Texas became Zibbet’s destination again, to the city of Houston, to interview Hannah of Hannah’s Gems. Hannah loves Zibbet for both selling and doing her shopping.Hannah has one of the few mailing list sign-ups I’ve seen on Zibbet shops and you can sign up for hers right on her shop’s main page. Read on for more of Hannah’s great tips.Please enjoy the interview, leave Hannah a comment, and then use the Share Tools so others can read it, too. Please spread the Zibbet Love!
My husband and I have been married nearly seven years. Our children like to watch me learn new jewelry making techniques and try their hand at it now and then. We are a simple family here in Texas.Well, parents often have to find creative ways to entertain their children in some form or another. At home we build Legos and trains, read books, draw, and the children’s favorite…we watch ‘Mighty Machines’. Sometimes we bake homemade treats together. Ah yes, the joy and exhaustion of parenthood.First off, you would have to thank my husband for his vision and foresight. Before I started making jewelry I made a resolution that I must do something creative with my hands within my lifetime, but it should not be for my pleasure only. I wanted to do something special and make others happy too. I found jewelry making and it was the only craft that I was good at, meaning that I could actually complete a project on my own. Who doesn’t like jewelry? Men, especially, like buying jewelry for their wives, daughters, and mothers. I have fond memories of meeting face to face with customers, who made purchases from a year before at the time of meeting them, and from their heart-felt compliments I’d say mission accomplished.
I would have been content selling at the occasional bazaar and giving jewelry as gifts. My husband is a visionary and made the arrangements to offer my jewelry to the world. Hannah’s Gemstone Jewelry (HannahsGems) was born in the year 2010–a fully functional business and no longer a hobby. HannahsGems came to Zibbet in 2011. My husband had confidence in my abilities. He attempted jewelry making, but soon found it was not as easy as it looks. Hannah’s Gemstone Jewelry is built on providing quality products and customer care. An extensive search was done for the most reputable jewelry supply wholesaler(s) with the best deals from whom supplies could be purchased in an effort to provide HannahsGems customers reasonably priced sterling silver and gemstone jewelry. The types of gemstones used in Hannah’s Gemstone Jewelry, such as, carnelian (chalcedony), red agate, black agate, and turquoise, were chosen for their religious significance in Islamic history. These semi-precious stones and agates are known as ‘Aqiq’ to Muslims. The intent however was and is to market HannahsGems to everyone and not be exclusive to Muslims.
I make the jewelry, manage the site, and communicate with customers. I participate in social networking sites and market HannahsGems across The World Wide Web. My husband handles the legalities of running the business.Yes, my husband. He is computer savvy. He creates schedules and keeps to them. He is organized and has a good memory. Oh, he is patient with me.I dabble a little in essay writing, digital graphics/graphic design, and web design. However, I do not hold any official academic certificates or recognition in these fields.Firstly, customer support, secondly, the forums, and thirdly, shop customization: listing is quick and simple, the ability to edit shop color to match your banner and business outlook is great, and being able to add widgets is a splendid feature.
The one thing that pops into mind every time I list a product is that I wish I could add bullets, bold, italicize, and add color to text.HannahsGems is promoted mainly on social networking sites such as, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. HannahsGems can be found on Blogger and Tumblr. Occasionally, items are added to Kaboodle and Stumble Upon. Business cards printed by Moo.com and custom product tags made by a fellow Zibbeter, Portable Graffitti Graphics, are included when sending out orders. To update opt-in customers of new products and site changes, online newsletters are sent out periodically to ‘Hannah’s Gemstone Jewelry Mailing List’, using Mail Chimp. Other venues used for promoting HannahsGems are Google Plus, Photobucket, Flickr, YouTube and Zibbet’s Community Hub.
Create a personal website with an added blog feature. Use the blog feature to blog about relevant topics; it’s a good way to increase traffic. You can create hyperlinks to redirect visitors to your Zibbet shop. Weebly offers a full customizable website for free. Take a look at HannahsGems personal website.Create an online photo gallery; it’s another good way to increase traffic.Comment on and participate in blogs wherever possible. HannahsGems had several visits from a comment which I wrote under an article in The Wall Street Journal, the author listed Zibbet in the top five best Handmade Marketplaces to buy and sell handmade, vintage, and supplies.
Note: Most of us Zibbeters depend on our stores for an income. Several Zibbeters randomly promote the artworks of other Zibbeters as much as possible on a daily basis to boost the sales of the shop being promoted, which of course brings traffic to Zibbet—we all benefit.I’d like to be a supermom, more organized and self-empowered, an accomplished author, and able to correspond in several languages.Tags: Featured Zibbeters, Hannahs Gems
From the hottest new web site, Pinterest, where our Zibbeters have been pinning and repinning items from Zibbet, today I am featuring the most repinned items from ZibbetPicks’ red board.
Judy writes the ‘Fantastic Five‘ column where she features 5 Zibbet items every week. She is the owner of four Zibbet shops: Portable Graffiti Graphics, Portable Graffiti buttons, Proofreader, and Wild Goose Chase vintage, crafts and supplies. You can follow Judy on Facebook.
Wisconsin was our “destination” this week to interview Amy Burdick about her home cottage industry called Tenth Avenue Soapworks.As Amy says, “Once you have tried handmade soaps, you’ll realize they are far superior to other soaps. You won’t want to use anything else!” Amy has been making soap for ten years and as you will see incorporates her love and knowledge of herbs into her products.
My name is Amy Burdick and my shop is 10th Avenue Soapworks. I’ve lived in several states throughout the U.S., mostly in Alaska and the Midwest. I am married and currently live in Monroe, Wisconsin. My mom and I started making soap together many years ago and after several years working and in college, I began making soap again, this time by myself. I am a homemaker and love the independence of working from home and for myself.My husband and I garden extensively and we can, dry, and freeze a lot of produce and herbs. It keeps us really busy, but nothing compares to eating our own good quality food. Home projects and maintenance is another seemingly never-ending task. For fun, I spend a lot of time with family and outdoors camping, hiking, and visiting state and national parks.
Nature is by far my biggest inspiration. I get a lot of ideas just by looking around in the outdoors at colors, scents, and patterns. I especially love using products that I’ve grown or harvested myself and have an ever increasing interest in experimenting with natural colorings, like clays and botanicals. And believe it or not, food is another inspiration of mine. I think that if food nourishes your body, why shouldn’t it nourish your skin, too? Ingredients like homemade yogurt, fresh bananas and locally made beer make soaps that surpass any commercially made bars.My parents, of course! They’re amazing people; they love the Lord, and among their many accomplishments have raised eleven children, teaching us creativity, hard work, and what’s truly important in life.
Like most crafters, I enjoy a variety of handicrafts and DIY projects like sewing, quilting, cake decorating, and photography. I also love history of all kinds–browsing antique shops, listening to old radio shows and reading classic literature.Zibbet is easy! It was my first (and only) venture into selling my products online. Listing products and maintaining a shop is self-explanatory and stress-free, even for those who don’t enjoy spending time in front of a computer. I have nothing but praise for Zibbet and either do my customers.
I have no specific changes that I’d like to see but I am curious to see the future changes that are currently in the works. I’m sure that any changes will make the site even easier.I try to include a product sample in every order. It can be hard to describe scents so I like my customers to be able to test another scent they may enjoy. I record my soaping adventures (and occasional misadventures!) on my blog. I also maintain a Facebook page and a Pinterest page. I am participating in my community’s farmer’s market for the first time this summer to get to know local customers.
By all means, spend time on the community page, where you can keep updated on the latest news and any changes. I especially enjoy the monthly ongoing post where sellers can show off their newest listings. There is always an incredible array of handiwork to admire and it gives sellers an extra bit of exposure.Although I am quite happy with my soapy endeavors, I would eventually like to do some more writing. I have a degree in English and would like to dust off my freelance writing skills in the future. But that will come in time!
Off to the tiny town of Union Bridge in Maryland we “flew” to interview the very talented Kathy Mathews about her Cookie Dough Creations.Kathy’s cookie dough creations are made with her special formula salt dough and individually hand painted. She strives for 100% customer satisfaction and has her creations priced so everyone can own a few. 
I’m Kathy, I live in a tiny, country town in central Maryland with my husband, two children, one dog and other assorted critters. My handcrafted business has been my full time career for 15 years.When I’m not creating salt dough ornaments I’m working on promoting and building my business and I squeeze in time each day for family, home and whatever else needs my attention at the moment.
I’ve always loved working with my hands. I’m happiest when I’m making something, whether it’s a new salt dough design or dinner for my family. My craft is completely hands on by me alone from the very first step of mixing, rolling out and cutting the dough in our country kitchen to the final steps of painting, sealing and finishing out in the workshop. Sometimes it seems like a long and involved process from start to finish but the satisfaction I get from making something with my own two hands that’s appreciated by others enough to be purchased makes it all completely worthwhile!I look up to my husband because he’s the reason I’m able to live this life that many people only dream about. He also rescues me when I get stuck, technology is usually not my friend! I also look up to the countless other Zibbeters who are so much more knowledgeable and experienced at this than I am. And who are always nearby and eager to help when a problem or question comes up.
Family comes first, life is perfect when orders are shipped, more coming in and everyone at home is taken care of, including all animals - pets and otherwise (we’re avid birdwatchers). One of our favorite things to do at the end of the day when everything else is finished is just to sit outside in the back yard adirondacks and keep our eyes on our collection of finch, hummingbird, etc feeders. We’re never disappointed in the number of and countless different varieties of visitors to our backyard!I would have to say the friendly and wonderful community of sellers/buyers and administration. Zibbet definitely stands out in this regard!
I consider myself a newcomer to Zibbet and so far have been completely happy with all the resources offered. Zibbet seems to be a very “seller friendly” site!Promotion is something I do spend a lot of time at, about half my workday is spent promoting, the other half creating. I spend time promoting my own work and other sellers through teams and offsite through sites such as Pinterest and Stumble. I’m always looking for more effective ways to promote, there’s a huge world out there to tap into!
Just to realize that Zibbet has provided us with a fantastic platform to launch our own successful businesses and it’s our responsibility to make our dreams come true by setting up our shops and figuring out how to bring in those buyers. Keep adding new products, working on SEO and reading everything available about your craft and the business of online selling. The Zibbet forums are a fabulous place to start!doing exactly what I’m doing right now.
Keeping track of inventory can be a challenge, especially if you have hundreds or thousands of items. Accurate and easy to understand records of your inventory are important for insurance purposes and for efficient fulfillment of orders. There are two basic components of managing your inventory: a written record of what you have and the physical storage of your products. While many accounting programs such as QuickBooks and QuickBooks Point of Sale, provide inventory management features, you don’t have to purchase an expensive piece of software for this purpose. Although you’ll need to spend some time planning, you can create a spreadsheet for managing our inventory.
Image URL - The web address where Zibbet stores your uploaded images. Please note that you should keep all of your images saved on your computer for easy access. This URL is only useful for import purposes. Your images won’t be directly accessible by you at this URL.
Vicki is committed to assisting her fellow Zibbeters improve their shops for successful online selling. She is the owner of five Zibbet shops: LOC Design Studio, Denim and Pearls, A Stitch and a Prayer, Black Creek Crossing and Think Like a Fish. You can follow Vicki on Twitter and through her LOC Design Studio blog.
Lynn Krause lives in Owatonna, Minnesota, famous for its mineral springs that saved Princess Owatonna’s life with its curing waters.Lynn’s shop on Zibbet, LMK Quilts is the place to go for that handcrafted quilt you always wanted. She uses beautiful, bright, quality fabrics and her work is exquisite. You will also discover mug rugs, potholders, napkins, coasters and more.
I am the luckiest person. I have a very supportive husband that let me quit my day job to be home and do what I love. I spend my days longarm quilting for various quilters. I have 2 grandsons that I watch daily while their parents are working. Watching them grow into wonderful young men is amazing.I have a garden that keeps me busy all summer.I also love walking my dog Bear twice a day and taking my zumba classes 5 days a week.Nature inspires me a lot. During my daily walks I love to watch the changing of the seasons.
I look up to all quilters and admire the work they do. I am always striving to make new and different things.I love to travel when possible. To see how people from various parts of the world live and see what a beautiful place we live.I love being able to customize my shop. All of its useful features and clean look.
One thing I would like is to be able to print my invoices to help track sales. I am bad at entering sales into the computer and the only tracking I now have is printing the email.I promote using facebook, twitter and pinterest. I have just started doing some local events to get my name out more in the area.I would say list. I have found that the more I have available the better my sales are.In the future I’d like to be able to travel more. Currently with my client workload I have been unable to do what I did prior to doing this full time.
I’ve talked a lot about the importance of presenting top notch photos of your items. While there are many excellent item photos on Zibbet, there is still considerable room for improvement. In an effort to help you with this challenging subject, today I’d like to take a look at the five most common problems I’ve observed with photos in Zibbet shops.
Inadequately lit images is another problem I see. Natural light is the best option for most items and it’s freely available to everyone. Watch your weather forecast and plan a day of shooting photos of your items outside. If outside isn’t an option, try to take your photos near a window inside your home. For small items, especially jewelry, a light tent and appropriate light sources are investments that can quickly pay for themselves with just a few sales.
Undersized images often make it impossible to really see the item. Even excellently composed, well lit and sharply focused images that are too small aren’t going to tempt a buyer to purchase your item. Shoppers have to be able to see the item you’re selling. Item images can be up to 800 pixels wide by 600 pixels high. Use as much of this digital real estate as you can, preferably at least 600 pixels by 600 pixels, to show off your wonderful items.
about photographing your items, take a look at the Success on Zibbet articles indexed on Zibbet’s Community Hub:
Get 5 Zibbeters together, take a great photo and Zibbet does a Fantastic Five with those five Zibbeters. This bunch of five met in Asheville, North Carolina to enjoy lunch and get to know each other more and talk about Zibbet, of course!
From San Antonio, Texas, this week we are delighted to introduce you to Cheryl Watson of Sweetie 2 Sweetie with well over 500 items in her shop.
I am a full time mother of 2 amazing girls, I work at a ‘day job’ full time, and I have 3 online shops. I am constantly busy creating new things, or ‘finding treasures.’My 2 girls–(sweetie2sweetie)–and I, love going out and about to different places and we stumble upon things that are just too cool! The issue is if I kept all the cool things I found—I’d end up on one of those ‘horder’ shows! 
Besides my fantastic girls—the amazing culture I’m surrounded by here in San Antonio TX. I live in a wonderful part of the country filled with a huge melting pot of culture—sure we have a large presence in the Hispanic community, but we also have many major military bases full of men and women who have come here from all over the world and from many different backgrounds. All of this together inspires me and shows in my work.Of course—my mother & father, they are 2 of the hardest working people I’ve ever known. My mother especially because she is the strongest woman I’ve ever known—no one compares to her.
I love animals and volunteer from time to time at our local shelter. I also like to take my girls to this great park where we feed ducks, and go for walks, and play at the playground.I really like that Zibbet is always focused on making the site better for both buyers and sellers. I also LOVE the fact that unlike most sites—Zibbet isn’t trying to nickel and dime everyone!! It’s just a wonderful site!!I honestly don’t have anything I can say right now—Zibbet is doing a fabulous job.
I promote on Twitter and Facebook primarily. I have also been featured in 2 magazines—one just recently-March 2012 in Dirt Road Daughters.We all have to keep pushing and promoting and understand it may not happen overnight—but it will happen!?? I like being me…..