When playing around with Issue Two's gift, we found several interesting places to add the art around our homes. The ideas seemed to be endless - a mirror, a platter, a lampshade, on the wall above the bed, or even a laptop. So we wanted to see where our readers placed it. Or have you put it anywhere yet? We can't wait to hear what you think about it. Plus we are happy to give any tips that you might help with your application.
1. Believe in your business.
The main reason we took the leap and started MerriMail was because it was a totally unique concept that we believed in and that we knew we could be successful. We could see ourselves doing MerriMail every single day.
2. Surround yourself with a strong support group.
We have participated in several women run business groups. We found that the women in these groups are more than willing to share advice, ideas and networking opportunities. A few of these include Ladies Who Launch, Industry, Chix in Business and The Little Black Book. We also check in with several of our entrepreneurial friends who are working on their own projects. We share words of encouragement, which can make a huge difference.
3. Write a business plan and use it.
A business plan is a working document that business owners should actually use and refer to often. So many times it’s created and then thrown in a drawer and never used. A business plan should guide your company and enable you to stay focused on your mission. Many times people get stuck trying to write a business plan. To get started, we simply followed sample business plans that we acquired from classes, friends and the internet. We took bits and pieces from each plan and then wrote our business plan to suit our needs. We refer to our business plan frequently and we keep it updated.
4. A little money can go a long way.
Depending on your business, you may not have to have deep pockets or take out a loan to get started. In the beginning, we didn’t know how we were going to fund our business. We were very apprehensive about taking out a loan. We applied for a grant that we didn’t get. We briefly looked into seeking out investors, but we wanted to maintain control of our company. So, we decided to begin by investing small amounts of our personal money into the company only when we needed it. During our first five months, we invested about $1,700 and that help us start the company and launch the first issue of MerriMail. We’re now in our 9th month of business and the company is currently self sustaining. Don’t underestimate the power of that loose change you’ve been saving. It adds up and it could be all the money you need to start your business.
5. Use simple things to keep you organized and focused.
For us, it was and still is a weekly conference call that lasts about one hour. On the call, we review our business plan and any action items that we need to discuss. This call has helped us stay in constant communication, keep our priorities straight and stay focused on the real issues of the business.
6. Sweat equity: Use your talents and friends' talents and find ways to pay for other professional services.
Then barter, trade or pay for professional assistance where needed. This is good old sweat equity. It’s important to divide your labor so that you’re not duplicating efforts and divide it according to your strengths. Here are a few examples of what we did. Caroline is a graphic artist so she created our logo, which saved us time and money. We asked a colleague who is a copyright lawyer to help us with some questions we had regarding trademarking and he did so for free. After we exhausted all of our options, we hired a certified public accountant to help us manage our finances for a very reasonable fee.
7. Leverage public relations to promote company.
This is important because PR or editorial coverage in the form of newspaper stories, magazine articles and television news coverage is free. And, because it comes from a third party, it’s more credible than a paid advertisement, which also can be expensive. Since September, we’ve issued two press releases, and those releases combined with our follow up calls have resulted in two newspaper articles, one product feature in a magazine, five online product features and this television interview. All of this publicity was free. It helped us get MerriMail in front of thousands of people and we can say for certain that it helped us double our subscriber base.
8. Launch sales and marketing by starting with friends and family.
Neither of us are very strong in sales and marketing so we decided to start by reaching out to our friends, family members, acquaintances and professional associates. After compiling a contact list, we signed up for an email marketing service that only cost $5.25, and then we sent them an email. This was our first sales and marketing effort and it provided us the first half of our customer base.
Eris had a 9:30 appointment with the Post Office today. Your packages are on the way! Take a quick sneak peek at the Issue Two letter included in the card. Above you will find a picture of two of your three gifts this issue.
Be sure to check back to the blog for updates and more resources associated with this issues idea card. We can't wait to hear more about our experiences with Branching Out.
Special thanks to Christina of DCmom.com for this great write up about MerriMail. The following excerpt was included in the weekly email newsletter sent prior to the holidays. Be sure to sign up for great finds and fun things to do with your kids in the Metro DC area.
merri all the way
For the gift that will keep on giving even after the holiday season has ended, check out MerriMail a new creative living subscription. At various points in the year, MerriMail sends out a gift and an idea card to your recipient, based on one of several themes: Creativity, Body, Social, Exploring, Indoors and Outdoors - so there's always a new surprise waiting in the mail!
A unique feature is that the idea card provides different ways to use the gift in your home and in conjunction with the ideas.
For example, the salt and pepper set come with ideas for how to, subtly, plan a dinner party around them.
Who doesn't like getting a little gift in the mail every once in a while...
Check out other finds at DCmom.com
On Monday, December 11th, Eris and I will be on WGHP Fox 8 at 7:45 a.m. to talk about MerriMail and Tips for Entrepreneurs. If you are in North Carolina's Piedmont Triad region, please tune in and see what happens.
We will post our advice for entrepreneurs on our blog after the show airs.
I have just spent the week giving the MerriMail web site a much needed face lift. New animation (seen above) and bright new colors. Be sure to check her out.
If the little bird is already perched on the M, refresh your screen to see the animation.
We are so thrilled to be featured as part of Venus' Indie Giver Guide as presented by Jessica Hood. We love being associated with Venus, the No. 1 source for coverage of women in music, art, film, fashion, and D.I.Y. culture. Be sure to check out this quarterly on the newsstand and online.
Mark your calendars for the next Rock & Shop Market on Saturday December 2nd! The Rock & Shop Market is a hip, urban market in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina showcasing designer goods from over 35 local & national emerging artists as well as live performances by The Midtown Dickens, The Octobers & DJ Marco!
Thanks to Skirt! Magazine for the kudos in their November issue. Be sure to pick it up for a great read during the Holiday weekend.
Want to give MerriMail as a gift, but need something to present? We now have the answer. We put together a set of eight different cards for you to choose from. Select your greeting and print it out. Enjoy!
Jug or Naught, Fredric Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1999.
Photographer: David Ferris.
I just had an excellent interview with Patrick Dougherty, a world-renown sculptor from North Carolina. The interview will be featured in the upcoming issue of MerriMail, due out in January. Fly through Twisted Logic to get a sense of the depth of his work.
We are in the process of collecting a comprehensive list of inspiring workshops, conferences and events. Please browse our listing and be sure to add any of your favorites in the comments section.
Looking for something to do tomorrow in Raleigh, NC? Check out The Handmade Market.
The Handmade Market is a showcase of artists, independent designers, and crafters that is produced by The Handmaidens, a North Carolina collective of nine independent designers.
And if you can't make it, you can see the fabulous list of vendors who will be promoting their delightful goods.
A special thanks to Eris for representing MerriMail at Pink Mink's Open House. Be sure to visit Pink Mink for life's little luxuries the next time you are in Winston-Salem. This is where Eris first discovered the sweet little bird salt and pepper shakers.
We just added a list of workshops hosted by a few of our friends, along with places we have taken classes before. Thanks to Melba for sending in the information for JustBe... Connected, a creative bloggers conference next fall in Cape Cod.
We would love to hear of any of your favorite places to take classes and workshops. Please add them in the comments section and we will be sure to add them to our workshops page, as well.
One Chic Mama: Merriment in Your Mailbox
What an honor to be featured on Mary Michelle Little's One Chic Mama. She designs incredible clothes and aprons for children and their moms. She also creates non-traditional wedding dresses. So be sure to check her out.
We are so thrilled to be featured on today's blog from design*sponge. Read more about Grace and design*sponge to see why this feature is so important to us.
Thanks, Grace! Your photo and write-up is fabulous.
We received our first press write-up today in the Elkin Tribune. Please be sure to check out page 11 of the paper. It may be a lot easier to read than this image.
A special thanks to Karen, Yvonne and Nancy for helping us assemble our first issue on Monday. You helped make the day fly by.
Also, for those of you who are fortunate to read the Elkin Tribune, Caroline actually grew up in Germanton.
We were so thrilled when Stephen Asprinio agreed to be our first guest expert. Known for being an expert in pairing ingredients with fine wine, Stephen almost made it into the final round of Bravo's first season of Top Chef. We knew that he would be the perfect person to advise our readers on a range of peppery wines in our first issue of MerriMail. How exciting when he said yes!
Plus with his entrepreneurial spirit, Stephen seemed like a perfect person to feature. Food has been his passion from a very early age. After training in many of the leading restaurants in the country, it is exciting to see that Stephen is launching his own venture - FoodReal. Be sure to visit his web site to learn more about his new restaurant, which is opening in 2007. And for all of you Top Chef fans, Stephen also features his insight from each episode. Enjoy!
Isn't the menu for our web site sweet?
We actually launched the MerriMail web site a couple of weeks ago, but we have had a busy couple of weeks creating a sample idea card for the first issue to share with vendors at the Atlanta Gift Mart. We have lots of fabulous guest experts and wonderful gifts that we found while we were on our trip. Eris and I are both very excited about the first year of MerriMail. I am in the process of adding the subscription page so that it will be very easy for you to subscribe.
