Who is Georgie Designs?

Georgie Designs is a handcrafted jewelry business. But who is it really? It’s me, Robyn Klauer, the owner, marketing manager, money manager, researcher, secretary, and oh…I design and make jewelry, too!

Why did you decide to start a business?

I have always been crafty. Jewelry making has been my favorite of all things tried. I had been making it for years and giving it away. I decided it was getting too expensive so I started selling it on the side. Then after I had my daughter, it just seemed the perfect fit to work from home doing something I loved while still getting to give 110% to my daughter.

How did you get started?

I first sold on eBay. But eBay is difficult. There are so many jewelry people selling that it is hard to make any money. So I decided to have my own website. My current website is actually my second attempt. I had a site back in 2005 but gave it up because it was too expensive to maintain and I was discouraged by how hard it is to get Google to find you. I was working full time as a School Psychologist at the time so I didn’t really give it my all.

What do you sell?

Handcrafted jewelry using quality ingredients such as sterling silver and semiprecious gemstones.

What would you have done differently in the beginning?

I would have not given up so easily! It is a lot of work, but the harder you work and the longer you’ve been doing it, the smarter you get. It takes a lot of time to get it right, in my opinion.

What advice would you offer to a WAHM just getting started?

Don’t get discouraged when things are slow in the beginning. It is a learning process that takes time. And just because you have talent and put up a website, doesn’t mean people will buy from you. Marketing is the most improtant part of the business. If you don’t have an image, and people can’t find you, you won’t be successful! Oh, and don’t be afraid to tell everyone you meet that you own a business. Word of mouth is huge!

This new toy company looks promising! With all of the recent toy recalls, I hope more companies like this start to pop up.

It’s time for a change!

Green Toys Inc. makes an awesome line of classic children’s toys constructed of bioplastic made from renewable, sustainable resources like corn (yep, you read that right). This will help reduce fossil fuel use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improving the overall health and happiness of the planet. All Green Toys Brand products are manufactured and assembled in the USA!!!

Etsy Labs has put together a great little video with product photo tips.

View it here: http://blip.tv/file/423766/ 

Looking for a great way to sell your products online for free? Who isn’t?! FatFreeCart is a spiffy little system that works with your current PayPal or Google Checkout setup. It has a slick interface and provides a seamless shopping experience. If you need more features and are willing to pay a small fee, check out their Pro version: FatFreeCartPro. Give it a shot and let me know what you think of it.

FatFreeCart is the free version of E-junkie shopping cart. Get Google CheckoutIt works inside your website, your blog and will even work from your MySpace page. It is simply a copy-paste cart and does not require you to register with us or install anything. It works with PayPal and Google Checkout. It supports product variations, shipping, handling and sales tax.

If you are already using PayPal shopping cart, you will find the button code is similar. On top of being certified by PayPal and Google, it has been successfully tested on humans and they absolutely love it (which means higher conversion rates for you). FatFreeCart is also the only serious cart with a somewhat funny name.

Here’s a fun contest to test your crafting skills! Enter Here…

The Grand Prize package is valued at over $6,000 and includes:

• An all-expenses-paid trip to the John C. Campbell Folk Art School including one week’s tuition, room & board, and round-trip airfare. Total value over $1500.
• A Singer CE-250 embroidery/sewing machine & serger valued at $1200.
• A complete custom website design including online store and hosting from BizLandCrafters.com valued at $2100.
• A $500 gift card to Michaels Arts & Crafts.
• A gift certificate to SonicPrint.com for 2,500 custom postacards and business cards.
• A $375 Premium Subscription to the Online Learning Library at Lynda.com.
• A signed copy of Nifty, Thrifty, and Kitschy Crafts by Leah Kramer, founder of Craftster.org
• A HomeGrownMarket.com Handmade Gift Pack valued at $350
• PLUS the winner will also be featured in the Spring 2008 issue of Adorn Magazine!