Kathleen and I are getting some wonderful feedback from our little survey about where we should host our very first Indie Shopography workshop. You guys are all geared up for building your creative business! And that's making us very excited.

We're narrowing down locations, for both the first workshop and more to come. And we'd still love to hear from you! Throw your city in the pile of potentials by filling out the form below. You'll be automatically signed up to receive news as soon as we decide!

BONUS: We're giving back

We're making a pledge to give back to your community. Just as the Indie Shopography ecourse donates to women in small business in developing countries with every sign-up, we'll be doing the same for the workshops. But, instead of sending our donations overseas, we'll be giving it to a cause in your community. Giving back is important to us!

Thank you for helping us out, and we hope to see you very soon!

Related Posts:
An Indie Shopography Workshop
Indie Shopography: A Workshop for Your Small Creative Business (a post from Jeremy & Kathleen)
Indie Shopography is Good for Designers Too
Indie Shopography: Round 3

I have a nasty little secret: I schedule tweets.

[gasp!]

Scheduling tweets has a connotation of sincere negativity. It's not genuine. It's insincere. It shouldn't be done. It's even a little creepy. The scheduler I use has "appear to never sleep" as an initiative to using the service. Weird, right?

However, I believe that, if done right, scheduling tweets can make you more productive and possibly even more genuine. Here's how:

1. Space out your quality content

When I get up in the morning, my head is reeling with ideas. Morning is my time to just get things done. That said, morning is when I have the best ideas for tweets.

When I sit down in the morning to do a blog post, check Facebook, and then tweet, I don't want to jumble all 12 of my good tweets into the first 15 minutes of the day. I want to space them out. So, I'll head over to my tweet scheduler, share all the cool links and posts that I have bumping around my brain, and just space them out throughout the day.

2. Keeps you from spamming the feed

Not only does scheduling my tweets keep me from posting all my good ideas first thing in the morning, but I'm also not spamming my followers' feeds with all my posts first thing in the morning. No one likes a feed spammer.

3. Gives you more chances to respond

When I'm not worrying about getting out my next tweet of the day, I can actually be more genuine with responding to others. It is networking, right?

4. Frees me up to work on work

We all know how dangerous Twitter is to our productivity, yes? If I can schedule my tweets at the beginning of the day, then I can focus on work more for the rest of the day.

5. Makes up for the unexpected

As a freelancer working from home, I never know what the day's going to hold. What happens if I remember at 3pm that I forgot to pick up coconut milk for tonight's curry? Or what if I get a client phone call that keeps me from posting my last good tweet of the day? Well, then I don't tweet.

But, if I'm scheduling my good content tweets, then I don't have to worry about skipping out of the office a bit early. My sharing is taken care of.

BONUS: Don't make it look like your tweets are scheduled.

There is an art to scheduling tweets in a way that doesn't red-flag you as spamming scum. You have to make it look like you're not scheduling tweets, and here's how I do it.

1. Schedule no more than 3-5 tweets per day, and keep within your normal tweeting hours.
2. Never schedule your more personal tweets. Those should be spontaneous, not scheduled.
3. Divide them up over the course of a whole day.
4. Always respond to @mentions of scheduled tweets.
5. Keep with your voice/brand.

How do you feel about scheduling tweets? Still a little creeped out, or willing to give it a try?

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5 Elements All eCommerce Website Should Have

A couple of weeks ago I launched a new branding design for a company quite different from those that I usually work with. It was even a scenario that was very different than usual. Just all around different.

Julie from Domata came to me with an already-in-place branding scheme for her recently acquired baking goods company. The scheme was already in place with their packaging, but she wasn't thrilled with how it translated onto web and other print media.

It was blocky letters in gray tones, which worked fine for packaging, but she wanted to add a bit more of a cohesion between it's style and the florally prints that were used throughout her scheme.

So, we dolled it up a bit. We kept the exact same base logo and simply added more of a "look" to it. Nothing crazy, just a way for it to translate a bit better to other mediums.

Once we had her semi-new logo on lockdown, we moved to a couple of print designs, pulling in those fun patterns and creating some products she felt much more comfortable with.

Interested in adding some pizazz to your business with some shiny new print products? Contact me!

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We are some for-serious hummus eaters around here. We love hummus. A lot.

I remember the first time I ever tried to actually make my own hummus. It was a disaster. I didn't try to make it again for about 4 more years.

Then, a few weeks ago I decided I would try it again. And it was fantastic.

And so, I thought I would share.

I was sitting in my bedroom the other day, giving myself a pedicure, and I had a thought. It was kind of a scary thought. As soon as I thought it, I took pause. I literally looked around, and then chuckled to myself. My pup looked at me like I was nuts.

It was a thought regarding a project that has been on my mind, and it was brought on by a need to carefully curate my portfolio.

Curating your portfolio, whether you be a web designer or a jewelry designer, becomes more and more important the longer you're in your field. It's a process. One that you have to grow into. (Click to tweet.)

When You're 'Green'

When I began my web design business over two years ago I was fresh out of college, David was applying to graduate schools (which is just a nice way of saying he didn't have a job, and wasn't looking for one), and I had absolutely no desire to return to the world of retail management. I had been running my own jewelry indie business for over two years, so I had a foundation in the indie market, but transitioning from jewelry design to web design was a pretty big leap.

I remember taking every job I could get my hands on. Really crazy stuff. Etsy banners, blog headers, just adding logos to circles and calling them stickers. I was a bit of a hot mess.

But aren't we all in the beginning? We take every opportunity that comes our way, just with the hope of creating connections and "establishing" ourselves. It's something that we hear from professionals all the time, "Take every opportunity that comes along. You never know what's going to be your big break." But, in doing so, I feel we sell ourselves short. We undercharge. We work way too hard.

It's about quantity, and - sadly - we sometimes put quality on the back burner.

Then You Grow

Those first couple of months were hard. I remember keeping my eye on GIS job boards, though I knew nothing would ever be appealing to me. I stalked the Etsy forums and Alchemy board, finding a couple of jobs, each bigger and more challenging than the next. Then people started contacting me, and soon I had a project calendar. A project calendar!

This period of initial growth is a tricky one. It's all about balance. You have to take what you get in order to keep afloat, but you have to start censoring. You have to learn to turn away projects that you know you just don't have time for. Or maybe it's a bit too out of your comfort zone.

You grow into your niche, as you develop it. It's a simultaneous process. (Click to tweet.)

Real quality becomes a priority, but you still feel a pull for a certain amount of quantity as well.

And You Make It

At some point you have a realization, like I did the other day with the nail polish in hand. I was thinking about a potential project when I made a conscious decision to not take it on, not because I didn't have time or I didn't think it would be too challenging or not challenging enough, but because I was afraid the quality of the project, or the work that I was being asked to do, would not be worth the effort.

I was afraid it would compromise the integrity of the portfolio that I have developed over the last two years.

Wait a second, don't think that I'm a snob, because that's not it! I'll explain.

When you're green, you take any and everything on that you can. Then you begin to evolve. You recognize the types of clients/customers and projects you want to take on and you start to cut out the ones that don't fit. At first it's usually about time and effort, but then it's about quality.

You finally start drawing the line between quantity and quality. It's a natural evolution.

It's developing your niche. Your target market. Your portfolio. Your brand.

Click to tweet: Curating Your Portfolio by @emmarieDesigns http://bit.ly/AkZTFS

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5 Elements eCommerce Websites Should Have

Oh, I feel like such a slacker.

Mellow Key West is actually a website that I launched pre-Christmas. But, with me being such a scatter-brained crazy person when it comes to the winter holidays, I somehow missed announcing this launch.

So, let me make amends.

Melanie from Mellow Key West contacted me to create a simple brochure site for her really awesome and fun beach-y products. Bags, basket liners, and - my favorite - bike seat covers. It has had me dreaming of a beach vacation since before the holidays, and has re-stoked that fire now that I'm posting about it.

I think I'll move to Key West now, pack up one of these bags with beach-needs, like sunglasses and 10-12 books, and sit on the beach all day. All. Day.

You can visit Melanie's site and become jealous of her beach-y lifestyle too. Go ahead.

View My Portfolio

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We're ready! We're ready to meet you, and make your business rock!

I have teamed up with Kathleen from Braid Creative to host the most awesome of live workshops to get your business in tip-top shape. For two days, we'll give you as much information as we can stuff your head with to take your indie business to the next level.

Kathleen is all about creating and clarifying your business brand. She's the brand magician that will help you uncover your brand, from finally being able to vocalize exactly what it is that you do and recognizing your dream client/customer, to developing blog content that will help you authentically share your brand with the world.

I am all about getting your small creative business online. I will help you determine the needs of your website, choose a Content Management System that will work for you and your business, and even dip your toes in the basics of Search Engine Optimization. We'll work through the nuts and bolts of getting your business online, from start to finish.

In this two-day workshop, we'll jumpstart your creative business, giving you a firm foundation to sky-rocket you towards success.

Currently, we're thinking about hosting the workshop in early June. And we'd love to hear from you! We're scoping out locations, but want to know where you are, or where you'd be willing to travel. You can help us decide what city we hit first!

All you have to do is fill out the survey below. We'll tally up the info based on the submissions, and announce the final details very soon!

When you fill out the survey, you'll automatically be added to a mailing list which will hear the final details first! So fill it out and help us out. We'll send you the details as soon as we've decided!

If you have any questions regarding the survey, the workshop material, or anything else, please feel free to email Kathleen (kathleen@braidcreative.com) or me (hello@emmariewebdesign.com). We're here to answer your questions!

To find out more about Kathleen and the Braid Method, check her out at Braid Creative and her blog, Jeremy and Kathleen. You can learn more about my ecourse (from which my half of the workshop will be based) at Indie Shopography.

Thanks for your help, and I hope to meet you face-to-face very soon!

Oooo... I have some boho blood in me. Eclectic. Colorful. One of the only possessions that I have kept during my growings-older is a Moroccan-style hand-sewn "blanket"/wall-hanging that I picked up in a Paris flea market ten years ago. It's hanging in my dining room now.

So, this workspace is inspired by this piece. Beautifully blue with mirror accents. So wonderful.

1. Vintage Industrial Wire Cage Farmhouse Pendent from junkyardlighting on Etsy
2. Cadiz Rug from West Elm
3. Beckett Chair from Serena & Lily
4. Looking Glass Decanter from Anthropologie
5. Ava Desk from Pottery Barn
6. Coqo Floral Curtain from Anthropologie

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Ever feel as if you're ready to move forward, but something is holding you back?

emmarie Designs is in the midst of lots of big changes. Big changes that can't be made just yet. And it's making me quite anxious.

No Desire to Move Backwards

I love the decisions that I have made that have brought emmarie Designs (which, as an umbrella, includes emmarie Web Design and Indie Shopography) to where it is now. I have a wonderful list of clients, a steady flow of projects, and a little community of great creative people that I chat with regularly.

With that said, I'm ready to move forward, not backwards. But, that's everyone, right? At least most people.

I'm ready to see what's going to happen, not dwell on what has happened.

Too Squirmy to Sit Still

I am an extreme ants-in-the-pants kind of girl. I don't like to do the same thing for too long. I crave the constantly-evolving. Even if I'm happy in the moment, I can't wait to see what comes next.

I'm pretty sure this is my fatal flaw.

The Future is Much too Out of Focus

This is the part that's driving me absolutely insane. I'm a planner. I've mentioned this before. I always want to be working on my next move. What is coming next?

The Issues

I have big plans for emmarie Designs that could go in a number of different ways. The problem is that I can't decide which I want to focus on, and this is brought on heavily by that fuzzy focus.

The biggest issue that I'm facing with regards to my business is our impending move. We don't know where we're going. We know where we want to go, but anything could happen.

And this is where another fatal flaw comes in: I'm one of the most impatient people you will ever meet.

I'm ready to hire a new assistant, find awesome vendors, rebrand and reorganize, launch exciting new offerings. I'm ready to decorate my new living room, finally start shopping around for a new car, find Lily a play group.

I'm ready. But nothing else is.

And so, for now, I'm stuck in transition. Transition between now and the fun to come.

Dude, I'm ready for the party.

Sometimes I find myself being the harbinger of tough love.

With my clients.

It's very hard for me to "lay down the line" when a client starts getting wishy-washy about working on their business. It gives me a stomachache. It makes my arm pits sweaty. It makes me really need a peanut butter cracker. Or twelve.

But it just has to happen. I want to see them succeed.

Realize When DIY Isn't Cutting It

I have spent years being a DIY indie business owner. I branded myself, I designed everything myself, I developed my own marketing plans, I took my own stuff to the post office. I did everything.

And I hit a ceiling.

Building an indie business by doing everything yourself is do-able. I did it. Lots of really great indie business owners do it. But it's not for everyone. And it's not forever.

I made my biggest jump in growth when I realized it was time to outsource. I hired an assistant, a bookkeeper, a marketing specialist. I'll soon be undergoing brand consulting. I want to hook up with an awesome printer and SEO specialist. I have realized that I can be much better at what I do if I let other pros do what they're good at for me. (Click to tweet.) DIY isn't cutting it anymore.

KNOW YOU'RE READY

It is startling to me how impulsive people can be with their business. And with large sums of money. They wake up one morning with an idea, a fat wallet, and a drive to expand. They call up a web designer (or some other business related service person), tell them their ready, and then fall on their face. Because they're not ready.

Before you hire someone to take your indie business to the next level, know you're ready to take it to the next level. (Click to tweet.)

• Have you already established yourself, even in a relatively small way?
• Do you have a clear direction for growth and expansion?
• Are you ready to put in the work?
• Are you in it for the long haul?
• Are you ok with change?

If you answered 'no' to any of these, then you're not ready.

Some solutions:

• Stick out your current situation a little longer. If you're still growing and interested in 3-6+ months, then it might be ready to make a bigger commitment.
• Clarify your personal goals. I'm a firm believer that you should not focus on an outside entity before you have thoroughly focused on yourself. (Click to tweet.)
• Do your research. Know what work is going to go into what you're wanting to do. It makes change more gradual, and therefore less painful.

KNOW YOU'RE BUSINESS IS READY

Few things make me more sad for an indie business owner's planning skills than getting knee-deep in a large business renovation just to find that their business can't sustain the growth.

So, what? You have your products, you have a name, and you purchased a domain, yes? All set.

NO!

• Do you have a clear and concise brand? (Not just a logo, but a brand. P.S. If you don't know the difference, you're not ready. Period.)
• Can you afford growth at the moment? (More product, more packaging, consultants, designers, infrastructure...)
• Do you have any money in a business-only savings account?
• Do you have for-serious business goals?
• Do you have a marketing plan?

If you answered 'no,' or were even a little undecided, then you are not ready. Trust me.

Some solutions:

• Clearly define your brand. Either do a ton of research and business discovery, or hire a professional. (P.S. People who just "design logos" [including me] are not usually brand specialists. I know I much prefer it if a client comes to me with a full brand summary before requesting me to design anything. There's definitely a difference.)
• Clarify your goals by writing a real business plan. Or, try out a simpler planner, like the Track This! planner from Brittni Mehlhoff. (My favorite.)
• Develop a marketing plan. This often-forgotten element is key to reaching sustainability in your desired growth. (Click to tweet.)
• Budget, budget, budget. Budget. Got it? And make sure it's sensible.

EXPECT TOUGH LOVE

If you're not quite there yet with yourself and your business, and you make the jump anyhow, I hope someone stops you in your tracks with a little (or a lot of) tough love.

If you hire me and you're not ready, I will tell you. And I will make you get ready. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, I'm trying to show you the way.

If you hire someone else, I hope they'll give you tough love if you need it, too.

Designers and other indie biz professionals can only help you build your business if you're ready. And if you're not, you're just wasting everyone's time.

LET SOMEONE HELP

It's time we indie business owners get over this Super Woman complex we all inherently have and ask for help when it's needed. Stop cutting corners, and invest in your business.

These very issues are why I have created Indie Shopography. If you think you're ready to start heading in the direction of business growth online, then it's a great place to make sure you're ready with the knowledge required to get you there.

If you're one of these indie business owners thinking of taking a leap - whether it be with a new brand, a new site, a killer marketing plan, whatever - don't do it blindly! You won't be doing yourself, your business, and definitely not your wallet any justice by just taking the leap. Trust me.

Let's be real here, guys. Let's show the world how awesome indie business are. Let's show them how we will make it past that dreaded 2-year statistic. We will succeed. We will turn the economy around.

But we can only do so if we're smart. If we're ready. And if you're open to the tough love.

Click to tweet: It's time to show your business some tough love. http://bit.ly/ywKWaJ

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