Gift Biz Unwrapped | Women Entrepreneurs | Bakers, Crafters, Makers | Startup

Do you resist email marketing for your business as too hard or complicated? The truth is, a good email marketing plan can be a real powerhouse to help you increase sales. And today we've got Chloe Thomas here to help us out. Chloë has been working in direct marketing since 2001. It started with a focus on in-store loyalty programs, catalog mailings, and email marketing. From there, she brought several established mail order businesses into the internet age – launching websites, first-ever email campaigns, as well as Google Adwords and affiliate marketing. Following her success there, Chloe transitioned her experience into a marketing agency all its own. She expanded into B2B marketing and sales and learned more about retail and eCommerce by working with everyone from high street retailers to pure play online startups. In 2012 Chloë realized her future was in helping eCommerce businesses work out what marketing they should be doing and so eCommerce MasterPlan was born. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Keep op

With so many things off the table this year - live events, conferences - you may wonder how to attract customers in this new environment. Well, some activities such as connections and relationships still work just fine. Amanda is here to tell us how to use these tools to boost our holiday sales and more. After more than a decade in the New York City public relations world, Amanda Berlin now uses her pitch powers for good. She helps entrepreneurs step into their presence, create a story that inspires others, and spread their message in the media. Amanda has created a library of template guides and trainings and works one on one with clients to guide them to strategic storytelling and media relations based on her 12 years of experience guiding strategy for major brands in the corporate world. Amanda and her clients have been featured in all types of media — from Business Insider to Entrepreneur on Fire and from WNYW Fox 5 to Bustle.com. She's the host of The Empowered Publicity Podcast and loves arming soul-

Let's get serious for a moment. Stress is a major issue for modern humans - and especially for those of us running a business! So today we're talking about how to manage stress in business so that we can live happier and healthier lives. My guest for this topic is Kajal Khurana, an Author, Podcast Host, and Wellness Coach. Since 2010, she has helped professionals, entrepreneurs, and working mothers develop a positive mindset, gain clarity in business, improve the quality of their sleep and adopt healthy eating habits, so they stay productive and achieve their goals faster. Kajal is passionate about helping people transform their lives by becoming their own accountability partner in their transformation journey.  She believes that "you have the power to become a better you" in an easy way so it becomes your lifestyle rather than being a struggle. How to Manage Stress in Business Understand that everyone's path to health will be different. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Stress is inevitable. Yo

If you struggle to know how to display your art at an art show,  this episode is for you! Art show producer Amy Amdur is here sharing her best art show display ideas for you to steal. Over the last three decades, Amdur Productions has produced hundreds of art shows, fairs, and festivals, and has worked with thousands of artists. These events, approximately 20 a year throughout the greater Chicago area, give artists and makers a place to show their artwork for sale. Amdur Productions also runs free online art seminars covering all aspects of showing and selling art both in-person and online. This is combined with ArtZipper.com, an eCommerce site where artists and art makers can show and sell their work 365 days a year. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS To be a good exhibitor, be open to coaching. Be open to new ideas to be successful. The ability to sell is something you learn, just like any other skill. How you display will help you sell better. Learn how to talk about your work. You can have great prod

A lot of small business owners struggle to maintain a positive money mindset. And it's become more and more obvious that mindset can make all the difference! That's why Johnny McWilliams is here sharing 7 specific targets you can aim for to establish a positive money mindset for continued success in your product business. Johnny is a Certified Ramsey Financial Coach, helping people with their relationship with money. After working in the areas of real estate, tax preparation, insurance, financial investing, and completing an MBA, he decided not to sell financial products. He’s taking a different approach to money. Johnny’s passionate about providing practical, biblical principles to guide his clients as they Zero In on their financial target. Through his blog, Zero In On This, Johnny writes about the 7 specific targets everyone needs to focus on. He teaches his readers to have a purposeful point-of-view when it comes to the financial resources they have the privilege to manage. He believes that money is m

Looking for a new income stream to add to your product business? Anne Mitchell shares how she created a private label business and how you can, too. After opening and selling one retail store in Austin and then another in El Paso, it’s fair to say that Anne has a good grasp of the retail landscape in Texas. What she realized during that time was that there were no items available to represent El Paso. She’s a 4th generation El Paso, Texan, and takes great pride in having attended Texas A&M during 5 successful football seasons in the Southwest Conference. So not being able to stock products representing El Paso simply wouldn’t do. Enter So El Paso, her current venture, which began in 2015. It’s now a retail, wholesale and internet business offering a line of gourmet products including salsas, jams, nuts, and more. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Brick and mortar is all about the experience. That's what customers can't find online. Listen to what your customers say they want. You may discover a way to gr

Here's an idea you may have never considered - how to use Kickstarter to grow your handmade business! Toy Coach Azhelle Wade shares all her crowdfunding tips in this value-packed episode. Azhelle's been having way too much fun working in the toy industry for over 10 years with companies like Toys R Us, Party City, and Madame Alexander! She has 3 patented toy products, multiple design awards, and is the host of the well-known toy industry podcast, Making It In The Toy Industry. Today, Azhelle is known as The Toy Coach. She loves helping people outside of the toy industry find their way in so that they can bring their toy ideas to life. Her online program, Toy Creators Academy, clarifies the toy development and launch process with step by step guidance. Azhelle's mantra for her students and listeners is, "Make it Toyetic!" BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Train your brain to be creative and generate ideas when you need them. <-- Tune in to learn how to do it! To come up with something unique and different,

When Ana Bolanos built Limbo Imports Hammocks, she set the stage for sales as soon as her business opened. Today she's sharing actions you can take to build your online business to get more sales. Ana was born and raised in El Salvador and had always been fascinated by artisan-made goods and craftsmanship. She came to the United States when she 18 and had always dreamt of owning her own business … one that could make an impact. True to this vision, Ana partnered with a team of artisans to co-design hammock chairs in a way that preserves the Mayan ancestry yet adds a modern twist. Each fair trade hammock is one of a kind and allows Ana to celebrate history and her home country’s tradition. They’re functional pieces that are also beautiful and provide relaxation. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Focus on your dream, your vision, your why. It will keep you going when things get hard. If things don’t happen as planned, keep going! Pivot and go in a different direction. Building an audience helps spark people

Guess what? There are some really effective ways of marketing for small business the big boys can't use. Marketing expert Teresa Heath-Wareing shares valuable tips on how you can use it for your handmade business. Teresa is an award-winning international speaker, TEDx speaker, trainer and podcaster. She’s recognized alongside some of the world’s social media & digital marketing thought leaders and is widely regarded as one of the UK's leading marketing influencers. Having spent the last 16 years in Marketing - working with international brands such as Land Rover, Jaguar and Leadpages. Teresa helps businesses, entrepreneurs and marketers to enhance their digital marketing & social media efforts. Teresa hosts a popular weekly podcast called ‘Marketing that Converts’ and has interviewed the likes of Amy Porterfield, Pat Flynn, Michael Hyatt, Jasmine Star and James Wedmore, Mike Stelzner and Dean Graziosi. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Don't let fear stop you. Say yes to new opportunities and figure it

You've probably used Pinterest to find a new recipe or fun project - but do you know how to use Pinterest for business? Kate Ahl is here to tell us everything we need to know to leverage the traffic-driving power of Pinterest for our product-based businesses. Kate is the owner of Simple Pin Media, a Pinterest management and marketing agency that helps clients find and convert “their person” on Pinterest. She has a passion for helping over 600 small business owners grow on this platform. When she teaches Pinterest marketing, she aims for it to consist of actionable, simple steps that help owners move forward and see results without being overwhelmed. Kate also hosts the weekly Simple Pin Podcast all about Pinterest marketing. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Don't chase someone else's success. Your business is your own and your path to success will be unique to you. Pinterest is a great tool to drive traffic to your website. Remember that it's a visual search engine, not a social network. People go to Pin

Have you ever wondered how to use your blog for a product business? Jenny is here to share how she built a thriving business with her blog and how you can too. Jenny is a former reading specialist who “retired” from her teaching career when her blogging income far exceeded her salary. Through hard work and dedication, her lifestyle blog, The Melrose Family, became regularly sought out by nationally recognized brands such as Neutrogena, Smuckers, Glad, Costco, Stanley Steamer, Sara Lee, and many more. She is a content strategist that helps entrepreneurs better understand their messaging and unique position in the online space. Now, she’s combining her passion for teaching with her extensive experience of creating strategic content for online business owners via JennyMelrose.com and her podcast, Influencer Entrepreneurs with Jenny Melrose as well as her first book Influencer Entrepreneurs: The 4-Step Framework to Building Your Audience, Growing Your Business, and Making More Money Online. BUSINESS BUILDING I

Calling All Dreamers! (TLDR: Amazing 5 day FREE Challenge to learn how to set up Facebook Shops and Sell starts Aug 24. Join free by registering here: GiftBizUnwrapped.com/SetupAndSell)

Are you confused by Google My Business? Jessica is an eCommerce & Email Marketing Strategist for boutique owners & product entrepreneurs. After more than 20 years working in corporate retail, most recently as the Digital Marketing Manager for a national retailer with over 30 brick and mortar store locations and a 7-figure eCommerce business, she's learned from the top experts in the industry on all the things, including local SEO and how to take advantage of the tools Google provides to support your local business. She loves supporting scrappy female entrepreneurs with actionable strategies and tactics to grow and scale their brands without having to spend a ton of money on advertising. Today Jessica explains how to know if Google My Business is RIGHT for your business (or not) and how to use it! This is Part 6 of my 6-Part Series covering your top sales platform options.  Catch up on this series here: Part 1: Why eBay Part 2: Selling on Amazon Handmade Part 3: Build the Perfect Shopify We

What does it really take to sell on Etsy? Nancy works with Etsy Sellers who want to build a thriving Etsy business and embrace the entrepreneurial adventure. She also helps current Etsy Sellers scale their business by leveraging the power of branding and social media. Do you currently struggle with sales or have a hard time finding your target audience? Are you passionate about your handmade products but don’t have a growth strategy in place for your Etsy? Or maybe you’re right at the beginning trying to decide if Esty is right for you at all. We're diving into all this today on the show. This is Part 5 of my 6-Part Series covering your top sales platform options.  Catch up on this series here: Part 1: Why eBay Part 2: Selling on Amazon Handmade Part 3: Build the Perfect Shopify Website Part 4: Introducing Facebook Shops Part 5: Everything You Need To Know To Sell On Etsy <– YOU ARE HERE Part 6: Confused About Google My Business? BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Build strong branding to sta

Jessica is an eCommerce & Email Marketing Strategist for boutique owners & product business owners. She supports scrappy female entrepreneurs with actionable strategies and tactics to grow and scale their eCommerce businesses. She's worked in corporate retail for over 20 years, owned her own multi 6-figure brick + mortar clothing boutique, and spent 3 years as the ONLY employee of a 7-figure online store learning from the top experts in the digital marketing & eCommerce industry. Now she’s sharing everything she learned the hard way so you don’t have to. Today, she's introducing how you can get started with the new Facebook Shops. This episode is Part 4 of my 6-Part Series covering your top sales platform options. Catch up on this series here: Part 1: Why eBay Part 2: Selling on Amazon Handmade Part 3: Build the Perfect Shopify Website Part 4: Introducing Facebook Shops - YOU ARE HERE Part 5: Everything You Need To Know To Sell On Etsy Part 6: Confused About Google My Business?

Elle McCann is the owner and designer of Curious Themes web development studio outside of Nashville, TN. She creates online classes that cover how to launch and grow Shopify stores quickly. Elle’s been listed as a Shopify Expert for over seven years and in that time has created more than 150 Shopify stores. She’s dedicated to helping entrepreneurs grow their online business without the overwhelm. One way she does this is through weekly videos on her YouTube channel that currently has over 27,000 subscribers and is growing fast! This episode is Part 3 of my 6-Part Series covering your top sales platform options. Catch up on this series here: Part 1: Why eBay Part 2: Selling on Amazon Handmade Part 3: Build the Perfect Shopify Website - YOU ARE HERE Part 4: Introducing Facebook Shops Part 5: Everything You Need To Know To Sell On Etsy Part 6: Confused About Google My Business? BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS An online presence is important so you can be in front of your ideal customers at the

Seven years ago, Dana started her handmade journey. Today, she has built a brand, developed numerous product lines and mastered handmade operations. Through the years, she has scaled her business so that she could quit her corporate job. She’s hired almost 20 part time employees and soared above 7-figures a year on Amazon. Dana has researched, tested, analyzed and hustled to find what works and now shares her learning with all of her handmade clients. This is Part 2 of my 6-Part Series covering your top sales platform options.  Catch up on this series here: Part 1: Why eBay   Part 2: Selling on Amazon Handmade  <– YOU ARE HERE Part 3: Build the Perfect Shopify Website Part 4: Introducing Facebook Shops Part 5: Everything You Need To Know To Sell On Etsy Part 6: Confused About Google My Business? BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Don't fall into a saturation mentality. There is space for you even in a crowded field. The key is to provide great photos, product descriptions, and going behind the

Kristine is the Senior Manager of Go-to-market strategy and operations at eBay. In her role, she’s responsible for updating their sellers on key programs and changes. Kristine has been at eBay for over 18 years working in a variety of roles, from customer service to project management to marketing. One of the main reasons she’s stayed so long is because she’s passionate about the eBay mission. “We exist to enable economic opportunity for individuals, entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations of all sizes.” Kristine loves that they provide opportunity to anyone from college students, to stay at home moms, to retirees and more - who want to start a business selling almost anything online. This is Part 1 of my 6-Part Series covering your top sales platform options.  Catch up on this series here: Part 1: Why eBay  <– YOU ARE HERE Part 2: Selling on Amazon Handmade Part 3: Build the Perfect Shopify Website Part 4: Introducing Facebook Shops Part 5: Everything You Need To Know To Sell On Etsy

Originally from Trumbull, CT, Brian has been living in China for the past 10 years. He previously worked for one of the largest Chinese government owned manufacturers managing their North American Export operations. Now Brian runs a 3rd party logistics warehouse in Shenzhen China. The company provides 3rd party logistics and shipping for Amazon FBA sellers and any e-commerce company creating products in China. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Don't take shortcuts. The longer solid road is always the route to making your business sustainable. Alibaba is a good start to identifying factories. Developing specific quality control guidelines will help ensure your product arrives as expected. Always place a small first order to test the factory. Addressing the issues of knockoffs and people stealing your design; you can stay competitive as long as you provide value to your customer. One way to handle quality control is to hire an inspection company to check the product quality before it is shipped to you.

Alex is the founder of a greeting card startup called Tellinga, which actually began while he was pursuing his MBA at Rice University. After graduating and entering the workforce, Alex noticed his free time was slipping away, along with his relationships with friends and family. So, to keep in touch, he started snail mailing them literary artisanal work in the form of letters. He would draw pictures in story form and mail them out to loved ones piece by piece over time. Imagine a comic with images being taken apart page by page and then those pages sent out one by one throughout weeks or even months. For his friends and family, it was a way to stay connected and create fun, personalized stories. They would look forward to checking their mailboxes every day and enjoyed the stories because they were always goofy, sent over time, and – big bonus – Alex’s family and friends were the main characters in their own personalized “mailbox movie.” From there … Tellinga was born. BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS Keep pe