Under the Weather

It's that time of year: Heading into November. Semester is heading toward the end. Final projects piling up. Stress mounting. Making sure the Etsy shop is ready for Christmas. It's a competition to see who can keep their head straight on the longest. On top of all that, it's flu season and lots of people on campus and at work are out sick.

Today I am feeling under the weather. Although I am not deathly ill, I'm just sick enough to not do anything today: 3 classes, 2 meetings, and 1 event. Good Providence got me out of my busiest day this week! So I was able to get some much needed rest and a restart. I also had a sale today which always perks my spirits up!

As far as the Etsy shop, I'm working on getting my Christmas merchandise up. I'm looking to make "the ultimate" Christmas card. What do you think would be "the ultimate" Christmas card? What would make you say, "Wow!" if you received it in the mail? I'm wanting to make them for my own personal use as well as selling in the shop.

As October winds down, I'm looking forward to a new month. A fresh start: November. October was tough and really trying. But I made it through!

Shake Your Tail Feather!

This video made me laugh right out loud...perfect for Friday! Enjoy!

Dream

-something you do while you sleep-

-far removed from reality-

-seems unattainable yet within reach-

-green-

-owning my own business-

-perfection-

-no acne-

-lighter than air-

-the ultimate-

-no homework-

-in the clouds somewhere-

-more time-
-Heaven-

What does "dream" mean to you?

A Sunday Thought

"Let us ever glory in the cross of Christ;

let us regard it as the source of all our hopes,

and the foundation of all our peace.

Ignorance and unbelief may see nothing

in the sufferings of Calvary

but the cruel martyrdom of an innocent man:

faith will see in the death of Jesus

the payment of man's enormous debt to God,

and the complete salvation of all who believe."

-J.C. Ryle [1816-1900] Pastor and Author

Seller Tips: Analyze the Situation

In my Entrepreneurship class, we do this analysis exercise at least twice a week for various products and businesses. It finally clicked: This can be applied to my Etsy shop!

Analyzing your situation is key to running a successful business. Doing this exercise will get you stop and deeply think about your business. Write all your thoughts down. You may even discover something new about your business!

1. Description of your product- What exactly do you sell? What makes your product different than what’s already on the market? Do you use different materials? Do you have a different technique? Be as specific and detailed as possible—Get down to the nitty-gritty if you will.

2. Who is your market?- Who purchases your products? “I sell to everyone!” Well, not exactly. Be realistic. Think about demographics: gender, age, geographic location, income. Knowing who your target market is will make you more efficient in the type of products you offer and how you promote—saving time and money!

3. Who is your completion?- Who else sells the same things as you? List company names and Etsy shops. Keep in mind your competition is not only other Etsy shops, but also mainstream businesses off Etsy as well. (For example, one of the products I sell is greeting cards. I compete with other card shops on Etsy AND big name companies like Hallmark and American Greetings—no pressure by the way!) Once you know who your competition is, take a look at their business-products, prices, marketing. Anticipate their next move so you can be ahead of them!

4. How will you dominate the market?- How will you get the word out there about your products? Ads on websites-blog-interesting photographs-posting flyers around town-craft shows-packaging the products in an eye catching way? This should be answered in light of your market.

This may be a little deep for some Etsy shops, but it is just to get you thinking about your business. I believe it is beneficial! Hope you learn something new about your business!

Entertaining Tip: Recipe Book Favors

Everyone is always looking to improve their entertaining skills. As fall comes upon us, gatherings like Thanksgiving will be taking place.

From my experience as a guest, I always love receiving a little "party favor" from the host. The favor says to me that the host went the extra mile to make the time special. Most times gatherings happen around a table of great food! Every time my family has a gathering, someone wants at least one of the recipes of what we served!

My idea is to make the time special by giving each family a recipe book filled with the recipes from the meal. That way they will always have the recipes, and they will have something that makes them feel special. The recipe book can be especially appropriate for Thanksgiving and Christmas...preserving recipes that have been in the family.

The possibilities are endless with what to use the recipe books for. Penguin Palooza now offers one of a kind recipe books that are sure to wow any guest and look great on any table setting. Custom orders can also be done too! Visit www.penguinpalooza.etsy.com for more information!

Seller Tips: Arousing an Eager Desire

In my business communications class, we are reading How to win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. I was weary when I first heard the title...yikes, winning friends? Apparently this book is the world's best seller behind the Bible of course. As I was reading the assigned chapters, I was struck by what Carnegie was saying and amazed that it can apply to all facets of life...including business.

Chapter 3 can apply to those who have a business. Henry Ford, one of the greatest, most successful business men the world has ever known, said this:

"If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person's point of view and see things from that person's angle as well as from your own."

So many times we as humans focus on our wants and what would make us happy. In our shops, of course we want to have sales everyday. But how often do we take a step back and think about the customers we are serving? What would they want to see in the shop? What product would blow their mind away? Customers know you want sales. Customers want the seller to focus on them and fulfill their desires. They ask, "What's in it for me?"

"Customers like to feel that they are buying--not being sold."

Think always in terms of the customer's point of view , and make the customer desire your product in a way that does not manipulate them.

"The world is full of people who are grabbing and self-seeking. So the rare individual who unselfishly tries to serve other has an enormous advantage. He has little competition."

As the time comes to start preparing for the busy Christmas buying season, I am guilty of seeing dollar signs. Let's make an effort to see things from our customers point of view, and at the same time try to arouse their desires for our great products--not try to only fulfill our desires!

(Quotes in green are from Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People)

Be Still...

Whew! What a whirlwind this past week and a half has been! I just started my junior year at Lake Erie College last Monday. I am majoring in Legal Studies with hopes to have the courage to attend law school some day! LEC is a small, private liberal arts college in Painesville, OH. It's a wonderful school...nice small class sizes, great academic programs, and the professors know your name and talk to you in the hallways!

Anyways, I already have been bogged down with three papers and one presentation already! I am also singing in the Lake Erie College Community Chorus and am a leader for one of the Christian groups on campus…not to mention a leader for the college group at church too! Between those groups, schoolwork, and work, I am pretty busy these days!

I regret to say I haven't spent as much time as I would like to on my Etsy shop! I have so much desire for it to take off, and I am determined to do so! My goal is for my Etsy shop to be my main source of income by the end of this school year…way in May 2010. Right now, I work in the food service industry that is not fulfilling at all! I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and my current class in entrepreneurship is fueling that desire more each day!

As you can see, my life can be overwhelming and sometimes seems unfulfilling. When life throws you into this mess, God states in the Bible to “Be still, and know I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) To “Be still” literally translates to “stop striving.” Stop trying so hard to figure life out on your own. Stop thinking you’re the answer to everything. Stop worrying about tomorrow. Almighty God is in control, and He will not give you a life that is not the PERFECT one for you. He can and will give you the peace and grace you need to make it through every passing day!

Be still…

Buy Handmade!

So, I make my own cards for my Etsy shop.... obvious. I was asked to pick up an appreciation card representing a group of us for our friend who will be going away. I asked my mom if I could make a card instead. She said I shouldn't, so I went to the corner Rite Aid to find one. I was so disappointed by the cards! I couldn't find anything I liked! They just seemed so stale, and they all looked alike. I guess I am so used to making my own whenever I needed one! It made me appreciate more the art of handmade goods. We have so much "power" with our two little hands to create something so unique and so wonderful that no machine could ever produce. I love Etsy and what it stands for. Go handmade!

Welcome to Mentor, Ohio!

Penguin Palooza’s “headquarters” is in Mentor, Ohio. Mentor is a growing city on Lake Erie located about a half hour northeast of Cleveland. When you think of Ohio, you probably think of corn fields and a whole lot of nothing. True, there is a lot of that in Ohio, but Cleveland does have suburbs with no trace of those fields (It doesn’t take long to find some though!). Mentor is very developed and has turned commercial. Any store you would want is located on Mentor Avenue that runs all the way across the city. It takes about a half hour to get from on side of Mentor to other on that road (due to traffic lights and well…traffic!) The commercial areas are surrounded by many neighborhoods…some of them very scenic with beautiful woods.

Although there isn’t much going on in this part of Ohio, one good perk of the region is that we experience all four seasons which I enjoy very much. My favorite is winter! I am one of the few people here who like the mounds of snow we get. Mentor is located in the snowbelt…which means we get Lake Effect Snow. I am located in Mentor close to the lake, so my neighborhood does not receive as much snow as other parts do…close to two feet most of the time!

Mentor does have a couple beautiful beaches, but I would not recommend swimming in the water! Still, the lake is always beautiful to sit and look at while musing!

So, in my family’s home is located my wonderful little office setup where everything takes place: homework, internet surfing, and creating my cards. I love the floating shelves I have on my wall because it utilizes my space very well. My favorite item is my bulletin board that I created covering cork tiles in fabric and paint…then assembling them together to be put on the wall. If you couldn’t tell, I love organization!

Just thought I’d give you a little glimpse of where the magic of Penguin Palooza takes place and introduce you to a place you may have never heard before…the place I call home!

Philosophy of Penguin Palooza

As I have learned in some of my business classes, it is important for any enterprise to have a clear mission statement and vision. So what is the point of this business? Where do I want to be in two, five, or ten years? You have read what Penguin Palooza is in the profile , so I wanted to share what Penguin Palooza's philosophy is:

"Expression of life…joy or sorrow, gratitude or discontentment, love or hatred. All are a daily part of Almighty God’s precious gift of life. In light of this unfathomable gift, “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” (Ecc. 9:10) We have guaranteed this moment in time. So, whether it’s an expression of gratitude, congratulations, or deep sympathy, make the most of this moment by sending a greeting that expresses the best."

As I have learned from experiences in my life, life is so short. Time goes by so quickly. I believe that we should live every moment like it were the last—even through extreme joy or deep sorrow. If the world did not take life so for granted, people would do less horrible things, prefer others over themselves more, and be motivated to do even greater things.

With this in mind, I always try to do the very best to my ability. This includes making cards—what I truly enjoy doing and have a passion for. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I would not sell any card that I would not use myself. I believe more hand-written cards should be sent, not because it would help my business J, but because nothing is more personal and meaningful than a hand-written sentiment—especially in today’s world where an e-card can be sent in less than 10 seconds and is free!

So, Penguin Palooza was created to make the most of this moment in time by creating high-styled greeting cards for every expression life offers.

The First Post

Congratulations to me on my first post of any social networking site! I was considering for some time doing a blog as I enjoy writing very much. I was told that I am a pretty good writer, and one day I was inspired to start a blog! So, I have some ideas on what will be fun to write about...behind the scenes and special sales of the new Etsy shop Penguin Palooza and the life of its creator...me! I hope you stop back soon!