Join us for a
Five-Course Tasting Dinner and Complementary Wine Flight
Featuring
The Honeycomb from The Savannah Bee Company
Exclusively Prepared by Head Chef Jesse Williams for
Subscribers and Friends of MerriMail
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
6:30 p.m.
The Kitchen at Elkin Creek Vineyards
Elkin, North Carolina
$65 per person
Please make reservations by April 20, 2007
336-526-5119
Visit www.merri-mail.com or www.elkinmill.com for additional details.
Nature seems to be the overriding them in what inspires the artists featured in our Branching Out Issue. Lisa Thomas and Kim West, members of the Create.Ink design team, as well, as artist Patrick Dougherty site their love for flora and branches. For me, it's paper. (And flowers, too!)
What inspires you?
This is a fabulous collection of vinyl art that I found on This Next, a social shopping web site. The circles are so fun and playful. Great for a kids room or an art studio.
For more vinyl art and other decorative concepts try...
Download these free Valentine postcards to send to all of your favorite little Valentines. There are four different designs. Two of the designs are from our original sets of downloadable gift cards. We added two more so that you could print out four little designs just like the ones you gave to all of your friends in elementary school (save the tiny envelope).
For printing instructions: Print the first page as many copies as you need on a heavy bright white cardstock. Then replace the stack of printed Valentines in your printer. When you print the design on the back of the postcard (page 2), only print one at a time to make sure the stack is turned in the right direction. Once they are printed, cut the postcards into quarters. Enjoy!
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.
