Owned by sisters Kasey and Kelly, the day consisted of two tours, one in the morning and the other in the evening of their warehouse and work space.

The sisters gave a thorough overview of their business, walking participants through their space, section by section.

It was wonderful to hear how their product line developed and how their whole family pitches in and lends a hand. Their space is very neatly organized and more than once each of them claimed it was because of their mother. And many of the shelves, and storage units, found throughout their space was made by their father.

Getting to a point in your business, where your product output must be scaled up is something that Biggs and Featherbelle has had to figure out and was what prompted the move from out of their parent’s basement and into their warehouse space.

We toured their office area, where orders are received and general accounting is done, their shipping area, which consisted of two large tables where orders are packaged for shipment. We also saw where their product is stored, along with a small closed off area, which holds the only a/c unit to keep some of their products from melting in the hot summer heat. This area was also created by their father.

We learned about how they hand stamp their packaging and the long strips of cardboard that make up their soap packaging was hung throughout the warehouse for drying.

We then saw how they make their soaps from start to finish. It is a very delicate process with many factors and chemical reactions to be considered. We learned the basics of soap making and that soap consists of solid and liquid fats and essential oils.

Kasey and Kelly were very excited to have been able to recently purchase new heavy-duty immersion blenders for their kitchen. They found that immersion blenders really made the soaps come out perfectly.

Making the soap and lip balm are extensive processes, where cleanliness and precision is key to success. The recipes for all of their products have been painstakingly perfected over the years and they are still learning and perfecting as they grow their distribution.

The sisters shared their small library of well loved soap making books while on our tour. It was great to flip through the worn pages and see sections highlighted from use.

Careful consideration and great care is taken in the selection and use of natural materials in Biggs and Featherbelle’s products. We learned that bath and body care is something that is not regulated by the FDA, but that the sisters still care about the ingredients and what is going into their soaps at every step of the process.

We then got to try our hand at soap making and made our very own body scrub. The scrub we made consisted of two different types of salt, walnut powder, seeds and essential oils. We learned about which oils are best for which skin type and that the essential oils all smelled good in combination with each other. We then packaged our scrubs and added a custom label that the sisters created just for the day.

Everyone left happy and with a greater understanding of the time, effort and energy needed to run a handmade business.

To view more pictures of our tour of Biggs and Featherbelle visit Hello Craft’s Flickr photo stream.

Learning Sessions

Am I a Business? How and when to form a business for your crafty endeavors. Representatives from the Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts will walk you through the ins and outs of buisness formation, including the different business structures and the pros and cons of each.

Branding and Identity. So you have a logo, now what? In this session learn how your brand is so much more than your logo. Successful branding cross cuts all aspects of your business from products, marketing materials to cultivating customers. Discuss these important branding principles and more.

Consumption and Sustainability. How DIY will Save the World.  Along with the happiness of creating, crafters often have a crisis of conscious and wonder if they are just buying into our consumerist society. This panel will discuss how you can live your values and how individual and collective action can have a positive impact on the planet.

Copyright and Trademarks. How to protect yourself and your work – With the lightening fast speed of the internet, it is even more important today to protect your ideas. Learn the how’s and why’s of copyright, trademarks and the difference between the two.

Craft Fair Booth Set up and Displays. Are you displaying your creations in the most effective way? Does your booth seem well stocked and inviting or just cluttered and jam packed? In this session learn how your set up and displays can help you sell at fairs and extend your brand.

Crafting a Green Craft. While eco-friendliness might seem like a fad, these crafters know better. Learn how easy it is to be green from all angles of the craft world including making and selling. This sessions’ highlights include sourcing greener materials, marketing your greener side and why all crafters should embrace environmental sustainability.

More session descriptions, plus workshops and demos after the jump.

Customer Service. Crafting with a Smile. Please and thank you. Hi, how are you? Everyday manners that your momma told you to mind. Learn how these simple things can help you sell your craft both online and in person. Session highlights include selling techniques, how to handle dificult customers and how engaing your customer can lead to long term relationships.

Developing a Product Line. Deciding what to make and sell. So you can sew, knit, print and glue. But that green pipe-cleaner caterpillar isn’t selling. In this session learn how to use your strengths and passions to create a cohesive product line. Highlights include price and time consideration, market niche and progressing your line forward.

Event Sponsorship. Looking to take your crafty event to the next level? Learn how sponsorship can help build relationships with the community and help with your finances. Session highlights include how to approach potential sponsors and the pros and cons of big and national vs. small and local.

Going out on a Limb. Learn from two successful indie businesses who have made the jump and went out on a limb for their art. Hear about their trials and triumphs and learn from their mistakes and inspirations.

Navigating the Art world with Craft. Feel there’s a clear line between the art world and the craft world? Well think again. Hear from these artists and crafters on how crafters are crossing the line into galleries and museums.

Organizing a Craft Fair. It says it in the name and this cracker jack panel will impart their knowledge on how to do just that. Highlights include exploring different fair models and event planning basics.

Selling in a Brick and Mortar. Hear from two different brick and mortar models on how to sell your wares in a real live shop. Highlights include store selection, honing your approach and business relationships.

Selling Successfully Online. With over 2 million users on Etsy alone, not counting numerous other online shops, learn what it takes to make your products standout from the clutter that is the internet and run a successful online store.

Street Teams. Why you should connect and collaborate. “Etsy Teams are groups of organized Etsy members who network, share skills, and promote their shops and Etsy together.” Learn how on the ground collaboration can help progress you as a crafter and the community as a whole.

Tax Implications of Starting a Business. April 15 has come and gone. Did you start a business or launch your product line? Did you get a refund? Or owe the government? In this session, learn how your craft business is viewed by the IRS and how this effects your yearly return.

The Ins and Outs of Trade Shows. Trade shows are a whole different animal with their own sets of rules and culture. Are you ready to wade into these unknown waters? Learn what you need to know before setting your sights on this level of selling. Highlights include wholesale pricing and what to expect from buyers.

What’s a Social Network and How to use it for Good. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Etsy Labs, Craftster, Blogger. Learn how online tools can be used to market your craft and help you connect to the larger crafting community.

Workshops and Demos

Embroidery Workshop. Split stitch, french knot and back stitch. Confused? Don’t be. Join Jenny Hart in this hands on session as she guides you through the beginings of the beauty that is embroidery.

Fiber Workshop. A combination demo and DIY project, learn how to needle felt a small bird and how to spin on drop spindles with Urban Fauna Studio. A spinning wheel will also be available to experiment with.

Fun with Duct Tape. Kristina Bilonick will guide you through the amazing properties of duct tape to create a CD/DVD holder.

How to Photograph your Work. Lights, camera, action! Sherry Insley will share her tips and tricks for how best to photograph your work. Bring your camera and learn how to stage, frame and light your craft.

Make a Small Book. Unlock the mysteries of book binding with this workshop on book making. Esti Gerson will help guide you through paper selection and paper cut avoidance to help you create a small book.

Plate Breaking Demo. Juliet Ames breaks plates and creates wonderful jewelry from the shards. Learn about her process and technique in this crack up of a demonstration.

Screen Printing Workshop. Learn a simple screen printing technique with Christy Petterson, then try your hand at it yourself and print a design onto a handkerchief. Bring a cotton t-shirt, scarf or tote bag if you want instead.

Sew a Felt Broach. Felt, needles, thread and great step by step instruction from Beth Baldwin equals a broach made by you.

Sewing Demo. Learn the basics of machine sewing. DC Threads will guide participants in the construction of either an easy tote bag or an “eye pillow”. Leave the session with a finished project in hand.

Simple Mold Making . Get your hands dirty with Adam Maron and learn how plaster and clay are utilized to create molds for fun and nifty objects.

Whew!  That’s a lot of awesome.  Excited about a particular session?  Tell us in the comments.

Some Background

Inspired after the first Craft Congress, Kim & I babbled the entire ride home from Pittsburgh about all the exciting things happening in the craft world and the awesome people we met.  And brainstormed different workshops and seminars for crafters like the ones we had attended.  We came back, babbled about the awesomeness to others and life went on (read Christy Petterson’s informative review on GetCrafty.com for more about Craft Congress 2007).

The following year, Kim & I flew out to San Francisco for Craft Con 2008, where we hosted a workshop on craft fair sponsorship.  We met many people doing amazing things in the craft world and acquired practical knowledge useful to any small business or marketer (read more about Craft Con 2008 from Autumn Wiggins on Crafting a Green World).  Inspiration came rushing back along with the desire to share this experience with other crafters.

Upon meeting fellow DCite Kelly Rand, we knew we had found a willing cohort and quickly conspired with Tina Seamonster to form Hello Craft.  We started meeting over the summer and set this as our mission:

Hello Craft is dedicated to the advancement of independent crafters and the handmade movement, as well as empowering small business owners and educating the public to the benefits of buying handmade and teaching the joys of making.

Hello Craft aims to bring together crafters and makers to learn and grow as a community. In 2009, Hello Craft will convene all interested in advocating for and advancing the handmade community at a summit that will take place in Washington D.C.

The future of making is in your hands.

So, for me, the Summit of Awesome is an old idea coming to life and I can’t wait!  It’s an opportunity to invite all the wonderful crafters, business owners and generally awesome and inspiring people we’ve met over the years to come to D.C. and not only share their experiences, but to meet each other.  This truly is the best part and I think one of the keys to the success of the indie craft community: it’s about connections and building relationships and learning from each other. The Summit of Awesome is a chance to learn, make and socialize without the distractions of minding a booth or filling orders and I sure hope you can make it!

Summit of Awesome Speakers (partial list)

We’re working hard to finalize the schedule and will post it here as soon as it is ready.  Here’s a taste of who will be speaking and hosting workshops to get you excited (this is by no means a full and final list).

• Maria Thomas, Etsy CEO
  
• Jamie Chan and Blas Herrera, Urban Fauna Studio
• Caitlin Phillips, Rebound Designs
• Shauna Alterio and Stephen Loidolt, Something’s Hiding In Here
• Kasey and Kelly Evick, Biggs & Featherbelle
• Danielle Maveal, Etsy Success & Virtual Labs
• Becky Striepe, Glue and Glitter
• Sara Cotner, $2000 Wedding
• Liz Grotyohann & Jeff Fein-Worton, Cosa Verde
• Jessica Manack & Al Hoff, Handmade Arcade
• Jeffrey Everett, El Jefe Design
• Rhonda & Elijah Wyman, Figs and Ginger
• Jamie Zollars, Paper Forest

There will also be demos and hands on workshops with these awesome crafters:

• Rachel Bone, Red Prairie Press
• Juliette Ames, Broken Plate Company
• Beth Baldwin, Tigerflight
• DC Threads
• Kristina Bilonick
• Esti Gerson

Plus, the DC premiere of the highly anticipated documentary, Handmade Nation will be Friday night and more awesomeness we can’t tell you about just yet.

Remember, space at the Summit of Awesome is limited.  So what are you waiting for?  Visit the Hello Craft Shop and register today!

Email hellocraftinfo@gmail.com with questions.  Join the email list or watch the blog for more Summit of Awesome updates and announcements.

Here we continue with our series on the trials and tribulations of starting a craft business. Shall we learn together?

I love Twitter. It is such an amazing and handy tool. I learn so much and follow some great people who love to share their knowledge. Thanks to @getsmartwomen I learned about the Business Exchange’s Bootstrapping a Startup resource.

As most crafty endeavors are started with little to no money, this is the mother-load of information on how to start a business on a shoestring. This page contains 49 news and 546 blog items. That is a lot of how to!

Many of the sources come from Forbes and the Wall Street Journal. Don’t let that intimidate you. They may be big scary names, and the connection between large companies and your craft business might seem like a stretch but there is something for everyone in this resource.

Check out The Best Things in Life are Free, Ten Rules for Bootstrapping your Business, and 8 Steps to Running your Business on (mostly) Free apps for starters. Just remember to take it all with a grain and put your craft lens on. This helps to translate some of the scary business speak and get you on your way to a better crafty business model.

Talk Shop is the series where we interview independent store owners from across the country, to get their inside take on running an independent business that supports the handmade community.

In this Talk Shop, Jamie Chan, one half of the husband and wife team who owns Urban Fauna Studio, talks about her one-of-a-kind green craft boutique in San Francisco.

In a refreshing twist on the typical craft shop, Chan, and her husband Blas Herrera, promote environmentally-friendly crafting through their how-to workshops, and by selling green craft supplies and tools, in addition to handmade goods from independent artists.  Many of the products sold at Urban Fauna are not only made from recycled materials or are biodegradable, but also come from companies that engage in ecologically and socially considerate manufacturing practices — A big hooray for both crafters and shoppers who support green living and crafting.

Tell us what Urban Fauna Studio is all about:
Urban Fauna Studio is the brick and mortar incarnation of our online fiber shop Mary Jane’s Attic. Our products focus on ecologically and socially considerate manufacturing practices (i.e. no-petrochemicals used, sustainable organic fibers and woods, biodegradable products, and recycled materials) and indie made goods.  Our craft studio focuses on spinning, weaving, knitting, felting and other fiber arts. We also offer a revolving series of arts and crafts workshops that help other people find their creativity using wool and other fluffy stuff!

Do you have any sort of background in crafting or the arts?
We have been crafting since we were young.  We’re self taught fiber artists who enjoy working with raw wool and experimental handspinning techniques. We have organized several west coast Bazaar Bizarre craft show for the last three years and we teach crafting to children
through our local community centers and public libraries.

How does your business support independent artists and crafters and/or the handmade community?
We carry items on consignment and wholesale from many indie artists. As the business has grown, we have found that we have less time to produce our own products, so UFS was created to carry handmade goods from trusted indie crafters. We have found wonderful products and
artists through local craft shows and online markets such as Etsy.

Who are your favorite local crafters/designers?
Well, we love so many of our local artist and crafters. Many of them are in our shop. Some favorites are handmade soaps and cosmetics from Bathing In Luxury, Girl On The Rocks – with her awesome mustache buttons and stamps,  handmade felt hats from Marie The Bee, fun plush hams from Sweet Meats. The list is endless! The SF Bay Area freaking rocks with indie talent, it never ceases to amaze us how many crafters there are here.

How can local designers and crafters get involved with UFS?
Send us an e-mail! We’re always looking to take on new consignors for our fiber shop! If you can teach a cool craft let us know. We love to meet people who like to share the crafty love with other people!

What’s the most unusual item for sale in your shop?
We’d have to say the Sheep Poo Paper! Made from 100% sheep poo into lovely scented air fresheners. Poo never smelled so good! And the knitware ceramic coasters made by Elyssa Enttinger.

Any advice for those interested in opening up their own boutique?
Make lots of plans, draft a plan A, B, C and a “shit, what do we do now!” plan for your business because you can never be too prepared. Look at your goals for the next 5-7 years and really map out where you want to be financially. Think big but plan conscientiously and sustainably. Our economy (globally and locally) is going through rough times. You have to make your shop into something you’ve dreamed about, but also be realistic about the market you’re getting into.

Where do you shop, besides UFS, of course.
We love to shop in the SF Bay Area because it’s filled with small business owners. The Curiosity Shoppe, Paxton Gate, Needles and Pens, and Wells Gallery in Oakland are some of our top rated indie shops!

There’s a street fight between a seamstress and a jewelry designer… who would win?
Oh my. Well from a craft show organizer’s POV we’ll tell you that jewelry designers will get down and dirty to secure their space in a show. We can’t blame them since there are such a large number of emerging jewelry designers in the market. So yes, the jewelry designer will clamp your ears with some needle nose pliers and probably solder a red hot jump ring to your bum if you don’t watch out!

Any upcoming events or sales going on at UFS?
UFS will be vending at Stitches West 2009. This is the fiber arts mecca for the west coast and will draw thousands of crazed fiber crafters. Visit us at booth 1036 and experience the largest yarn market on our coast! http://www.knittinguniverse.com/.

We’ll also be at the next Bazaar Bizarre in Maker Faire 2009. For the latest information about products and in store sales subscribe to our mailing list at http://www.maryjanesattic.net/lists/?p=subscribe&id=2, or check our blog maryjanesattic.net/blog.

Urban Fauna Studio is located at 1311 16th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122.

Check out their artists and latest happenings at urbanfaunastudio.com.

If you own a boutique, gallery or other place of business that supports the indie craft community, and want it featured in Talk Shop, email hellocraftinfo@gmail.com with Talk Shop in the subject line.

• Cynthia Blake Sanders, MD Lawyers for the Arts;
• Rebecca Cason, former director of the Buyer’s Market of American Craft;
• Jen Menkhaus, working crafter and one of the founders of the Baltimore Etsy Street Team;
• Nita Gale, web designer;
• Ariella Levin of Baltimore’s Best Bookkeeper; and
• Thomas Wynn, professional photographer.

Practical discussions will include legal and accounting basics; marketing, wholesale and pricing; and looking your best– on the web and in promo photos. Lunch will be provided, a great time to get connected with other local artists and crafters to make new friends, show off your work, and share ideas.

Details:
Sunday, January 25
10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
At the Creative Alliance on Eastern Avenue

Advance registration $25 [$20 Creative Alliance & BEST members]
Walk-in price $30 [$25 Creative Alliance & BEST members.]
Lunch is included.

Register online through the Creative Alliance.

Here we continue with our series on the trials and tribulations of starting a craft business. Shall we learn together?

When considering how to structure the legal part of your business, there are several things to think about and take into consideration. Here is a quick run down of the different options you have when forming the structure of your business:

The most simplest structure is the Sole Proprietor. This pretty much means you as the sole owner of the company. You have the most control over your business and it is the easiest to set up when registering. The downside here is that as the owner, you are personally liable for everything that your company does.

If you want to go into business with a partner, the next easiest structure to set up is a General Partnership. It generally acts like a Sole Proprietorship, except with two or more people. If you go into business with someone make sure you spell out how things are going to run. You are both responsible and liable for the company and are responsible for each other. In instances where you don’t agree with something that your partner does, you are still held responsible.

If you are looking for more protection, or a layer between your business and your personal assests, a Limited Liability Company may be for you. This structure gives the owner more protection within this setup. It is more expensive and time consuming to set up and a lawyer is usually needed to do so properly.

There is also a Limited Liability Partnership that works in the same way as an LLC, but for two or more partners in a business. There is also a partnership structure between a General Partnership and a Limited Liability Partnership, called a Limited Partnership.

There are also an C-Corporation and an S-Corporation to consider. These involve stockholders and forms a corporation as a separate entity from its owners.

For crafters, a Sole Proprietorship is the simplest entity to form and basically covers what we need for the business to run. For me, I have always been taught that LLC’s provide the most protection, but I can see the advantages of the SP since there isn’t a whole lot needed to set one up.

Remember: please do your research when forming your business entity and consult a lawyer if necessary. The Small Business Administration has lots of resources available online, and be sure to check with your State’s governmental business office, which can tell you the requirements of your particular State.

For those of you who are incorporated. How did you set up your business and what form did you take?

Image by herebox

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to be in my very first indie craft fair. The Holiday Booty Market was produced by some wonderful people in the Craft Mutiny. I thought I would share with you some observations and some lessons that I gleaned from my experience.

Your Stock – In the months and weeks leading up to the fair, I was making whenever I had a moment. I am very deadline driven and really seem to kick it into gear whenever that deadline is approaching. I found myself making things right up until the day of the event, not really knowing if I had enough stock to sell, or fill a table. The best advice that I got before the show was from Becky from This Chickadee. She told me that no matter how much stuff you have, it will be enough. Such a simple, yet powerful way of thinking. It helped calm my nerves. In the end, she was right. I sold out of somethings and didn’t sell others.

Ask Questions – Something I still have a problem with is asking questions of other crafters about their experiences with craft fairs. It is ok to ask the organizers questions about how the show went in previous years, and what you should expect. It is ok to ask fellow crafters the same. Many are happy to answer or point you in the appropriate direction for the answer. The community is very supportive and the old adage of the only stupid question is an unasked question can apply.

Be on time – If the organizers of the craft show give you a set time for set up and load in, be on time. It is the respectful thing to do and it makes all the difference. The time for set up is there for you to get organized and ready for shoppers. It is unfair to your fellow crafters if you are late with your set up and your boxes and other materials are in the way. It also looks bad to shoppers, if your booth isn’t set up when the show opens. Not only do you hurt yourself by not being ready, but you also hurt the rest of the show, too.

Help where you can – When you are accepted into a show, do what you can to help when the organizers ask for it. Whether it is promotion, setting up or cleaning up the space, or bringing a baked good to share. Offer what you can when asked and be sure to follow through. Not only is it good karma, but it shows that you are a team player and want everyone to have a good show. Be sure to follow through with any requirements of your being in the show as well. If you don’t, you probably won’t be asked back next time.

Network – Take a break from your booth to go and talk with the other vendors. Introduce yourself and your craft if you’ve never met before. Ask them questions about their work and how long they’ve been crafting. Compliment work that you admire. Encourage other vendors to come and look over your booth if they have the chance. Be sure to trade business cards and when the show is over and you are home, subscribe to the other crafters’ RSS feeds and follow them on twitter.

Trade – This was one of the best surprises of the fair. I sort of knew about it but never experienced it until this past weekend. If you find something of another crafter’s that you must have, ask if there is anything of yours that they would be willing to trade for. It is a wonderful unspoken rule at the fair that vendors deal in their goods. I scored some great jewelry and an awesome scarf through trade. Now, when people ask me about my scores, I tell them all about who made it and instantly become my fellow crafter’s marketer and vice versa. Brilliant really.

Have any other advice concerning selling at a craft fair? Please share in the comments.