To join the free Indie Business Book Club, click here. This month, we read The Fortune Cookie Principle by Bernadette Jiwa in the Indie Business Book Club. The introduction to this book reminds us that your business will fail if you do not think through and clarify your brand story. It’s not enough to have…
Late last year, I hosted two pilot episodes of the Artisan Made Show. (If you missed them, you can catch them here and here.) After some tweaking, the show is now the Maker Mastermind™ Show, and the first episode will air LIVE on Monday, May 1 at 12pm ET at the new Maker Mastermind™ Facebook…
To join the free Indie Business Book Club, click here. I am pleased to announce the May 2017 Indie Business Book Club pick: Blue Ocean Strategy, by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. Thanks to our book club member, Andrea Laurence of Catalyst Body Coaching in Sydney, Australia, for suggesting this book. If you’re not…
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Welcome to Episode 52 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this episode, I introduce you to Nieves Rathbun of By Nieves in Petrolia, California. Nieves’s business started out of an unexplainable passion for skincare products and perfume. She describes her brand as a kind vintage, but also modern, and she’s done an exquisite job of…
To join the free Indie Business Book Club, click here. This month, we read The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al Ries and Laura Ries in the Indie Business Book Club. While the book is old (published in 2002), it proves that certain fundamental business principles really never change. In today’s technology filled world,…
I am pleased to announce the April 2017 Indie Business Book Club pick: The Fortune Cookie Principle, by Bernadette Jiwa. Thanks to our book club member, Marilyn Schendel of Ritual Waters in North Carolina for suggesting this book. If you’re not familiar with the Indie Business Book Club, you can click here for more information.…
Have I ever mentioned that IBN’s private Facebook group is not just a business community? It is heavily focused on business (as it is designed to be), but we also have fun in a really unique and amazing environment. For example, last week, I posed this simple question in our community: When it comes to…
I am thrilled to be participating this week in the first virtual Makers Biz Summit hosted by Deborah Engelmajer of Tizzit Design Company. Deb’s business is located in “the land of plenty” in beautiful Australia. I hope to visit someday, but for now, I have to settle for this appearance as a part of an…
The first time I went house hunting, a friend cautioned me not to get sucked into buying a house I could not afford. More specifically, he warned me not to buy so much house that I didn’t have money left over to furnish it. In other words, he advised me not to be “house poor.”…
I am pleased to announce the March 2017 Indie Business Book Club pick: The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, by Al Ries and Laura Ries. Thanks to our book club member, Rolande Sumner of Butter Angels in South Carolina for suggesting this book. If you’re not familiar with the Indie Business Book Club, you can…
As you may recall, in January and February, we read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey in the Indie Business Book Club. While some people think this book is just for those who are in business, that’s not the case. The 7 principles that form the basis of the book are…
Each week, I receive countless emails and phone calls from people who want to launch a business selling the products they make. I received an email recently from Jill in Tennessee who told me that: “I am really having a hard time finding what makes me unique. Therefore, I am having a hard time defining…
It’s hard to believe that I have been blogging here at Indie Business Blog for 15 years. Here is my first Indie Business Blog post. By the time I published that post, I had been blogging elsewhere for five years. I maintained a “journal” at IBN’s first website, before the term “blog” even existed. Afterward,…
It always saddens me to see a person struggle alone for an extended period of time, without asking for help. If you watch someone do this, you will see frustration written all over their face. You will often hear strings of curse words. There is lots of grumbling and frequently, there is also blaming someone…
I am pleased to announce that the Indie Business Network now offers a new lower price on product liability insurance for our members who make soap, candles, jewelry, perfume, and cosmetics! Product liability insurance prices now start at $275, instead of the higher price of $395. Now, you can secure the same product liability insurance…
Successful entrepreneurs crave connection. They thrive on it. They love being together virtually in Facebook groups and on social media sites, but they know that nothing can replace the energy, uplift and inspiration that comes with being physically together with like-minded people who “get” them. That’s where events like The Makers Summit come in. One…
This event has been canceled. Get entrepreneurial lessons learned from the last 2×4 Live event at this link. Do you ever feel isolated in your business? Like you know you’d benefit from the energy of a community of people to encourage you, but you don’t know where to find them? Do you feel like your…
I am pleased to announce the 2016 Artisan Entrepreneurs of the Year! Our winners were selected by vote from 14 finalists. The winners received the most votes in six categories. A total of 480 votes were submitted by the finalists customers, peers and friends. If you missed the overview of the Artisan Entrepreneur of the…
As I shared last month, I spoke at the United States Lavender Conference (USLGA) in Phoenix, Arizona, this weekend. Not only did I get the chance to help hundreds of small business owners embrace a less stressful and more effective approach to social media, but I also got to hang out a bit with some…
Not all of our members showcase their products at trade shows, but many do. Last week, I told you about Maggie Hanus and Caitlin Abshier exhibiting at Atlanta’s America’s Mart. Today, I want you to meet three of our member brands that are exhibiting their handmade products at Las Vegas Market and the Dallas Market…
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Welcome to Episode 51 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this episode, I introduce you to Mike Neustrom of Prairie Lavender Farm in Bennington, Kansas, and of the United States Lavender Growers Association. Mike’s lavender business is an outgrowth of a promise to his wife to settle wherever she wanted, after he ended a distinguished…