November 2009

Positively Heather

A little organization goes a long way

Heather Gooch

Quick: Do you know where your stash of printer ink is so you don't have to spend an hour looking for it before you can change it? How's that shoebox full of receipts for tax time working out for you? Can you remember what you promised one of your customers that you'd do for her "sometime this week"?

When I attended Northeast Ohio's Council of Smaller Enterprises’ annual conference last month, I knew right away that one of my must-see seminars would be "De-clutter Your Life and Workspace."

"There's nothing I can tell you that’s new, not since Aristotle first organized the species," said Chris Perrow, a professional organizer, at the start of her presentation. "But fast-forward to today, and not only do we have all the stuff we always had to do, but now we have an in-box to deal with, too."

In fact, she said, the average person performs 580 tasks a day.

For Heather's full article, click here.

Recent Musings

Scary consequences of the CPSIA

The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA) recently sent a letter to members about how the U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of October 2009 directly affects how the needlework and crafts industries sell their goods, particularly to children...

A marketing program by any other name…

Recently I received a postcard in the mail from Leaded Glass Design, a local, family-owned business that specializes in stained glass orders, classes and supplies. What caught my eye on this particular postcard, however, was the clever name of the company’s loyalty program...

How to lower your shop’s exposure to H1N1

Regardless of whether the swine flu is headed for you and your employees, I’ve run across an interesting online “preparedness guide for small business” courtesy of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services...

Of needlepoint, deer heads, Lennon and grandmas

As I stitch my own sea of items, I occasionally go back to the same thoughts time and again: Will my work be appreciated — or tossed? Does it matter, if I’m enjoying what I’m doing in the moment? Frédérique Morrel, I think, would understand my mixed feelings in this regard...

Links I Love

CrossMyHeartLtd.com

I can attest to the fact that Jennie Stokley and Carol Grant have a really nice shop in person (I still use my custom frame I purchased from them last year on nearly a daily basis), and their online presence is just as warm and inviting. I'm particularly impressed by their tech savvy — they keep their Twitter account updated; they have a Facebook page; and they recently kept fans back home apprised of what they saw at TNNA's Needlepoint Market in St. Charles, MO, with a YouTube slide show they embedded on their home page.

While they currently don't carry inventory online, they do have links to their distributors so online shoppers can place an order and pick it up at the shop. Visitors can also directly purchase store gift certificates online via PayPal.

The site is clean and well-organized, just like their monthly e-newletters to their customers. Even their About page embeds a Google map grab — so there's less wrong turns and more time to shop. And speaking specifically as someone who gets lost in her driveway, that's a welcome feature!

Got a link you love? Tell me!

The Knitty Gritty

X A special way to celebrate: Joanne Deardoff is celebrating five years in business as Mountain Knits and Pearls, a yarn and bead shop in East Stroudsburg, PA. And she's doing so in a novel way: According to an article in the Pocono Record, the shop will host a Chinese Auction at a local community center next Thursday evening to benefit the VNA/Hospice House of Monroe County and The Angel's Closet, which provides mothers in need with baby layette bundles, and for which many of Deardoff's customers have donated knit items for over the years.

Tip: Clean out some outdated inventory; help others along the way. "The auction will have donated finished sweaters to kits, beading kits and books. I was overwhelmed with generosity of wholesalers we made contact with. One wholesaler donated 48 knitting books and yarns," Deardoff said in the article, noting that she'll also have games, refreshments and a special sale to commemorate the milestone all week long. I wish her many more years of success, and hope other businesses take a page from her playbook of giving back to her community in such a generous way.

X An unusual program recently took place at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, OR. According to an article in the Wilsonville Spokesman, seamstress-turned-corrections officer Gayle Richardson hit upon the idea of having nine inmates (well vetted in advance) participate in the "Fill a Stocking, Fill a Heart" program. The inmates made more than 1,400 stockings in less than three months — ready to give to local volunteers who fill the colorful creations with socks, toothpaste and other necessities and given to those in need. The participating inmates were brand-new to the concept of sewing, but according to the article, jumped at the offer to learn a skill that gave them both pleasure and pride. They also liked the opportunity to give back to the community.

Tip: Give a deserving individual a second chance. Look into whether your skill set could benefit a similar program in your market for a correctional facility, recovery house or other organization devoted to helping individuals make some positive changes in their lives.

X The 2012 Olympics will have a touch of crochet thanks to UK fiber artist Shauna Richardson. According to a report by the BBC, she "is preparing to spend the next two years crocheting three 30-ft lions to mark the London 2012 Olympics in the East Midlands." Richardson was inspired, the report notes, by Richard the Lionheart and the region's textile industry. Check out her Web site, titled Shauna Richardson / Crochetdermy. Look at her existing work to better understand her concept.

Tip: Go big or go home! It's never too early to start rooting for Team USA (despite our recent loss of 2016 bragging rights to Rio de Janeiro!). In fact, the Vancouver 2010 Games are less than 100 days away, according to Olympic.org. Why not become inspired by involving customers in a project that showcases the famous Olympic rings, for example, or creating a special keepsake for a local athlete who is or is working toward becoming an Olympian? Taking the concept a step further, it may even be a great reason to seek out your local team for the Special Olympics and learn how you and your shop can become involved.

Check this out!

I've long been banging the drum that needlework can be enjoyed by young as well as old, but two Denver-area women have really taken that concept to a whole new level. They have created a 2010 calendar called Knitting IS Sexy. Yup, it's a little bit like you're probably envisioning right now... although it's tastefully done. Check out the PR Newswire release here (and no, I had nothing to do with the publicity. Honest).

I'd love to hear what you think about the project. Too far or what we need? Drop me a line at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com!