we're getting somewhere

Week #2 Entry #2 02/07 - 02/13

So... what have I learned this week? Now, that is a wonderful question. I learned something very important folks. I learned what direction my project is going. Woohoo! Okay, the last two weeks have been dedicated to research and finding inspiration, two essential pieces of my project. However, it gets tiresome. I want to DO something. I want to see tangible progress and just when I was feeling oh so down, I saw the light. Ms. Diaz showed me this wonderful online class which is essentially a step-by-step of my project and I have officially signed up! I am so excited! It's especially great because it caters to people like me, who are only interested in small-scale for now. I will perhaps expand later, but for now, I want this to be small time when its 100% me making products. Okay, so let me explain what exactly "Indie Business 2.0" is and what I will be learning in it.

Indie Business is a 6 week Online Class for women and men wanting to build an online or local creative business. We'll focus on Starting, Surviving and Succeeding in small business and cover everything in between! The class is taught by Leigh-Ann, Jill and Elsie and is hosted in a members only blog with 26 sessions, 7 DIY projects and 3 live chats to give you all the tools you need to establish yourself and achieve success with your Small Business! The course also includes a printable workbook with original illustrations by Elsie and room for all your homework, notes and ideas!

Oh, doesn't that sound marvel0us? If it doesn't for you, it does for me. Each of the teachers knows what she is talking about and has essentially independently completed my focus project. It starts March 7th and ends April 16th. This will give me some time to continue research, conduct interviews, try some surveys, and come up with an awesome name up until the 7th because I think I will be quite busy when I get involved with the class.

This class is also awesome for getting to know people who have the same passions as me. I will not get down. I will have a support group who understands what it feels like to smashing your head against a wall when you don't feel creative. Additionally, I will make friends and have people to network with in the future. Awesome. I copied the course outline, you can skim through it here:

Course Outline:

Teachers: Jill - LA - Elsie
(P=Project, S=Session)

February 22 - March 1
Leigh-Ann's Indie Business Story
Jill's Indie Business Story
Elsie's Indie Business Story

1P: Indie Business Portfolio
X
Term 1: March 7 - 20
2S: Open your Umbrella
3S: Product & Potential
4S: Style & The Importance of a Name
5S: Predicting and Embracing Trends
6P: Office Inspiration Board
7S: Find your Strengths, Weaknesses & Skills - Quiz
8S: Main Marketplace - Local
9S: Main Marketplace - Online
10S: Pricing + Production + Expectation = Success
11P: Business Calender
12S: Presentation through Display
13S: Presentation through Photography

Term 1 Text Chat w/ LA, Jill & Elsie
X
Term 2: March 22 - April 3
14S: Taking Advantage of Online Resources
15S: Taking Advantage of Local Resources
16S: Working with Etsy
17S: Working with Flickr
18S: 10 Things Not to Do
19S: Blogging Effectively
20P: Business Card Keeper
21S: Networking Locally
22S: Networking Online
23S: Print Media
24P: Creating a Blog Widget

Term 2 Text Chat w/ LA, Jill & Elsie
X
Term 3: April 4 - 16
25S: Full Time, Part Time, Hobby?
26S: Mainstream vs. Indie
27S: Time is Money
28P: Receipts Organizer
29S: Good Business
30S: Being the Face of your Business
31S: Work and Family
32S: Keep it Fresh, Stay Inspired
33P: Indie Goals & Dreams Journal
Bonus: You're your Best Cheerleader

Term 3 & Farewell Text Chat w/ LA, Jill & Elsie

Perfect.

This week I focused on research on the hows of starting a business. I re-addressed these questions:
What is the best way to show the development of my website? I had a wonderful idea to maybe make a short movie about the making-of my photo shoot for my first line of shirts. It'll be able to show my panel some tangible results and some inspiration. Perhaps a stop-animation to show the growth of my logo?

What product should I sell? I had an idea. Laptop bags? I am targeting a teenage audience that brings computers to school everyday. Genius or stupid?

My proposal needs a make-over. Questions like What is my brand name? and the Basic How do you photograph your items? need to be included in the proposal. I'll also have to revamp my plan for the 10 weeks to include this class.

Some things I have learned this week:

• I need to create an inspiring place to create my work
• I need to do some major research when I figure out a name to see if it is taken anywhere else so I don't have legal issues (yikes.)
• I need a name that is easy to spell.
• I should keep an inspiration journal (i do this) with times and dates so i can go back to the source when I'm not feeling inspired.
• what words I want my brand to evoke.

Words that should be tied to my brand:

• Fashion conscious
  
• Environmentally-friendly (not focused)
• Modern with a vintage twist
• Edgy
• Clean, Fresh
  
• Young, but Mature (Is that possible?)
• Excited
• Focused
• Fun
• Whimsical, Dreamy
  

Goals for next two weeks:

• Fix the Proposal
• Come up with a name (big task)
• Make a new blog layout.
• Draw self-portrait for blog picture.
  
• Make a survey for brand name
  
• Finish reading The Handmade Marketplace
• Schedule a DATE for my interview with Mrs. DeVito's daughter
• Make interview questions.
  

Sounds like a busy week. Talk to you later.