Saturday, November 18, 2006

Our Featured Crafter for Nov and Dec


My Featured Crafter for Nov and Dec is Denise (NeeNee) I first met her about 6 months ago and she is taking the BLOGGING community by storm! I think she has surpassed me and Linda with more blogs that us! LOL That tells you alot! Plus I have had the pleasure of seeing her craft work in person as I have two ADORABLE reindeer on my Fireplace mantel from Denise! Can we say ADORABLE! Please read below to learn more about Denise and don't forget to visit her sites by clicking on the banner below! Thank you Denise for the opportunity to interview you!

1. Please describe your online business?

I have an EZShoppe called KKL Primitives. I sell my handcrafted primitives, country and folk art creations such as raggedy dolls, nodders, makedos, prim shutter wall hangings, prim muslin ornies and animals such as sheep and reindeer, shelfsitters, prim snowmen. I also have a website called KKL Kreations where I offer free advertising and low cost advertising options to other small websites who can't afford higher cost advertising campaigns.

2. When did you first open your first online business?

I opened my EZShoppe in April 2006 and my advertising website in Oct. 2006

3. During a typical week, how many hours do you work on your online business?

I work on my online businesses-about 6 hours each day which includes advertising via plug boards, banner exchanges, surf and click advertising sites, to get my name out there. Including crafting, I may put in approximately 40 hours a week. Not all at one time but intermittently during the day since I also care for my two small grandchildren.

4. What motivated you to open a business in the crafting and primitive community?

Last Novemeber, 2006 I started working area craft shows and there just didn't seem to be the interest in primitive crafts in my hometown and thought if I could reach more people via the internet, such as Ebay that I might have better luck. I accidently came upon the craft forum Prim Mart and met some great ladies and decided to open an EZShoppe and give that a go as well.

5. What is the one thing you did, that you would advice other NOT to do?

In an EZShoppe you are limited to 20 item listings. If an item isn't moving, take it out and replace it, keep the stock rotating. You can always bring back the item that didn't sell two months ago and it will seem fresh again. What I did was leave the same items sitting for months at a time and after a while no one looked any more. Change your inventory/stock often.

6. Do you have advice for a new crafter starting out in our business?

Don't give up easily, It can take a few years for an online craft business to succeed. There is a lot of "competition" other crafters with quality products similiar to your own. Try to come up with something that no one else is doing to make your product unique. Get your name out there. If you can't afford to pay for advertising, there are multitudes of free options to take advantage of such as free surf and credit sites, earning credits for banner impressions. Exchange links, plug yoru site on plugboards. Don't limit yourself to just craft site for advertising. You want to reach a wide variety of people to bring more traffic to your site. Even if that person who visited your site didn't purchase they might know someone who would be intersted and will refer you. Not all traffic that is generated to your site will bring sales, but it's all about getting your name out there, getting known, being remembered. It takes time, patience, hard work to be successful.

7. What are your furture plans for your online business?

Someday I hope to be able to open a larger shoppe such as DIYe store. But that won't be until my little shop is successful and I need to expand. I have no immediate plans for my 'advertising site" If it doesn't succeed I won't be heartbroken, but I would be if I couldn't get my crafting site off the ground.



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