You're the boss of me.

Have you seen my custom bag listings yet?  These are becoming my most popular item.

People love being the boss of me -- designing their own, one-of-a-kind, messenger and laptop bag.

Customer get to pick everything, from the color of the bag to design on the patch.

Check out some of these recent personalized designs.

Cthulhu in custom colors	B9 Robot in custom colors
Torchwood	Sketch for a custom owl design
For a singer (color/layout check)	Sugar Glider (color/layout check)

Whats in a Name?

Shakespeare famously said: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)


But is that true?  We spend a lot of time naming things.  We name our pets and our children.  And then we give pet names to each other.  We name our cars and we name our discoveries.  We must think that names are important.  Or maybe we think that when we name something, we own it.  (My Dear, My Sweetheart, My Pookilicious?)


So important, so fraught is this naming business, I was nearly paralyzed when it came time to pick a name for my Etsy store.  And then, just to add to my general baseline anxiety, when you start an account on Etsy, the registration page tells you that you should pick a good name, BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CHANGE IT LATER.


This is a terrible thing to tell a brand new entrepreneur.  Back in those days, I thought that I would be selling paintings on Etsy.  Maybe purses.  No, watercolors.  Or backpacks.  Or appliquéd patches. Or earrings.  I honestly had no idea what would sell.  I could see that people were selling all of these things, but I didn't know why, or how they had found their market.  My plan was to test a few items in each category until I found something that buyers liked.   

So, back to the name.  Here were my general requirements

• It needed to be nonspecific enough to accommodate whatever artsy-craftsy thing I ended up making that people would buy.
• It needed to be memorable.
• It needed to be easy to search for.

So, because I couldn't be sure of what my final product would be, I decide to make my business name about me.  Bitsi has been my parents' nickname for me since I was a baby.  (Yes, they spelled it with an 'i' on the end.  My mother spells a lot of things with an 'i' on the end.)  So my artsy alter-ego would be named Bitsi too.  And sometimes just Bits, like when Bitsi sounded too-twee to me.


After deciding on Bitsi as an element of the name, I decided to distinguish myself a little by sticking the Artsi prefix on, too.  (as if there was going to be a lot of confusion about which "Bitsi" I was.) But I particularly liked the lyrical sound of it: "Artsee Bitsee dot Etsee dot com".  And for a while, I dithered on whether to spell it ArtsyBitsy.etsy.com, with 'y's, to make the rhyme more obvious.


Well, you know how it turned out.  I decided to leave Bitsi with an 'i', and then  Artsi had to also have an 'i' too.  And that choice has made it a little easier to find me online.  And eventually even Google stopped asking me "Did you mean Artsy Bitsy?"


What's in a name? I'm still not sure. Would I be doing better if my store name matched my products?  Or would I start to feel limited by a shop name like "Monsters R Us"?  


What have you named lately?

Bringing Awesome to Weirdos Everywhere

Robot Messenger Bag by ArtsiBitsi

Recently I was asked to explain why I sell almost exclusively online, through Etsy, rather than through gift shops and bricks-and-mortar stores.  Aren't most people more comfortable shopping in person, where they can pick up and examine an item before deciding to buy it?  What kind of person would buy a backpack or messenger bag online -- solely from pictures?

I can relate.  I would never buy an avocado online.  And fortunately I don't have to, because there are lots of supermarkets that sell avocados.  I can squish as many real avocados as I like before deciding which one I want to buy.  (I don't really squish the avocados -- I'm just saying, I could.)

But suppose I am a weirdo from Smallville, Kansas and I want a sweet skull backpack or cthulhu messenger bag.  My local Walmart doesn't carry them and neither does the mall.  Shopping online is the best solution for a quirky non-conformist like me.

So my online shop is like a beacon and gathering place for fellow nerds, geeks, oddballs and weirdos worldwide.  Through the power of the interwebs, I am able to connect with cool people across the pond and down under.  

Etsy Team Columbus: Punk Rock Challenge

VOTE FOR MEEEE!

One of my teams has started doing a monthly challenge to inspire our creative muses and generate interest in our group. This month's challenge is entitled "Punk Rock". Check it out.

http://etsyteamcolumbus.blogspot.com/2009/04/punk-rock-challenge-team-submissions.html

The ballot is on the right. Vote for your favorite item (which is "Artsi Bitsi's skull IPOD cozy", of course!).

By the numbers

So I woke up this morning and checked my email and lo! and behold, someone bought a Monster Mini in the middle of the night.  As I was pondering the 2:15am timestamp on the order, I got to thinking, 'I wonder how many of my customers shop in the middle of the night?'  I mean, it could be a lot, considering that most of my customers are ordering items off of the Geekery catagory on Etsy.  And geeks are well known for their eccentric hours.

But it could also be important for me to have a better handle on my

 customers habits, so that I can tailor the timing of my listings to come up when they're shopping.

So, I started pulling data down and organizing it.  I pulled out the time of day and also the day of week from all of my orders for the past six months.  You can see the charts that I was able to create below.  (spreadsheets are excellent!)

You can see a couple things from these charts.  First, about a third of my sales come on the weekend (33%), and more than a third come when customers are at home in the evening, from about 5:30pm til 10pm.  Tuesdays and afternoons at work are also good times.  Mornings and the end of the week are slow.

I think that this is pretty interesting, but it's only a few months of data.  There are a few big gaps in sales (end of December and when my store was getting started), that might skew my data.  I'll keep an eye on it for a while and see if there are any shifts.

But I'll also try to do more listings on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings when my customers are in a buying mood.  :-)

Another Distribution Channel

When I started selling online, I originally stocked my Etsy store with paintings.  Like my purses, my watercolors and oils are popular with friends and family, and I thought that there'd be a good market for originals on Etsy.  (do a search on Etsy for ACEO - Art Card, Editions & Originals - and you'll see what I mean.)

Well, the art world was not exactly taken by storm.  More like, they were taken by apathy.  

On the other hand, there was even less enthusiasm on the home front.  Surprisingly my family was dismayed to see "their" paintings put up for sale in the coarse and crass public marketplace.  Who knew that they felt so proprietary?  It was kind of sweet.

Ultimately, it turned out happily for all concerned.  The coarse and crass public didn't buy my original watercolors after all.  So I was able to give them to my daughter and husband, which made them (relieved and) happy.  My Monster Bags are doing very well on my Etsy store, so I'm happy.  

And just in case someone out there in the interwebs missed the opportunity to acquire an ArtsiBitsi painting, I set up a store on Cafepress to sell reproductions and prints.  Check it out, and if you see something there that you'd like changed a bit (a certain painting on a different t-shirt, for example), just let me know.

Safety in Numbers

Have you ever noticed that all of the shoe stores in the mall are all clustered together in one spot?  All the trendy, hip clothing stores are located in the same part of town.  And there's a Starbucks on every corner.

Seems weird, right?  Shouldn't these businesses be more concerned about their competition stealing their customers?

Well, it's not that they don't understand about competition, its that they understand that consumers do 'destination' shopping.  Take fast-food restaurants, for example.  They are almost always in groups.  You'll see KFC, Burger King, Taco Bell and McDonalds, all in a row.  The Taco Bell might even be selling Pizza Hut items.  My local KFC sells Long John Silvers fish.   

So what happens is, when someone is hungry, they start instinctively moving toward this area.  Usually I start moving before I even decide where I want to eat.  Co-locating is good for everyone's business in this case.  When a new fast-food place opens up, they find a ready-made customer base already in place and expectant.

Consequently I'm pretty happy to be a part of a crafty consortium.  Not only does it make the business of selling online less lonely, its a great way to help my customer do 'destination' shopping.

The group that I joined is Etsy Team Columbus.  This is a large, broadly and deeply talented group of artisans, who have shops on Etsy, all located in the Columbus, Ohio area.  If you live in the Central Ohio area, you can go to the ETC group to "buy handmade, buy local".  The ETC group is growing rapidly, and gets involved in lots of shows and arty activities.

 

Click this logo to see the ETC blog and links to all of the ETC member shops.

Mini Smoochies - SWAK!

Did you (or a loved one) get some fun personal electronics as gifts? Are you wondering how to keep them safe and give them a fun place to hang out? 

SMOOCHIE MINI POUCHES are a new product that I developed for this spring.  I think that they'll be a popular alternative to the MONSTER MINIS (which I'll continue to make -- don't worry!).  And maybe even a fun Valentine's Day gift for your favorite geekette.  

Supplies are limited.  There are only two for sale on each of my online stores: Etsy and also on Artfire.  Go check 'em out.  

...

No SMOOCHIES for 1000markets.  Nyah! :-p

Rejection by 1000Markets

I recieved this email today:

Dear Artsi Bitsi,  

Thank you so much for taking the time to submit your shop for approval. Our selection team really enjoyed reviewing your shop. Even though you meet the minimum mandatory qualifications, we have unfortunately decided to decline your application.  

It is never easy for us to turn down an artisan merchant. We know how hard you work at your craft and we appreciate the time you invested in preparing your shop for approval. While we personally review every shop, we cannot offer individualized feedback. In general, we look for a mix of products and an overall aesthetic that complements our brand and reflects the subjective vision for our site.  

We do hope you understand that our decision is in no way a reflection of your abilities, motivation, or capacity as a businessperson or artist. We wish you every personal and professional success in the future.  

Sincerely,  

Lisa

While it certainly is a relief to know that I "met the minimum manditory requirements" and that I was not rejected on the basis of my "abilities, motivation or capacity as a businessperson", I remain perplexed as to the reason that I was, in fact, still rejected.  I also don't understand how they plan to make money if they are rejecting people who want to pay for the privilege of selling products on their site.  

I'm not upset.  I'm just curious.  If anyone has any insights, please let me know.

Bits is Back!

Wow.  December was a crazy month.  First, things got very frantic with my "day job" at Ohio State, trying to wrap up the quarter.  There was a ton of papers and exams to score and final grades to calculate.  I also had custom orders and shows to sew for.  Then, hubby and I went on the Big Safari to Africa, which meant dropping off the grid entirely for two weeks.  Our heads got empty and then got filled up again with all of the interesting sites and experiences that Africa has to offer.  

Finally, there was that little issue of Christmas with the presents, and that craziness of all family gatherings that feature wine, hyped up kids and too many cookies.  

Now it is quiet.  I am just starting to get ahead of the massive amounts of laundry and clutter that accumulated while I was off doing other things.  And I am getting back to my sewing.

Yesterday, I spent the entire day on Artsibitsi business.   I made six new Monster Minis, which was fun.  I had forgotten how much I like sewing those little faces.

And I also started two new online shops at Artfire and 1000Markets. Both sites appear to be trying to compete with Etsy, which is fine with me.  I am all about free markets, but it might be kind of late in the game. Like Etsy, they are offering free stores.  Artfire is also offering no fees on all sales.  I'm not sure what their business model is, or how they expect to make any money.

At this point, both sites seem to be encouraging community building, featuring blogs for the artists, right on their store page.  But both are also in trial mode so I expect bugs and new features to appear regularly.  Artfire seems to be the more aggressive of the two, claiming to be able to respond to market needs (for features like Google Analytics) within hours.  On the other hand, I started my store on 1000Markets last night and it still has not been "approved", whatever that means.  

Anyway, any new distribution channel is worth exploring to see if there is any value in them. Especially since the cost is basically just my time.  Check my stores and let me know what you think.  http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&seller_id=16106  and artsibitsi.1000markets.com/

What's the magic number?

A couple weeks ago, I wrote that I thought that I had cracked the code
on Etsy listings when I started listing my Monster Bags under Geekery
instead of Purses. That strategy is still working decently. I've had
more online sales in the past month than I had in the previous three
months. That's going well -- knock on wood -- and makes me more
committed to online sales channel.

But I've noticed something else that is perplexing. As a part of my
quest for enlightenment, I've been reading Etsy's Storque articles for
ideas on how to do a better job with my online store. JJM Finance has
written several (probably self-serving) articles about using hearts
and views to project sales
(http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/the-numbers-game-ratios-and-your-shops-popularity-2146/)

So, I've been checking my hearts and views pretty often, using this
Heart-o-matic tool:
http://www.craftcult.com/heartsitems.php?userid=artsibitsi&submit=Submit.
JJM Finance says that I should be looking at the ratio of hearts to
views. There's a golden proportion that will let me know when I'm
about to have a sale. For example, he says that for his shop, "my
heart-to-sale ratio has consistently been around 3".

After spending a good 45 minutes pulling down data and wrestling with
it in a spreadsheet, I have this. 

Over the last five months, my
hearts-to-sale ratio has averaged about 4.65. The low point was in
September where I had 20 hearts and only one sale. But that was
rapidly followed by a few weeks where my ratio was really good, like 2
hearts per sale. And now for the last month or so, it's been closer
to 4 or 5 hearts per sale.

:-)

Buy Handmade and Help Women Entrepreneurs in Africa and Central America

I'm a world traveler.  Seriously.  I've visited more than 160 cities in 17 countries, including Peru, Guatamala, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Greece and Tanzania.  Sometimes I think that the only reason to work is to make money, so that I can go see another part of the world (got a trip to Tanzania and Amsterdam lined up for next month).

Anyway.  One of the most affecting experiences, and the biggest takeaway of my travels has to be seeing the different ways that people live in other parts of the world.  For a lot of people, $4 is a days wages.  For me, it's a good cup of coffee.  It's hard not to feel a huge burden of guilt about that. But what can one person do about it?  
Well, here is what I am doing.  It's small, I admit.  But what the heck, I'm sort of a small person.  
First, whenever I travel, I look for the artists.  There are always hundreds of people selling mass-produced crap.  I try to find people who are making nice things of their own design.  

This photograph was taken in a very small village on the Amazon River in Peru, called Las Palmas.  This is their market where the women (it's almost always women) sell their handcrafts.  I spent about $18 here and got a painting, an etched gourd, a macrame-type water bottle carrier, and a wood carving of a mama monkey with a baby on it's back.  It's so moving.  Here are these people,

 most of them living practically a stone-age existence in primitive huts, doing these incredibly evocative paintings and carvings of their world.  Art is what makes us human.  Gotta support that.

The other thing, that I just started doing, is making small business

 loans to women in the countries that I've visited.  Because women often get stuck trying to keep their families afloat.  And because economic autonomy is a stepping stone to social and political power.  So far, just  using the money that I have in my Paypal account from Etsy sales, I have made SEVEN loans.  

You can see my Kiva lending portfolio here: http://www.kiva.org/lender/artsibitsi

And here is the story of one woman that I made a loan to today:

Mrs. María Rosaria is 54 years old, belongs to the Communal Bank Mujeres del Mañana and the Comedor Popular (an eatery for low-income families) in her area.  She lives on the street Manuel Gonzalez Prada s / n, district of Agallpampa, province of Otuzco, department of La Libertad, Peru.

She studied until the third grade because that was the custom in the towns; it was believed that women should not be educated because they would write letters to the men to fall in love, she says.

She is a single mother and has a son who is already married. She started her business breeding and selling animals, and had capital but unfortunately fell ill for nearly a year and started again from scratch, she says. She accumulated capital and it was the Movimiento Manuela Ramos, through Credimujer, that supported and helped as much with their education as with their loans.

She currently has a wine cellar in her house. With the first loan of 300 soles, which was paid back in 4 months she bought items for her grocery store. With this loan of 1,200 soles (US $400), which will be repaid in 6 months, she plans to invest in groceries. Maria dreams of having a nice house to fix up to accommodate her son with his family.