5. Making Your Items Shop Friendly

Sometimes we get too involved in our retail customers. How you package your items for them, might not work in a shop setting. Look at your packaging. Go shopping for similar items. Consider the best way your items will be displayed. Where will the price tags go? Will they hang on a rack or will they be displayed in a jar? You are in luck if you have a local shop. Go to the shop, and discuss options with the shop keeper. Different shop keepers have different real estate options.

6. Follow up!

You’ve done all the work, you’ve turned on your ‘Open’ Sign, now what?

FOLLOW UP! Shop keepers are often very busy and are pulled in a lot of different directions. Following up on emails is a good way to keep you in their mind, and keep them coming back.

Send out restock notifications, new product notifications, and stay ahead of the holidays. Your client will appreciate your attention to detail and your enthusiasm for keeping them stocked.

Learn to Craft Show Like a Pro with The Pig and the Peacock

Don’t miss our Craft Show Like a Pro workshop this Sunday. Etsy Dallas co-president’s Sabrina and Jenny of The Pig and the Peacock share their pro tips for craft show success from 1-3 p.m., April 9, at Dallas Makerspace. You can get your tickets here.

Attendees are encouraged to bring photos and examples of your booth setup for discussion and feedback. The workshop will cover topics including:

• How to select the right show for you
• Inventory needs
• Booth layout and setup
• Taking payments
• Promotion
• Do’s and Don’ts
• Preparation timelines

These are just a few of the topics Jenny and Sabrina will cover. Craft shows are your chance to set up a mini pop-up show showcasing your work. It takes a lot of preparation and careful planning to put your best foot forward. We know you will have fun and learn a lot at this class. Hope to see you there!

Creative Small Business Goals for 2017 with Alexandra

My favorite thing about being a member of Etsy Dallas is growing and learning with other like minded creatives.  We are all in different places on our entrepreneurial journeys, and we learn what works and what doesn't, and support each other throughout.  Alexandra of Wandering Paper Co. is back with a follow-up to her last post with her goals for 2017.  I am so excited to see where her bright and minimal brand goes this year!

A little while back, I wrote a recap of my 2016 small business goals, so this week it’s time to focus on 2017. I can’t wait to share my goals with you, but before I do, I’d like to ask for your help! In order to accomplish these goals, I need some honest feedback from the general public. I’ve created a short branding survey to help guide my decision making for Wandering this year. If you are willing to fill it out, I would be most grateful! Thank you in advance for giving a little bit of time to help make Wandering Paper Co. better. I couldn’t do this without you!

Okay, on to the goals. It’s taken me a while to write this post is because I’ve had such a hard time narrowing down my list of goals. There are so many things I want to do, but some of them are just going to have to wait until next year. After giving it a lot of thought, here’s my final list of goals for 2017:

SOLIDIFY BRAND

That's my new branding mood board up there! Now that WPC has a year under its belt, I’d like to thoroughly think through my storytelling and messaging, and build out a recognizable brand that my customers connect with. I put together this mood board to help guide the visual portion of branding, which includes color schemes, materials and textures, typography, and graphic elements. 

I also want to think through the way I choose to tell the Wandering Paper Co. story. This will mean thinking through a few key questions—namely, what sets Wandering Paper Co. apart, why has it been successful so far, and how does it connect with its audience on an emotional level? I’m excited to get started on this goal—stay tuned!

BUILD OUT WPC PINTEREST ACCOUNT

My goal with the WPC Pinterest is to showcase my work, but I also want to create a resource for other aspiring printmakers or creative business owners. The Pinterest page will provide solutions to common business questions and problems with links to helpful articles. It will also have lots of printmaking ‘how-to’ articles and inspiration. Plus, it will have boards dedicated to beautiful global décor examples and light-filled creative spaces to help us stay inspired and dream about the future. I really wish I'd had a resource like this when I was first starting out, so I can't wait to share it!

Follow us on Pinterest

THOROUGH SEO STUDY

This one's pretty simple. First, I will conduct a study of relevant search terms and keywords though Google Adwords and the results of my branding survey. Then I will optimize the WPC site for these terms with the goal of growing site traffic from Google searches. It's actually a really big undertaking, but it will be interesting to see how it affects site traffic!

EXPAND EXISTING PRINT SERIES

Create more prints in the City Streets series, City Skylines series, and Pattern print series to round out each collection. A few prints currently in the works are New Orleans, Austin, and a new Fort Worth print to match the Dallas one. I've also been experimenting with some floral patterns, which brings me to my next goal...

EXPERIMENT WITH NEW PRODUCTS

A few items I’m considering: tea towels, napkins, notebooks, and calendars, as well as a line of wedding invitations (hence the florals.) What kinds of items would you like to see? Tell me in the survey!

So, there you have it—my 2017 goals. I’d love to hear your thoughts about these, so if you’d like to help me out, my branding survey is here. Thank you all so, so much for participating and being part of the Wandering Paper Co. story. I can’t wait to get started on these goals and see what 2017 has in store—it is humbling and scary and exciting all at once. Here’s to 2017!

Tax Basics with Yusef

Yusef Murphy, our very appreciated team accounting professional, has joined us today to break down some basics for every creative's "favorite" time of the year, TAX SEASON.  Enjoy, and don't panic!

It’s tax time. It’s the time of year when everyone begins to feel that sense of dread down in the pit of their stomach. They find everything else in the world to do except work on the taxes. For many business owners, small and large, taxes are a loathsome chore. But perhaps I can shed some light on what your taxes say about your business and why it matters. Sometimes a change in perspective can provide the extra motivation needed to tackle this sometimes cumbersome, but greatly important task.

For most small businesses, the tax return will service as the financial data for your business, especially if you are a cash basis business. The financial data presents 3 key indicators that imply a lot about your business:

Revenue

This is the amount your business produces from the sale of its products or services. It also reflects the effectiveness of your operation, growth potential, and business strategy.

Expenses

This is the amount your company spends to produce the service or products it sells. These expenses include the direct costs you incur to produce the product or service as well as the general administrative cost to run your business. This amount reflects the efficiency of your business operation.

Net Profit

This is the amount that the business takes home at the close of an operating cycle. This represents the profit of the business. This amount reflects the stability and health of your business.

Why this matters…

The goals of financial information are:

·       To help you make strategic and managerial decisions related to your business

·       Communicate the condition of your business to others

·       To help establish a framework for your business operations.

Your revenues, expenses, and net profit are the numbers you will need to direct the course of your business in the next operating cycle. These numbers will allow you to make adjustments in operating processes, set goals for growth, and create new strategies for increased profits.

Also, these number are used by lenders, investors, vendors and potential customers to evaluate the health, value and potential of your business.

Finally, these numbers establish a framework for your business operation. They will help you to identify tasks, procedures, and training that will be needed in order execute your business strategies.

The points of all of this, is to help you understand the importance of your tax preparation and to encourage you to embrace the process as an opportunity rather than a chore. Think of it like a report card. You want to be shooting for an “A”.

To help you in your preparation, here’s a list of items you’ll need to prepare your taxes:

·       Last year's business tax return

·       Articles of incorporation

·       Partnership agreement

·       Accounting records

·       Bank statements

·       Credit card statements

·       Payroll reports

·       Detail of asset purchases

·       Depreciation schedules

·       Detail of asset dispositions

·       Vehicle information

If there are any small business accounting or tax related questions that you may have, feel free to send them to me at aatpros@gmail.com

Yusef Murphy