Don`t forget to visit my new site for more girly illustrations!! See the old portfolio here.

Cute Cake Shop and Cakes Business Card by elainebiss

Fashion Sketch Retro Model Stationery Note Cards by elainebiss

This Diva`s Closet Watercolor Fashion Illustration by elainebiss

I guess when selling is slow, the best way to appeal consumers to come back and spend  cash, is to strum a heart string and appeal to that part of you that is really never aroused by the thought of toilet paper commercials. I say this, because about 14 years ago there was a toilet paper commercial that would make me cry all the time, and I would effectively buy it.

Today the same is done by the big brands who still believe you are so hypnotized watching reruns of Friends, that you won`t notice their game.

1. WALMART-Summer costs less at Walmart. I really despised Walmart. After their lawsuits over no breaks, forcing workers to stay and work without pay and sexual harassment, I can`t say I would ever purchase anything there. I rather go without. But this commercial has in fact softened my heart. But I am still not buying!!! It has a catchy tune, sunny scenery and of course, a solution to not having enough when kids are home for the summer.
   
2. Coca Cola-Open Happiness. Truly the best one I have ever seen. Very sexy, hypnotic and suggestive with the shape of a classic Coca Cola bottle being displayed everywhere, this sweaty guy gets “happy” by quenching his thirst with a Coke.
   
   Or if you are into cute, this commercial will be the one that will get you to buy a Coke.
   
3. The Battle of The Taste KFC Grilled Chicken-I`ve always loved their chicken, but the word “fried” throws a damp towel to my diet and I just don`t feel like running 2 hours on the treadmill just to burn off a chicken thigh.  But when KFC said “grilled”, I jumped for joy and ran to buy some. Only to find out how gross it tastes. Never mind grilled, just fry it. Their commercial, clean and simple mirage of people repeating over and over Kentucky GRILLLEEDD Chicken, get stuck in your head until you spring the cash for it. It literally talks you into it!
   
4. Ecoimagination-GE. What to do when you have to buy an appliance but you don`t want to feel guilt about saving the planet? Then buy ecofriendly with the only company that has ECOIMAGINATION! When there are so many companies doing the same, making up a word makes you a cut above the rest, no?? So let`s milk it, show off how we do it and add a little social responsibility with a touch of green for good measure.
   
5. Tostitos and the Consumer Thought Process. Okay I found the one I really wanted to find which was the one where the girl reads the word hint, and she goes off on a tangent where people are “hinting” she should get married and have babies or her baby machine won`t work-Or something to that effect. The thought process makes me feel like my I.Q. is abnormally high for the average girl. It`s a bit insulting to think we reason or justify purchases with our life experiences. But the fact is, when there is little money on the grocery budget, we do justify buying that bag of Oreos or the Tostitos. The best part, they are doing it for you.  So go have a bag!

No I was not paid for doing this post. This is just a small sampler of the gimmicks used by big corporations to get you to buy their product when you could buy, less advertised and less costly brand. Not only can you use these ideas when advertising, but now you will be wise to their ad campaign.

Now that you have a product you have produced, it`s time to take it to market. Besides labels, hang tags and packaging you need an UPC code.

From Wikipedia an UPC-The Universal Product Code (UPC) is a barcode symbology (i.e., a specific type of barcode), that is widely used in the United States and Canada for tracking trade items in stores.

Guess what, if you want your items to be carried in big chain stores, they need and request an UPC code. UPC codes will cost anywhere from 20 dollars to 40 a piece. This can be a costly investment if you don`t know where to get it and every different kind of item you have in stock, will need one.

You can buy multiple UPC codes and get discounts depending on the company. I googled the information and found several companies willing to sell multipe codes for very low fees. Please note that many companies out there are not legit and you will have to call them and venture on your own. I personally used two UPCExpress.com and www.mozian.com/.

UPC Express provided me with an UPC code instantly for $30 dollars. It was the easiest of them all, yet expensive if I had more than one item to do, and I did. Mozian was easy as well, provided a discount for multiple items and it took one hour for me to receive the UPC codes.

Enjoy!

Okay so I apologize if I sound a bit frazzled. When I heard about this new law, all I could think of is “WTF??” Handmade items are the bread and butter of America. I don`t ever rally for anything or anyone. But this deserves something better than a fight. It deserves a solution. (Or at least my proposition of one.)

The Legislation- Along with all the costs involved with running a business, Congress is proposing the implementation of lead testing to ALL hand made goods made for children under the age of 12, as the legislation requires certificates to show that there is less than 600 ppm of lead in the fabric, many if not all fabrics have no lead in them and if there is any it is well below the eventual maximum of 100 ppm.

What does this mean? Any certified lead tester may gauge your eyes out as payment  just to test your goods or shut you down.

How does this affect you? Probably it doesn`t, unless you buy or sell from Etsy, eBay or FuzzB or sell hand made goods made by others from your site. Small business owners will be the most affected.

What do I propose? I propose 8 things,

1. Ask your suppliers to disclose what is the lead content and certify their items are safe for children under the age of twelve.
2. Once you know DISPLAY the amount of lead in the item right on the packaging or whether or not it is deemed “safe”. Below are some downloads, free labels for business owners to use freely on their goods declaring their status. Educating your customers of the wholesomeness of your items. PDF JPG TIF
3. FIND out what the EPA`s Standards are for lead, here.
4. TEST your own items!!! Here is the start!
5. EDUCATE YOURSELF! Don`t get your information from just any source!! Double check and verify that what you are reading is true. Here is a website dedicated to that, Page supporting it, goverment Site.
6. Sign the petition denying it.
7. Diversify-don`t just sell for children sell for EVERYONE!!
8. Continue your work. Don`t stop. You will prevail.

Burrowed from my business coach, Michelle Pippin “In his book, The Innovative Mind, Dr. Gene Landrum addresses why big corporations and large companies will fail in this economy.  Essentially, today’s economy demands INNOVATION, he says, which is defined as being willing to destroy what IS, to create what is NOT.  He goes on to say that this “creative destruction will be too ungovernable for modern [companies] to tolerate.”

“It is HERE we find HOPE.  While the “big names” are worshiping tradition and resisting change, we can embrace change and become agile.  While they remain steeped in bureaucracy and commit to protecting the status-quo, we can be BOLD, CREATIVE, and PRO-ACTIVE. While they analyze and seek approval, small companies – LIKE OURS-  can take action and seek a profit.”

“THIS is why Henry Ford, Walt Disney, and Estee Lauder outperformed their “bigger” competitors. THIS is why we have just cause to be optimistic and allow our actions to follow suit. Because in the end, optimism (or pessimism) will – ultimately – guide our actions.”

Resources

• Testing for Lead in Consumer Items for Children
• Lead in Jewelry – Materials Chart
• Sign the petition denying it.

The year is almost over and I can`t help but look back at the joys and tears, the celebrations and pity parties, the miracles, heartbreaks and comebacks that transpired this year. This year was by far one of the best years in my career-even with all the problems and set backs- and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Totally worth it.

Without giving to much detail, this year was a lot like being pregnant. For those who have had children, you understand the sacrifices made, the discipline and commitment it takes just to have a healthy baby. That is all diminished, with the pain of labor, the hours in pain and agony just seem to be “forgotten” when you see your baby. It all was justified.

This year I learned one (out of many) really important lesson: You can. What ever you dream, what ever you wish, no matter the long shot, no matter the odds, you can. But above all else, You are worth it.

From the bottom of my heart, my most sincerest thanks to you my clients, readers and friends. Big thank you to Dior(Merci mom amie! Je suis très heureux et reconnaissant pour l’occasion du Adore Dior! Basiers Cherie!), Glamour Magazine Glambassador Michelle Rossi, DivineDiamonds.com Diva Ruta fox and Marketing Dynamo Sherri Baldi. AND for She Takes On The World`s 2008 Woman of the Year Award. I could barely read it through my tears-Thank you! A big kiss to all of you!

Have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009.

Love, blessings and kisses,
Elaine Biss

I once heard that, what you hear other say (negatively) about you, weakens you. But you know of yourself to be true, empowers you. Mass hysteria that surrounds of the current market conditions only makes people scared to spend. Regardless of what spot you may be as we transition to 2009, you should set goals, always expect your business to be better, and in some cases, evolve. This is the key to survival.

Starting on the right foot will make 2009 “your year.” Here are 8 ways to claim it;

1. You are a priority-That`s right! YOU. If you don`t believe me ask yourself, if you are hospitalized today, who knows how to manage your business? Who knows your passwords? Your vendors? Your customers better than you? Glad you get it! How do you care for you? Have a set “time” schedule. Work your work hours and then stop. Take lunch breaks (would you give a lunch break to your employees? If the answer is yes, then have a daily break. See what happened to Walmart.) Studies show people are more productive when they take  breaks in equal intervals. Here is a nifty article on software that helps you with just that.
2. Set a Mark-Just like when you travel, you map out your journey, the same should be done with your business. This is not about being greedy, but about having direction and making a steady profit. Per example, how much do you want to make? What is your monthly sales goal? Do you even have a monthly sales goal? Where do you see YOURSELF in 5 years? Where do you see YOUR BUSINESS in 5 years? They are not the same and require you to do some soul searching. If you think this may be a long shot, please listen to the audio below. Click here for A Touch of Greatness.

Simply Click Play to Begin


Sample audio is approximately 10 minutes in length.

3. Set Your Standards-When I worked at the hospital, the standards were set very high for anyone wishing to acquire employment. Slackers need not apply. How would you set standards? Nix the time wasters-people or activities when working. Focus when working, play when playing. Don`t accept less than what you are worth. Make quality NOT quantity a priority.  Make work time holy and YOU TIME sacred. Firefox has a nifty timer that allows you to track how long have you been online. If you minimize the browser, it pauses.
   
4. Make Your Standards Visible- Besides my prices, my “rules” and my goals are visible all the time. If you are still asking why, listen to the audio.
5. Make a Commitment-If a successful marriage is a product of 2 people making a commitment to forsake all others, then a successful business is the product of your commitment to the guidelines, standards and goals you have placed for yourself. It takes discipline, a product of commitment, and ACTION to maintain a successful business. Reaffirming to yourself the love for what you do, will create momentum for you to move forward and create success.
6. Make Space for Better-If a certain item doesn`t sell, why carry it? If a old computer makes you waste time because it`s old and slow, why keep it? Donate it or give it to the kids.  You deserve to have tools that work and products that sell or else space is made for better. Also as I wrote in one of my Feng Shui articles, getting rid of the old allows you to have space to RECEIVE the NEW.
7. Dance me through the panic- When I first heard this phrase, I was clueless as to what it meant. After reading Fearless by Steven Chandler, I understood. It means to have fun when others worry. If you don`t have fun doing what you do and the panic is greater that the activity, you are more likely to give up. I love what I do. I have fun learning new things, new software new ways of managing my business.  If I didn`t love it as much as I do, I would not have endured the hardships, the crazyness and the lows only to be rewarded with the sweet taste of success.
8. Be fearless-Just take the plunge. Be smart and calculate your next step, but do it. Fear and panic can be paralyzing can even take you back a step or two. Your actions towards a healthy goal always pay you in a positive manner when everyone else is petrified with fear.

You have already taken the greatest leap of faith there is, you have employed yourself based on your skill. Why not act like you believe in you and create the income you desire? Have a prosperous 2009!

Resources

• Tom`s 12 Laws of Life
• Feng Shui your Desk
• Productivity
  

Everyone is in an uproar. They are all getting creative on how magazines and newspapers will continue to sell material and they are all getting creative on how to market to the people the information sought. If you want to read the grim predictions, be my guest.

However I was taken by this particular one.

NAME: Emily Gordon
TITLE: editor-in-chief, Print; founder, emdashes.com
2009 PREDICTION(S): The good, the bad, and the Ghost of Media Future: Newspaper veterans will unite to create the greatest online resource of all time and overthrow all the sites that put them out of business. Newsday (snappy URL, right?) will rise again as a megasite that dwarfs other news aggregators. PR and journalism will merge to become flackalism. Someone will design an online course called “Multimedia for Magazine Editors in Five Minutes a Day” that will make that someone a whole bunch of money; why not you? Professional bloggers nationwide will unionize, with the encouragement of President Obama and Mayor Bloomberg, and demand full benefits and reasonable work conditions. Readers of long, focused stories online will get tired of scrolling and pay for well-designed paper versions—even more for signed copies from the right authors. (This I can prove.) And someone’s got to start paying for the Internet, maybe with a package subscription to favorite sites, which would come, Salon Premium-style, with magazines, music, party invitations, and meaningful community privileges.

I am particularly excited about that. The power is returned to the masses and they in turn, make money.

If you want to see what the corporate wigs are saying, watch the video. I think we are about to see the birth of a new era in print media and I for one, can`t wait to see it. I have no predictions, but if I had one, Emily`s would be close.

“The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell”
–Confucius

As I hear the complains on the economy, and how some businesses are not doing as well as they should be, I can`t help but wonder what is it that they are doing (and not doing). You see, if what you are doing is not working, then it makes sense to try something else.

It doesn`t always mean you throw out your old site or business concept, but it does mean finding a new angle or venue to capitalize on your idea.  Selling is just one way to make money. Here 5 easy things you can so to maintain your sell, (from easiest to hardest to do)

1. Blogging for Dollars-Selling space on your blog to advertisers like Google Adwords and AdBrite and make money selling ad space there. Because blogs can be about anything, you would not be selling ad space to competitors. Per example, If you blog about stationery and you are a clothing boutique, the ads placed on that page will be about paper.
2. Newsletters that rock-Displaying your items in a way that appeals to the masses is not rocket science. Use your logo to brand, pick three items you want show off and use graphics to highlight what matters. You can even sell ad space here!



3. Join The Affiliate League -If you can`t afford to advertise, then offer an incentive to promote! Affiliates at the Pepperjam Network offer from $1 to 50 per sale brought from your blog. Share the wealth and everyone makes a buck.
4. Be a Guru-There is always something you know more of, of know how to do better than anyone else. So why not write about it? Start a blog, blogger.com and wordpress.com are free, and just write. This can in turn make you an expert and you can become a consultant.  You can also make $$$ by selling ad space!
5. Diversify with in your field-If you only sell baby stuff, sell items for the whole family. If you have a service for small businesses, offer it to big ones. If you make bows, make custom ribbon bows! If you sell gifts, sell corporate gifts.

There are many ways to create income. Finding yours can be a great adventure!

Resources

Jump Start Your Business After the Holiday Slump

I never think about the light bill, until I have to pay it. 3 computers, 2 fridges, 1 satellite radio, 7 rooms and 2 electric heaters (not by choice!) can really run up your bill. My addiction to all things bright was sucking my earnings.

So when my light bill hit $268.00, and they wouldn`t take my right arm as payment, I decided I was going to go green. Why give away my money to them when I truly didn`t have to?? Here are 8 ways to cut that bill.

1. Let your PC sleep- Your pc comes equipped to utilize energy in an efficient way, It`s called sleep mode. Many debates have been sprung on the subject, whether or not sleep mode affects performance. In my humble view, it doesn`t!! If you do maintenance defragmentation as you should on your pc, it will work for you as it should. Engineers added it to pcs because they knew it could handle it! If you still feel you don`t want to set your computer to sleep, then shut it off.
2. Your computer`s friends need sleep too!-That`s right, that huge printer, scanner, monitor, wireless network and everything else you connect to your pc and an outlet will pull energy. I have those in a separate power surge protector and I disconnect that from the wall.
3. Disconnect your cable box from the wall- Deemed an “energy vampire” because even in its idle state it can suck more than 60 watts of electricity (I don`t have the exact figure for this one, I believe it`s twice that amount). The bill became lower in May when we started doing that. It was probably the one thing that got us hooked on being greenies.
   

   The figures don`t lie.

4. Change the light bulbs-After switching from incandescent light bulbs to energy efficient light bulbs the bill dropped dramatically in May. They are bright, and last up to 10,000 hours. Incandescent 100 watt bulbs have a life of 750 hours. You may pay more but you get more light out of the bulb, plus a lower bill.
   
5. Energy vampires are lurking!!-If you are not using it, disconnect it completely. Appliances in its “off” state will suck up to 60 watts or more in electricity.
6. Buy HE appliances-I don`t mean Manly! I mean “High Efficiency.” I couldn`t afford to buy ALL high efficiency appliances, but I started the process.  You may want to take a look at the chart. Between April and June, I used the local Laundry mat to see how much I could save. Then I tried washing them out and drying them home from July to August. Summer ended and I rather do my laundry at home, so I gave myself a high efficiency washer on September. It remained low.
7. Let the sunshine in!- I open up the window shades and let the sunshine in. Besides being a natural mood enhancers, sunshined rooms in my home a toastier than my darker rooms. My studio is now in a room that catches the morning sunlight and the other side gets the afternoon light.
8. Check your local company for greener energy sources-In the 90`s, Pennsylvania participated in a program that allowed you to choose what green energy company would provide your energy and you could even cost compare. Make the call or visit their respective websites.

Of couse no technology is perfect. When it comes to light bulbs, I am perfectly aware of the warnings on the box. Until we(Americans) manufacture our own energy efficient ligh bulbs, then I will switch. Oh, and if you don`t believe, that`s my bill and I will send it to you so you can pay it.

Resources

• Incandesent light bulbs will be banned by 2010 in EU
• Energy Vampires Watts Chart
• New Technology
• DUH!! The smartest are usually the dumbest
  
• Vampire Appliences suck 3 billions a year
  
• Low standby energy appliances
  
• Energy Star Website
  
• Electricity Saving Calculator
  

One of my loves is paper and I print quite a bit. After seeing the rising cost of paper, I started wondering if paper was cheaper and what quality was available, if I bought recycled paper vs. virgin paper (all new wood fibers).

First I found that there are some “qualifications” to what you would call recycled or earth friendly papers.

• Recycled content paper-paper milled with a percentage of recycled paper, calculated from 10% to 100% of pre-consumer (paper not disposed by consumers) or post-consumer (paper recycled after purchased, used and disposed of by the consumer)
• Forest Stewardship Council paper-”managed” forest have a few trees cut down to avoid overgrowth and used in the paper industry, producing “virgin” paper.
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative paper-Same as above
• Paper produced carbon neutral-These companies reduce and offset (reduction through energy diversification) their carbon emissions.
• Paper produced using wind power-Paper mill is powered using wind power.
  

  Carbon Neutral Resource Energy

• Tree Free content paper-Alternative fiber source is used in the paper
• Elemental Chlorine Free paper-Adding chlorine in the paper making is done to brighten pulp, resulting in brighter, whiter paper.

Okay that was a mouthful! Now is that helping in any way the forests? Here is what I found:

• Space is saved in our landfills when we recycle paper products more than any other materials and each piece of paper can be recycled up to five times before the fibers become too weak . 1(Yesterday I watched a show that said seven times)
• 44 million newspapers are disposed of each day here in the U.S. Sadly it`s  like throwing 500,000 trees into a landfill each week. 2
• Recycling one ton of paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil and 7000 gallons of water! 3
• If  one person was to reuse a paper grocery bag for just one trip to the store, we would save 60,000 trees. 4 Imagine the trees we could be save if we all chose reusable cloth shopping bags instead! (Cited in part-Leah Thorpe)

The bottom line-$$$

Virgin Paper Prices

Recycled Paper Prices- BTW, It`s $99.85 for 2500 sheets of recycled paper to $144 or virgin paper, same quantity.

Quality

I only could tell the recycled from the virgin when it hit my wallet. There was not quality difference.

When you are better informed, you can make better decisions. Having an ecofriendly business can cut cost drastically and relieve some of your monthly expenses. I really dislike a stuffy sales person who undermines the possibility I have researched this prior to purchasing paper. Just for fun, play dumb and cross check what information you get. You just might surprise yourself!

In my next article, I will show you how went from having a 260 dollar monthly light bill to a 60 dollar light bill-Pretty impressive huh??

Resources

• Buy Eco Friendly
• Trees as a renewable resource
• Hybrid Trees
• Trees and Paper
• They still think recycling doesn`t save trees
• Wind Power isn`t perfect