Have found most everything I need.  Fur, eyes, noses, ribbon, imprinted felt paws, clothing, mini-graduation caps, possibly big graduation caps and gowns to match (waiting to hear from the vendor regarding) even clear plastic bags to put the bear in!-- all done in the colors of the schools I'm working with.  Tomorrow, I need to call about wholesale pricing for fiberfill and then I've got all the supplies I need.

I order everything Wednesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And then it arrives and then Gwendolyn, you sew.  

You build your business.  You create some cash.  You move to another level.

Kid of the day

When I sell at craft fairs or the Farmer's Market, I always give a bear away.  I call someone my "kid of the day" and sometimes it's a literal kid and sometimes it's a big kid;-) The thing is that I don't want to get caught up that I'm just doing it for the money.  I like it when people respond to my bears and so I give one away to someone who seems like he/she really, really wants it.

People are always surprised and are unsure if they want to take it, but after about two or twenty "No, I'm sure.  Take the bear.  It really is free" they'll take it.  

With children, it's usually with a small bear, one that's not expensive.  One time a little girl was looking at this one bear so I told her mother (or the woman with her, we'll call her the mother) she could have it.  The mother picked up the bear and told her daughter I was giving it to her.  The little girl said, "I don't want that one.  I want this one."  She pointed to a bigger, costier bear.

"She's giving you this one, (insert child's name 'cause I don't remember it)."  The mother was doing her best to get the little girl to accept the bear I offered.

The little girl was adamant about which bear she wanted and it wasn't the one in her mother's hand.

"She can have that one," I said, lifting it up and handing it to the girl.

Her mother questioned me but I assured her that she could have the bigger bear.  She told her daughter to say 'thank you' and then they were off.

I'd never given away a bear with the price tag on that one.  I had to have an internal talk and make myself pick up that bear and give it away.  But it was good practice for me. 

I'm in this for money.  And I'm not.  I love to create and sew but sometimes it's only love when it's given away.

But come May

when I've focused and the bears are complete, I'll be able to look at other things.  There's this thing called needlefelting and I've seen some bears made this way and they are soooooooo cute, so I'd like to learn that.  And making bears out of clay.  Have found a place with bear molds and there are pins and magnets and miniature sculpture asking to be made.

 I think this is going to be my plan for 2009:

April/early May:  I make graduation bears.  If my projections are right, I could make in just those months what I've made in a year working for someone else, but I'd have to sew like I worked in a sweatshop.  Though I may have someone to help me sew and then, yeah, I could make bank.

I set up shop at Etsy in June and have x number of  bears available there for sale at any given time.  

The Farmer's Market has an event in July called "Christmas In July" and I participate that one Saturday but have a gazillion bears and a brochure available.

I attend just the one bear show in MA.  That's in November and then in December, I attend this event in Las Cruces which is a three-day Holiday bazaar.  It is huge.  And profitable.  I did it years and years ago and made $5oo in two days and I didn't even have a lot of bears 'cause I'd done a craft fair just two days before it.  It's a very popular social event and though it now costs $2oo for a space, it may be worth it 'cause I'm sure I could make that $2oo back.

I would have to learn to manage money.  That's a good thing.

Back to work

I have got to spend this week getting lots of stuff done.  A brochure, biz cards ordered, a sample graduation bear for the display at the bank.  Was thinking there might be a problem with the company that makes the graduation wear, well, if I'll be able to get caps and gowns is up in the air, but I got the graduation clothing item that different and cute that I wanted so I can create a sample bear to get to the school organizations involved so they can start taking orders.

Rereading a chapter in "How to Be, Do, and Have Anything" on focus.  I need to FOCUS on completing this.  

For one, the business counselor I was working with at the Small Business Development Center said if I could pull it off and show a profit, which I could, that that would greatly improve my chances of getting a small business loan for expansion.

For two, it would set the precedent for future sales.  As long as kids keep graduating, I'd have income.  And I could purchase future years' supplies at today's prices.

Finally, I would own this financial success; it would change me psychologically.  I've had this idea for years and I've never done anything with it outside a few bears.  Believing myself worthy of my idea, my dream of a business and fulfilling that dream would make me proud of myself.

One of my creations.

busy with bunnies and bears

Sewing and creating a brochure. Found a place to get business cards-- 1000 for 20 bucks and they have teddy bear clip art!

Purchased a commercial sewing machine 'cause there is no way I'm sewing an estimated 400 graduation bears by hand! And I found a business that can offer me something different in the way of graduation apparel so I'm happy about that.

I'm excited 'cause I might really pull this off! I'm proud of myself for all the setting up, now I just need to push me to follow through!

Bought a domain but I need to find someone to build the website and I need to make and take pictures of bears.

A lot to do but it's fun and educational. And I'm learning a whole new business side of me.