In the cloud

Here at Bean Up The Nose Art, one of the things we like most is passing along Good Things. Encouragement.  Praise.  Tips.  News.  Ideas.  

Today, we're passing along a few Great Leads.  To on-line places that rock our art-marketing world.  Where your information lives "in the Cloud."  Where things are easier and more efficient and more fun than before.  YAY FOR THAT!!!

Stitchlabs

Holy cow.  Can't say enough about this terrific new San Francisco-based company that (as it says on their homepage) "is built for small businesses that design, make and sell products."  YES IT IS BUILT FOR US!!!  Through the magic of on-line-ness, and for a very small monthly fee, you can keep track of and manage your inventory, orders, contacts, sales -- the whole back-end of your own little business -- with Stitchlabs.  

Their customer service is AWESOME.  As in, call up and talk to Jake.  The man will answer your question in a jiffy, as he works on the phone with you and simultaneously on the screen.  Boom.  You're done.  If no one's there to take the call, they return it almost instantly.  Unfailingly polite.  Follow-up posts to make sure you're all right.  

Found out about Stitchlabs through fabulous daughter Meryl.  She was selling her wares a craft faire.  Jake was at the Stitchlab booth.  Jake came over and asked Meryl about her business, and what it took to run it -- what would help in the bookkeeping department.  He actually listened.  Meryl was so impressed she passed Jake's card along.  

The first year of doing business, I kept inventory by hand on columned green accounting sheets.  Then we "graduated" to Excel spread sheets.  Crappy, unwieldy, WAY NO FUN.

Enter Stitchlabs.  FUN.  EASY.  Takes literally 10% of the time the other (inferior) way was running.  Plus, way more stats and numbers for you easily to track how things are going.

WE LOVE YOU, STITCHLABS!!!  Because YOU TRULY ROCK!!!

Constant Contact

This on-line communication tool is a much bigger company than sweet and wonderful Stitchlabs.  So you're not going to get that same sort of hand-holding and kindness.  But boy oh boy, do they make your on-line marketing contact so much more snazzy, efficient and fun than if you were generating it all on your own.  Easy-to-update mailing lists.  Great templates for mailing out e-mail newsletters and promotions.  Ability to use on-line surveys.  EXCELLENT blog posts about all sorts of communication and social media ideas to market with integrity and efficiency.  Totally impressed with the way this place does business . . . again, for a small monthly fee.  

Twitter

Have been on Twitter for almost two months now.  (Follow me @tamholland!)  I do love me some Facebook, too.  But have to say, Twitter is rocking my world.  Understand that it can be daunting, way too much, overload, craziness.  Imagine receiving your friends' Facebook updates several times a day.  But if you can get into the rhythm of what it feels like to ride the wave and not get distressed by it, IT IS AWESOME.  Folks who tweet are, in general, extremely optimistic, creative, and often entrepreuneurial.  They love to gather and pass along information - which leads you to many interesting places and connections, and is utterly fabulous for marketing.  Tweeting provides a way for you to thank your vendors and your brick and mortars and offer them the free publicity they deserve.  Tweeting allows you to tell people where they can find your stuff.  Tweeting allows you to post silly things about what you're feeling about your art.  Tweeting lets you link up posts and people and all manner of wonderful stuff.  LOVE. IT.  

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FRIENDLY REMINDER!!!!  Last weekend of Marin County Open Studios!  Hoping you will come on by to 256 Redwood Drive out in Woodacre, CA, to visit with us a spell.  Father's Day cards.  Luggage tags.  Magic wands.  Gift tags.  Notepads.  In other words . . . stuff ya know ya need :)