Earlier this month, I attended the American made Show and the Arts Business Institute in Washington, DC. Hosted by Wendy Rosen (pictured in the front with me and some IBN members), the American Made Show is the premier wholesale trade show for handmade American made products. The Arts Business Institute is hosted in conjunction with…
Entrepreneurship can be fun. Well, it is fun. But it’s also messy, really messy. But it’s less messy when you approach your challenges in an environment where you are constantly supported. When people are there to help you, the challenges are less daunting. When you regularly soak up the energy of like-minded people, and share…
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Welcome to Season 2, Episode 3 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this third episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, I am going outside my comfort zone to introduce you to someone I barely know, but who has had a big positive impact on how I view entrepreneurship. One day, I got an…
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Welcome to Season 2, Episode 2 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this second episode of our Women, Wealth and Wow! series, I’m sharing an invigorating conversation with a woman I have known for the past decade, and who has become an intricate part of our my life. While our relationship was once all business,…
In 2009, I published a blog post about my then new social networking strategy. My focus was on Facebook, though other social media outlets were mentioned. Recently, a discussion in our Indie Business Network member Secret Facebook Group reminded me of that 2009 post, and how important it is to be intentional about how we…
Can you think of a better way to invest a Sunday afternoon than Masterminding with your fellow Indie entrepreneurs? Of course you can’t, and if you need some inspiration, check out our members in the New York region. They gathered today at Jennifer Wojcieski’s store, in2ition Mercantile, which we told you opened its doors last…
This awesome video came to our attention, courtesy of our member, Sheri Pierce, over at Paradise City Micro-Farm in Northampton, Massachusetts. It’s a collage of clips from a “Farm To Table Cook-Off,” with a twist. Local celebrity chefs used ingredients from local farms to prepare dishes you can eat, and dishes you can put on…
I began blogging in 2005. I published my first Indie Business Blog post on May 7, 2007. I had hosted two blogs before that, but they were utter disasters. If you clicked the link above, you’ll see that there was not much to my 2007 post. In fact, the most important thing about that post…
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Welcome to Season 2, Episode 1 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this first episode of 2015, I am excited to announce our theme for Season 2. It’s all about an undeniably exciting phenomenon that we are not only witnessing, but that many of you — my listeners and members — are also a living,…
Other than the unofficial #IndieBusiness hash tag that we (and lots of others) use from time to time, the Indie Business Network has never had a hash tag of any kind. Today, we’re excited to introduce our hash tag for 2015. Some people choose a “word of the year.” We have chosen a “hash tag…
In a few hours, 2014 will come to a close. As we move toward 2015, I am pausing to reflect on the magnificent blessing I have to serve hundreds of Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs across this amazing land of ours. 2014 has been a year of growth for IBN and for me personally. This makes…
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Along with our members, we are poised for an amazing 2015. If you were not a member of the Indie Business Network in 2014, here is some of what you missed. But it’s not to late too join us before we raise the heat and the prices. New member benefits and opportunities to help Makers…
The new 2015 Indie Business Network member badge is here! Indie Business Network members in good standing can log in and grab the code for the badge for the current year at this link. (Members: remember to log in before following the link to avoid the “Ooops” page!) The badge looks like this, except there…
The presents are wrapped and a fire is roaring in the fireplace. Fragrant holiday candles are burning (Ginger Fig from our member over at Creekside Candles in West Virginia), and there is festive music playing, mostly Tony Bennett and Johnny Mathis. The kitchen is a mess because everyone has been snacking all day but no…
As we continue to share our handmade holiday surprise gifts, we are reminded that it is good to give and it is good to receive, but both are best when the giving comes first. In 2014, everyone serving on the Indie Team truly gave of themselves to serve your members. That’s one reason why the…
Our members are generous all year long, but during the holiday season, they often take a little extra time to share their best products. If you don’t believe us, check out this amazing assortment of handmade goodness form our 2014 Indie Business Network Holiday Gift Exchange. We are thrilled to open surprise packages all year,…
What?! Another giveaway? Well, it is the holidays. And we do love to surprise you. And it is better to give than to receive, yes? So, if you liked our last few giveaways of the season, you will love this one. We have partnered up with some of our other Maker pals to create a…
Today, we are excited to introduce new Indie Business Network Head Coach, Christine Laureano, who will lead our exclusive IBN member monthly Access Q+A Coaching Calls. More about our coaching program later, but first, here’s a bit about Christine. Her association with IBN began in 2004 with the launch of her first business, which she…
Retail store ownership is not for everyone. It certainly wasn’t for me. But as more Americans seek ways to keep local dollars circulating in their own communities, many of our members are finding success in bricks and mortar. Our Jennifer Wojcieski opened the in2uition Mercantile in Oakdale, New York, just in time for the holiday…
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Welcome to the BONUS of Season 1 of the Indie Business Podcast! In this thirteenth episode, a bonus for Season 1, you will meet Kayla Fioravanti. Kayla is a wife, mom, author, kitchen chemist, farmer, entrepreneur, aromatherapist and poet, and she’s going to share how to publish your book on Amazon. One of Kayla’s dreams…