My policies are my protection

The hardest parts about trying to do my own thing is not stressing over every little comment or detail or money... mainly money. Everyday presents a new challenge and I grow from every experience. It's hard not to stress about whether a customer will be happy with their item or not. Everyone is different and I cannot predict how people will react. I stress out more when I assume the worst and I feel I may have to give them a refund. Refunds hurt because I put in all the work and spent many days working on their item.. many days I could use to be making money other ways. On top of that I spend the money to make the item and if the item is returned I cannot resale it, due to it is to their very specific measurements.

My policies are my protection. Though after re writing my policies in order to be protected my sales have decreased slightly (Im assuming my policies present a risk people do not wish to take). But decrease or not I cannot be screwed over anymore.

But of course there are always those people who could care less what the policies say and threaten you. That is the worst and really gets to me. I'm very slowly learning how to speak to them and make people understand I am not a retail store. How do I get the threats to stop all together? I don't know.

Here is an etsy item I need to wear to remind me to just stay calm.

By creationsbymichelles

Boutique Store Meeting

I had a meeting today with a boutique store owner. The store was amazing, and located right by the Beverly Center. It was such a great area and only carried VERY high end designers. He loved my stuff and wanted to put me in his store but it was $500 a month which I definitely cannot do. SIGH :( Someday Someday....

Any who, todays daily Etsy feature will be to capture my high hopes for the future.. These are so cute and are customizable. I would have mine say BELIVE DREAM and DESIGN. What would yours say?

You can get them at CT JEWELRY DESIGN

Apartment hunting in Hollywood

To live in Hollywood or to stay in the valley.. HMM

Went apartment hunting all day. I pretty much hated everything. Apartment hunting is not as exciting as I thought it would. Ideally I would love to live in Hollywood instead of the VALLEY .. but if I stay in the valley I might be able to afford an office. BUT>> if I live in Hollywood it would be more convenient as far as transportation and just being around everything I love. I go to Hollywood OR Los Angeles almost everyday.. We will see what happens.

But it is nice to know when I do finally find my apartment in Hollywood (hopefully)
I will be able to fill it up with my local etsian home decor.

CUTE NEW WIDGET

CraftCult for etsy has a new widget for promoting your store, its so cute. Check it out.



Here's the link to get your widget

ETSY in Cali

Here are a Few of My fave artist on Etsy from just around my corner!

Lesson Learned

While I'm unemployed and not selling anything on etsy, I do this thing called Alchemy. Alchemy is a section on etsy that lets people post items they want custom made. Sometimes people except my bid, sometimes they dont. Recently I got accepted to make a replica of the Alice and Wonderland dress from the SYFY movie. First I made a Flat sketch. But as you can see the fabric has this diamond pattern to it, which she wanted. I decided I'm going to screen print it on.

I know how to burn screens but it's such a headache. So I decided to have my screen done for me. I go to a place in downtown called RheeTech. I heard it was cheaper there then anywhere else. It wasn't, it was the same. Though it wasn't cheaper it was still worth it. They did a fantastic job with my screen.

I purchase %100 cotton in white to dye it the perfect Alice blue. I cut my pattern pieces and ready to begin screening the diamond pattern. Little did I know what a disaster it would be. It started off great! And then it just got bad, really bad.

I'm going to have to start all over and I've lost half of my profit. All I can say is lesson learned. It is much easier to screenprint a design on a Tshirt then a pattern on a whole fabric. And I will probably not ever do it again.

Happy New Year!!

The first Monday of the year and My first Blog..

Today was the official first day of my one year plan. I've given my self a year to figure out my life and to try to make as an independant designer.
Where I am right now-
Im in crazy debt. I owe about 100,000 in school loans, about 10,000 in credit cards, 5,000 in collections, 2,000 in parking and traffic tickets and a -500 in my bank account with no income coming in.
I live with parents(whom are also struggling financially). I have no boyfriend, Nor intend to have one soon.
As far as my buisness I really only doing the Etsy thing ( www.kalioseano.etsy.com ) and I get about a sell every two weeks....which obviously I cant live by.
I am unemployed...if there is a chance I can be self employed without truggling to much I would. but as of right now its not happening and I just have to try to do both.
I have a pretty big mountain to climb, but Im going channel my inner Gwen Steffani and try to become a succesful and strong women on my own.
This blog is to capture everything of my misadventures of trying to become succesful when starting from nothing. I'm sure you will be reading a lot of mistakes within this year... but hopefully by December it will be a happy ending to this blog.