Theresa Rose Designs - October Daily Flash Sale

October Daily Flash Sale

October is a special month for me. On October 16, 2013, I finally was able to quit my day job to run Theresa Rose Designs full-time. To celebrate, I am going to be having a special sale each day of the month. I will be offering one piece of jewelry at 40%-50% off each day in October.

I will only be advertising my 'daily special sale' on Facebook and Instagram. There will only be one item available and I will select a different piece of jewelry each day. So be on the lookout starting October 1. 

To see the daily deal, follow me on Facebook and Instragram.

Here's the link to follow me on Facebook: http://facebook.com/TheresaRoseDesigns

Here's the link to follow me on Instagram: http://instagram.com/TheresaRoseDesigns

Look for the hashtag #TheresaRoseOctoberSale

Wink, Women Inkorporated - A Great Business Networking Group for Women

Relationships are the catalyst for success.
People do business with those they like and trust.
Serve as a resource, help others succeed. 

Wink, Women Inkorporated - Women's Networking Organization

While I've been more than happy to stay holed up in my little studio, wearing comfy sweats, and making jewelry all day, I realize the importance of meeting new people in order to grow my business in new ways. I've done a decent job growing my business by learning about Etsy, taking good pictures, and word of mouth. But there's a whole big world out there and I want them to know about me!

Networking is about making connections and building enduring, mutually beneficial relationships. Plus it's fun, especially after a few long days only conversing with my dog!

Networking is inexpensive. It’s full of like-minded individuals that you can work with or learn from in some way. Also, face-to-face networking events create lasting impressions in the minds of people you meet.

Last summer I joined Wink, Women Inkorporated, a women's business networking group based out of San Diego.

Here is the Wink Mission:
'Wink, Women Inkorporated^® is a faith-based business women’s networking organization. We have a vision for making business women’s networking better, more effective and of high integrity for all women in business. Wink events offer business insights and ideas, workshops, relatable topics, collaboration with like-minded women and lots of connecting with women ready to grow professionally and personally. Wink business women’s networking is open to all female professionals, entrepreneurs, business owners or independent contractors. We offer a fun, welcoming, professional environment of high integrity.Wink, Women Inkorporated is the Link to Business Women’s Networking.'

The good news is that they are going national and chapters will be opening up all over the U.S. Not only am I meeting other women business owners, I am learning so much because they have fantastic guest speakers at each meeting. Examples of some of the speaking events I've attended are:

• Facebook Ads and Boosted Posts
• The 30-60-90 Day Plan for Your 2014 Sales
• The Entrepreneur Mindset Panel 
• Leverage: The Secret Weapon of Successful Solopreneur's

Since joining Wink, I have seen my jewelry sales double - yes, double! It isn't because I'm selling loads of jewelry at the meetings, it's because my mindset was completely changed from hobbyist to serious business owner. I have learned so much about running my business and have gained more confidence in myself.

This summer, I became the Chapter Leader for the Carmel Mountain Ranch group. I have met so many fantastic business women. Women that are in all different stages of running their own business, some part-time, some full-time. It has been truly inspiring being around such motivated people.

I found Wink at Meetup.com. Meetup is a great site where you can find a wide range of groups for every interest imaginable. While there are many business networking groups in every city, it's just a matter of finding the one that suits you. For me, Wink was the perfect match.

Here is their website for more information on Wink:
http://womeninkorporated.com/
If you are interested in starting a chapter in your city, please e-mail me for more information.

The Carmel Mountain Wink meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Claim Jumper at 12384 Carmel Mountain Rd, San Diego. Meetings run from 11:45 to 1:15. You can find more information at the meetup site: Wink, Women's Inkorporated.

A Simple, Effective Facebook Contest That Will Gain You More Fans

Running a simple Facebook contest

I frequently run Facebook contests, but last week I ran a contest that had a twist. I actually found this idea from a Facebook account that I follow. Instead of just asking people to comment in the post, I added a new requirement - each entry had to tag a friend. Both the entrant and their tagged friend would win a sterling silver bangle.

It worked great! By requiring entrants to tag a friend, I had much more engagement and exposure to new people that have never seen my page. My current fans appreciated being given the opportunity to help their friends win jewelry - it was a win-win all the way around!

I highly recommend trying this yourself. And please comment below and let us know how it worked out for you.

3 Things Many Sellers Don't Do Before Opening a Store on Etsy (and Should!)

Do you want your Etsy shop to be a hobby or a business?

Etsy will take you through the steps to open your Etsy store, but besides knowing how to functionally set up your account, choosing your shop name, etc., here are the 3 things that I believe are vital to have completed before opening your 'doors'. However, I consistently see new sellers that start selling without completing these 3 things, and it leads to frustration, a bad experience, and in many cases, an early close to the shop.

1. Create a professional shop appearance.
Before listing your first item, you should have your bio, about page, and policy page completed.
A policy page is so important and a well designed, informative page can save you plenty of headaches down the line. Here is where you enter the following information:

• Return & Exchange Policy
• Payment Options
• Shipping Information
• Additional information such as custom order policy, wholesale offerings, etc.

I personally think your profile picture should be a picture of you, not of your product or even your logo. Other people may differ, but I believe it adds a personal touch and people like to see who they are purchasing from. Especially in the handmade world, when a customer can see the designer/owner, it adds to the experience.

2. Have at least 20 to 30 items made and photographed.
This will ensure that you are starting out strong and have a full shop right away. I personally will not purchase from a shop that has only a handful of items displayed. It doesn't give the appearance that the owner is serious about their business. Granted, there are some shops that are highly specialized and only make custom pieces. Then it is understandable that they can only list a few at a time. But, those are the exception. You also want to start off with a good momentum, and having 20-30 items ready to list immediately will get you on the right track.

3. Know how to ship your product and have the supplies already on hand.
This may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many times I've seen the question in the forums with the title 'I've sold my first item. How do I ship it?'. Before opening your shop, make sure of the following:

• Determine your shipping method - Etsy shipping, Paypal shipping, Stamps.com, or good old-fashioned stamps.
• Purchase appropriate envelopes, boxes, shipping labels, stamps, packing material, etc.
• Practice at least once shipping an item. You can even ship it to yourself or a family member. It may cost a couple of dollars, but knowing how the procedure works ahead of time is well worth it.

I have to admit that I wasn't prepared in this area, which is why I emphasize it here in this post. I didn't expect to sell my first piece of jewelry within 1 week, so I hadn't purchased the bubble mailers yet. So when I woke up to my first sale, I had to rush to Office Depot to purchase (very expensive) envelopes. I then made a mistake creating the shipping label and had to cancel it, and start over. Learn from my mistake!

Here is a good Etsy article regarding how to set up your shipping profiles:
Etsy Blog - Create Shipping Profiles

So, while there are other areas that are extremely important before setting up shop, I chose these three to discuss because I believe they are ones that are overlooked more often than others.

Remember, you want to have a professional shop - this will go a long ways to ensuring your success!

Summer - Simply Sublime

I'm not ready to give up on summer yet. It's September, but it feels more like July here in San Diego. That was the inspiration for this collection. A simple lace dress, cozy flats, and nude nail polish. Perfect for a summer evening.

Paired with two of my jewelry designs, the long antique silver necklace and matte silver teardrop earrings, simple, yet elegant.

And what summer outfit isn't complete without a siberian husky puppy!