where do you advertise?

[Marussia]

Where do you find your clients? where do you advertise your site? The matter is that I am thinking of creating also my site and got the question... Please, answer .

[mcardall]

I have a listing at ScrapJazz. I also created a blogger blog for my business. It shows up in all of the major search engines. I advertise in publications like Alice Koh's The Daily Scrapper, occasionally. Mostly it's just word of mouth. Friends of friends & friends of family members. Best wishes!

[Marussia]

Thank you!!!

[Sqirral]

Meredith - I've been watching this forum for a while and keeping up with it - I guess you'd say I'm a lurker...anyhow...I value your opionion and input as I consider you to know what you're talking about...but would it be possible for you to give us some sort of idea of the amount of work you have? I'm not looking for $ amounts...just a little insight...is it worth your time? Do you turn away work? Do a lot of people inquire, but never follow through? what's your feel for the future of this?

thanks so much for your time (and sorry to OP for hijaking your thread)

[~Cat~]

I am also advertising with Scrapjazz, planning to use the daily scrapper, but right now I advertise locally, I have printed my own flyers and I have left them in my Dr's surgery, with my childrens schools, the local yellow pages and the local newspapers, the latter offering free advertising for small home businesses, also word of mouth from friends and family.

Just to answer Cheryls question, I am only now getting busy with my business. I started off making a lot of party invitations for 5yr olds :lol Thats where the word of mouth came from. I also recently completed a 20 page album for my DD's cheerleading troop coach, and now she is placing an order for a couple of brag books and calenders. I only recently decided to introduce calanders as a service and since mentioning it both on my site and from friends, many people are wanting to place orders for Christmas presents.

I actually, now, envisage that I will be busier on the run up to Christmas, recieving plenty emails asking me about schedules etc as people want to order for gifts now!

So to answer your original question right now, I am working on 2 projects, I usually only work on 2 projects at a time, or book in 2 a month, if I finish earlier, then I can contact my next client to let them know I am ready for them, I usually inform them of the situation at first point of contact, I havent turned away work, as I say, the client will contact me via email through my site, and I will inform them of my schedule, if they are happy to wait until I am ready then great, if not, I will try my hardest to accomadate them. Is it worth my while? I am not making a ton of money from it, right now its keeping me in my own spending money since I am a SAHM.

My site and my business is relatively new, but I have been surprised at the interest in it right now. I have managed to get myself known locally and hope it will continue, globally, its a bit more difficult but I have the steps in place, its just a case of people finding me but I am happy with what I have got :)

[Sqirral]

Thank you Cat ... I appreciate your sharing with me ... I too am only looking for spending money (and a sense of accomplishment too!)

I guess I better get busy and jump in on the holiday rush.

Are you using a template for the Calendars or something you've developed on your own?

[~Cat~]

Right now, the calander templates I have, are ones I worked on my own. But, they are a headache :lol I actually detest working on calendars, but, when they are completed they look great!

A designer friend of mine is branching out for S4H artists, she contacted me recently with a list of items of what a S4H artisit would most likely buy. I gave her a list such as splitting kits into seperate elements and papers, but what most S4H artists really like is templates particularly if they are on a deadline and I mentioned that I was branching out into calendar services and asked that she do some calendar templates and she is working on them ;)

I most likely will buy from her when she gets them in the store. I cant tell you who it is yet, but as soon as this side of her store goes live I will inform you :)

[Sqirral]

Thank you... I also saw that Designer Digitals have some too...