Zephyr- Hey-oh!

I'm here.
Betwixt and between...faking being busy.

Hopefully, I'll get back into the swing of blogging soon.

Handmade for Kids and the US Government

A repost I wrote for the CT team blog.

I recently became aware of something that will be in effect as of February 10, 2009 barring something unforeseen and will affect the business of countless Etsy sellers and small businesses.

This summer, H.R 4040, put forth by the CPSC, was signed into law. It aims to get hazardous chemicals out of children's toys, clothes, furniture, etc. (There some exclusions, but it's not very clear to me.) This sounds good. It requires that ALL, products marketed to or intended for children 12 and under be tested. The cost of the tests, which would have to be done for each product type/model (every blue ball, red ball, green barrette, orange barrette) could easily reach into the thousands of dollars. The supplier's test will not suffice. The end manufacturer will be responsible for obtaining their own certification.

Etsy canNOT help here. They are a venue, with sellers from around the globe. We are individually responsible for following our country's guidelines as is stated in their terms of use. (see section 5- Restricted Activities then #5 in that list.)

Attention can and must be brought to this, to the effect it will have on sellers on Etsy, eBay and beyond or independently and therefore our already struggling economy. It is possible it will can even affect the sale of such items at thrift stores and garage sales.

There are several links that I have found helpful. You will find them below. Please, even if you are not a maker of items specifically for children, I hope you will take some time to look this over and pass it along. We need to work together on this.

Etsy Thread about the CPSC Deadline alot of my links are from there.
National Bankruptcy Day- this is sort of new with not a lot of info, but there are links for contacting your congressman. On the Etsy thread, they suggest handwriting the letter instead of email since snail mail will more likely get read for security reasons.
Petition against H.R. 4040 You can e-sign this even if you aren't a children's item seller. Be sure to pass it on.
Rick Woldenberg’s speech at the CPSC conference- Links to the 3-part Youtube videos where Woldenberg speaks about the impact this will have on his company. He is not a small business, but the quickness and all-encompassing nature of this act has even big business worried.
H.R. 4040- PDF The act in its entirety.
Ask a Question of the CPSC- The site says: "Everyone is encouraged to submit questions. They will be very helpful to CPSC staff in developing general guidance on the new Act and Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) pages on specific issues".
Updated:Etsyan Grecowoodcrafting's explanation in plain English, it's a worthwhile read.

So if anyone has any ideas on how to get the word out, about what this bill, as it stands now, will do to small businesses and craftspeople, feel free to post, comment. I'm not exactly sure how to proceed. Feel free to repost this info on your blog(s), Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, etc. Maybe get it out to the news media, with emphasis on small business. At its core, I think the bill means well. I'm completely for protecting kids. But I think this act will harm kids, with all the parents whose livelihoods will be at risk.

Thanks for reading this. It's long but important.

Remain

Once upon a time, I had a job, a regular job. It wasn't glamorous, but it was something to do between school and homework. Things got worse at the job. I stayed. They fired people I liked working with for unfair reasons. I stayed. They changed managers. I stayed. They changed policies. I stayed. I found proof that they wanted to get rid of me, but I was a good worker, came in on time, worked hard...firing me would look suspicious. Still, I stayed.

Eventually they made on change too many for the little band of workers that had gotten hired with me. One by one they left, most to the same company that opened a new branch in the area. I stayed there too long. But the time I finally left, I'd lost touch with everyone I'd really worked with, who could help me get a new job. It was weird, rough...and why I started selling on Etsy.

I'm able, today, unfortunately to see some parallels between that situation and my relationship with Etsy. They say those who don't learn from history repeat. I've learned my lesson.

Will I leave? Not all at once, at least. But things have changed, my ideas have changed. It's weird, rough. Like that job, I like the other sellers I've worked with and gotten to know. But do I want to be the last one there, the only who remembers how it used to be? There's wrong nothing with hope. But sometimes, you just have to let go.

Post Picture: A pic a took a year or so ago, of my neighbor's tree, the last leaf that autumn.

Feature- Beacon Bookmarks

When I did the Made for You Showcase, they gave me one of the swag bags that were given to shoppers. It was packed with goodies from local businesses and craft sellers. One such item was a small bookmark from Beacon Bookmarks. I looked them up on Etsy and absolutely loved what I saw.

Their bookmarks are wooden, stamped with a funky little image, initial or short phrase, and "Unlike using paper or receipts, they won't get lost in the pages!" (direct quote from their home page...how did they know I did that.)

I hope you'll check them out.

Post Picture: Flower bookmark listing photo.

Something New- Seller Tips

For a while, I've wanted to bring in outside info and products to my blog to add variety and value. The idea was further encourage in a tweet-chat I had yesterday with a follower/followee, Mark, who works in social media. So today, I'm going to start something new, tentatively and prosaically called Seller Tips. (sometimes, my creativity just hits a wall) I'm looking for ways to build my business. The good ones, I'll pass along to you. Here we go:



I'm an indie-preneur, a micro-business owner constantly looking for ways to promote my work. I started this column, Seller Tips, to help me keep track of my findings and to pass them on to you.

[what's it called] Buyer's Market Blog- 100 Small Actions
[where'd you find it] Twitter
['splain it please] The Buyer's Market is a twice-annual wholesale show for crafters/designers from around the country. Recently, on their blog, they began a list of seemingly little things a craft business owner can do to build his or her business.

The most recent tips were: #11- Joined LinkedIn and #12- Write a note (handwritten) to a past customer. They give a short blurb with each suggestion, explaining the benefits of it and how much time you could/should invest doing it. No one will be able to do all 100. The key is to pick the ones that will work (in more than one sense of the word) for you.

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Now, I'm a columnist! hehe
Hope you find it useful.