Contemplation And The Chameleon

So, I've been thinking. Yes, I realize it's dangerous, but sometimes it is necessary. I had laid out a great business plan last fall, but when the computer crashed I kind of lost my momentum. I couldn't do half of what needed to be done on the loaner groaner and things kind of fell apart at the seams. Okay, they didn't fall apart but those seams were definitely bulging. So, I got the new computer and decided on a slightly different tack for the plan. Well, it's not working and it's time to change some things again.

I've seen a lot of articles on home businesses and the changing economy. I've read a lot of forums wherein people are blaming everything but themselves for a lack of business (in other words, only you can promote you and you should not expect anyone else to do it for you). I also found sites like this one called Modish Biz Tips, which is full of great info (thanks, Heather!). I've looked and read and read and looked, gathering all sorts of useful nuggets of info for getting my business back on track and headed away from the home business bone yard.

But perhaps the best advice I've read is to become a chameleon. In other words, as the economy changes, you must change YOU, your outlook, your expectations and you might also need to change what you are offering to the masses. For instance, right now the economy won't support selling several $300 necklaces (just an example) so I need to come up with something different. Perhaps I should create a line of $10 earrings or better yet, a set of instructions for making your own line of $10 earrings. Then it would be up to me to post this on my blog, my Facebook page, Tweet it, Flickr it, offer it on my web site and in my Etsy store, and wear my samples every time I leave the house. I would like to point out that with the exception of my web site and the $0.20 listing fee at Etsy, everything I pointed out there for self-promotion is FREE. Yes, free advertising for my self-promotion. FREE.

Don't be surprised to see changes over the next few weeks while my chameleon self shifts. For now, I'm off to forage but I'll be back Monday or so with more goodies for change and self-promotion. Have a great weekend!