I Call A Do-Over!

So, as with all things it seems, you set a goal and do your best and then if it does not work out, you rethink it and try again. I am talking about my quest to find the best way to keep our work and business updated online. For now I am only going to concentrate on this blog and our Bearfoot Art facebook page. I have had separate ones for my jewelry, but that was too much and I just didn't update. So, I'm going to simplify. The kids are out of school now, my taxes are done, our website had a recent makeover, and I'm about to send out a newsletter to let you know of the wonderful new inventory I have added to our site. So, what that means to me is....I can now go forth with fewer distractions and concentrate on my goal of making and listing new inventory at least four days a week. I will still send out newsletters monthly, but if you want to keep informed and be the first to see new work, new tools, new videos, etc., this blog is the place to be. You can sign up to receive updates by email in the top right corner of this page. I will also post to our facebook page everytime that I do a new blog entry. I think this may work for me! This is Monica by the way. Scott will likely start his own blog page with his own personality, but the business stuff and me will be on this blog. Please comment whenever you feel that you can so I can be encouraged that I'm not just talking to myself. Thanks!
The photo above is a screen grab of our new website look. I plan to crisp it up, but for now, I'm going to take the kids for a swim.

Trying to get it all streamlined on Facebook

I've been spending countless hours recently trying to get my Facebook Fan Page for our business to be able to have all of our updates streamed to one location. I've added My Etsy, YouTube, Join our List (for Constant Contact - our email newsletter), and now I'm linking our blog. Hence this post. This is actually a test for me to see if this will auto feed to our Facebook page, but also just to inform you of what I'm working on. This cyber world is all over the place and it seems confusing to have ourselves all sprawled out. I like the idea of sprawled out, but with a main area to visit to see it all at once. Wish me luck.
Monica

Translation Software

So, I got an e-mail from Spain today that was just not making any sense to me. Yes, broken English I can usually understand pretty well, but I was just not getting this one. Here it is.

"Good Evenings, I wanted to know the price of the Deluxe Electric Mandrel Spinner and that baboon uses or if they can use different sizes."

I thought and thought about this and just decided to revisit it later. When I did, I solved the communication mystery. I thought to myself, isn't there a monkey called a Mandrel? I looked into it and there is, but it is spelled Mandrill. Anyway, they were asking about mandrel sizes for the spinner and the translation software changed the word to Baboon!! I thought that was funny and wanted to share the story.

Our New DVD!! Get The Most From Your Electric Mandrel Spinner

Get The Most From Your Electric Mandrel Spinner - DVD
Sixteen great techniques explained and demonstrated. Scott packs this DVD full of information that will help you "Get The Most From Your Electric Mandrel Spinner." The demonstrations are shown with two camera angels for a detailed look at the flame, the glass, hand position, and the tools. It's a great way of showing how they all move together to create great glass art. No Musak- just great info.

VIEW TRAILER

Random eBay Tips

One thing I used to like to do on eBay is Feature something, that way I'd be on the front pages of the search until my acution ended. As far as I can tell, they don't offer Feature anymore. I need to revisit that and see what's up. So, with that said, it will now be more important for me than ever to make sure I list everyday. That way you won't just get lost in the pages for the bulk of your auction listing. This way you'll show on the newer pages, the inbetween pages, and now at the end of the pages too. A WAY better chance of being looked at. Also trying different times of the day will also be a good thing. There is a way to prelist your auctions and set the times and dates. You may want to schedule them all for the week all at once. It costs a hair more to schedule an auction I think. Maybe like 5 or 10 cents.

If you don't have a feedback rating yet, go buy something and if the seller doesn't leave you feedback within a reasonable amount of time, you can feel free to follow up with them and tell them you are trying to build up your ebay feedback rating and would appreciate it if they leave you feedback. Don't even try to be a seller with no feedback rating by your name. Your buyers need to know that you've successfully conducted business either way and that makes you more real and trustworthy.

It is against eBay policy to put a link to your website on the auction listing page. Well, it's ok if it is for more information, but if it linked to a page where you have the same item or like items for sale, they suspend your auction. You can have a link to your site on your About Me page. I got my auction suspended for just having a link to my homepage a long time ago, so I haven't put any links in since. I also haven't revisited their policy about this since then and it has been years. This may have changed.

I like to use Buy It Now as an option in my auction listing. Let's the impatient ones like me just get what I want without waiting for it. Costs about 10cents more per listing and the value of the Buy It Now needs to be at least 10% higher than your Auction price.

I'll send more tips later. Gotta run! Hope this helps. Also, I've never used eBay stores, so I don't have any expertise there. Worth looking into though I'm sure.

Ciao!
Monica

New Bearfoot Tool! The Bearfoot Articulator!

Introducing.....The NEW Bearfoot Articulator!

A new product that will give amazing Hand Stabilization up close to your work area. Another use for this tool is as a cane holder for preheating glass cane. Other attachments will be made available in the future. Please visit our website page for more details.

AMAZINGLY ADJUSTABLE AND VERSATILE!!

CLICK HERE TO SEE A VIDEO CLIP ABOUT THIS PRODUCT. FOR ORDERS PLACED ON SEPT. 1, 2009, YOU WILL RECEIVE FOUR EXTRA STRINGER KEEPERS AND FOUR EXTRA SMALL MAGNETS.

Official Disclaimer: For those of you who already have an order in with us for other tools, rest assured that Scott is catching up on all backorders. The introduction and sale of this new tool will not slow or interfere with your order getting out as fast as possible. Scott hit critical mass recently and could no longer keep up with the demand making all of these tools himself by hand. We have now found and are in the process of training skilled local workers to help keep things flowing smoothly and reduce and hopefully eliminate our wait/build times. These Articulators do not have the labor involved that some of his other tools have, so rest assured, they will ship in a timely manner according to the wait time stated where you order these. For this tool it is 4-6 weeks.

New Facebook Page! Become a fan!

Bearfoot Art Glass Studio - Lampwork Beads and Tools by Scott Bouwens. on Facebook