Plans for 2014

Now that I'm on track with the way I want my business to go, I'm ready to start posting messages again. The big news for 2014 is that I have joined Network Artists North East. Plans are afoot for an exhibition later in the year...

New business strategy

Finally! I've had a good think about my business strategy and have now changed several areas of my blog to reflect it. That strategy is to focus more on designing and let others do the selling. In other words, simplify!

Craft fairs and markets are fun and give me plenty of opportunity to talk with people but the sales simply aren't offsetting my expenses. It isn't good business sense for me to continue that way so I'm pushing to find stockists and other creative opportunities for selling my patterns instead.

I will be placing a few new designs on my blackwork page (see the tab above) over the next few days. If anything interests you before I find stockists, by all means contact me (see the More about me tab above). Although I'm not planning to continue the mail order service that I was doing before, I am willing to make the odd exception.

As before, I will continue to update you through this blog so you can access the information at your own convenience.

Change in my Terms & Conditions

Many apologies for the long delay between postings. I've been attending to some personal matters of late but I hope to return to stitching speed in the not too distant future.

One of the items on my agenda has been complying with the latest EU laws regarding the use of "cookies" on websites.  My business is far too small to warrant the headaches associated with this latest compliance so I have made the decision to remove the Google Analytics tracking that I had previously attached to my blog pages. The "compose" feature in blogspot wouldn't allow me to change it so I've had to delve into the HTML feature, an experience fraught with anxiety! Hopefully I have been successful but for safety's sake, I have also deleted my Google Analytics account. One way or the other, I am no longer collecting that anonymous data.

Another item on my agenda is to look into alternatives for a post box address. Royal Mail has more than tripled the original cost since 2009. Passing along such an astronomical rise to you through an increase in the price of my patterns isn't setting well with me. Nor am I prepared to advertise my home address on the internet for more than obvious reasons! So watch this space for futher changes that are afoot.

Practical business matters aside, I am planning some stitching changes as well. Forays into markets and fairs have proven to be too expensive for the return that I get in sales. I tried some less costly alternatives this year but they have failed as well. So you now find me scouting around for even more alternatives. Again, watch this space for the changes that are afoot.

Really must get going here but I promise to do my utmost to build the momentum once again.