About Jessica Van Den

Jess Van Den is extremely passionate and passionately extreme about crafting a creative life, and all things handmade and vintage! When not blogging at Epheriell Designs, she's making jewellery, editing *bespoke* zine, hanging out on twitter - or possibly doing all of these things at once.

September 3, 2012

What running a race taught me about running a business

Jess after crossing the finish line – personal photo

This weekend, I ran my first ever 10k race.

In fact, it was the first time I’d ever run 10 kilometres in my life.

I’ve been training for a few months, building up my ability to run further and further, but until the day came, I didn’t actually know if I’d be able to do it. Theoretically, I knew my body could do it, but I also knew that at some point, it would become a mental battle of wills between my body wanting to stop and my mind wanting to finish.

The start of the race was easy – despite the fact that it began with a 1k run up an enormous bridge.

The Bridge to Brisbane Start – photo from the Courier Mail

I was caught up in the excitement, the thousands upon thousands of people running alongside me. It made that initial climb effortless. But it also posed a challenge.

You see, I knew from my training that I had to start off my run at the right pace. If I started the run too fast, I would exhaust myself quickly and not be able to run the distance. So, I had to start slow. I had to run the race at my pace, and not anyone else’s.

It’s really, really hard to run slowly when thousands of people are running past you, seemingly flying along without any stress or strain. From the beginning to the end of the whole 10k, I had to constantly remind myself to not get caught up in their race.

I was only racing myself.

You see, I wasn’t in this race to beat anyone else. For most of us there that day, it was a ‘fun run’ – we were there to challenge ourselves and raise money for charity.

There were many thousands of people there who are – and always will be – faster, better runners than me.

My only goal was to run the whole way.

I had to remind myself that I was only racing myself.

Near the 8k mark, it started to hurt. That’s when I stopped noticing everyone else and started focussing on me. On taking one step at a time. Reminding myself that I could do this – I would do this. That no-one could stop me except myself. That when I finally crossed that finish line, I would be able to say that I did it – that I ran the whole way. That I’d reached my goal.

And I did.

Some of you might already have realised what this race reminded me about running a business. Some of you might be wondering what the heck I’m on about, so let me make it clear.

You are not your competitors. They have their own race to run. What they do – or don’t do – isn’t what you need to be focussing on.

You’re only racing yourself.

Your goal should be to build the best business you can, in whatever time-frame works for you.

Sure, other businesses might seem like they’re reaching success quicker than you. But how do you know that for sure? Maybe they’ve tried and failed at many businesses before this one, and the lessons they’ve learnt in the past have enabled them to reach success more quickly this time. Don’t get caught up in their success. Don’t let it detract from YOUR success.

You’re only racing yourself.

Set your own goals. Reach them. Set more. Ignore everyone else.

And you’ll win.

Filed Under: Buy You, For You Tagged With: , , 6 Comments
August 1, 2012

What Happens When You Get That ‘Big Break’?

Etta + Billie Soap

Have you ever dreamed of getting that ‘big break’ in your business? You know – landing a feature in the perfect magazine, being asked to sell your products at your dream venue, or perhaps having a fabulous celebrity singing the praises of your brand?

I bet you have… but is the big break really something worth chasing? Will it make that much difference to your business in the long run? Is it even possible to foresee the effect it might have?

Meet Alana, who owns Etta + Billie, a small bath and body product business based in San Francisco. Alana knows first-hand the effect a big break can have on your business, and the things you need to consider if such an opportunity comes your way.

Can you tell us a little bit about you and your business?
I’m a 31 year-old small town girl who owns a crafty business (and still has a day job), living in San Francisco with my husband. I am food obsessed (and always have been, just ask my mom), I love paging through magazines, reading on the bus, taking walks in my neighborhood, and bargain hunting. I have never considered myself a creative or crafty person so it still surprises me sometimes that I found a creative outlet in soap making and am building it into a business.

My business is Etta + Billie, where I make bath and body products with sustainable, natural ingredients that nourish the skin and look good enough to eat. I source items from across the globe, working to support small and local businesses whenever possible. I utilize my old school knowledge of the beneficial properties of herbs, botanicals and essential oils to infuse all my products. I named my business after my grandmothers, Grandma Etta and Grandma Billie.

What was your ‘big break’ moment, and how did it come about?
My big break moment was when I was invited to participate in a Pop Up shop inside the Banana Republic flagship store. This all came about because I am a part of an organization called SF Made, a non-profit dedicated to promoting and supporting manufacturing businesses based in San Francisco.

Etta + Billie was selected from hundreds of local manufactures to be featured in the Banana Republic Pop Up, which turned out to be a smashing success for everyone involved. The holiday Pop Up shop did so well that they decided to re-open for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, plus they invited me to sell some of my soaps online. The shop continues to be a success and my soaps sold out online within a month. I am so excited to see what the future holds.

What happened to your business and revenue after this occurred?
My business revenue has continued to increase and I’ve received many other offers to sell in stores across the country due to SF Made’s pop Up Shop exposure.

Would you do anything differently if this happened over again?
If this happened all over again, I would work on forecasting my inventory needs months and months ahead of time.

Would you actively seek out opportunities like this again, or rather spend your time focusing on other aspects of your business?
I think it is vital to get some ducks in a row before you attempt to get big accounts. As I mentioned before, I would have prepared myself ahead of time for an increase in production, i.e. purchasing additional equipment and supplies. I would also have prepared myself financially, time management-wise, and gotten my press materials together (I know I should already have these together but I don’t!). At the end of the day, if the opportunity for something big comes your way you should take advantage of it.

Have you had a ‘big break’ moment in your business?

I’d love to hear what it was… and  how it has affected your business long-term.

Filed Under: Buy You, For You Tagged With: , , 3 Comments
July 4, 2012

The Balance ~ Giving vs Receiving ~ is philanthropy part of your business model?

image by Simple Complexities

We talk a lot about the making money part of business.

What we don’t talk about so much is what we DO with that money – specifically, do we keep it to ourselves, or do we incorporate giving back into our business model?

I’m talking about this issue all week on Epheriell Designs, in support of a crafty charity drive for cancer patients that I’m running in July (the #100BeanieDrive), and I wanted to share a few ideas with you all here on Scoutie Girl, too.

I understand the wisdom of keeping all of the money you earn to re-invest into your business in the early days – I think it was Richard Branson who said you should just focus on making money in the beginning, and only think about giving money away when you’re already a success. I admire that guy, and he’s certainly an amazing businessman! But… What do you think about that?

I can see where he’s coming from – but that model of business and life is just not for me. I think giving back (even in a teeny-tiny way) should always be part of our lives and businesses.

But how can you be a philanthropist when you can barely pay your own bills?

Here are a couple of easy ways to give without breaking the bank.

1. Buy handmade
This might sound like a no-brainer, but as part of the New Economy, we help other people like ourselves grow their businesses by buying from them.

So if you make handmade (or hey, even if you don’t!), do the absolute best you can to buy handmade and local – and that way, you’re keeping the money circulating amongst the people, rather than sending it off into the ether of ‘big business.’

I found this happened naturally to me as I became more and more a part of the handmade community. These days, I always go to Etsy first whenever I want anything. It’s permeated other parts of our lives, too, like shopping for fruit and veg at the farmer’s market rather than the supermarket, and buying from small businesses rather than large chains wherever possible. Every little bit helps keep other businesses and lives like mine afloat!

2. Invest in a Kiva Loan
Kiva is my favourite charity… although, it’s kinda not a charity in that you get your money back!

For those of you who have never heard of Kiva, it’s an organisation that allows you to give small loans to micro-businesses all over the world (primarily in developing nations) so that they can either start or grow their own business. Part of the model is that this is a true loan, in that it’s the responsibility of the recipient to pay back all the loans they get over time!

So, if you can spare as little as $25 for a period of time, you will eventually get your money back. However, you might find that you enjoy the feeling of helping grow these businesses so much that you just continue to re-invest that money over and over again!

What I LOVE about this is that you’re not just throwing money at at the symptoms of poverty (hunger, disease, etc.) – you’re actually investing money into the people and their businesses, which helps them help themselves and their communities.

You know, that whole “teach a man to fish” thang.

Brilliant.

3. Create a product of which a percentage of the sale goes to charity
This seems to be a pretty common thing in the handmade community – creating a product or product line that is specifically geared towards promoting and giving to a particular charity.

The great thing about this is you can raise awareness (and funds) about a cause that is close to your heart. And you don’t have to lose money to do so – just make sure you incorporate the donation into the pricing of your item.

Here are a few great examples of this:

with love pillow by Olive Handmade

red fox ring by Angela Grace Jewelry

charity water tee by movementee

photographer mouse by The House of Mouse

chunky cowl by Smoking Haute

How do you feel about making philanthropy a part of your life and business?

Is it already a part of what you do, or is it something you’ve been meaning to make happen in your life?

Filed Under: Buy You, For You Tagged With: , , , , , 3 Comments
May 30, 2012

the balance ~ working at your business vs. working on your business

Grey Cat Working from home by SchmetzPetz. Click for more info.

At the beginning of a business, a great deal of our time is spent working on our business as we get it set up.

We have a dream, a plan… a lofty goal.

We start our blogs and websites, launch a mailing list. We research and put all of our prices, policies, and procedures in place.

We get started with marketing and social media. We hustle.

Then we get busy.

We get stuck in the treadmill of making and shipping.

Of responding to our clients and customers.

Of just trying to keep everything working smoothly – and not just our business, but our lives, too.

In other words, all of the REALLY IMPORTANT daily tasks that actually mean we HAVE a business.

However, somewhere along the line – unless we’re careful and we plan for it – we stop working ON the business at all.

We get so caught up in the day-to-day that we don’t take that step back to critically examine our business.

Is this selling venue really the best one for me? Are my photos really up-to-scratch? Am I spending my marketing and money wisely? Am I growing the business in the right direction? Do I need help?

There are SO many interconnected aspects of our business, and even when things are going well, there is ALWAYS something that could be grown, changed, or improved.

I always find that when I take the time to work on my business – even if it’s just an hour to reflect on the next 6 months and what I’d like to achieve – it leaves me energised and re-motivated to tackle projects head-on.

Conversely, when I don’t take the time to look at the big picture, or to tweak aspects of my business, I find I get worn down by the day-to-day tasks, and sometimes forget my purpose and mission.

So, I challenge you to take a step back today and spend just 30 minutes working ON your business instead of in it.

What will YOU focus on in this time?

Filed Under: Buy You, For You, creating action Tagged With: , , , , , 5 Comments
May 2, 2012

The balance ~ Don’t be a ‘Nice Girl’. Be a business woman.

image by courtney oquist - click for more

“Yes, I’d be happy to do this. Now, with the amount of time you’ve given me, here’s realistically what I can give you. Or with this amount of money, here’s realistically what I can provide. Now, if you want to give me more time or more money, I can get closer to what you want.” – Lois Frankel, Ph.D.

Does that statement sound strong and empowered to you? Or does it make you cringe?

It’s from an article on Inc. – an interview with businesswoman Lois Frankel, Ph.D. The article is called Why Nice Girls Finish Last.

It certainly got me thinking. About me and my business. About how much I am willing to give, and what I am worth.

See, I’ve reached that point of ‘success’ (how do you even define that, anyway?) where people come to me for advice or help with their own businesses.

It used to be that I would help out anyone who came my way – for free.

But a while ago now I decided it was time to draw the line.

I have so many projects going on that I barely have time to keep on top of my business, let alone helping people with theirs for free.

My time truly is limited, and precious, and I simply couldn’t justify giving away my time any more. And honestly? I love teaching, but my core business is jewellery making and blogging – not coaching. I needed to make sure I had the time to focus on the core of my business.

So, I decided to charge people for my time. If they wanted my help, they needed to pay me what my time was worth.

Boy oh boy, was that a HARD decision to make!

See, I’m a “nice girl.” I like to help people, and I hate to say no. It makes me feel uncomfortable, like I’m letting people down.

I’m guessing you’re a “nice girl,” too. Because gosh, doesn’t it feel great to be thanked, and praised, and loved? It does. And we, as women, have somehow gotten it into our heads that if we say “no” or stand up and ask for payment for what our time is truly worth, that we are being “unkind” or “greedy.”

But we’re not.

We’re in business; we should treat what we do as business.

That’s not to say we can’t be kind, compassionate, caring, and helpful… but we need to be these things in a way that doesn’t result in us losing out!

We need to stop being afraid of charging what we’re worth. We need to stop being afraid to say no.

I have been saying “no” for a while now, and you know what? Every person who I’ve had to say no to has been gracious and understanding.

Of course, when I say “no” I say it in a respectful and kind way that explains my point of view. And very much like the quote at the top, I often say an “if, then” rather than a flat-out no.

For example, “I’d love to help you; however, due to the volume of requests I receive, I can no longer assist people with their businesses for free. Here is the link to my ‘hire my brain‘ page. Please get in touch if you’d like to work with me!.”

When I am confident of what I can and cannot give, other people seem to sense that and are satisfied.

I’m sure I’ll come across the odd person who doesn’t respond this way, but that’s life. I can’t let that hold me back from asking for what I’m worth.

I think I’ll let Louise sum it up:

“It would be, to get the things that you want in life, you need to take risks. You need to get outside your comfort zone and be willing to deal with other people’s discomfort, because if you spend your life making other people comfortable, you may feel good, but you’re not going to get what you really want.”

How do you tread this line in your own business – and life?

Filed Under: Buy You, For You, creating action Tagged With: , , , , , , 40 Comments