Flitterbug's Earning Diary

[Flitterbug]

So this is where I start right?

My hopes and dreams are to be able to run a small creative business providing baby shower gifts and maybe other related products in order to bring in a decent monthly income to provide for my 8 month old daughter.

The goal is to reach close to what I was earning at my previous job as a teaching assistant which was approxiamately £700 a month. Along with the small business I'm going to use blogging to help achieve this goal and I'm looking at the iOS methods mentioned on this forum (Roamler, Field Agent, etc).

May 2014
- Order stock to start making products
- Make up some products
- Set up Facebook page with gorgeous photos
- Download some Apps and get started on a few tasks
- Look into starting a blog (free/not free?)
- Think of catchy business name
- Register as self employed with HMRC

June 2014
- When the rest of my stock arrives
- make two of every tier of product in all 3 colours
- make up my first sale to my friend
- take photos to upload to Facebook page
- launch Facebook page
- Get to level 2 on Roamler
- Try to set up a Minecraft blog with wealthy affiliate

July 2014
- Actually get to level 2 on Roamler
- Set up Etsy store and Twitter account for Bundles for Bubbas
- Create website for Bundles for Bubbas
- Design and order business cards
- Write content for diggingandcrafting.com (Minecraft blog)
- Look into understanding Google analytics


Current total: £-480.82

 

[Jon]

Re: Flitterbug's Earning Diary

Tell us more about this business then

How long have you been running it for? Have you made much from it? Do you sell exclusively on facebook because of the rising eBay fees?

 

[Flitterbug]

Re: Flitterbug's Earning Diary

The business isn't established yet it's in the process of being started, once I've have my order I'm going to make up my product and get selling

I wanted to make gifts out of baby clothes as I know it's something that is well received not only is it a beautiful gift but also functional and thoughtful. I received a Baby Blooms bouquet for the birth of my daughter and loved it, I had it for ages before I began unravelling the individual 'flowers' to discover the goodies inside.

I believe that that particular website has had a re-jig of its prices and now you seem to get less but it costs more. I want to create something affordable and that is a good quality gift. I'm not only going to do bouquets of baby clothing flowers but also boxes of 4 cupcakes, this is little different to the large scale nappy cakes which are more widely available.

I wanted to use Facebook as it's easily shared and can grow better than an eBay account and yes the fee factor does come into it as well. I also chose Facebook as the photo gallery for the page will give a very quick look at the 'catalogue' of products which can also then be shared with people who may not know about the business yet.

 

[Jon]

Re: Flitterbug's Earning Diary

All sounds fantastic and everything you have said makes sense.

Post some pics up of the stock once it arrives so we can see the sort of things you are selling

 

[alditoharrods]

Re: Flitterbug's Earning Diary

This sounds great, can't wait to see how you progress.

 

[Flitterbug]

Re: Flitterbug's Earning Diary

Thanks guys I got on the phone to the wholesaler today to see if I could get the items that were in stock delivered separately to those OOS to get them sooner - they said usually they wouldn't be able to split orders but because it was my first order they would

Also Jon is it too much trouble to get this thread name changed to Kelzky's earning diary? Or is it something I can change myself?

 

[Jon]

Changed it for you

 

[Flitterbug]

Thankies I was having an identity crisis I've been Kelzky since I first connected to the Internet - no idea why I decided to change it up!!

 

[Flitterbug]

So I'm still having trouble with a name for the Facebook page, I think it's going to have a different name to the blog so have to think of two names haha.

My partners family think I should have a business with an early letter in the alphabet so it would appear higher in a directory - does this really matter too much? I want a name that people will know what kind of thing I might do before looking at the page... Unfortunately lots of the ones I've thought of have been taken already but something to do with 'baby' and 'gift' would be nice.

....or I could go completely random - Bubbaloobi was my favourite suggestion from my partners dad!

Some of my delivery is coming today which I'm excited for - I won't be able to make up a full complete product cos of the OOS items but can make up some bits ready

 

[Jon]

So I'm still having trouble with a name for the Facebook page, I think it's going to have a different name to the blog so have to think of two names haha.

My partners family think I should have a business with an early letter in the alphabet so it would appear higher in a directory - does this really matter too much? I want a name that people will know what kind of thing I might do before looking at the page... Unfortunately lots of the ones I've thought of have been taken already but something to do with 'baby' and 'gift' would be nice.

....or I could go completely random - Bubbaloobi was my favourite suggestion from my partners dad!

Some of my delivery is coming today which I'm excited for - I won't be able to make up a full complete product cos of the OOS items but can make up some bits ready

love that name..

in regards to directories. Which directories are we talking about here where you might appear higher up based on the first letter of the company?

 

[Flitterbug]

I quite like it too there is the bubblegum company called bubbaloo don't know if it's a bit close?

In regards to directories I mean like Netmums is where you can find small businesses in the local services area and it lists them in alphabetical order

 

[Jon]

Ah yeah, well I suppose in that case it is fine but IMO choosing your name based on where it appears in a directory compared to say, where it appears on google which you have a lot more control over is more important

Also a name that people remember is important as well, if I was choosing it I wouldn't want to be bounce to the letters A, B or C

 

[Flitterbug]

That's what I thought when they said it, the more I think about Bubbaloobi the more I like it but there's also a cloth nappy company called Bubbalooba hmm not sure...

It's funny the woman who runs Bubbalooba is called Kyra which was a name I wanted for my daughter but there was a kid I worked with at the school with the same name and it just wasn't right anymore lol

In other news my parcel arrived - hooray! Still more to come next week but at least I can make a start!

 

[Jon]

the 'other' name issue can be a bit of a pain

Even coming up with the name for this site I agonized over for quite a few days.

At first I thought I wanted just a name that aimed towards 'earning money online' but just by staying in that are you come up with a name that most people will just class as a clickbait site anyway.

I then decided that looking to the future this site might have other financial areas to it and so I needed a name that would facilitate that.


Bubbalooba is something that has longevity no matter WHAT products you might sell under that brand as you are not boxing yourself into a corner.

 

[alditoharrods]

I love the name Bubbaloobi, until you mentioned there's a similar company called Bubbalooba. When you search for "Bubbaloobi" on Google, it changes to the other one.

I mention on numerous threads, but if you ever need some images made (Facebook header, blog/site header, Twitter avatar) then get in touch. I'm happy to do it free of charge for TMS members. Actually Jon, where would be the most appropriate place to post these services?

 

[Jon]

Hmm good question

I am loath to great yet another sub forum as I feel we already have enough.

Put a post in 'News' and maybe some blurb in your sig while I sit on it and decide how best to deal with this in the short/medium turn as people seem to be offering a LOT of help on this site to others

 

[Flitterbug]

If bubbalooba comes up when you put in bubbaloobi surely if I started a website/Facebook page called bubbaloobi then mine would come up first? Back to the drawing board maybe... Wanted to grab one of those cheap godaddy .com's

 

[alditoharrods]

It would take some time for Google to "notice" you, I'd say around 3 months. That doesn't mean you shouldn't pick it though! There's a link in my signature now if you need any images made

 

[Flitterbug]

Hmm maybe it's worth it as I can't find anyone called bBubbaloobi on Facebook either - my mum will think it's daft though lol I know what she's like haha.

Ah yes I saw that sorry forgot to say thank you for the offer I am quite proficient in Photoshop myself so may do my own images but if I get stumped I will let you know!

 

[Jon]

Now then ladies, what with your MAD graphic skillz,

Can either of you make me a better logo?

473 x 56

Transparent background

anything is better than what i have now