Tale of a trade friendly shop owner

I love the notion of bartering and have found it to be an ideal way to obtain a variety of things that I may have not otherwise been able to purchase. The act of trading goods or services, absent the exchange of money, is easier than you might think and could be a great way for you to save big this holiday season!

Assuming you have a skill set or product to trade...

The first step, to establishing an effective barter system, is to define your desires. Create a list of those items or services which you are in the market for. Then, spread the word. This can be done with ease via your blog, shop announcement or website. I have conducted many successful trades through Etsy and am always delighted when fellow shop owners contact me with their specific requests. Like the look of my blog? Its couture design is the result of a trade with the brilliant Shalon of papermepretty with whom I swapped a Ziptop Ultimate Diaper Bag for her graphic design services.

When someone contacts me with a trade request that I cannot fulfill, I politely let them know that I am currently not in the market for said product or service and that I will gladly add them to my list of shops willing to trade and be sure to contact them if a future need should arise. So, there is no harm in asking!

It is my policy to route personal trades through my Etsy shop. A simple process, I have the other party add the agreed upon items to their cart and select “other” as the form of payment. This allows me to have a record of the transaction and the benefit of receiving and leaving feedback while remaining in compliance with Etsy TOU’s.

What do you have to trade and what would you like to trade it for?

Nobody likes a copycat, my free unsolicited advice.

It is logical to emulate those amongst us who are successful. On Etsy, there are many talented artisans with unique product niches and that is a big part of what makes it such an exceptional community. And, there are also those who seek nothing more than to copy the designs of others.

Innovation is the key difference between the two groups. If you are original and true to your craft, you will strive to create a product that distinguishes itself from the masses. This process often takes time, money and an inordinate amount of passion. Many folks have time and money, but they lack passion and so they attempt to share the accomplishments of others.

This is not to say, if you can improve upon a product, that you shouldn’t. By all means, that is progress and synonymous with evolution. I certainly did not invent the diaper bag and I absolutely wasn’t the first person to offer customization. I do create all of my own patterns and as a mother of four, I take great pride in developing products which are stylish and functional.

Equally important, I also author my own product descriptions. Writing is not a skill that comes naturally to all. Working as a journalist for our local newspaper, I acquired years of experience and authored hundreds of business profiles and can assure you, writing is as much an art form as crafting. So, you can understand why I get peeved when someone copies my descriptions and/or shop policies verbatim. This folks is plagiarism and unless you give the author credit in your description, it is a form of stealing. Instead of paraphrasing someone’s descriptions, instead try and learn from them and use your own words to highlight the features of *ahem* your own product.

The bottom line, if you lack a passion for your product, you are not going to be successful. Entrepreneurship is neither free nor easy. You have to be willing to invest in your company and work hard --- really hard. At the end of the day, I am still energized and could happily work another 12 hours --- because I love what I do!

My advice to the burgeoning Etsy opportunist: make something you benefit from and use every day.

Confession of an unprepared mother…

Yesterday, we decided to go to Fair Oaks Mall and buy the baby her fall wardrobe. I was looking forward to the trip all day. Shortly after we arrived, my 7 year old announced she was hungry. To appease her, I said we would get something to eat after we shopped, although, I had not planned on dining out.

With glee in my heart, we proceeded to the destination of my choice, the Baby Gap. Shortly after we arrived, the baby started to get restless in her stroller. The aforementioned sister tries to help, but actually compounds the problem by repeatedly suggesting she take the baby out of the stroller.

Now feeling rushed and no longer enjoying myself, I quickly make my final selections and head to the checkout with a stack of clothes that I would have preferred to spend more time picking out.

Obviously disappointed from being denied the pleasure of shopping at my leisure (and hungry myself) we decide to eat dinner at a nearby French bakery.

While my husband orders our food, I attempt to find a semi-private table where I can feel comfortable nursing the baby. Situated, I reach into my bag for my nursing cover-up and wish I had bothered to pack a jar of baby food for her to eat. Distracted by the new environment, she wasn’t too interested in nursing, so I asked my husband to order her a yogurt to eat instead.

When our food arrives, the baby’s yogurt is actually a parfait with strawberries, blueberries and granola --- all mixed together. So, I spend the next half hour trying to separate the fruit from the granola which she refused to eat. Before long, there is yogurt smeared all over her face, the chair and the table top.

Now, I am really wishing I would have packed her high chair cover, bib and a baby spoon. At this point, the only thing going for me is the fact that I have a bag full of baby clothes and I can at least change her outfit.

In short, the contents of my diaper bag consisted of two diapers, a package of wipes and a nursing cover up. What was I thinking? After all, I do have four children and I have access to a multiplicity of awesome diaper bags. To make matters worse, when I got home, I realized I bought two pairs of the same blue and pink polka dot leggings!

So---from this point forward—I, Andrea Chapman, hereby vow to maintain a well stocked Watermelon Wishes diaper bag, which will be ready to go on a moment’s notice and contain the following essentials:

• 3 diapers
• 10 – 15 wipes
• 3 to 4 small toys
• 1 change of clothes
• 1 nursing cover
• 1 burp cloth or small blanket
• 1 bib
• 1 spoon
• 1 jar of food
• Dry snacks
• A water bottle
• Sippy cup (that doesn’t leak!)