Elaine Bliss is best known for her feminine graphics, illustrations and brand identities; Elaine has been using her artistic ability to create feminine and French inspired designs since she graduated from Lancaster Tech in Pennsylvania, with a certificate in commercial art. In this interview, learn how Elaine utilizes Etsy as an artist to generate more revenue into her business.

What brought you to become an Etsy shop owner?

Probably the same reason I used eBay for a while, the traffic. Their SEO (search engine optimization) is phenomenal. They also cater to artists which very few places do. I love that. I purposely avoid any place that calls artist and designers “Artisans”. It`s just not that same.

How do you market your business?

I mainly twitter and blog. Facebook had just become one of those indispensable tools and I have a fan page. Even though I have my family as friends, I keep it 99% professional. I try not to rant or post my opinions. But I share lots of tidbits to my “art” and home life. It helps humanize you and make sales.

How has social networking helped your business? What have you found works best for your store?

It`s had to “socialize” in order to make the sale. Takes time away from designing at my studio. So I automate my “socializing” with services like Ping.FM, Tweetdeck and Twaitter. Social networking does have the advantage of making your brand so personal; your clients will always know the owner of your store. There is no middle man or any degree of separation. The connections are deeper; therefore you stride harder to make your client happy. They in return, come back and buy. It`s a win-win.

What is your favorite part of being an Etsy store owner?

I would have to say that sense of “small community” even though they are huge. You can always get an email from their support team. It is very organized, so everyone feels like they have a special place.

What are some of the ways that you find Etsy helps in your success as a store owner?

I like how they showcase other artist that have quit their day job and made it on Etsy. They share their tips and motivate you to keep going. Secondly, their seller newsletters are full of information. They even have a manual of Etsy`s best practices and the best ways to sell.

What advice would you give new Etsians just starting out?

Be YOU. Having a unique vision and an unique product makes you money and it`s rewarded. You have no idea how many times I have seen the marketplace get crowded with the same things over and over. Tight competition helps no one. Originality is always the best marketing strategy there is. Also, don`t give up! It took me a few months to get a sale. However, if you are thinking about opening a store, do it just before a holiday. You are almost guaranteed a sale and it gets you motivated to do more.

How did you come up with your shop name?

Well I have three shops, one after my name, which I have to be honest; I was shy about doing the blatant self promotion. 8thLove.etsy.com is the store where I sell the fun stuff I find in my treasure hunts and the name came from the 8 things I love the most, the last or 8th love is paper. Rouge Press is my latest shop and I create letterpress stationery. Rouge is red in French. I am a Francophile and this store paid homage to that. Plus red is a great feng shui color for business!

How do you brand yourself to make your shop unique?

Fortunately, I am my own graphic designer and my own worst client. I change my mind about every six months. I print all my own collateral, so I get to personalize every single detail of my operations. From my twitter account to Etsy avatar, to me it`s important to make sure everything is consistent.

Do you feel a sense of community among the Etsy shop owners?

Yes, many shop owners a willing to share tips and secrets on how they got started. Not just on the forums but by simply asking them.

How do you connect with your buyers?

Besides pretty packaging, I like to add a sample card or some letterpress hang tags. A free something is always appreciated. I also like to write a note by hand in the package or print a Merci Beau Coup note, later mailed to their home with a discount code. The latter is so cute that they always come back.

For more information about Elaine Bliss and her Esty shops visit www.ElaineBiss.Etsy.com, or www.RougePress.Etsy.com. You can also visit her main website at www.ElaineBiss.com, follow her blog at www.ElaineBiss.Blogspot.com, or for more information about her stationary visit www.FashionableStationery.com.

…

Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passion of entrepreneurship. Julie published “So You Want to Start a Business…Now What?” in December 2009. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron and lovable dog Hank. You can visit her site at http://www.onewhowrites.com.

Copyright © 2010 Julie Barnes and One Who Writes

Jay Adelson is the man in charge of number 98 on Alexa.com, Digg. Continue Reading

Every week you get to read about someone whose doing ‘it’. ‘It’, being something they love, their business. Here is something new.   Continue Reading

This interview with Ian Swanson, the founder and C.E.O. of Sometrics, was conducted and condensed by Alex Monroe. Continue Reading

One phone, two phones, three phones, four, and on it goes. The list of phones the average cellular user goes through is Continue Reading

The GetYourBizSavvy logo is courtesy of Sue Heap.  She won our Logo Contest.  Her logo stood out as Continue Reading

“Immerz is going to change the world of entertainment,” said Shahriar S. Afshar, the inventor of Immerz’s Kor-FX.  He is positive it will happen. Afshar described the device, Continue Reading

Ever want to read your child a book with them as the main character? Well, guess what? It is now possible.  Children’s books have entered a revolution.  Little Heroes is leading the charge as it offers children’s books with the name of the hero in the book as the name you choose when you purchase it.  You can actually open the book and the name of your child is in the pages.  Little Heroes is definitely preparing for the future.  It is also offering its books as ebooks, so it has developed an eco-friendly alternative to printed children’s books.  If you still prefer to have the physical book, you can buy the book as a hard or soft cover.

This is not the first time Martin Ostrovsky has chosen to pursue a business opportunity.  Although he works much more than the average employee, he has eliminated the thought of working for someone else.  This entrepreneur has a lot planned for Little Heroes and a big vision to go along with it.  In this inspiring interview, Ostrovsky helps you understand his choice in children’s books, how he promotes his business, his motivation, his goals and gives some very valuable advice.  Enjoy!

Can you begin by introducing yourself and giving us some background?

Growing up in Toronto, Canada, I studied computer science at York University. My dream at the time was to one day become the next CEO of General Motors (yes, sounds crazy now!). But my life took a twist when I landed my first job out of school at a quirky travel company based here in Toronto. It was there I cut my teeth in software development and started traveling the world. In fact, I enjoyed traveling so much that I realized working for somebody else would always restrict my free (travel) time! So I left to start my own software company, Monkeybean Solutions.

Since then I completed my MBA, travelled a lot more and started a few new ventures, the latest one being Little Heroes, which makes personalized children’s books.  It’s been a hectic last few years to say the least!

Little Heroes is very unique as it offers personalized children’s books electronically. Can you give a personal introduction of Little Heroes?

Little Heroes allows parents and relatives to create personalized children’s books for the children in their lives. Besides being able to tailor the written story to include family, friends and the child as the main character, the main character in the illustrations can also be customized to look like the child.  You pick the child’s hair color and style, eye color and shape (even glasses!) and skin tone. The end result is a beautifully illustrated, truly unique book where the child is the hero of the story. Kids just love it!

But we wanted to take things further. In part because of my background in technology, I knew that physical books alone wouldn’t cut it. We needed to bring our technology to other mediums and so naturally, we chose ebooks as the next logical step. So in addition to the books being available as hard and soft covers, our books can be purchased in electronic form, easily viewed on laptops or mobile devices, such as the iPhone or BlackBerry. This provides a more cost-effective and portable solution for some parents. The response to date has been fantastic.

So, Why children’s books?

I’m always looking for industries that are prime for a shake-up. I felt that children’s books hadn’t really evolved since when I was a kid and the joy of reading could be enhanced and made more interactive with the right mix of technology. Reading, as important as it is, has come under some serious pressure in the last few years simply because kids have so many other options to spend their free time. Parents and teachers are rightly getting worried.

The internet and advancements in technology have made it possible to personalize and tailor almost anything you want. By giving kids a personalized book where the main character looks like them, and the names appearing in the stories are their friends and family, it provides a level of engagement previously unavailable. Kids identify more readily with the story and develop a deeper appreciation for reading and all it has to offer.

You mentioned that Little Heroes will soon have an iPhone app and a Yahoo Application Platform app. What opportunities do you see in doing this?

Again, it all has to do with technology pushing the envelope and finding more ways to engage children. Both the iPhone and Yahoo’s Application Platform provide us with a rich medium with which to complement our personalized stories and add even more value to the reading experience. Current offerings of ebooks on mobile devices allow you to just read the story on your device. So what? In our opinion, they’re not doing as much as they could. I don’t want to tip our hand too much, but we plan on leveraging both the iPhone and the Yahoo Application Platform to create an ongoing personalized adventure for children – a story that never ends – that can be shared with friends and family.

Do you have any advertising?

We advertise on various bloggers’ websites as well as Yahoo, Google and Facebook. But word of mouth is slowly starting to spread.  We are looking into a more widespread TV campaign in 2010, where parents can see the extent of the personalization.

How have you promoted your business? Are there a few things you have done that have been the most successful?

We’ve built up a social network using Twitter and blogging to connect with bloggers who share an interest in literacy, parenting and education. That has definitely helped spread the word about Little Heroes. We’re very active on various child literacy forums and we run our own blog, commenting on recent studies and providing our insight into child literacy and education.

We’ve done a few media appearances on radio and television.  But television to date, has been our most successful platform. Once people see how great the books look and how easy it is to create and order online, they’re hooked.

There are currently five books available. How many do you plan on releasing?

We’re currently on a pace of about one every two months, but that’s going to change soon. If you want to scale in any business, you need people power and technology. We can’t hire 1000 illustrators and authors, so Little Heroes will open up our publishing platform to anyone and everyone. If you want to illustrate for or write a personalized children’s book, you will now be able to. The recurring theme here is once again, using technology as a disruptive force. There are so many great illustrators and authors out there; all they need is a platform on which to stand. Little Heroes will be that platform. Similar to the iPhone app store, writers and illustrators will be able to set their own prices for their books and benefit from Little Heroes’ distribution channels.

Where do you see Little Heroes in 1 year? 5 years? 10 years?

I’d be foolish to predict too far into the future, I’d almost certainly be wrong! But I’d like to see Little Heroes become a well-respected retail brand. I envision a retail location full of touch screens where kids can come and get hands-on with technology, create their own personalized books and walk away with their book right there on the spot. Bit like the Apple store, but primarily for kids.

What has been your motivation?

Interesting challenges always motivate me. Like any good math nerd, I like to solve puzzles.  And taking a business idea from the back of a napkin to the real world is a great puzzle to solve. There are so many variables, so many pitfalls, which makes it exciting and exhilarating!

Are there any books that you have read that have inspired you more than the others?

I really enjoyed Jack Welch’s book “Winning”. It’s like a Bible for any MBA graduate. It really does touch on many great points of leadership and management. And without dispute, Jack has a track record to back up what he writes. Other than that, I actually tend to avoid books about business or entrepreneurship.  I believe in learning by doing and interacting with other successful entrepreneurs.

Is this your first entrepreneurial venture? If so, how has the experience been thus far?

It’s number three actually. The first venture was during the time between graduating from school and getting my first job. I wanted to learn how to build websites and a professor suggested I learn a language called Python. So I built my first site in Python (terrible site, but it worked!) and sold DVDs online. The money wasn’t great, but it was enough to buy me my first car! Which, in those days, was a big deal! Most importantly, it instilled in me the passion to try new ventures and see how far I could take them.

Little Heroes has been the most pleasurable of the lot. I’ve made so many mistakes in the past and I will continue to do so.  But Little Heroes has allowed me to incorporate much of what I’ve learned in running online businesses. Let’s just say I don’t make as many mistakes as I used to

How many hours on average per day do you spend working on Little Heroes?

Monday to Friday, about 14. On the weekends, maybe 4-5 hours each day. There’s always something to do.  The travails of running your own business.

Any regrets in starting your own business?

None whatsoever. It’s the best decision I ever made.

What advice can you give to someone interested in starting a business?

I’d give three pieces of advice:

The first and most important, don’t be afraid to fail. The odds are that you will fail so if that scares you, keep your day job. Embrace failure as way to improve because you always do improve and things do get better.

Second piece of advice would be to partner up with somebody whose skill set complements yours. In all my ventures, I’ve always had a partner or partners. It makes life much easier and you learn much faster.

Lastly, read, read and read some more. Subscribe to RSS feeds, read tons of blogs, follow people on Twitter, subscribe to Google alerts. Just do what you can to consume as much info as possible because your next big business opportunity will be lurking around somewhere, you just need to find it.

Thanks Martin Ostrovsky!

Check out more from Martin Ostrovsky.
twitter.com/mylittleheroes
LittleHeroes.com

Arizona State University is a school that seems to be doing all the right things for its students.  Marco Ugarte and his fellow students; Vicki Moore, Cesar Gonzalez, and Adrian Ramirez are part of a prideful group at Arizona State University.  Through the help of  The Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative, they have formed a business.  Marco Ugarte is a student at Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability.  So, not only was he interested in pursuing an entrepreneurship journey, but a sustainable one as well.  Ugarte and his Co-Founders are a prime example of entrepreneur opportunities in Sustainability.  The company they have started is called Synecheia and Marco Ugarte will explain all about it in this interview.  He will also give you an understanding of The Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative at Arizona State University.

Can you give us a description of Synecheia?

We provide a supply chain solution for sustainable farming. By closing material and energy flows we significantly reduce our customer’s operation costs and carbon footprint. Our methodology provides the basis for Sustainable Product Indexing development for any fermentative beverage industry

What inspired you to start Synecheia?

The original concept was developed by Cesar González and Vicki Moore, PhD students from Plant Biology and Biology respectively. They invited Adrián Ramírez, PhD student of Industrial Engineering and me to refine the idea and develop a business plan that was initially presented at MIT and ASU.

Cesar’s professional experience at Casa Cuervo, one of the largest Tequila producers in Mexico, allowed him to identify a potential business opportunity closely related to his research. Vicki and Cesar provide the scientific expertise to the project, while Adrián and me take care of logistics & process optimization, and supply chain & business development respectively.

The value proposition of our venture is robust since it addresses basic elements such as production cost reduction, material and energy efficiency, but at the same time is oriented to drive change in major economic sectors such as food and agriculture. This vision was possible when all team members’ background and perspectives were considered.

What are your goals for Synecheia?

First of all, provide a fresh approach to tackle sustainability challenges shared among countries and business sectors. The fermentative beverage industry sector is just a point of entry to agricultural sector as a whole. We envision greater opportunities not only in Arizona and California as initial markets, but explore the feasibility and potential impact in countries like Mexico which are significantly invested into this sector.

Anticipate market and business trends such as potential environmental compliance schemes from government. So far, we have witnessed the evolution of different voluntary frameworks for process improvement. For instance, ISO standards provided a platform for process improvement and quality with their 9000 series, then introduced the notion of Environmental Management Systems through the 14000 series, next year the 26000 series will address Social Responsibility issues. New businesses, must design and built-in sustainability from their strategic vision to actual product or service delivery to have a feasible entry point into current markets.

Finally, motivate other organizations and entrepreneurs to allow themselves to rethink their paradigms and philosophies toward sustainability. Business, social, and environmental imperatives can work together to provide even greater value to customers and community.

Can you give us a brief description of what The Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative at Arizona State University does?

The Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative provides students with a comprehensive pool of resources to effectively foster and channel entrepreneurial energy, creativity and innovation. From strategic annual seed funding competition and allocation for new ventures, to training, coaching, and advising from ASU faculty, researchers, and international successful entrepreneurs. Moreover, Edson provides actual office space for selected ventures to jump-start operations and make the most of their award.

How beneficial is the The Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative at Arizona State University?

By providing an entrepreneurial career path for students from different disciplines and across academic degrees, linking students with private sector entrepreneurs; ASU is constantly improving a hub for innovation and a think tank for product and service solutions with economic, environmental, and social objectives in mind.

Since all these activities do not take place in a vacuum, they cross pollinate and adopt best practices from other programs such as: Innovation Space, Technology Ventures Service Group, The Sun Devil Entrepreneurship Network, and the Entrepreneur Advantage Project.

Clearly, initiatives of this nature reflect the Design Aspirations of the New American University Vision and strive to successfully meet local and global challenges.

Anything else you would like to add?

One of the oldest aspirations from human nature has been transcending over time, providing a legacy. Sustainability can help you do it, imagine leaving the place you lived in or the people that met you, in an improved condition, equipped with a better mindset, just for giving yourself the opportunity to think and act differently towards a common and global goal. That single idea helps me out every morning to start a new day and make the most of it.

Thank you Marco for the great interview!

Good luck to you and your team on your venture!

The Synecheia Team

Justin Carven invented a revolutionizing product.  There may not be a direct connection between him and his role model, Thomas Edison, but his mindset and innovation are similar.  Today, Thomas Edison is credited for creating one of the most astonishing inventions of his time with the light bulb.  In the future, Carven may be referred to in the same fashion.  A vegetable oil powered kit for diesel fueled cars is Carven’s pride.  He saves drivers on gas money by allowing them to fill up on used vegetable oil.  All the driver has to do is drive up to the back of a restaurant, tell the owner they want the used oil, fill up and off they go.  Presently, large car companies like Honda are finally working on a car of the future.  This is ten years after Carven gained interest in alternative fuel cars.

A leader in Sustainability, Justin Carven, explains his journey and interest in vegetable oil powered cars, offers great advice, his thoughts on the Honda Clarity, and his take on Sustainability.

Did you ever imagine that one day you would be the inventor of such an innovative and exciting product?

Since I was a child I always wanted to be an “inventor”.  Inspired by what I read about Thomas Edison and other turn of the century innovators I was always drawing diagrams and disassembling broken appliances and electronics to figure out how they worked.  When I first became involved with alternative fuel technology I was determined to develop something innovative to bring to market.

When you first began pursuing your interest in making a vegetable fuel system, what were your goals?

Initially I became involved with bio fuels through an Appropriate Technology project in college.  The goal was to apply a simple conversion developed by an engineer named Carl Beilenberg to adapt a farm tractor to run on sunflower oil.  My motivation at the time was similar to Carl’s and it was to introduce simple technologies to developing countries to encourage sustainable local economic development.  After several trips to Asia and Africa meeting with NGOs and government entities it became clear that the technology needed to be proven in western markets before it could gain support in emerging markets.

What was it that got you interested in vegetable oil powered cars?

The development of a kit to allow diesel vehicles to run on waste oil was motivated by the fact that diesel trucks and passenger vehicles were more accessible at the time (1998) and fuel prices were so low compared to vegetable oil prices.  A used VW diesel could be purchased for a few hundred dollars making them accessible for testing and used vegetable oil that was starting to be used to produce affordable bio-diesel was an abundant waste product.

Why did you pursue making a vegetable oil powered kit so adamantly?

After completing a successful and highly publicized cross country demonstration trip after completing college in 2000, I was flooded with inquiries from people interested in converting their vehicles to vegetable oil and decided it could be worthwhile to produce mail order conversion kits.  At the time the market and interest was small and challenged but the technology was sound and there were few options for those interested in alternative fuels so it seemed like a good opportunity to pursue.

What do you think is the main reason Greasecar succeeded?

The success of Greasecar was a combination of good design and product support along with a sudden spike in global oil prices.  Greasecar had been established, operating on a small scale and was selling kits for 5 years before fuel prices jumped up and the public showed a real interest.  In 2005 sales jumped from a few thousand dollars a month to an average of close to $100,000 per month.   The trend continued for the next few years as we offered an affordable well supported product promoted primarily through word of mouth by satisfied customers motivated primarily by the cost savings on fuel.  Sales peaked in 2008 then came to a sudden and discouraging halt as both fuel prices crashed and the National recession kicked in.  Today we are back to the staff and sales levels of 5 years ago.

What other opportunities are out there for inventions and new innovations that can improve Sustainability?

Our business model has primarily been centered around economic Sustainability; sourcing our materials and services as locally as possible and engaging in grass-roots economic and marketing practices.  Our product is often labeled as environmentally sustainable since those values are at its core, however the primary interest from customers is in its economic benefits.

Marketing environmental Sustainability is a real challenge and it has yet to be shown that the American consumer is willing to pay the premium usually associated with sustainable business practices.  Federal subsidies have helped open the doors for certain products however their sales often cannot be sustained without those incentives. Those interested in developing and marketing “sustainable” products must adhere to conventional marketability factors in regard to their product or service and can be most successful by incorporating Sustainability in their business model as much as in the product itself.

To this day, how many vegetable oil powered kits has Greasecar installed?

To date Greasecar has sold about 6,000 conversion kits.  Most of these are car and truck kits purchased by individuals in the U.S. however we have sold many kits internationally and customized them for a wide variety of applications from generators to locomotives.

What “Green” advice can you offer to individuals preparing for the future?

“Green” can be interpreted in many ways but I assume you are referring to environmental consciousness and responsibility.  I think any person who wants to be “green” needs to lead by example and incorporate and many environmentally responsible actions into their daily life as possible.  This often has more to do with limiting wastefulness and excess than consuming products that are marketed as “green”.  One example that I have seen in my business is the individuals who were riding their bike to work every day then decided since a vegetable fueled truck became available they could now drive without guilt.  This of course is not the case since comparatively an alternative fuel is simply the lesser of evils not benign.

What are your current goals for Greasecar’s future?

Our current goals have been simply to keep our heads above water and evaluate other commercial opportunities that are not so closely tied to outside market factors.  In terms of vegetable oil conversion technology specifically we are looking into both domestic commercial applications and international opportunities.

What are your thoughts on all the new car inventions that are being made, including the hydrogen powered Honda Clarity?

Many of the high tech fuel and propulsion developments being made will be stuck on the drawing board for some time to come until infrastructure and affordable mass production can catch up.  However it is good to see that innovation is being made and I hope that enough of it will start trickling down to make a practical impact.

Are you worried about competition?

Our primary competition is not within our market and currently made up of the Seven Sisters.

What are your thoughts on Sustainability?

As a business owner I think that economic Sustainability is a big piece of the puzzle.  The more local sourcing a business can do the more they can save on transportation emissions, waste and improve on local quality of life.

In addition taking a hard look at how your product is produced and packaged then following the material streams as far back as you can will help give piece of mind.  One simple example from our business is that we shred all of the cartons that we receive items in and re-use the shredded material for our own out-going packaging which had saved not only tons of packaging waste but thousands in materials.  Most sound sustainable practices save money as well as offering environmental benefits.

What does society need to do to maintain Sustainability?

In simple words; stop being wasteful and make conscious decisions about how you consume and utilize the resources around you.

• • •

Thanks for the great interview Justin!

Check out Greasecar’s website

Read more about Greasecar in the media