Where Are Our On-line Sales?

“Il est vrai! It is magnifque! The Master Plan for 2013 is complete!  Giselle gather the recyle-trons and come to the studio maintenant,” Madame Le Tron cried as she ran down the hall, her lab coat flying.

“Madame, what is all this about?” queried Giselle. The sound of clanking and banging followed her as a claptrap of robots descended the stairs.

“Quickly, into the studio all of you and find a seat. The research is in. There is much work to perform, and I have assignments for each and everyone,” said Madame Le Tron, as she wrote Le Tron’s 2013 On-line Business Goals upon the chalkboard. 

With a roll of her eyes and a flip of her hair, Giselle entered the studio. She gazed about. Zombies and fairies and “toys with a twist” surrounded the workspace. Works-of-art mounted on wonderfully hand-painted backdrops and finely detailed toys perched upon ribbon wrapped sticks lined the lower walls. Marvelous, unique, one-of-a kind pieces, painstakingly made, were waiting to find a home -- still waiting.

                                                       

Giselle pulled a well-worn notebook from her lab coat pocket and took out a pen.  On the first page of the book, in her very small, yet precise script, was “Le Tron ~Toys with a Twist! Established August 2011. “  “Just over a year and a half ago,” she thought, as she glanced down a scratched-off list:

Things To Do!

Consult with local “Not-for-profit” SCORE ref. Starting your own Business

Business plan

Business license

Sales tax registration

Open business bank account  

Create Paypal Account for payment processing

All the while refining our business concept. 

The Things To Do List continued:

Discover our brand

Design our logo to support our brand

Create a foundation for social media support

Web Site, Facebook, Linked in

          

In the fall we joined our local arts organization, The Saint Paul Art Collective, and on October 2011 we appeared in our first art show, The Lowertown Art Crawl, where we created an entirely new list of Things To Do!

                                                            Business Cards

                                                            Handouts

                                                            E-mail Sign-Up Sheets

                                                            Display Stands

                                                            Cash Box

                                                            Product, product, product

By the Holiday Season we realized we needed a consistent outlet for our product line.  A storefront was out-of-the question, prohibitively too expensive, so we began to explore on-line sales.  Someone suggested Etsy. To Do List!

                                                            Research Etsy

                                                            Read Timothy Adams, How to Make Money Using    

                                                            Etsy and Allison Strine and Kate Shoup, Starting

                                                            An Etsy Business for Dummies

                                                            Attend community adult ed. classes, Starting

            Your On-line Business, Marketing and SEO,

            Graphic Design

Finally, we opened our Etsy Shop on March 22^nd, 2012.

A year and a half later, while our art show sales enjoy a slow but steady increase, we all are wondering, “Where are our Etsy sales? We have had 2,427 views and only one sale! Ugh,” thought Giselle.

                                                           

 “Ah,” thought Madame Le Tron, as she regarded her teenage assistant. “Giselle, Mon Cherie, perhaps you thought it would be easier than this, Non?”  Even the reycle-trons seemed downcast, as evidenced by the subtle creak and squeak of robots in need of a bit of care.

“Remember the article by Tim Layton –“Your Business Made To Order – What size would you like?”  We started out to enjoy this project, an hour here and an hour there, Qui?  Baby steps, Non? Mais maintenant, we wish to grow! So, after a bit of research and some great mentoring by members of our Linked-in Groups, Etsy, Handmadeology and Micro Mainstreet & Cottage Industrialist, we have a Master Plan, and it focuses on three goals,” Madame Le Tron joyfully exclaimed, as she pointed a black-gloved hand toward the chalkboard behind her.

On the board was written…

                     Le Tron’s 2013 On-line Business Goals ~ Let’s Get Growing!

1.)    Start Blogging

2.)   100 Products Listed

3.)   Find Our Niche Audience and Market To THEM!

“So, shall we begin with starting to blog?” inquired Madame Le Tron, and with that, a great commotion ensued as the recycle-tron, Ralph, stumbled and bumbled his way to the front of the room.

Giselle bowed her head to stifle a grin. Wreck-it Ralph, as she fondly called him, was indicating to Madame the computer screen that made-up his chest cavity.   On it were the words, “ALREADY DONEJ”

The next screen to appear had the web address http://madameletronblogspot.com

The entire group gathered let out a collective sigh.

“Well, I guess I can scratch creating a blog site off the To Do List,” giggled Giselle.

“Indeed you can, Mon Cherie,” winked Madame Le Tron. “Indeed you can!”

And so it begins!  Welcome to Our Wonderful World of Le Tron! Please join our cast of characters each and every Friday afternoon as we GET GROWING here on blogspot.com!

                                                

Au Revoir, until we meet again!