Design Inspiration

What does design mean to you?  Design is basically the formation or creation of a plan, of course it can have a variety of meanings in several different areas.  A person that designs is known as a designer but someone that works in the design field is also considered a designer.  Wikipedia says’ “Designing often necessitates considering the aesthetic, functional, economic and socio-political dimensions of both the design object and design process."

Design inspiration for me comes from a variety of places. First I’d say nature, which with it’s vast beauty and diversity never ceases to amaze and inspire me. I can also be inspired by fashion, home decor, people, animals and interesting artwork.  What is it that inspires you?

I‘ve been reading the October issue of Fast Company magazine which is all about design. You can read about many well known companies like Nike, J.Crew, Flipboard and many more. One that stood out for me was an article about the company Samsung. The presidents say they find inspiration in travelling to different places, cities and towns all over the world. They watch and try to understand the different cultures of the people as well as paying close attention to lifestyle and industry trends. So they really understand who they’re customers are and what they want in a product. You have to have a big vision and be a big thinker as a designer, Toon says “ in designing the Bordeaux TV we  drew inspiration from a wineglass.” How cool is that! They sold more than 3 million of those TV’s in the first year! I think they had a hit with their design!

Whatever kind of designer you are you’ve got to keep pushing the envelope, coming up with new and innovative designs and processes. Go out and find your inspiration in your day to day living and always be willing to explore different environments and places as a great design could come from something as simple and classic as a wineglass.

Networking for Business

What is business networking?  According to Wikipedia “a business network is a type of social network that exists primarily for business  activity.” A business networking site allows its followers or users to build business relationships and share and promote business opportunities. Many users of these type of sites prefer this method of generating business leads as often the cost of promotion is very minimal. Business networking websites have become quite popular over the last several years. They are a great means to promote your own business and grow your business contacts.

If you want to become a successful business networker, it takes some hard work and an abundance of time. Don’t expect overnight results but with persistence and the use of networking tools you can grow your business this way.

Finding a great business platform that you tune into regularly is your first step. Let this be your main channel for building your network. Of course, one can join or be a part of many different sites but I personally like to have one that I check in with every single day. You’ll know it’s the right one for you when you are receiving advice and worthy information from fellow business networkers as well as offering yours.

A healthy mindset of a successful business networker is to be positive and encouraging and give good advice where you can. Building trust and gaining respect from fellow networkers goes a long way in business.

I’ve chosen IBO Toolbox as the business networking platform where I can share and build my business. This platform is ‘free’ to join, no payment required! No hassling or pushing requests in your face to spend money on this platform. Just click on the advertised sponsors every now and then to help keep it free.

It offers amazing tools to help new and mature business owner’s grow. You can advertise your business or opportunity and get your business in front of 300,000 plus visitors a day. IBO Toolbox offers a social networking site as well as the business site so has great potential for connecting. So yes, if you’re looking for a business networking site to join, where you can add value and gain knowledge to grow your business this is a place I recommend.

These fun Yubo lunchboxes are the latest new product to be made available at Zazzle. They come with detachable handles, so that they can be carried horizontally or vertically. Waterproof and tear-proof. Makes a great gift! Come check em’ out! Designs by Shell

Bookworm With a Stack of Books Lunchbox	Pink Choo Choo Train Lunch Box	Starfish and Deep Green Ocean Lunchbox
Delicious Chocolate Magnet	Pink Stars with Saying Mug	Purple Elephant Baby First Christmas Ornament

Technorati Tags: business networking,network for business,ibo+toolbox,lunchboxes,designs by shell

Marketing Strategies for the Holiday Season

Don’t miss the window, if you’re just going along and haven’t started getting your marketing strategy for the busy holiday season in motion yet, you just might miss the boat!  I’m sure you know that the stores in the malls are already starting to pull out there seasonal promotional items and set up displays. Costco already has Christmas items out!! Yes, I agree it is way to early for me to see Christmas items in the stores but as an online small business owner I understand that we have to get on board here and be preparing our stores for those early shoppers. People are starting their shopping earlier and earlier it seems. Research shows more and more people are shopping online and this is a trend that surely will only increase with the convenience of it. Who doesn’t want to shop from home in their pajamas!

Have a plan, this is so important here. Take a look at your inventory and assess what you need to bring in to your store.  What are the trends and items that will attract customers to your store front. With millions of online businesses the competition is fierce and just thinking that the customers will come and buy from you without you putting in some big marketing efforts is pretty silly. 

If you had your online store last year, review what items sold well for you and what items didn’t move at all. Decide on what new items to add to your inventory and which ones to promote. Use all available social media platforms that you are active in. Just do it subtly, nobody wants to just see a big push of your items, add something of value when you can. Perhaps offer a sale coupon or a contest.

When using Twitter to market your products remember to include appropriate hash tags, like #holidayspecials, #holidaydeals, #blackfriday, etc. This will help when people are searching for shopping deals. If you use Pinterest regularly be sure to create holiday boards that feature your products. Create unique boards like Christmas decor, holiday t-shirts, Christmas kitchen accessories, you get the idea. Also include prices, Pinterest lets you add this! 

Well I hope this has given you some incentive to get going on your holiday marketing strategy! Don’t leave it too late or you seriously might miss your window of opportunity. The shopper’s will buy elsewhere and you don’t want to miss out on the sales! Happy planning!

I’ve been busy working on some holiday themes for my store Designs by Shell!

Technorati Tags: marketing plan approaching the holidays,christmas shopping,preparing your business,designs by shell

Stepping into Fall

Summer has come to an end and Fall is in full swing now. I think the fall season is probably my favourite season of the year. (Okay,spring is a close second, but I really do love fall) There are so many awesome things I love about fall or autumn, whatever you choose to call it, that I thought I’d share my list with you.

1) Colors of the trees and falling leaves

2) Nature walks in the crisp fresh air

3) Homemade soups

4) Pumpkin pie, of course with whipped cream piled high

5) Love my boots, tall, ankle, dress and casual

6) Fall flavoured lattes, thinking pumpkin spice, ginger spice

7) Fuzzy slippers, always wearing some in the house

8) Watching and feeling the warmth of the fireplace

9) Candles, add warmth and a glow to the atmosphere

10) Changing the summer bedding to warmer cosier fall bedding

Is fall one of your favourite seasons? Tell me one or two of your favourite things about it! 

Back to business… have you started planning your fall marketing strategy, yet?  Most small businesses count on the months leading up to the holidays as crucial days to reach their year end business goals. I know I’m already thinking of ways to increase my traffic to my store as well as planning for the coming holiday season.  Next week I’ll go into more detail and thought on what to do to embrace the busy shopping season as it approaches.  Thanks for visiting Designs by Shell

Technorati Tags: favourite things about fall,fall season,list of fall blessings,designs by shell

Focusing on New Products

We’ve been getting a blast of heat here for the last few days, today is particularly hot! I have all the blinds and windows closed in an effort to keep the house cool, kind of helping!

So today I thought I’d share with you all of the new products that Zazzle has been pushing out in the last few weeks. Some great new items, so many in fact that it’s hard to keep up with designing but I’m not complaining as it expands the market reach!  Offering a wider range of products engages more people and potentially attracts more buyers. 

First we have these great Jelly Belly Tins to design, they come in a variety of cool shapes and sizes and you can choose your flavour of jelly beans or mints. They can be ordered in bulk too! These are great for wedding favours and baby shower keepsakes too! I think they will be popular as stocking stuffers as well!

Wrist watches in about 8 different styles like sporty, vintage, glitter, leather and the classic stainless steel type. Many different colors to choose from too! Adult styles as well as cute options for kids.

American Apparel brand offers leggings for women and girls in a fitted, cotton spandex blend. Perfect for layering. Find the design that speaks to you, maybe a simple word like ‘dance or active’ or a whimsical creation. Different colors to choose from.

Scarfs are another new product. Super soft 100% jersey cotton scarfs, perfect accessory to wrap yourself up in or give as a gift. One size fits all. Lots of designs and motifs.

Wallets in nylon, denim with coin purse and several different leather style wallets. A variety of sizes, color options and awesome designs available.

Several new styles of t-shirts, long sleeve tops and hoodies have also come on board. Lots of fun options for apparel!

With all of these new products it can sure keep one busy coming up with fresh and unique ideas for designing all of them. I think I have my work cut out for me for the next few months!

Here is a sampling below… thanks for visiting my store. I appreciate all of my customers and potential customers too! Designs by Shell

Technorati Tags: new products,zazzle,designs by shell,gift ideas

Styling for E-Commerce

Approximately a week ago I joined this great site called Polyvore. (follow me here) I had heard about it a few months back but hadn’t taken the time to look into it until recently. I’m so glad I did!

Polyvore is one of the biggest social and E-Commerce sites that boasts more than 20 million monthly unique visitors to its pages. It is a site where users can build sets and create collages using a very simple system to add products from other websites like  apparel, home decor items, watch trends and so much more. As you build sets you’ll understand the concept of layering items and playing with sizes and layouts.  Here is one of the sets I put together! You get the idea! 

How can Polyvore help or benefit small businesses like mine you ask?  Having an online business where I sell apparel, home and office items as well as unique products, I am able to work some of my items into a collage that I create. This is a great marketing benefit for those who work in the fashion industry, interior design and the beauty industry too! A huge benefit is that each of the items featured in a set or collage is linked to its original source allowing consumers to click through and be able to purchase the item right then and there.   A great way to gain eyes on your items or store!

There is other ways to use Polyvore as well, such as creating collages for holidays, birthdays or seasonal styles and decor. The ideas are only limited to your imagination!      

An amazing place for those who love fashion and can put great outfits together, imagine the potential here! If you need help putting an ensemble together this is the place to find the help you need. Perhaps you’re wondering should I wear tall boots with this dress or should I wear pumps. You can find all kinds of collages to answer your questions. You also learn about brands that you may not have known about. This is another of those fun places that can be a little addicting at first until you find the balance of working it into your daily routine. 

Basic tips would be to create sets, share them via Twitter, Pinterest or other social sites. Follow others and build a follower base. Like and comment on other users collages! That’s about it, just have fun!

Designs by Shell

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Finding the Rhythm Again

Well I can hardly believe we’ve reached the end of August and summer vacations and activities are slowing down for most of us. Time to find the rhythm and get back into some routines for many folks now. Back to work, school, the gym, studies and things that make our lives go round. I hope you enjoyed your summer and were able to either get away for a holiday or at least participate in some fun activities.

My husband and I enjoyed our trip to Seattle, love the Pike Market and all the cool shops around there. Sitting along the harbour and watching the boats while we enjoyed coffees and special French pastries was awesome! Loved the Seattle Woodland Zoo, got some great pictures of all the animals, you’ll see some showing up on products in my shop. Also got some great shots at a Botanical Garden in Portland Oregon at a resort we stayed at. We kayaked three times this summer too, once on a river in Portland, Oregon and twice on the ocean in Vancouver and the island. Almost had a harbour seal land on my lap in the kayak too, a little scary but certainly added to the adventure!

So now it’s time to get back to focusing on my store, Designs by Shell. Creating new products and working on some marketing. Time to reconnect with my business network and keep things rolling along. I also found this great site that I started using which allows me to add my products to get more visibility and potentially attract more customers. I’ll share this in detail in my next blog!  Enjoy your week!

Technorati Tags: routines,back to work,summer vacations,animals,designs by shell