Playing "Follow The Leader" - The Downfall Of Many EntrepreneursWritten by Noel Peebles
A good education is always a good start in life, but think about this for a moment:Most formal schooling prepares us to work for others. If we are good at following school rules and what teacher says, then we will probably do okay in job world too. Success in job world, just like at school, depends on how good you are at playing game of "follow leader." When your boss says jump - you say how high? Just like at school, boss tells you when to show up, imposes acceptable standards of dress and performance, sets assignments and deadlines etc. If you behave yourself at school, try hard and do your homework on time, then you are rewarded with good marks, good report cards, good friends, certificates, camps, vacations, trophies and special recognition for outstanding achievement. The job world is no different. You are rewarded with a wage or salary, commissions, promotions, fringe benefits, bonuses, satisfying work, friendships, training programs, vacations and special recognition for jobs well done. In short, if you were good at playing "follow leader" at school, you'll probably be good at playing follow leader in job world too. Don't get me wrong. I'm not knocking "working for someone else." I'm just making a point - to be successful in job world, you need to be a good follower and a good team player. This sense of belonging and security suits most people just fine. However, working for someone else is nothing like being an entrepreneur and boss of your own business. This is where many "new-comers" in business become horribly unstuck.
| | Creating Wonderful Displays for Your HandcraftsWritten by Linda Nigro
Signing up for my first craft show, fulfilled my long time dream of creating something that would be marketable and enjoyed by others. My goal to build a display that would not only enhance my work, but would cause a customer to stop, look & purchase, proved to be a problem. I am sure like others, my misguided thinking, expecting that I would create a wonderfully marvelous display first time around, with props that I would use forever. Thinking I was getting great value for my money invested, I started out with my first display with a look of moss green skirting, burlap with assorted containers made of wicker and tin. I was hmmm....okay with this look, but knew that it just wasn't fabulous, and I wanted fabulous. Being unsure of myself and not knowing how to create a great space, I just left well enough alone. I did take notice at shows I attended, charming and creative booths done so professionally by my fellow crafters. It seemed that this gift of presentation eluded me. One fellow crafter, was very helpful when I openly admired her display. She explained that it wasn't always so, but that her display just evolved. New ideas would form and then they would be incorporated into display till it became what it was that day. The suggestion of building on what was already in place seemed like a good idea, but I was reluctant to replace props with new things, thinking I was throwing good money after bad, but I was missing point about evolving. I entered my second year of selling, when I met a wonderfully talented crafter who did Monet type of painting on all sorts of items from fabric to wood. The beautiful pastel colors were showcased on simple white muslin material, topped with a pretty white on white patterned sheer cloth draped on top. Bellows of white and that soft impressionist type painting was simple, but it was gorgeous. She was a great encourager and got me to thinking about my colorful soaps and how well they would look on a white background. So display #2 was born. Cast away was what now seemed to be dark dreary burlap and in was new, bright white. To cut costs I decided to keep my baskets and just whitewash them and added some silver grid baskets purchased at a dollar store, my lifts were my transport boxes doing second duty. So I created a new look of white tables, whitewashed baskets and a few intermittently placed silver baskets I completed this new change for my next craft show and I was glad I had taken that sound advice. My colorful soaps did look striking up against white fabric. Sales increased and customers and fellow crafters gave rave reviews on my soaps and my display. I was pleased that I had tried something new.
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