New Opportunities, Oh! Yeah

Hi Folks, Today Comes the Good News
A while back I told you about a new opportunity, that I had been offered, Well I was excepted for it.
Our local Business Centre, here in Ballymena, opened an Art & Crafts Business Centre in Church Street. Myself and 29 other Crafters of all kinds, were picked to breathe life and hand made items into this project. So, as I started out in business, I used to make hand made items, till the Bead Shop, became a reality.
So know I can get back into this and get back into making my stuff again. This is an exciting challenge for me, as well as the jewellery, I will be making. I am also producing Beading kits for all ages, as well I will be able to do a bit of teaching on a one to one basis.
We open the Doors, hopefully ( if my Shelving is finished and delivered in time) on the 1st November at 9.00. There is so much talent and beautiful handcrafted items, it will be prefect for Christmas Presents, everything from Handcrafted Silver Mementoes to handmade Cushions, Paintings of all different styles & techniques, beautiful crafted pictures, earthenware, ceramics and the list goes on ( Oh and Me!).
EXCITED I am..
Frantically, decided what to take with me and making Kits as well.
So I'm off  again to the Shop to make more up
Have a Great Day and Sorry about yesterday's rant :)

Small Business's and the struggle We have.

As you all know every small business, these days struggle at least sometime during the year. The Struggle isn't helped much by those who keeping moving the Goal posts, on a regular basis.
eBay and our Good friends, Facebook, don't help much, after promising a good time, then go and start making conditions.
Ok , some things might help us, bring in more business, but the time it consumes is greater, something small business's do not have.
eBay and their 101 changes, so that we sell more, if anyone has sat and tried to fix these ,what they want, is almost an impossible task. Ok my picture is this size and I have at least 3, Why?..... A week later they tell me to change them, or why do I want to add some word into my title, so as to sell more, when it tell everybody else to do the same. Oh and I forgot, they then charge us for wasting my precious time. I have things to do, eBay, I have customers to serve, I have website and Social media to update, I have parcels to make up and post.
Now Facebook is getting as bad. They are now talking about doing away with the Friend option and just making us like each other, Fine, but then this came along.

" FACEBOOK has recently changed its rules for Business Pages
A person has to be 'active' on your page a minimum of 3 times within any calendar month period.This means a 'like' of a picture, a comment or a full post on the wall.
If a person is not active on your page, as listed above, after a month of no activity, their 'like' will be removed from your page, as FB has decided they are not interested... in your page! So, if you are a fan of any pages, do make sure you are regularly active. Even just one quick post a week will ensure that the page will remain in your timeline..
It's also been found that the more Likes or Comments any one post receives, the more people that see it in their News feed.
So if you see a post or photo from any Business page you are a fan of make sure you like it, or even comment on it.
Help keep small Businesses running"

Oh and don't forget you have to save everybody you like or you don't get their posts as well as that, you may have 10,000 likes, but only 4 people are seeing it..AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

I'm not even angry or annoyed.

Ok in Theory, this is fine, but , what happens if you have 500 likes, this means within a month, you have to take time to make 1500 entries on Facebook. Where am I going to find the time to do all this, especially when I get a big delivery in, or when I have to make jewellery, teach, keep my books and all the other things I have to do. Oh! and I have to work Part Time on top of that to keep a roof over my head.

Again Ok, they are only looking after us.....or are they.

Ok Rant Over

I hope everybody is having a good day

Oh and there is Amazon, Twitter & Etsy to keep going as well :)

So from all here at Wicked Princess Beads

Bye for now.

Good news coming soon

Earlier in the Week ..............Good News

                 Earlier in the week , I posted a Blog, entitled New Opportunities.

 

                       Well this morning, I received a call, from Jenine McIlroy, to tell me that I had been one of the people picked to be part of their new Ballymena Business Centre Flagship Store in the centre of Ballymena.

I am pleased that now, I can exhibit, showcase & sell my products and jewellery.

      This means a lot to me, as I have worked hard to even get where, I am now and has give me a boost and bring my business to a lot more people, who craft in the local area, as well as in Northern Ireland

    

Will keep you posted on an opening date, next week.

 

 

 

 

Folks, Don't Forget October is Visit Your Local Bead Shop

:)

 

 

 

 

 

        

New Opportunities

New Opportunities
                    Last Week I received an email from my local Business Centre , just across the way. It was about a new opportunity , a new idea for our local town and it was backed by The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Ballymena Business Centre, Creative Industries Innovation Fund  and the Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure and I had been sent this, because I had done my first years business, with the help & guidance of the Ballymena Business Centre, who have also kept in touch with free courses and other help since.

This is part of the email, so as I fit the criteria , I have applied, now it is all down to the waiting and to see, if I am one of the lucky 20,
      After I had handed my forms & pictures in, which are below. I headed into town to see the New Shop, that is situated in the Town Centre

So here's hoping, Fingers crossed, Etc, Etc,
Keep you posted on how I get on.

My Arts & Craft Business

Ballymena Business Centre 

Do you produce and sell your own arts & crafts?  Would you benefit from free town centre retail space in Ballymena and a programme of support to help you grow your arts and craft business? 

My Arts & Craft Business is a Ballymena Business Centre Programme supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

 Applications are open to any person from Ballymena and Neighboring Council Areas.  Twenty   participants will be selected to benefit from this opportunity.

My Arts & Craft Business participants will benefit from the following:

  5 month free Retail Space in Ballymena Town Centre to exhibit, showcase and sell products

  Business Mapping to position your business within the Causeway Coast and Glens footprint

  Ready 4 Retail Interactive Workshops to maximize town centre trading, merchandising and retail opportunities

  Creative Cluster Mornings to share experiences and learn from craft and retail experts

  Promotion of products tourism venues, galleries, hotels, retail outlets and craft organizations

  To be part of a new and vibrant town centre project within Ballymena 

My Arts & Craft Business application criteria will focus on the following aspects…...

   Age 18 and over

   Resident in Ballymena or Neighboring Council Areas

   Self Employed Creator of quality arts and craft products

   A desire to grow your arts and craft business