Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty

I didn't think I would get discouraged from putting my Bloomsies in an auction. Bloomsies was part of a booth at the Northwest Women's Show at the beginning of March. Since being a part of that show, I have had countless emails from people asking me to donate a Bloomsie for their fundraising events. Unfortunately, I can't constantly donate. I wish I could. There are so many great causes out there and I'd love to be a part of helping them out. From a business point of view though, Bloomsies is small and I could lose too much giving it all away for free. Even if it is for a good cause and advertising. By them asking though, it gave me confidence, and so I donated one to a cause close to my heart. Keeping this in mind, I decided to go to the auction and see how the Bloomsie did.

Advertising... a tricky subject. Twitter, Facebook, I donate, I word of mouth, and have recently launched into trade shows. I am finding that I can do all this (its mostly just time and a little money), but it may not be worth it for my company unless I'm reaching my target client. How do I reach my target client? Who is this? What is her profile? How do I find out that I am reaching this person, without breaking the bank?

Recently I went to a seminar on "how to build your brand." The first thing the speaker said was find your client. Target your client. We then designed profiles of our target clients. (Yes, I was trying to answer the questions that I just asked... and yes, I still am!) The profile I created was that of one of my favorite clients already. I called her Margie. She was my model and if I could clone her, I am sure I'd hit the mark with the Bloomsies! I left the seminar feeling rejuvenated and ready to conquer the world of business... full force!

Isn't it funny how one evening can knock the wind out of your sails. One of the set backs of life. This makes me think of the movie You've Got Mail, when Tom Hanks' character says, "Its not personal, its business." Don't we tend to take the things we care about personally, even in business? Isn't that what gives a company passion and drive to grow? I don't know... really. I am just throwing out the question, maybe hoping to get an answer. Maybe not.

I wish that my business was easy. I wish I had invented the little plastic tabs at the end of the shoelace. Brilliant! A need we didn't realize we had, until one day, that tab made sticking the lace through the little hole of the tennis shoe easy. Or, how about the coffee cup cuff? WHAT!?! I think that is awesome! Yes, we need this!

I have a friend who has created a product, that in my mind, is one of those brilliant products. It is a need that people have, but how does she make them understand they have it? Different than my Bloomsies. Bloomsies are a gift. A unique gift that brightens up a day and can be used and used again. Which brings me back to the beginning of this blog.

I donated a Bloomsie for the Center of Battered Women Auction yesterday. I stalked through the silent auction checking out the items, and keeping my eyes on my donation and the bid sheet. Watching the people respond to it, I had mixed emotions. I couldn't tell what they thought. Maybe I was just hoping for too much, and maybe the woman who won the Bloomsie is home with it and thinking, "Look what I got for such a good deal! I love it!" She got it for very little money and didn't have hardly anyone bidding against her. There it is. I wanted it to get more bids. A bid war would have been so great! That would have been such an ego boost!

This blog has become more banter than blogging. With that I think I'm going post it into cyber space and celebrate the fact that I have a business that I love. I will continue to work at it and try not to let this discourage me. I will, today, be working on ideas to develop Bloomsies and hopefully come up with something that will be pure genius and create a need for a gift that fits every time! Oh help me, I have found another hill to climb, when all I want is a window to open.

10 Marathon Moments

1) I ran my first marathon 11 months after my daughter was born, we trained everyday from the day she turned 5 weeks. At 13.1 miles I had a small break down; the thought of finishing was overwhelming and I knew I could do it.

2)It was the windiest marathon ever recorded! A girl running next to me actually fell over the rail on the side of the highway. Thankfully it wasn't a long drop, and when I stopped to help her back up she pulled out her phone and with a laugh said, "Keep going, I'm done."

3)I tweaked my knee in my second marathon. I stopped at the 16 mile medic station and actually thought about quitting. It was my slowest marathon, but the finish line was one of my finest moments.

4)Having someone at the finish line to hold you up and let you cry with relief is sometimes a necessity.

5)Running beside a barefoot guy carrying a surf board for 17 miles must have done something to my mind... we took a beer bong hit and high fived before running on and separating at 18.

6)I waited for four hours (at the end of the San Diego Rock n' Roll), after finishing my third marathon, waiting for my mom to finish her first marathon. The rest of the weekend was spent sun burned and happy!

7)Eight weeks pregnant for Honolulu, I felt inspired to be starting this marathon with a baby on board, with surprising energy.

8)With my fastest half behind me, I ran past the medic station at mile 15 and twisted my knee again in San Diego! At mile 16, I turned around and ran back to get the knee checked out. Nine minutes later I was back on the course and found the strength to finish my fifth marathon.

9)A PR! Running 27.2 miles, with a 9 minute ice break, I missed Boston Qualifier by 1 minute and 6 seconds.

10)Even after 7 marathons, it still surprises me that there is 6.2 miles left to run at the 20 mile mark!

Bloomsies in Seattle

All rested up from the first big Bloomsies launch at The Northwest Women's Show, March 5-7th, I can say that I would do it again. It was a pleasure to display my Blooms with the Ladies Who Launch and the twenty two companies who shared our space.

The women I had the privilege of rubbing elbows with (and we did rub, the space was jam packed) were both inspiring and very fun to get to know. Oh my gosh, you wouldn't believe their companies! I'm anxious to share them with you, and over the next week will be dedicating my blog to spotlight my favorites. You will love them!

As for Bloomsies. I was so nervous! Getting ready for the show I didn't know what to expect. How big was it actually going to be? How many Blooms should I take with me? How would my Bloomsies be received? Emotionally exhausted, I went in mentally prepared for almost anything.

Bloomsies were seen for the first time, by a large number of women. We handed out just over 1500 postcards and when all was said and done, the response was wonderful. I had just enough postcards, sold six bouquets at the show and have had some orders that were direct results from the show. Thank you to my friends and family who popped by to show your support. Thank you Linda Snyder and Ladies Who Launch for making it possible and affordable for me to participate. That was awesome! It was a very positive experience indeed.

Three things I'd consider to change for next time, though probably not necessary...

1)Bloomsies needs more space! They are so bulky when bunched together, maybe my own booth. (Although, then I'd miss the companionship of the girls who made it so much fun!)

2)I'd bring make-up to refresh toward mid afternoon, for those surprise photo ops! I looked tired in most of the photos taken, but the Bloomsies looked fabulous!

3)I'd get more sleep before the weekend! I was too excited to sleep!

Bloomsies adds an interesting pop to the normal gift. Imagine a bright bouquet sitting on the gift table among the pretty wrapped boxes topped with big bows. Such an amazing centerpiece! I was glad to be able to show it and am getting geared up for Snohomish in May! One can rest up but must keep on looking ahead.

Visit Bloomsies online http://www.itsbloomsies.com/

Visit Ladies Who Launce online www.ladieswholaunch.com

The Big Show

Tonight I am getting ready for the Northwest Women's Show. It will be Bloomsies first big show. I am hoping it will go well, and out of it, wish to get some good feedback regarding Bloomsies. Hopefully some questions will be answered and I can use this as a stepping stone up to the next level in building my business.

If they get answered, it will happen over the next few days. For now, I am dreaming big (as I always do) and while I roll my little rosebuds, create bouquets of Bloomsie blossoms & color in their contents, I am really trying to decide what to wear!

Hope to see you there!

Get more info on the Events page on Bloomsies website: http://www.itsbloomsies.com/