ScrapBizness

I seriously cannot believe the nerve of some custo...

2011-10-24T21:09:47.562-07:00

I seriously cannot believe the nerve of some customers. That's why I think everyone should have to own a business and learn how it feels to be used. Not all customers are like that, but a certain percentage of them are and have no guilt about it. I don't get that entitlement mentality at all because I know that someone is paying for that space, the heat, the lights and the products and I shouldn't expect them to consult me for free over a product I bought elsewhere.

I've had that happen twice in the past couple ...

2011-10-24T20:54:29.447-07:00

I've had that happen twice in the past couple of weeks.

"I bought a Cricut machine at Walmart for cheap. Can you show me how it works?" I tell them about our class and they don't want to "pay" the $25 for the class. So I smile and say there is a DVD in the box.

World Cardmaking day, I had someone come into the store, sign up for our email newsletter and do a free make & take using the Lifestyle Crafts Letterpress system. She emailed me to tell me she found the Letterpress system at Hobby Lobby on clearance and told me what she all purchased and wanted me to remind her how it worked, and if the plates she already had with her Big Kick(the Michael's version of the Big Shot I sell) would work with her new purchases. So I emailed her that she would have saved money by purchasing the entire starting kit than the individual pieces she bought...LOL

If you are going to buy something at Wal-mart you'd better know what you're buying and how to use it!

2011-09-22T13:36:05.091-07:00

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very interesting article. I am just starting off ...

2011-09-07T12:43:26.113-07:00

very interesting article. I am just starting off trying to get together an S4O biz and I really need all the info I can find. My b/f found your article on scrapping stores and I worked my way to this. Thanks for the encouragement. I know it won't make me rich but if I can keep the bills paid and have some fun money leftover at the end of the day I will be thrilled because I will be doing something I love. I do tend to want to do every page unique and I knew that was going to be an issue and you reinforced that for me.

May 9, 2011 I am looking for Miss Elizabeth's...

2011-05-09T14:24:36.952-07:00

May 9, 2011
I am looking for Miss Elizabeth's set of 6 coordinated 70# scrapbooking papers (size 12"x12")in the pattern called, "Poppies".
the colors are in lime greens, violets and blues. Does anybody know where I can find this specific pattern? My local
Dollar Tree doesn't have it.

if you DO know....pleas email me:
anacrusis53@yahoo.com
THANKS

First they mess with the firmware update so that y...

2011-03-28T20:33:49.499-07:00

First they mess with the firmware update so that your machine no longer works with SCAL or MTC...and then they void the warranty, all the while blaming the software. Tsk tsk.

This article just reaffirms my distaste for Provoc...

2011-03-28T12:30:07.559-07:00

This article just reaffirms my distaste for Provocraft & their lack of ethics.

I will be replacing my PC items soon...already have started the process with winning an ebay auction for a Spellbinders Wizard. It's replacing my Provocraft Cuttlebug manual die cutting machine.

I feel a yard sale coming on!

also a supporter of the PC boycott..Tired of being...

2011-03-28T08:41:25.061-07:00

also a supporter of the PC boycott..Tired of being treated so poorly. PC no more money for you..join us on the facebook page...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paper-Creations/106746807073#!/BoycottProvoCraft

I closed my BOA checking, savings and my money mar...

2011-03-28T07:42:21.893-07:00

I closed my BOA checking, savings and my money market. I am sick to death of company's like PC. As soon as I am able I will turn my Expression into a door stop and buy something from a company who actually CARES about their customers and don't have GREED as their motto.

Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_MkVqnmCdc t...

2011-03-27T01:48:18.931-07:00

Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_MkVqnmCdc to see the NO Cricut
revolution theme song... 2,600 plus people have viewed it since March 24th, now that tells us something! The song is in response to Cricut suing the company Make the Cut so their software could not work with the Cricut.. users are all rebelling, taking their accounts out of B of A and buying new machines just to stay with that software! Loyalty to MTC which frees you from cartridges and bad customer service at PC has done it!

Join my "Boycott Provo Craft" Facebook P...

2011-03-14T17:12:36.796-07:00

Join my "Boycott Provo Craft" Facebook Page! We have nearly 900 people so far in just over 24 hours.
KathyB

And now they have ticked off their own customers b...

2011-03-14T13:41:20.190-07:00

And now they have ticked off their own customers by going after MTC/SCAL...3rd party software. Not nice, PC/Bank of America! There are over 800 people boycotting PC products and that's just the number over a 24 hour period. The numbers are rising.

Carol

Hi Focus. RocketLife now runs on Firefox and Chrom...

2011-02-24T18:54:34.136-08:00

Hi Focus. RocketLife now runs on Firefox and Chrome as well, along with Safari on the Mac. Try the new RocketLife in Kim's PhotoBooks{etc} store and see what you think.

Great trick! so cute!

2010-11-29T09:35:43.202-08:00

Great trick! so cute!

I have owned an online store for 7 1/2 years. I&#...

2010-10-18T20:07:53.427-07:00

I have owned an online store for 7 1/2 years. I've had a B&M store for 2 years now. While I think that *some* people may have moved to digital, there are a lot of women who won't do it. There are a number of reasons including the expense, the software knowledge it takes, and the expense of printing out 12x12 layouts. I have collected my fair share of digital supplies too, and have found I don't like digital because it's flat and it takes me much longer to do a digital layout than a paper layout.

I do offer digital items in my store for customers, and have yet to sell any of it.

There are a bunch of online digital shoppes that have closed as well, because it is too expensive to store digi kits. ScrapHD closed because they couldn't sell their memberships. So B&M or other online stores lost a revenue path from digital scrappers.

I think a major reason is Snapfish and Shutterfly are making it cheap to print a bound photo book, however in my opinion, those cookie cutter books are nothing compared to my albums I can create with paper, stamps, inks, mists, and so much more 3D items.

While digital scrappers may never darken another doorstep of a B&M store, they aren't going to help the digi world either, as they're getting stuff free or close to free from designers on blogs, etc. Once that dries up...where are you going to go to get your digi supplies?

The original and most important underlying princip...

2010-10-12T14:26:59.686-07:00

The original and most important underlying principle of an Angel Policy is to not allow mechanical or electronic reproduction. This makes perfect sense in our growing digital world. It does not make sense to allow someone to buy a stamp, or sticker or scrapbook paper and allow the buyer to make a digital copy to use over and over and over again on for sale products. This "one purchase and many uses" is what they are trying to stop.

The magazine fundraiser came home with my kids yes...

2010-09-28T10:36:28.679-07:00

The magazine fundraiser came home with my kids yesterday. We refuse to play. Give me something (like photobooks) that I already need/want and that makes a decent profit for the group with little effort. That's why I offer this opportunity.

Thanks so much for posting this. You may have sav...

2010-08-28T13:19:55.427-07:00

Thanks so much for posting this. You may have saved a lot of people a lot of grief with dreams of having a store, only to find it just doesn't work out in the long run.

I've had a couple of businesses myself and understand the importance of "crunching the numbers" before investing time and money.

Plus, the growth of online scrapbooks could put a big dent in the traffic a traditional "brick and mortar" store gets in the future.

2010 will continue to be difficult for businesses ...

2010-08-14T19:01:25.393-07:00

2010 will continue to be difficult for businesses of any kind. I'm afraid the financial system of today is going to take a great deal of time and effort to repair the current damage to the economic system all around the world.

We have never really had a LSS in our area. Just a...

2010-05-25T17:53:50.862-07:00

We have never really had a LSS in our area. Just a Michael's and a store the catered to the Military scrapbooker. So, I don't really know what I'm missing. I have to get the good stuff online and I think that's just what everyone else is doing these days. Thanks for sharing this story.

Being the recipient of this book I have to say tha...

2010-05-10T19:48:46.366-07:00

Being the recipient of this book I have to say that I loved this gift and would recommend giving it to any teacher. The thoughtfulness of the parents and kids was overwhelming.

I just purchased 10 page scrapbook refill pages fr...

2010-05-06T22:19:40.043-07:00

I just purchased 10 page scrapbook refill pages from my local dollar store. I believe the brand is "Special Moments" and distributed by Greenbrier International. However, can anyone tell me if they are photo safe acid free? If so these are a GREAT deal!

I absolutely love this blog entry - it's going...

2010-04-27T18:46:20.719-07:00

I absolutely love this blog entry - it's going to have me chuckling for the next week!!

Thanks for your input. This post is nearly 4 year...

2010-02-20T13:36:56.364-08:00

Thanks for your input. This post is nearly 4 years old AND it's merely an example of simple numbers. People don't do the math and that's why over 50% of the retail stores in our industry are gone.

This is nonsense. No one pays 50 cents a foot unl...

2010-02-20T13:26:54.349-08:00

This is nonsense. No one pays 50 cents a foot unless they're in some backwater podunk landfill. You have to pay $2 minimum for a legitimate retail space. If you're selling 50% sales in cardstock, it's because you're not carrying adhesives. Glue arts is $14. That's 28 sheets of cardstock. It's far more likely you sell the glue arts than cardstock.
Finally, I break even and I sell $25k per month. $4k doesn't pay for wages