Pieper Goes to School

Well, I've finally had it. Enough of waiting for the City to make up their minds whether they want me to stay or not. If I stay, I want to retire in five years and with the economics and the money I'll be getting from my 401K, it's not encouraging.

So, I got this idea from the new Bonanzle affiliate program. Years ago, I dabbled in affiliate marketing, but never had any training. You know, I bought one of those get-rich-quick volumes for $97, learned bits here and there and of course, lost money, and hope.

Yesterday I joined an affiliate university - it's called Wealthy Affiliate University and I am overwhelmed with information at this point, but thrilled with the education provided. If you're interested, you can visit my website at:

http://www.downsizingproofzone.com

And, Pieper says hello...she's been sleeping a lot...missed the visit by her little squirrel friend who came to the window looking for her.

LIVING BY THE RULES

Well, Pieper and I have been busy this month, cleaning, renovating our lives and keeping busy at it. But we wanted to share something with you from a friend of ours on Bonanzle - Ziggy Zool. For some reason, this wonderful lady has been so kind to us, not really knowing us - I mean consistent nice and for no apparent reason! One day, I decided to visit her profile at her Bonanzle booth and this is what I found:

FROM ZIGGY ZOOL'S PROFILE ON BONANZLE:

Put on your 'big girl' panties and deal with it... that's life in a nutshell. I'm Zig and I've been an online seller for a lot of years. Customer service as a seller is my number one priority... my motto is nothing more than the golden rule... Treat every living being with respect. Live Simply. Love Generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly. Work Hard. Have Fun. No Drama.

*Rules for Being Human*

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called LIFE. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant or stupid. It makes no difference, you will learn lessons.

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error, experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately "works".

4. A lesson is repeated until learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can then go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.

6. "There" is no better than "here". When your "there" has become a "here" you will simply obtain another "there" that will again, look better than "here".

7. Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources that you need. What you do with them is up to you. The Choice is YOURS.

9. The answers to life’s questions lie inside of you. All you need to do is look, listen and trust.

10. You will get what you ask for. It may not be what you wanted...but it will be what you asked for.

~ Unknown Author


This touched me so much...I hope it touches you as well and inspires you to be all that you can be.

PS: The picture on the left is from Ziggy's booth and is from Geobel's 1982 Seashore Collection and the one of the right is from her husband's booth, Masonic Treasures at Bonanzle, a 2008 Masonic Hand Stamped Penny Tie Tack.

SANDYPAWS - BEACH CAT RESCUE

Last month, Pieper talked about Sandypaws and her friends at the Beach Cat Rescue. These pictures are from Sandypaws' booth. You can donate to neuter a cat, feed a bunch of cats, or buy one of the beautiful items that Sandypaws makes to benefit the cats.

Beach Cat Rescue is a NJ Non Profit Corporation with 501c3 pending! Their rescue was created to address the needs of abandoned stray and feral cats in our community. They are a small home based rescue that focuses on the rehabilitation and adoption of abandoned, homeless and stray cats and kittens. All of the proceeds from Sandypaws and Willow Blue, their other booth at Bonanzle, are to support the cats and their needs.

So much energy and love goes into the beautiful handmade creations fashioned by Renee and sold on Bonanzle. Pieper and I hope that you will visit either Sandypaws or Willow Blue and perhaps help a cat or two. It was a hard winter on the beach; summer may be coming, but with it comes a whole new set of challenges. We thank you for looking and loving these little critters in your heart.

CAT FACTS: Did you know that cats smell with their mouths? It's true! It's called the Flehmen reaction. The cat sucks in pheromones through the nasal cavity to an area of cells that specializes in processing them. This area is known as Jacobson's organ and lies in the roof of the cat's mouth...And here I thought Pie's mouth was always open because she was just so in awe of me!

A CLEAN CAT IS A HAPPY CAT

A clean cat is a happy cat...a clean cat's owner...maybe not!

No matter how good Pieper is at cleaning herself, she always has something to share with me later...also known as "the hairball!"

It's a good thing that cats don't normally need baths (although I've heard there are some who love them) because Pieper would NOT be a clean kitty...but generally kitties clean themselves quite well with their rough tongues. They spend about 30 percent of their time grooming themselves (how is that possible when they sleep 90 percent of the time?).

Nevertheless, all cats benefit from regular grooming. Longhaired cats should be brushed once a day, shorthairs, once a week. Pie loves to hold onto the brush and just rub the sides of her face against the bristles. She fairly purrs doing it...all she needs me for is to hold the brush! I tried putting velcro on the wall at about her level, but no, she likes me holding the brush better!

Anyway, supposedly having us groom them lessens the chances of them swallowing too much fur and leaving us gifts...LOL.

PIEPER'S PLACE NOW MAKES CUSTOM BOOKMARKS

Need a special gift? How about a set of five bookmarks, personalized with pictures of a cat (or dog) you love, check out Pieper's Place booth at Bonanzle to see bookmarks like the ones pictured above. You simply e-mail me your favorite pictures. Pieper and I will fit them to bookmarks, add sayings, and put them in heavy-duty plastic covers with coordinated ribbons in the top. The price is $10.00 for five personalized bookmarks! Don't forget Mother's Day! Easter! Or that Special Birthday!

BRAINSTORMING BONANZLE

BRAINSTORMING BONANZLE – MONDAY MARCH 16, 2009

Bonanzle booth owners and other interested parties gathered last night at the Brainstorming Bonanzle podcast, hosted by auctionwally and attheboutique. We meet every Monday night at www.talkshoe.com at 8:00 p.m. EST for a two hour community discussion; on alternating weeks, we have special guests – either Bonanzle booth owners or others in the ecommerce business world.

Last night, we were delighted to welcome John (ColderICE.com) Lawson, the CEO of 3rd Power Outlet and a Platinum PowerSeller on eBay. John spoke to us about social media, i.e., using YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other network services to promote our businesses.

One of the more interesting facts I learned was that YouTube is actually a more popular search engine than Google! I had never thought of looking up information on YouTube…have you? I always thought YouTube was for fun stuff, like watching cats play the piano, or people falling all over themselves. I never spent much time there because I never had much time to spare! Now I find that you can search for just about anything there and find out something about it just by viewing a video that someone has made.

John named three components that we can use to network: words, voice and video (which we just mentioned). Words would be blogs, voice is chat rooms and forums.

About blogs: John said that a blog is three things – not about YOU, not about YOUR STORE, and not a MONOLOGUE. I respectfully disagree with him on this point. I think a blog is about YOU – it is a revelation into your character, your beliefs and your world view; it’s about what you care about, what means something to you; what makes you “turn on.” Is this a bad thing for potential clients to know? I don’t think so. The Internet is very impersonal and quite scary when you hear some of the things that happen there. Building a following in a blog should be about people getting to know the real you!

Another, and more important point, is that you, as an ecommerce business person, need to define what works for you. If you aren’t comfortable with a blog, but love to mess with your video camera, do YouTube videos about your products or ways to use them. If you’re scared of Twitter, have tried it and found it not to your liking, then don’t do it. If you love Facebook or MySpace and are comfortable there, then by all means use it.

I always come away from Brainstorming Bonanzle with a head buzzing with ideas; it takes a couple of days to digest everything. Open forum nights are also very productive – last week we talked about the changes on Bonanzle which enhanced our selling abilities. If you’re interested in talking, you call in and share your ideas or thoughts via phone.

For me, the bottom line is get moving – don’t just THINK forever about which direction to go – just go. If it’s not for me, then I can turn back and try something else.

“You’ll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind.” (Thanks to my friend, Susan (Renagade), who twittered this quote this morning!

MAKE GROWING YOUR BUSINESS A HABIT

I was invited to speak about my Bonanzle business on the Monday Night podcast called Brainstorming Bonanzle, co-hosted by Auction Wally and Phaedra and was very honored to do so. This is a weekly podcast sponsored by Auction Wally at Talkshoe from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. EST. We have so many participating members at Bonanzle, this is a perfect forum to put our heads together, share ideas and work on ways to build or grow our businesses at Bonanzle.

After the show, each podcast is stored, both audibly and in chat room format, and maintained by another Bonanzle member, DeDe of Brightest Blessings. When you visit the Brainstorming Bonanzle site, you will an wonderful Avatar for us, done by the very talented Bonanzle member, Jamiro. I just love the orange ideas popping out of our heads!

So, I thought I'd share a few of my ideas for time management with you, dear reader. As with anything offered up by anyone on the internet or elsewhere, take what you can and make use of it, but only if it works for you! How do you know if it will work for you? Try the idea out for a few days; try it on for size; adjust or discard to your needs. Okay, so here are some of the points I think are important.

MAKE GROWING YOUR BUSINESS A HABIT

First thing everyday I
- check my regular emails for sales or inquiries that need immediate attention;
- check my Bonanzle mail for the same things;
- update my booth message DAILY! Something simple, such as "Good Tuesday morning" is sufficient;
- blog - ideas, post, research, etc.;
- check other sites I may participate in.

MAKE IT FUN

If you're not having fun doing what you're doing, then you need to consider why you are doing it. Fun doesn't necessarily mean you are chuckling all day; what I mean is that you enjoy it (whether it's listing, doing research, gleaning info from forums and other social networking sites) and that it contributes in a positive way to what you want to accomplish in your business. Hard work doesn't have to be a drag.


ORGANIZE AND PRIORITIZE

I keep ONE steno pad by my keyboard. ALL NOTES of any kind go in this notebook, including new passwords, websites, etc. Even my grocery items I may need to add to the original list. (Later in the day or when I have a moment, I can transfer the info from the steno book into the appropriate place and cross it off the list in the notebook). The idea is to keep me on track, instead of going helter-skelter, chasing links and ideas until I totally forget where I started and where I was going. In other words, STAY ON TASK! Take a break, walk around, have a cup of coffee, but go back to were you left off and keep moving on with that task.

Note the things you would like to participate in. I would like to do more RSS feeds, more SEO optimization, learn more about Twitter and decide if it's for me, use the new promotion tools available at Bonanzle (awesome things like an auto Craig Lister tool and the Google attribute tool).

I know that my time is limited and I can't possibly do everything, but I try to spend some time each day or week looking into things that might work for me.

KNOW YOUR STRONG POINTS AND WEAK POINTS

And work with them, instead of fighting them. My strengths are organization, keeping master lists of everything, and being disciplined about the time I have. My weaknesses are many, the greatest among them is HATING TO FILE PAPER! Isn't that silly? Organized but doesn't want to file? Yep, but it's a biggy for me.


DON'T COMPARE YOUR EFFORTS WITH ANYONE ELSE'S

In the beginning days at Bonanzle, this was a real problem for me. I would read about all these great people who had six booths, two or three blogs, listed in Craig's List every day, belonged to every group available to them on the net and thought if I didn't do all those things, I wouldn't be a success! To this I say, NONSENSE! It took me awhile, but I finally realized that I needed to be realistic about what I COULD do, would be interested in doing and what would help MY business. As a result, I am a happier business person.


BE REAL ABOUT WHAT TIME YOU DO HAVE EACH DAY

I try very hard not to overload myself with expectations of what I can do for the business on days when I have to take my mother to the doctor, or I have appointments, or I'm not feeling well. Which leads to my final point:


READJUST YOUR TIME SCHEDULE IF IT'S NOT WORKING

And that means on the fly if necessary! There are just some days when the neighbor decides to visit for an hour, the water main breaks, the Internet connection goes down - we could go on and on. Life happens. Feel free to reevaluate and reprioritize as needed. Don't feel guilty; don't despair. There is a reason for everything!

So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Make your business a fun habit, something you look forward to; organize and prioritize, know your strengths and weakness and let them work for you, not against you; temper your expectations with reality; and most important of all -

MAKE EVERY DAY JUST THE BEST IT CAN BE - IN EVERY ARENA OF YOUR LIFE!

NEW CAT ITEMS ON BONANZLE

Is that call for kitty? When you are talking on the phone, does your cat suddenly become playful, overly friendly, rub against your legs or swipe at the telephone cord? Pieper climbs up on the arm of my office chair, snuggles her way under my arm, puts her little paws on the desktop, and looks adoringly up at me..."Aren't I the cutest mommy?" She then rubs her little silky head against my chin, forcing me to fall in love all over again!

The reason many cats try to interfere with their owner's telephone conversations is because they think WE are talking to THEM! So, they respond in an appropriately friendly manner. Cats have no way of understanding there is someone on the other end of the line.

Okay, I'll buy that...but what if you are just looking at the computer, clicking away on the keyboard...does she think I'm typing her an e-mail?

Okay, so the two items pictured have just been listed in my booth at BONANZLE! I've been sick with the flu/cold for the past several days, but did manage to get this done. Hope you will take a look!

We'll be back with more cat facts and fellow sellers from Bonanzle in a couple of days. In the meantime, have just the greatest day you can!

DID YOU REALLY MAKE THAT YOURSELF? HONESTY IN THE MARKETPLACE

Recently on a Bonanzle forum, I asked for opinions on homemade vs. handcrafted and what claims of “handmade” should or could be made by a seller.

The questions I posed were:

1. Should sellers refrain from claiming “handmade” if, in fact, they are actually embellishing ready-made products?
2. Do you buy handmade because you appreciate the talent and work that has gone into the product?
3. Have you ever been disappointed with a “handmade” purchase that you have made?

WHEN CAN A SELLER CLAIM HANDMADE OR HANDCRAFTED?

“Handmade” vs. “handcrafted” – is there a difference? The terms are very similar, but there is a difference. Many crafters claim their items are “handmade” when, in fact, they have been made “en masse” using machine stamped parts, sewn on with an industrial sewing machine, embossed by a mechanical press or hand-cranked machine or otherwise “embellished”. Yes, they may have “technically” been handmade, but they may still fall into a category known as “mass produced in order to make a buck.”

Handcrafted items, on the other hand, are made wholly by hand…they are cut, finished, stained, painted, punched, stitched, tooled or embossed…by hand. But wait…here’s another point…and a good one.

In today’s market, there are tons of craft items that can be bought separately and then handcrafted into new creations. You could buy a wooden plaque (instead of making one because many of us don’t have access to power tools or a place to use them), sand, paint, stain and finish the piece, apply decals, transfers, appliqués or other purchased embellishments, and it would still be considered “handcrafted” and “original”. Why? Because the seller used their imaginations and talents to create something new out of a variety of products. Is this any different that going out in your back yard, picking up a piece of wood and working on that? A little, perhaps, but as I said before, many of us do not have access to a yard, or a garage where we can work.

If, however, someone purchases a ready-made ornament (for example) that looks handmade, but is not, cuts off the tags and then claims that it is “handmade”, that to me is fraud and false advertising. Maybe someone did hand make it; however, if it is being sold in any of the chain stores like Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, Target, K-Mart or JoAnn’s, you can be certain that the “hand-crafter” surely didn’t make millions of that one item for sale in all those venues; therefore, it falls in to the “mass produced for a buck” category and is most certainly not “handmade” by one person.

One forum response probably summed up point two (Do you buy handmade because you appreciate the talent and work that has gone into the product?):

“I like buying “hand made, home made” items because it was done with meaning. The factory made items are just that, made with cold hard steal machines that could care less if someone likes what they get or not. Whereas, handmade products from real people are done with more tenderness because they want their product to make the customer smile when the customer receives it!”

HOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT IN PURCHASING HANDMADE PRODUCTS
I hand make a lot of the items in my Bonanzle booth and I strive to include in the description what the item is made of (100% cotton, for instance), what method was used (hand-embroidered, crocheted), that my home is smoke-free and the pets are not allowed to sit on the product. I never, ever put something up for sale that I would not be thrilled to have and use myself. Quality is important to me. I want the item to last. I want my customer to be totally happy with the product. I want them to enjoy it for years. However, if a buyer has questions about a product and how it was made, those questions are answered straight-forwardly. It would then be up to the buyer to decide if they wished to purchase it or not.

Product quality is every bit as important to the seller as the price or the fact that it is handmade. I have made online purchases of handmade items that just amazed me…unfinished or raveling seams, jewelry with pointy edges, items that “break” after one use – poor quality workmanship will damage a “handmade” reputation faster than anything.

WHEN IN DOUBT IF SOMETHING IS HANDMADE…Ask! Ask the seller, “Did you make this?” “How did you do this?” “Where did you get the idea?” If you are not happy with the answers, then move on.

HONESTY IN ADVERTISING
So, is this what it’s all about? Honesty and integrity of the seller? I think yes, that is the answer. No one can really judge a “handcrafter” because there are so many creative ways to craft all kinds of things – but one has the right to expect honesty and integrity from a seller in representing their creations.

Our Bonanzle marketplace is filling up with wonderful handcrafters of all kinds and I welcome you to come to our community, do a search for the items that interest you. I think you will be clearly impressed with the variety of goods, dedication of these crafters, and the professional quality of their specialties.

BONANZLE PREMIER SELLER - SOFYBLU2

Good Morning all - as promised, I am featuring some of my favorite sellers on Bonanzle right here! There are many, so much entertainment is ahead for us all.

Today, I introduce Sofyblu2! Pictured above on the left is a beautiful 1950s Bavarian Gareis Porcelain silver luster 16 piece set; and on the right is a Christmas lighted blowmold from 1988. These featured items barely scratch the surface of this wonderful booth!

Sofyblu2 carries an assortment of vintage items--including Christmas ornaments from Europe, yard blowmolds, china, crystal and the ever-popular Fiesta ware. In fact, Sofyblu2 is in the process of opening another booth at Bonanzle called "Sofy's Choice" which will feature Fiesta ware only.

Sofyblu2 is a long-term online seller with an impeccable reputation. We hope that you will take the time to visit her shop (http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/sofyblu2) and while you are there, check out Bonanzle - as a seller or a shopper!

Bonanzle is the newest and fastest growing online commerce site on the web today and we are proud to also be members of the community.

BONANZLE ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!

You can only realize too late why the cat was on top of the fridge when you notice how smooth the butter is. (Peter Delaney).

Pieper and I are so happy at our new home, Bonanzle, selling our handmade items and other treasures that we have picked up here and there. Bonanzle is a wonderful place for sellers, as well as buyers, our wares are "everything but the ordinary." We currently have over 18,000 members!

Today, I'd like to feature: Midwest Emporium! They sell one of a kind new, used, vintage and antique products. The item pictured above is Marx U.S. Army Tank #3 Wind Up Toy Vintage. Two pair of movable machine guns mounted on top. Great graphics in avocado, orange, yellow, and black.

Measures 5 inches high X 7 3/4 inches long X 3 1/2 inches wide.

This Marx Windup Toy U. S. Army Tank #3 has some scratches & couple of tiny dents. Very little paint loss.

Windup works - tank rolls when wound and lever is released. Although the machine guns were supposed to make sparks when the tank is operational, the abrasive is worn off and it no longer sparks.

Very nice example of a Louis Marx toy. If you don't have one of these in your collection, this is a nice one.

Midwest Emporium carries some of the most amazing china and collectible glassware that I have seen...and at VERY reasonable prices.

Please check them out at http://www.bonanzle.com/midwestemporium

Whether you like to collect or just window shop, your eyes are in for a treat!

SEW IT'S THE NEW YEAR!

"Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause the most inconvenience." (Michael Stevens)

And this was never more true as I begin sewing and crafting again. If Pieper cannot be on my lap, then she wants to be on my pattern, or on my fabric (a no-no when they are for resale) or on the phone or texting...honestly, she's such a princess!

SELLING ON BONANZLE!

In late October, I discovered a wonderful new selling site called BONANZLE. I heard a long interview with Mark Dorsey, a member of the creative team, and he convinced me to take a look--and I LOVED what I saw...

*my own booth
*no listing fees
*four pictures allowed - no fees
*customer support extradinaire
*very reasonable (VERY reasonable after-sale fees)
*helpful and informative forums

to name just a few. I had previously sold on Etsy, but found that it was only for the things I created and what was I going to do with the stuff that I had around that was not handmade by me? I branched out, but like many others, made little profit for my efforts.

I decided that I needed to start crafting and sewing again to relieve the stress of my everyday life. I am very creative and when I can't be, I get frustrated. And, my favorite subject is cats, so my focus would be on cat-themed items. I have, it seems, not limited myself to that venue, but have, instead, created what appealed at the time.

If you are selling in another venue, or would like another place to shop, I encourage you to check out BONANZLE (www.bonanzle.com). It is growing (the members have more than doubled since I joined in late October of 2008), but we are a warm and welcoming bunch and you would be very welcome to join us.