First, I hope that you are staying healthy — mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially. Many of you are facing closed markets, drops in wholesale orders, revenue hits, and overall uncertainty in your businesses. Others have increased or maintained sales, but are facing supply, shipping, or production issues. Still others are just starting your business journey and feeling unsure how to proceed. Whatever the specifics of what you are facing, it is true that there is both a crisis and an opportunity in all of this — but the stress and sadness are very real.

The Small Business Administration announced that they are offering Disaster Assistance Loans to eligible business owners. Read more about the details of the loan information and 3-part application process.

We started getting emails from makers and stores within days of coronavirus hitting the United States. So many stores began closing. And so many makers saw dizzying drops to their revenues. Day jobs were lost; markets closed and heaps of inventory languished; so many people are taking care of small children and trying to save businesses. And above all, everyone had so much uncertainty.

This is such a difficult, weird, and uncertain time for humans in general and makers and store owners in particular!

Of course, everybody has different burdens and experiences in the face of this challenge. Medical providers, teachers, parents, government officials, and everyone else each have a unique role to play in keeping themselves and the people they are responsible for safe.

Today we’re answering a common maker question that seems simple but trips a lot of makers up: Should I use a newsletter-style email or a personal email to keep in touch with my stockists? There are certainly pros and cons to each method, so we’ll take them one at a time. 

I love planning and reflection. That “big picture” time is usually the most satisfying and peaceful part of my work.
But sometimes a bigger reflection process feels overwhelming. For instance, this month, we are doing a big batch of Wholesale In a Box improvements. And when you combine that with all the rest of life and holidays and management and family -- currently I’m planning more like 12 hours in advance than 12 months in advance.

Many times, a maker comes to us with a beautiful product and an incredible production process but their photos are just not great. They’re a little dark, slightly blurry, the setup isn’t ideal, and the spirit of the product itself isn’t coming through. Or sometimes the mechanics of the photos are good, but there’s no beauty to them, nothing really compelling -- the pieces feel dead and uninteresting.

When it comes to my creative business projects, I tend to work in the shelter of my own space and ideas. I don’t usually ask people for advice, trusting my own vision over what Uncle Ned Who Worked In Business thinks.