Entrepreneurial Ministry by Kate Macklin

ENTREPRENEURIAL MINISTRY

this book belongs to ___________________________________________________________________ quarter start date / quarter end date ___________________________________________________________________

AU T H O R ’ S N OT E

K AT E M AC K LI N OW N E R : L I T T L E F R U I T T R E E

I’m so glad you’re here. Whatever season you may find yourself in, my prayer is that these pages would add goodness to your life. Whether you’re dreaming of a business enterprise, working a conventional job, working from home, seeking a new venture, or at home with your babies, there is so much to catch from an entrepreneurial spirit. When we create, we have the opportunity to share a small facet of who God is.

I love the design of ex nihilo – the way that the Father creates something beautiful “out of nothing”. That is the heart of a ministry entrepreneur, a heart that’s in tune with the Spirit of God to take hold of an idea and create something important out of nothing. So if you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I have nothing to add”, you’re in great company! God is in the business of using our brokenness to make beauty. It’s my hope that these next few weeks would help lead you into a better understanding of just how important that message inside of you is and how the world is waiting with bated breath to hear it. So share it, speak it out, dare to believe that God will breathe his ex nihilo spirit on you and birth something extraordinary out of the ordinary-ness of you and me.

You were created for this. Take a deep breath and find peace in the comfort that God has great plans for you and will provide all that is needed. It’s not all up to you, yet He chooses to use you and the unique qualities that are woven into the tapestry of your very DNA to bring to life His vision of redemption here on Earth. This is pure grace. I bless you to find joy and love as you open up your hand to what God has for you. May heaven reveal to you the glory of the Father as you dream and create together. It’s going to be a beautiful, wild adventure.

Love always, Kate

He has filled them with wisdom of heart and ability to do all manner of craftsmanship, of the engraver, of the skillful workman, of the embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet [stuff ] and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of those who do or design any skilled work.

Exodus 35:35 AMPC

CONTENTS WEEK ONE

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designed for work: a Biblical foundation

W E E K T WO

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sharing your message: who, what, why, how

WEEK THREE

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wisdoma and ability: practical e-commerce

WEEK FOUR identity: brand formation

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W E E K FI V E

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brand design

WEEK SIX

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brand promotion

WEEK SEVEN

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communicating care and value

WEEK EIGHT stewardship: small business resources

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one designed for work: a Biblical foundation

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A B I B L I C A L F O U N DAT I O N “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Genesis 2:1-8, 15 Adam was originally designed to work and tend to the land given to him from the very beginning — an Eden of life he was meant to till and prune to become a fruitful haven for creation. It was the intention of the Father to have His children work the fields, and in the process, know Him more intimately as the great Gardener of Life.

The Father reveals His character throughout the garden. The garden of Eden is a picture of the first rhythms of grace, a steady pattern of working, pruning, and rest, all in the context of the relationship between the worker and the Creator. Redemptive design points to action and ownership. It’s in our design to work the land and live in authority over it as we rule and reign. As Adam worked, I can only imagine the sweet conversations between him and his Creator as they gardened together. Were they chatty? Was there a comfortable and confident stillness in the air? Did they laugh often?

The picture of Adam in the garden before the fall is a window into the original design for humanity: a relationship with the Creator and the created world built on empowerment and connection.

The Father was delighted for His son to name the creatures because He made Adam in His very own image, the image of One who creates. By empowering Adam to name animals, He was revealing the creativity of His character, a true Artist of design and distinction between a unique and unparalleled creation. To name something is to call it into being: to speak out the intended design and place a banner of that declaration over creation with authority given by God. Work was a redemptive design of perfect communion between Creator God and humanity. They worked side by side as God called out Adam for who he was created to be: a worker of the field, a steward of the land, and ultimately, the one who was called to rule and reign in perfect relationship with Creator God. Work itself was never intended to be a punishment — it wasn’t the result of sin. Redemptive work wasn’t designed as pointless toil and striving. It was designed to be heavenly stewardship of creation, and Adam and Eve were vessels to bring about the fruitfulness and bounty of God. God’s call to humanity to “rule over the land” reveals His empowering, releasing character. He could have quite easily taken over, without the assistance of human effort, but His heart is that we are active participants.

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“Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. “ Gen 2:19

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Not only are we asked to interact with creation, but we are also called to harness the tools required to produce the fruit of the earth with our very own hands and to have dominion over it. God calls us to create order from chaos, to participate in His character. It was always the Father’s redemptive plan that we work, not out of mere obligation, but out of a healthy and connected relationship with the Him. Work was not toil before the Fall — it was the ultimate design of interconnectedness between the Father and His children.

As ones made in the image of God, we have reflected Father God as a “worker” from the very beginning. He reveals His creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit in Genesis 1 and 2 as He creates, engages, and sustains creation. We, too, are called to work. Work can be our greatest delight, allowing us to actively participate in our relationship with God. We work not only because we can, but because we are given an opportunity to know the heart of the Father more deeply.

As creation expands into the generations, we see that work is an opportunity to better the world for the generations to come, the generations that will inherit the world in the beautiful continuation of the rhythm of work, relationship, and communion with a holy God. Work is holy. It’s an insight into a bigger picture of dependence on a good Father who has much fruit to share.

Can you imagine if we allow God to realign our outlook on work to be in tune with His rhythm?

What if we invite Him to bring us back to the beginning - back to when work was the intention of the Father to reveal Himself to us, to be in step with Him in the rhythms of grace? That’s the kind of work that matters, work that brings us closer to the Father, and reveals who He is and who He created us to be. Work can be a holy experience that roots back to the very beginning. We can seek God and ask Him to take us back to the beginning when life was simpler and connection with God wasn’t disrupted by anything.

C R E AT I V E AC T I VAT I O N We’re going to take a moment to seek the Lord’s heart. Use the space provided to write down any impressions you have as you speak to God.

Lord, take me back to the beginning. Would You reveal to me where I’ve been living in a spirit of striving?

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Where have I allowed myself to be trapped in toil, or worked from a place of drudgery?

Reveal to me, Holy Spirit, if I’ve misplaced my motivation from intended communion with You to other things of the world.

Lord, would You forgive me and encourage me to step back into the garden with You, to live with a spirit of connectedness with You as You first intended.

Lord, I invite You to restore my authority over creation. I come in agreement with heaven and turn away from the spirit of inadequacy and lies. I thank You that You restore all things that have been stolen from me and that You give back a hundredfold for everything taken. Mark 10:30

“And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

Matthew 16:19

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S E T T I N G YO U R S E L F U P F O R S U CCE S S “may he work perfection into every part of you giving you all that you need to fulfill your destiny. And may he express through you all that is excellent and pleasing to him through your life-union with Jesus the Anointed One who is to receive all glory forever! Amen!” Hebrews 13:21 TPT Sometimes, the hardest part of stepping out and building your business is overcoming your inner critic, your insecurities and doubts. The nature of creating comes at the cost of vulnerability. The process of building requires digging down into who you are and allowing God to birth something from that place. This is a beautiful, tender, and vulnerable work that is both holy and challenging — sometimes even terrifying.

The key is to choose obedience to the Father to share what He’s placed in your hands and on your heart rather than listening to your own insecurities, which are trying to talk you out of taking the risk. When we choose to bow to our insecurities, we are actually denying God the glory that He so desperately wants to reveal to the earth. We are choosing our own comfort at the cost of others’ freedom. God has chosen you to reveal His beauty. He’s empowered you to set captives free, to give a voice to the voiceless, to offer hope to a broken world, all through the power of building. When you hold tightly to your own self-critical spirit and talk yourself out of building whatever He’s called you to, it’s not an act of faith or obedience. He’s calling you to step out, to lay your trust in His hands, and to partner with him through whatever journey lies ahead. The stakes are too high to surrender to fear.

This is a growing process and comes with its own share of growing pains. Some days you may feel like you’re riding a wave of ease and peace; other days, you may feel like throwing in the towel. I remember when I first started Little Fruit Tree, I would quit most days. I would have a minor (adult?) tantrum and storm out of the room, swearing I couldn’t do it and was done. I was triggered by insecurity because I was learning so many new skills — Photoshop and InDesign in particular — and because it was new for me, and I wasn’t good at it yet, I thought this must mean I “wasn’t meant” to do it.

But growth takes time. It requires vulnerability, a teachable spirit, and the willingness to fail and do better next time. You might also find yourself “quitting” on a daily basis. But I am challenging you to not let your insecurities win. Do it scared. Do it even when you feel like you’re not catching the vision, do it even when you feel like there are a thousand other people doing it better, smarter, and more successfully than you. Do it because God has called you to it and you get to work with Him to create something meaningful together.

There is nothing more vulnerable than creativity. . .

It’s not about winning, it’s not about losing, it’s about showing up and being seen. // Brene Brown

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PARTNERING WITH TRUTH We need to make sure we aren’t elevating our own insecure chatter above the voice of truth. I’m grateful that I have a husband who stood faithfully in it all — through the challenging days and my most insecure moments — reminding me that I could do it and that I would do it. Perseverance is so much easier said than done, but you have to start somewhere, and if you have one or two trusted people to encourage you by reminding you of your identity and your mission, you’ll find that you build momentum even through the roadblocks.

But we must also learn to be a source of encouragement for ourselves, converting our inner critic into our own inner advocate. Here is a list of simple reminders that I hope can help you when you feel insecurity wanting to get the better of you. Speak them over yourself if you’re feeling overwhelmed and on the verge of giving up on your project: God loves what I am making.

This project is not stupid to Him. He’s so proud of me, and He loves me.

I am capable and an overcomer in Christ.

I declare favor over what I make.

All I have to do is learn and get better each week.

It’s not going to be perfect and that’s okay.

I line up with God’s will and agree that He wants to use what I create.

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I have come so far by God’s grace.

God lovs taking my weakness and making beauty from it.

Even if I haven’t discovered it yet, there is a solution to the obstacle I am facing.

God has equipped me with a creative mind.

God wants to use me for His glory through this project.

There are people He has called me to reach and to love.

Breakthrough is available to me.

My best work is yet to come, and I have peace knowing that’s okay.

I won’t focus on what I don’t have, but I will focus on what God has put in my hand.

I partner with God.

WHAT IS ENTREPRENEURIAL MINISTRY? Entrepreneur: entreprendre: “undertake, take in hand” entre- “between” + prendre “to take” “to catch hold of, seize” + to take” Entrepreneurial Ministry is the act of taking hold of what God has placed on your life. It’s the marriage of pioneering and serving others.

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PA R T N E R I N G PR AY E R Lord, do you have a tool for me to overcome that which would hinder me from stepping into the authority you’ve given me, especially in regards to stepping out into my entrepreneurial calling?

Write down any thoughts that come to mind as you seek the Creator’s heart to partner with you.

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PAU L T H E E N T R E PR E N E U R “Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.” Acts 18:1-3 Paul doesn’t work as a tentmaker as a “side hustle”. He uses this work to continue the ministry of spreading the news about Jesus. Work affords us with a platform to speak into the lives of those we encounter in the wild — not in the traditional four walls of a church building, but the actual church, the body of Christ; this is true ministry, caring for someone’s soul as we go about our lives: living, loving, and hopefully bringing the light of Christ to whatever sphere we find ourselves in.

Paul also worked as a tentmaker to be a contributing member of society. His work was not simply a means to provide for himself in his ministry, but he served others and provided comfort and safety to the community around him. His skills were used for the sake of those around him, calling others to follow the same example. He’s participating in God’s restorative work, living out his new identity in Christ for God’s glory and out of love for his neighbors. He even goes as far as using his gift of leadership to guide the sailors on the ship where he was being held captive on his way across the sea as a prisoner.

“And when I was with you and didn’t have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be.”

2 Corinthians 11:9 Paul saw money as a potential stumbling block for some, so he went out of his way to ensure that others could see that he could support himself independently. Paul’s focus was always for others to know the good news of Jesus Christ. He wasn’t motivated by funding to make his mission possible, he was motivated first to serve.

It’s not in God’s design for us to compartmentalize our life into “ministry” and “work” categories.

Rather, His redemptive design is for us to see from heaven’s perspective the overarching thread of care, love, and nurture to those around us, pointing them back to the goodness of the Father. As entrepreneurs we take hold of every opportunity to live fearlessly, solving the world’s problem in creative ways through Jesus so others might come to know Him and so the land might be healed from its stress and toil.

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When we understand who we are in Christ and operate in the authority He has given us, everything we put our hand becomes a revelation about who God is.

What might this look like in your life and work?

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When we step into who we are, we step back into the garden with surrendered hearts.

What might this look like in your life and work?

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DISCUSSION “Commit your works to the Lord [submit and trust them to Him], And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance].” Proverbs 16:3 AMP Go back to the definition of “entrepreneurial ministry”. What is it that God is asking you to take hold of, to take authority over? How might you partner with Him to accomplish this?

Jesus has given me authority to...

God wants me to take hold of...

I can partner with Him by...

I can start today by...

I can respond to His will and guidance by...

Inside every strong teambuilder is someone who refuses to give up — someone who finds solutions to the problems being presented to them. The difference between success and failure is often a simple refusal to quit or allow disillusionment to get the best of you. You may learn and amend your approach multiple times, and through that process you will begin to reframe each problem as an opportunity to learn.

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ENTREPRENEURIAL BLESSING

May you be filled with heaven’s insight in all that you put your hand to. May the Father open up His entrepreneurial Spirit over you so that you may spread the love of God through ideas, businesses, products, ministries, and anything you might create in a continuation of the redemptive story of God. May the Lord lead you in direction, wisdom, knowledge, and strategy.. May you open up your heart, spirit, mind, and emotions to the rhythms of grace so that you may work with ease and peace. We break off striving and self-focused motives.

We bind up fear and invite the Holy Spirit to reside in all we create so that others may experience heaven here on earth.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................

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• What‘s worth doing even if I fail? ..........................................................................................................

• What does it look like .......................................................................................................... for me to commit my plans to the Lord? ..........................................................................................................

What steps can I take to carry a surrendered .......................................................................................................... heart? ..........................................................................................................

• Is there any place in my life where I am unable .......................................................................................................... to feel God‘s love and approval? What does ..........................................................................................................

Jesus want me to know in those places? .......................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................

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PR E S S I N G O N At the end of each chapter, we will challenge those of you who are ready to create and sell your products. The practical aspects of stepping out and growing in your own time cannot be underestimated. God reveals identity, calling, and giftings as we press into creating, crafting, designing, and launching. Each item that you create reveals the love of God in a small way, but this takes courage and perseverance. Over the next eight weeks may you find that God’s Spirit is with you to craft and create.

PRESSING ON // WEEK ONE Create a prototype of the product you would like to sell. Reflect on this item. What does it communicate to you? What might it communicate to others if they purchased it?

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view.” Philippians 3:13-14

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two sharing your message: who, what, why, how

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W H O, W H AT, W H Y, H OW “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” // Simon Sinek These are important markers for any organization/business/product. They determine WHAT you’re communicating, WHO you’re reaching, and WHY you’re moving towards the direction you’re going.

(The HOW will be discussed later.)

Let’s dive into how we can now translate an idea into a concrete creation. A business/non-profit/ organization is formed, organized, and operated much like a living being. It must be nurtured and tended to as it grows and adapts to the world changing around it. So where do we begin?

This will require a lot of internal reflection and grappling with our motives:

What do you (as an individual) hope to accomplish through your business/organization/ product?

What is the propelling factor — the motivation — behind your business?

What motivates you to create?

Before launching a successful business/organization/product, a practical basis of wisdom must be established to determine the driving forces behind what we hope to create. We must ask ourselves the bigger questions to find a steady pattern of direction. Once we can name our motivation behind our creation, we can begin to build on a solid foundation.

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WHAT is your message?

Everything about you communicates something to those around you. We all carry a unique message designed to spread love across the earth in different expressions. What is the message you want to communicate to the world? Everybody has a very specific story: different trials, struggles, celebrations, successes, joys, and pains all become stepping stones of your unique journey. God likes to use our journey to point us towards a message that He wants us to share with the world. The message often comes from a place of experiencing pain that He can then use as a platform. He certainly doesn’t inflict the pain, but He can use it for His glory:

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fi x our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 “Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’

So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

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If you ever struggle to identify what your message is, just ask God to take you back. Ask Him to take you back to when you met Him, to when He spoke to you, to when He revealed Himself to you, to when He brought you through a battle — to a time you felt most alive, to a time where your spirit was pouring out in abundant love, to a time where you remember the presence of God. However you ask Him, He’s ready and eager to chat. It’s His desire to work through our relationship with Him to bring glory to Himself.

What part of the message that you carry comes from the way you first encountered God’s love? ............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................

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• What has God been speaking to you .......................................................................................................... recently that is being written on your heart? ..........................................................................................................

• How has God revealed ..........................................................................................................

Himself to you through other people in your .......................................................................................................... life? ..........................................................................................................

• What battles has God .......................................................................................................... fought for you? How do those experiences .......................................................................................................... impact or affect your message? .......................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................

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INVITE HIM TO USE YOUR PAIN AS A PLATFORM I have found in my own life, the message He prints on my heart is often the battle I struggle with the very most. When we invite God into our wounds, He not only heals the pain, but He heals us to bring healing to others. For example, my husband and I have been down a path of loss and infertility since the beginning of our marriage. The greatest frustration of this battle is that I know in my very bones that I was born to bring life and hope. So it’s no coincidence that we are living in a spiritual and physical battle to see that present itself in the natural.

God has used the pain of my loss to build a platform through which I’m given the greatest honor and joy to provide hope and celebrate life with others through my small business. If we invite Him in, He is more than happy to meet us where we’re at.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. Romans 8:18 Your business’ message is that undeniable impression on your heart that God has breathed on you.

It’s the truth of His redemption revealed on earth as it is in heaven. It can be as simple as a one-word vision statement, or a truth found in the word of God — it can be birthed from a battle or a triumph.

However it originates, we all carry a unique expression of who God is. As a vessel of the Holy Spirit, we get to share that message with the world around us because it’s God’s desire that all might know his love.

“Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you.

This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.” 2 Corinthians 3:3 We are living, breathing carriers of the Holy Spirit with a message on our hearts to spread with the world. Seek the Lord in discovering what expression of His love He is calling you to share with those around you.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good.

He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Genesis 50:20 NLT

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WHO is your audience?

Specifics are helpful – is your target audience young moms? College-aged students? Young adults 18-25? Single seniors?

The idea isn’t to make generalizations, but to understand your audience better by researching and knowing the demographic in a thoughtful, relevant way.

What makes them tick? What motivates them, inspires them? What are their concerns?

What challenges are they faced with?

By determining a specific, niche audience, you’re not limiting your outreach. You’re actually able to invest in your target audience better by providing the most appropriate, relative solution to them that serves them in the most effective way possible.

Being specific in your target audience will not only help you serve them more efficiently but will also help lead the trajectory of your organization/business so that you can steer the wheel when your audience needs it most.

Jesus knew His audience well. He saw the PERSON He encountered and drew towards them in love, whether they needed physical healing, a spiritual cleansing, or resource provision — He met them in their lack. He knew their hearts and He knew their needs and entered into the middle of the two. He drew toward others not only as a display of His miraculous power to encourage faith, but also to draw them in as a follower who would respond to the Father’s love as an abandoned disciple to Christ themself. We’ll discover how He served direct needs and the relevant way in which He did this shortly.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

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WHO is your business?

Your business interacts with others much like a person interacts with the world around them. Your business should be a mosaic of the very best parts of you. You need to understand who your business is and how it serves your demographic well. To better understand your business/nonprofit/product, let’s apply the concept of “anthropomorphism”. the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities For example, Mickey Mouse is the anthropomorphic figure for Disney as he is the face of the company — the friendly mouse with a human personality and relatability to his audience. Mickey Mouse is essentially the best parts of Walt Disney, creator of Disney, combined to create an approachable, magic mouse who is as beloved today as he was since his first drafts.

Let me explain my own small business as an anthropomorphic concept. I have a small company that specializes in children and mama products that celebrate rainbow babies (babies born after miscarriage and pregnancy/infant loss). If my business was a person, it would be a 30-year-old woman who provides hope and celebrates life with young moms. She values kindness and places value on others through attention to detail and going the extra mile. She would be thoughtful to hold the tension of loss and life so that there is great honor placed on the babies in heaven but also there is great value in celebrating the little ones here on earth. She would be kind and quirky, reflected in the designs of her products. Her motivation is to encourage hope and she values the many unique colors of life. She wouldn’t take herself too seriously but celebrates the best parts of life with others. She’s imperfect but totally okay with that.

When we understand our product/business/etc, we will get a better picture of how we are reaching our audience and how we may need to alter our approach if necessary. Let’s take a moment to look at well-known businesses and discover who they would be if they were a person. Explain their personality, how they relate to others, their likes, dislikes, etc.

Apple

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Target

Amazon

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts.

Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking?

Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you.

Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”

1 Peter 4:10-11

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PE R S O N I F Y I N G YO U R PR O J E C T Who are they? What is their personality like?

How do they speak to others? What drives them?

What other characteristics can you define/outline?

When we look at our organization as a person, it helps us to determine the values we want to establish as our core beliefs and helps reveal any blind spots that may have gone unnoticed.

Personifying our business/product helps us understand what sort of experience our customers will have.

Are they met with kindness? How?

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Are they looked after well?

How do you know?

Are they being valued?

What does that look like?

By asking ourselves these questions throughout the lifetime of our company, we are able to better serve others and meet the needs of our target audience. This is the heart of God: to see others and to have compassion for them. When we are serving others through our business, we have the great honor of sharing the love of Christ in the workplace.

WHY does your audience need your business/product/nonprofit/ministry?

When we serve someone, we are meeting them at the level of their practical need. This could be physical, spiritual, concrete, mental, etc. The basic question is this: What problem is my audience experiencing and how can I bring a solution to it?

Jesus’ compassion always brings a revelation of God glory. We can see in scripture how Jesus met and served others in a very unique, intentional way so that their specific needs were exceedingly met in His ministry throughout the gospels. Here are some examples of how Jesus met the individual: Jesus heals the sick. (Matthew 4:23-25, 8:1-4, 8:14-17, 8:28, 9:2, 9:18-24, Mark 1:21-34) He meets physical needs through releasing those in pain, with disease, possession, seizures, paralyzation, etc.

Jesus speaks to the crowds about the beatitudes. (Matthew 5: 1-12) Jesus met the people where they were historically and culturally but preached not about how their circumstances would change (ie. an overthrow of Rome), but instead, spoke to their spiritual needs and the blessing that comes from a heart that turns to the Lord during suffering.

Jesus speaks in parables. (Matthew 13:1-9, Matthew 14, Matthew 20, 21, 22, 25; Mark 4:1-9; Luke 8:4-8) Jesus spoke to audiences in parables, making life lessons and spiritual concepts more understandable through this story-telling method to those not necessarily familiar with the more mysterious truths of the Kingdom. He met people that others would consider “outsiders” with parables to reveal Himself to those that may have missed it otherwise.

Jesus reveals His glory to the wedding party at Cana. ( John 2) When Jesus turns water to wine at the wedding, He is not only providing a basic need, He is revealing the prophetic picture of the future sacrifice of his bloodshed and the truth of his glory revealed.

When we know our audience well, we can mirror Jesus’ example of meeting others in the middle of a need and the hearts of those in our sphere of influence. Jesus knew who He was speaking to and went directly to the heart of the matter, communicating in a way that was revelatory to the individual. This is the connecting point of WHO you’re serving, WHAT they need, and WHY they need it.

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T H E W H O, W H AT, A N D W H Y N OW M U S T A N SW E R T H E “ H OW ” “For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God” 2 Timothy 1:6 How are you going to serve your audience? Once you establish who you are serving, what they need, what message you have to share, and why they should look to you for direction, you’re ready to establish HOW you’ll carry out this task.

This process will look different for every individual. Whether you’re providing your “HOW” through a business, nonprofit, product, or ministry - the medium of your choice acts as your tool to accomplish your message. We all are gifted with a unique calling and expression of carrying out the work of God to bring heaven on earth.

Determine what you’re selling/offering (business, nonprofit, ministry). What void are you filling that you see a need for? What are you providing the world with your product? What problem would you like to find a solution for? Your product/service/nonprofit/etc should first answer a direct need initially, but serves a greater purpose than what’s at face value. For example, I create apparel as part of my business. But the product I’m providing is not a shirt, it’s a token of hope and celebration of life.

When you create a product, always ask yourself the deeper meaning behind it and create it with that same value at the forefront of your intentions.

This will be an ongoing process of ebb and flow. Due to the fluid nature of the world around us, we’ll always be editing as life fluctuates in our culture and world. Consider this your greatest assets — it’s not a weakness. One of the greatest traps you can get caught up in is inadaptability and inflexibility with the direction of your business. The strongest things have the ability to bend. When a change of wind comes, you can move with it, rather than crack in half.

It’s great to be determined with a clear direction/idea, but if you can’t support that clear idea with the ability to modify, you’ll have a hard time staying current, finding credibility, and establishing a voice that speaks into important matters. A product that is highly relevant today may be obsolete next month.

Rather than allowing this thought to paralyze you, allow it to keep challenging you to move forward and to fight past stagnant seasons. Allow change to inspire your creative process and don’t be surprised if the items you start with aren’t necessarily the ones that bring you the greatest breakthrough in the long run. Sometimes breakthrough isn’t a single moment of advancement. Typically, the breakthrough comes in the process of trial and error, giving product concepts a chance to have their moment and others to come and go. Allow your product to move and flow as creativity will continuously inspire new ideas, new directions, and new expressions of the same basic message you’re after.

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CREATIVE BRAINSTORMING Carve out time each day to daydream about your big picture vision. Get your ideas out on paper or onto a computer, out of your mind and into the world and you can edit later as your vision becomes more concrete.

This can be a creative exercise to avoid being paralyzed by perfectionism and self-doubt. As you brainstorm, consider your general direction – the aesthetic, product offerings, the general tone, packaging ideas, anything and everything that builds into the final product of what you want your shop/product/nonprofit to become.

Don’t worry if this vision transforms over time. It’ll be the greatest gift to have an attitude and posture of welcoming change as your vision follows. This encourages flexibility. I’ve found in my own business that as I allow vision to flow and ebb, the health of my company strengthens greatly when I hold my business with an open hand rather than a clenched fist. When we have an open posture to receive welcomed changes, our vision can be strengthened. Living life with an open hand is not only beneficial to your business, but to your overall well-being. God is always doing something new, and as we venture out on our entrepreneurial adventures, we get to be a part of the process.

“See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 Let’s get practical. Use the spaces provided to brainstorm your entrepreneurial ideas.

WHAT is your general MESSAGE you hope to spread to the world? This can be specific, broad, a work in progress, a flexible concept, or a concrete vision.

WHAT events/experiences in your life do you think God might use to help you better understand the message He’s placed on your heart? How might He use your personal pain to create a platform to speak into others’ lives?

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WHO is your audience? Be specific in your demographic, this will help you to serve them efficiently and thoughtfully.

If your business/product/nonprofit/ organization were a person, WHO would they be? What would their personality be like? What would your audience’s experience be when they interacted? If you need help, refer back to the concept of “anthropomorphic” figures to help guide you.

WHY does your audience need your business/nonprofit/product/organization?

What problem are you solving in their lives?

HOW do you plan on carrying out this task? Will you create a website?

Vlog? Product? Online eCommerce web page? Do you need a brickand-mortar building for meetings?

The answer will be specific to your future business/nonprofit/product/ organization.

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PR E S S I N G O N // W E E K T WO Research products similar to yours online and look at how the brand describes the product(s). Take note of photography, different ways of capturing the product, different angles. Notice the product description and title. Write out your own version using 30-50 words describing your product, how it impacts others, colors, texture, quality, how it was made, why you made it, who would like this product. Also, compare prices for similar products to yours to help you find a fair price point. We’ll expand on this in further chapters. Start your research today.

Teach a wise man what is right, and he’ll grow even wiser. Instruct the lovers of God and they’ll learn even more. The starting point for acquiring wisdom is to be consumed with awe as you worship Yahweh.

To receive the revelation of the Holy One, you much come to the one who has living-understanding.”

Proverbs 9:9-10

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three wisdom and ability: practical e-commerce

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W H AT I S E CO M M E R CE? an interchange of goods or commodities, especially on a large scale Electronic commerce is simply the buying and selling of goods online. This involves the sale of a product (which can be a physical product, a service, or goods) in exchange for an electronic money transfer. The variety of selling platforms that are available to makers continues to expand as our world is becoming increasingly online. Some of the most popular eCommerce sites and resources are Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, eBay, Instagram, Squarespace, and Wix — but there are many more.

Each eCommerce platform will have its own extensive list of pros and cons. You’ll want to do your research before choosing one that best suits your needs based on your medium. Whether you’re starting a photography business, a landscaping company, a nonprofit, selling handmade goods, or blogging, for example, certain platforms will suit you better than others. For my business, I create products by hand, so I use Etsy as my platform. (My experience with eCommerce stems from this as my focused platform, but the basic principles translate to whatever platform you choose for your own venture.) Once you’re able to master one platform, you may consider expanding your portfolio to others, but we’re focusing first on excelling at one before spreading too thin on multiples.

Once you choose which platform will work best for you, you can now commit yourself to a positive posture. Every eCommerce platform will have its own limitations, but if you make the intentional choice to operate from positivity, your business/organization will reflect that. It’ll also keep you sane — win-win. One of the greatest tools you have in your belt as a businesswoman or man is the power to choose the stance in which you’ll operate. Your eCommerce platform is the medium in which you’re able to share your message to the world, it’s so much more than selling a product. You’re preparing to share your message.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Philippians 4:8 Before we begin a practical step-by-step journey to creating your website, we must remind ourselves that each and every individual business is as unique as the person behind them. Your venture is a direct reflection of who you are. Every business will have its own ebb and flow, just as unique as the pace in which you live. Comparison is one of the greatest distractors that will keep you from truly creating from the gold inside of you.

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CREATING AN ECOMMERCE SITE Now that you’ve established the WHAT, WHO, WHY, and HOW behind your product/business/ nonprofit/etc, you’re ready to create a space online to start multiplying what God has placed inside of you to the world.

The key to creating a successful eCommerce site is to build confidence and trust with your audience.

This is where you get to put what’s in your heart into your business to establish relationships, and thus, a trusting clientele. Every aspect of your organization/product should communicate care and value, from the detail of your item to the way you create, share electronically, talk to your audience, and package your products. Each element should reflect your overarching message. When our heart is postured to serve, everything we do reflects care.

Once you have a product/service to sell and a way to fulfill demand, it’s now time to post it on your eCommerce website. This process looks different for all different mediums. For example, if you’re posting products for an online shop or if your website is for a service such as photography or a nonprofit organization, you will have your own unique requirements for getting the end “product” posted online. But there are basic principles that will apply to all products/services to make sure that people actually click on your page for more information. We’ll explore the first three in this chapter.

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Presentation

Communication

Optimization: SEO and clickability

Social media presence

Marketing/brand identity

Customer care

expanded in week 4

expanded in week 5

expanded in week 6

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PRESENTATION The way in which you present your product/organization creates your audience’s first impression of you. Whether your platform is a single landing page, an online shop, or a service-offering website, your visuals should tell the story behind your business. Your presentation and aesthetic of your listings/ website/blog are an extension of the way you are serving your audience. It’s not just about creating a pretty picture; your presentation establishes the tone of your business and determines how your audience will interact with you. The presentation aspect of your eCommerce/website incorporates anything relating to the graphic design/layout, pictures/images, readability, aesthetic, branding, packaging, and marketing. (We’ll dive into branding/marketing deeper next week.)

IMAGES All images used should be high-quality, clean, simple pictures that keep the focus on your main vision and message. Pictures that are poor in quality, badly lit, busy, and cluttered communicate chaos. It shouldn’t be a job for your audience to try to decipher your images. Images should be clear, bright, and simple. If your business includes physical or digital product photos for product listings, these should be simple, tidy, and crisp. These can be gently styled, but product photos that have less distracting backgrounds and are lit with natural light always have the highest clicks versus photos that are too visually busy.

It’s amazing what you can do with a simple phone camera. I use my iPhone for all of my product photography and have learned through trial and error how this pocket-sized tool can be a major asset. iPhone pictures can be as good quality as an expensive professional camera when you learn simple and basic editing skills that you can do right on your device. You can also outsource pictures to a professional if your budget allows for it, but I am a big believer in using your phone to snap your shots yourself. There are lots of amazing apps that are free or super affordable that you can download to help adjust and edit your photos. Here are some of my favorites: • • • • • •

ColorStory Over Lightroom (free phone version) Film LifeLapse Template

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GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT Your graphic design should stay cohesive with your products. The layout of your website should be easy to navigate and user-friendly. Your audience will best be served with a simple layout to get around your site easily rather than be confused by a complicated design. Your layout may not be customizable for you depending on your platform you’re using (ie., Amazon, Etsy, etc), but whatever aspects you are able to adjust, make sure you make simple and clean design choices. Graphic design and layout elements of your website should support your main content rather than compete with it.

Graphic design plays an invaluable role in your small business and can bring you to the next level of excellence. If you’ve never had any experience with graphic design, there are countless sources to teach you the basics (Youtube will be your best friend if you decide to dive in).

It’s always empowering when you learn a new skill to add to your repertoire. But if you decide to choose to outsource your graphic design and web layout, you can check out Upwork.com, Fiverr.com, and 99designs.com to find talented designers that you can work with remotely. A trusted graphic designer or web designer will become an essential tool in your belt. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. ..............................................................................................................................................................

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COMMUNICATION Your webpage communication should place value on your audience and serve them thoughtfully.

Communication is the way in which we articulate and connect with others through words, our approach, and our demeanor. On your webpage, you’ll be communicating the WHAT, WHO, WHY, and HOW. Whether you’re a business selling a product or service, or you’re setting up a nonprofit, your website needs to clearly communicate what you’re providing and why you’re here to serve.

Product listings: If your business involves products, you’ll be communicating their details by articulating what the item is and how it serves your audience. This should be done with clear details to avoid any confusion for your potential customers. For example, your product title and description should include specifics including size, quantity, color, capacity, fit (for apparel), materials used, and any other relative information that would help your audience to know exactly what they would be getting if they purchase from you. Your product description should also include the overarching message that you’re spreading.

Webpage content: Your website should clearly display your basic information including your business name, what you’re providing, contact information, and easy-to-follow navigation that has clear links to other pages on your site. If you’re able to utilize space on your site like banners, images, and spaces to incorporate your logo, make sure to take advantage of these by using a cohesive aesthetic/branding to provide a visual to bring clarity to your webpage.

Communication through approach: Never underestimate the power of posture in communication.

The words you use and the attitude behind them will determine your audience’s experience. Depending on your service/product/business, you can communicate whatever message and approach you want to take. Do you want to reach your audience through casual conversation? Is your language focused on empowerment? Do you want to approach your audience relationally? By better understanding WHO you’re reaching, you’ll be able to communicate to them in a way that best serves their needs. How do you want your audience to feel after interacting with your website? Do you want them inspired? Do you want to make them laugh? Do you want them to leave feeling equipped to go out and make a difference in the world? Do you want to offer them a space to relax and feel seen? Depending on your business, you’ll need to determine your approach with your audience so that you have a clear voice and they know who you are through the words and general experience they have with your website. Your communication is a major tool for establishing trust with your audience. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................. ..............................................................................................................................................................

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“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

Thessalonians 5:11

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YO U R T U R N Take a moment to write down bullet points of what you plan to communicate to your audience through your webpage. Include: • WHAT you’re providing using clear language that draws people into your space — this is your content/offering.

• WHY you’re providing this service/product.

• HOW you’re here to serve.

• WHAT angle you’ll use approach your audience.

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OPTIMIZATION Search engine optimization (SEO) is key to ensure that others see you online. SEO algorithms are unique to every different website and selling platform you use. Different websites place different emphasis and importance on various factors. The specific requirements for optimal SEO can change on a weekly basis depending on the updated algorithm for your platform, so it’s a subject that should be researched regularly and often. A simple Google search on current SEO elements should be a regular part of your business logistics maintenance. For example, on Etsy — my platform of choice — optimization requirements change on a monthly basis, so I need to put aside time for a regular SEO maintenance tweak. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the ever-evolving SEO world, so it’s best to take a holistic approach and break it down more simply. Keep in mind, any little bit of work you put into SEO will be a boost for your website. You don’t need to master it as a professional, but there are three general rules of thumb you can follow: Quality content

Tag words

Fresh and relevant

Your general content shouldn’t be overlooked as you optimize your site. Quality, thoughtful, and detailed content will attract a bigger audience than something that is brief and incomplete.

Your titles, subtitles, descriptions, images, and all the details of your webpage work together to provide a complete page that is more likely to have a boosted SEO. This includes your product/service/ offering. Make sure to use the majority of the space allotted to type in descriptions and details of your offering and keep this updated and relevant to your audience.

Image content should also be high quality. Keep in mind, if you use oversized images for your site, it may slow down the page loading time, which deters customers.

Make sure to use quality images that are clear, clean, and simple.

Tag words are keywords and phrases used by your audience searching for your product/ offering. The tag words you choose should be directly related to what your audience may type in to find your site/product/website.

Ask yourself what a customer would search in order to land on your page and incorporate these keywords on your webpage. You want to balance your tag words to be both specific and general, but most importantly don’t be too repetitive. SEO regards repetition as low quality, so you’ll want to be creative in your approach to choosing your keywords. You’ll also want to use a combination of one-word searches and multipleword phrases (or “long-tail keywords”). Your goal here is not to grow general foot traffic that doesn’t lead to sales/signups.

Rather, you’re aiming to gather actual customers who will be faithful followers.

Simple updates of your webpage increase optimization and acts as a refresh to your SEO. You don’t need to change essential content, but minor tweaks with keywords, new products, page descriptions, etc. are all helpful in updating your site and strengthening the internet’s perspective of the quality of your webpage. You’ll want to find a healthy balance of updating and allowing your most successful content to stay strong without unnecessary changes.

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T RY I T O U T List as many SEO keywords/tag words and phrases you can come up with that would be relevant to your product/website/nonprofit. Half of your words and phrases should be niche and specific, the other half should be a bit broader. You can brainstorm or check out some resources to help bring clarity if you need support. Check out Semrush.com, Raventools.com, or Wordtracker.com if you need some ideas. Also, researching similar products online will help you see any patterns with their own tag words used to help your direction. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................

PRICING If your company involves selling physical products, you’ll want to do a bit of number crunching to come up with your price point. Here is a basic formula to help you get started: Cost of materials + time spent on labor + overheads + profit = price There are other factors to keep in mind that go beyond this basic formula. You will want to consider additional components including: •

Tools/machinery needed to create your product

•

Shipping and packaging.

• • • • • • • • •

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Utilities including WIFI, electricity for large machinery, etc.

If you choose “free shipping”, you’ll want to consider the extra costs that you’ll carry for this.

Any significant driving for deliveries/pickups that take your time Extra branding elements Ecommerce fees Advertising fees

Software costsWebsite costs Prop costs for photos

Rent (only applicable for separate workspace, not associated with your personal home)

There are online product pricing formulas that also can provide some helpful support in your pricing process.

Check out this link for an example of a downloadable pricing calculator and template: www.zibbet.com/ tools/product-pricing-formula-calculator/ BIBLICAL CONNECTION Now that you’ve established your company values and have written out your desired impact, you can connect these principles with Bible verses that you can return to and reference as you build. These verses can be topical to your overall message behind the WHY of your business/website. As you’re researching, make sure that the context of your verse works and is appropriate for your intention. Write a few verses that apply in the space below.

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PR E S S I N G O N // W E E K T H R E E Using your preferred sales platform — I use Etsy — register your shop and upload your personal details. Add your information, explore the platform, and make a list of to-do’s you may need in order to complete your profile. (You can record your to-do list in the blank space provided below.

Do any necessary research for additional listings and officially list your first item. To start your first successful listing, include: • • • • •

A product title that is a combination of specific niche phrases as well as general terms.

A minimum of five pictures of your product. Take photos of different angles, get closeups, include pictures of your product in use and on display.

A description section complete with a paragraph worth of information that would be helpful to your buyer.

Keywords/tag words that will boost your SEO. Consider adding a banner and decide on your logo for your shop photo icon.

TO DO....

“He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 AMP

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four identity: brand formation

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BR ANDING AND IDENTIT Y “Brands are essentially patterns of familiarity, meaning, fondness, and reassurance that exist in the minds of people.” // Tom Goodwin Your company’s branding is a visual reflection of your values, purpose, and motives. It communicates the heart of your organization. Branding choices should always work effortlessly with the bigger picture — the WHY of your endeavor. Cohesion isn’t only valuable in terms of aesthetics and design, it’s a tool to better navigate your communication so that you may more thoughtfully serve your audience. Your branding should communicate who you are and how you are there to serve your niche market.

Branding is the marriage of aesthetics and message, allowing you to present yourself in a way that builds trust with your audience. Effective branding harnesses design to create a lasting impression on your audience that distinguishes you from others and becomes your unique personality. Customers can look to your branding to know what it is they can expect when interacting with you - a key factor in establishing loyalty with others.

Your branding should directly reflect your business identity (WHO your business is) and your company values. Remember that your company acts like a person with a personality, taste, and style — and branding is the cohesive arch, connecting the nuts and bolts of who that person is. It should be easily identifiable in aesthetic and voice, all design elements working towards the greater formation of your brand identity. Here are a few key elements of branding to consider: FORMATION DESIGN (discussed next chapter) • Logo • Brand name • Graphics • Personality / voice • Font / typography • Products / services offered • Images • Value statement / catchphrase • Color pallette • Packaging ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................

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BRAND IDENTITY FORMATION The name of your brand holds an important weight of identity. It should clearly communicate who your company is. God loves the power of names and often gives a new name to mark someone’s identity and unique calling He’s ushering them into. Names establish a person’s identity that points to a greater truth. Here are a few examples of God’s heart on the importance of names: “ Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.” Genesis 32:28 “But you will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign.”

1 Chronicles 22:9 “The nations will see your righteousness. World leaders will be blinded by your glory.

And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth.” Isaiah 62:2 “What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.” Genesis 17:5 “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 A name points to a greater picture of a spiritual truth. When we’re naming our brand, we’re placing a unique banner over our company and declaring its identity. We don’t need to overcomplicate naming our brand, but we should put thoughtful care into the process and choice — it’s an important marker of the company’s character and integrity.

Take into consideration your own name. If you don’t already know the meaning of your name, look it up and record what you find.

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How does your own name reflect your identity? Do you see a correlation between your name and who you are? The nature of creation is this: the creator is reflected in that which he creates, just as the Creator is reflected in His creation. You, as the creator of a business, will also be reflected in your own business/company. Who you are is a continuation of a greater story being told on earth. This is your greatest asset because you, and only you, carry the unique calling and character that God designed you to intricately carry. Your business is an extension of who Christ has made you to be because it’s His desire that we reflect His love in a million different ways as children of God. When you’re naming your business, you are declaring an extension of who you are and speaking it over that which God is calling you to create. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................

• How is the meaning of .......................................................................................................... your name reflected in .......................................................................................................... your identity? ..........................................................................................................

• How do you hear God speaking over you and .......................................................................................................... your unique calling through your name? ..........................................................................................................

• Have you given much .......................................................................................................... thought to the name of your business? Take .......................................................................................................... into consideration the identity you’re .......................................................................................................... communicating through this name. ..........................................................................................................

Write down your company/organization’s .......................................................................................................... name or a few ideas you may have. ..........................................................................................................

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BRAND PERSONALITY AND VOICE The identity of your business will largely be communicated through the language you use. This is the personality fingerprint of who your business is and how it interacts with your audience. Much like a person’s language and communication style is unique to them, your business will have its own linguistic approach, drawing others in through vocabulary and method of intercommunication.

Your communication method will be directly impacted by your audience demographic. A college-based audience of 18-24-year-olds who are purchasing bedding for their tiny home will have a different ideal communication style than a retired 60-something audience who are purchasing bedding for their second vacation home in the Hamptons. Your ideal client/customer and their preferred communication style will be the primary factor dictating your brand personality and voice. Your voice will grow and strengthen through your company’s journey, but it’s important to decide where you’d like to start.

Always ask yourself how your communication is being interpreted by your audience and make tweaks when necessary to stay on course with your desired impact.

Mainstream brand personalities catering to a younger crowd have been largely shifting away from dry professionalism to more relatability and tongue-in-cheek humor. Some companies establish their branding with clever wit, sustainability, and ecology-care awareness, some are based on conscious causes, other companies use irony and playfulness to establish their personality. However you approach it, your communication should line up with your company’s overarching values and message, what you’re providing, and relate to your demographic. All branding elements should work cohesively and establish a clear, easily recognizable company that your audience will start to build trust with as they turn to you for solutions to their needs.

What is your company’s personality?

How will you approach your audience?

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What sort of voice do you hope your company will have?

What approach will you take with your communication style and connection to your audience?

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES A strong brand should be well-recognized through the products and services they offer with a line that works cohesively together. You’ll want to align your company with a common thread, tying all of your products together to create a distinguishable collection that differentiates you from others.

This commonality will vary from business to business depending on your product, service, or offering.

For example, if you’re providing a lifestyle brand, your items should work together to provide helpful, stylish solutions that serve your customer in their day-to-day lives. These could range from home goods and clothing to beauty and gifts. It would be irrelevant to provide lawn mowers in this brand, for example.

Your product should communicate the nuts and bolts of the value behind who you are. You need the right product to speak into the lives of the right people. Your audience should be met where they are at with a product line that answers their expectations as conscious consumers. Your products and services should be able to stand up apart from the bells and whistles of clever marketing.

Write in the space below about your own thoughts towards your product/service/offering. What sort of products do you hope to create? What sort of brand lines do you hope to develop? Think through the small details and the big picture.

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YOUR VALUE STATEMENT / CATCHPHRASE Your value statement communicates your desired impact and message in a clear, concise declaration. It defines the WHAT and WHY behind your company identity and intent. Your value statement should answer the bigger questions, unveiling deeper levels of your message like peeling back an onion. In order to find your value statement, you must first discover your overarching message and narrow down your vision bit by bit as you grapple with the language to thoughtfully articulate the heart behind it.

Here are four essential questions to ask yourself in the process of discovering your vision statement (using my own small business as an example).

What am I providing at the surface level?

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Gifts, including apparel and decor.

Who am I serving?

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New moms and babies, particularly rainbow mamas and babies.

Why am I providing these products?

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To celebrate life and instill hope for families who have experienced loss and are expecting their little rainbows.

How will I do this?

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By providing support through quirky designs and tangible items that act as tokens of hope.

With these answers in mind, write down your VISION STATEMENT: •

Little Fruit Tree provides thoughtful and handmade goods designed to celebrate life and hope.

Though the message behind your company should be rooted in fundamental truth, keep in mind that the language of your vision statement may ebb and flow slightly as your business grows and perhaps brings you into new directions. The main idea is to not allow the language to tie you up too much. You simply need to start somewhere and move forward. You’ll always have the freedom to go back to the vision statement and amend it as needed, but you’ll need a starting place to work from.

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YO U R T U R N Now it’s your turn. Work through these questions to come up with a concise value statement.

What am I providing at the surface level?

Who am I serving?

Why am I providing these products/services?

How will I do this?

How will I do this?

With these answers in mind, write down your VISION STATEMENT:

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CREATE A VISUAL MOOD BOARD As you take the time to do some creative brainstorming about your branding, it’s helpful to create a board with visuals that you’re drawn towards. What aesthetics catch your eye? By creating mood boards, you’ll be able to see patterns you’re attracted to, which will in turn help lead you towards a design and mood that you can carry throughout your webpage and marketing. Your mood board is a great way to document the overall feel of what you want your business and marketing to reflect.

The tone of your design and the visuals clients encounter on your webpage will impact your audience.

What sort of experience do you want them to have visually? Do you want a moody, muted color scheme? Are you drawn to natural elements and textures? Do you want a bright, light, and airy design?

Will you incorporate rich, saturated colors? You can go a million different directions in your design, but the main focus is cohesiveness. Cohesion brings clarity and peace. So whether you want to wow your audience with stunning emerald tones or you want to take a simplistic, minimalist approach to your brand aesthetic, you’ll want to bring continuity to all elements of your presentation.

While you brainstorm your design styles, take into consideration that design has a physical and mental impact on everyone. Do you want them to feel confident? Determined? Encouraged? Peaceful? Joyful?

Contemplative? The colors and design elements that you choose should work together to create an overall tone.

I love using Pinterest for my own visual boards because it’s an endless source of creativity. You can brainstorm your own ideas for your visual mood board, but here are a few ideas of the different types of mood boards or elements you may want to consider incorporating: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Fonts Packaging Products Color palettes Images that make you happy (flowers, dogs, etc) Moods Nature Textures Natural materials Typography Design graphics Shapes Art Branding templates

Every unique brand will have its own collection of relevant elements, but there is always value in gathering up images that inspire you and exploring why it is they speak to you. This is an exercise not only in practical branding but in maintaining a fresh well of creativity. Creativity breeds creativity, so surrounding yourself with images that impact you is a practice that creates an atmosphere where creativity can breathe deep. Invite the Holy Spirit into exploring creativity with you so that you can start to visualize what God has in store, and in the process, start to build on your branding concepts.

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AUDIENCE EXPERIENCE Brainstorm some ideas about your website’s presentation and thoughts about your aesthetics. Go through the list below and circle keywords that you hope your audience experiences through your site’s visual and branding elements. Then use the space provided to write out an explanation of how you want your audience to be impacted when they interact with your brand. These emotive words will bridge the presentation and communication factors of your site.

Accepted Accepting Admiration Affectionate Amazed Appreciative Assertive Assured Authentic Awe Balanced Beautiful Befriended Bliss Brave

Calm Capable Captivated Celebrated Celebratory Centered Certain Cheerful Cherished Comforted Compassion Confident Contemplative Content Decisive

Delight Devoted Discerning Discipline Dreamy Edified Elated Empowered Encouraged Energized Enthusiasm Equipped Euphoric Excited Expectant

Expressive Focused Glee Graceful Gracious Healed Heroic Honored Hopeful Humored Idyllic Included Inspired Joy Liberated

Light-hearted Lively Love Mellow Nostalgic Observant Open-hearted Optimistic Peace Playful Prepared Protected Proud Purposeful Redeemed

Reflective Relational Relaxed Relieved Resolute Responsive Restored Reverent Satisfied Secure Self-assured Sentimental Serene Settled Skillful

Soothed Spirited Sprightly Strengthened Surprised Tactful Tender Thankful Thoughtful Trusting Understood Validated Valued Warm Whimsical Zealous

How do you want your imagery to meet your audience?

What visual elements will you incorporate to achieve this? Use your mood board as a reference to go back to and add any additional visuals to help bring direction to your branding.

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PR E S S I N G O N // W E E K F O U R Go back through your eCommerce page and hone in on a color palette for your shop that is in line with your vision board. Find ways to bring clarity and consistency to your shop and work with your color palette to develop a recognizable brand. Create additional products that complement each other and enhance your established aesthetic. Once you have these physical products, make additional listings on your webpage to build your portfolio. Come up with a plan if you need to purchase additional materials to create more products. Make any notes in the space provided below.

“God’s splendor is a tale that is told, written in the stars. Space itself speaks his story through the marvels of the heavens. His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky, showing his skill in creation’s craftsmanship. Each day gushes out its message to the next, night by night whispering its knowledge to all — without a sound, without a word, without a voice being heard, yet all the world can hear its echo.”

Psalm 19:1-4 TPT

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BR ANDING DESIGN Design is the process of imagining and planning the creation of objects, systems, buildings, vehicles, etc.

It is about creating solutions for people. // Strate School of Design The aesthetic of your company is the visual communication of who you are and who you’re helping.

Each element works together to form the whole picture of your brand.

Design includes: • Logo • Graphics and images • Font/typography • Color palette • Packaging LOGO Your logo is a visual icon that helps your audience distinguish you from other brands. It’s your unique signature that should be used throughout your company in web design, packaging, signage, stationery, social media presence, and on your products when possible. The design should communicate your identity and speak to your audience and reflect the aesthetic of your product or offering to continue the conversation about the message of your company. The elements included should directly reflect the overarching message of who you are and what you’re providing. Color, typography, size, shapes, and graphics used should all work together to communicate a clear and distinguishable image of your company in a simple way. The logo becomes your brand’s special fingerprint to help give it an identity and grow brand recognition. Brand recognition adds trust in who you are and what you’re providing.

The repetition of using your logo helps build trust with your audience and establish integrity as a company, so don’t be shy about using it consistently.

Keep in mind when designing a logo: • • • • •

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Simplicity typically translates best so keep your design streamlined and reflective of your brand.

Use colors that work cohesively with the brand line you’re offering.

Choose fonts that are readable in small thumbnail size, not only if the logo is large.

If you’re looking to create your own logo and perhaps don’t have access to software, the phone app Canva has a great logo option with free templates you can use.

Marry your typography and any graphics to work cohesively

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Use the space below to jot down any ideas you have about your future logo including any color and design elements, color palette, and how you hope to impact your audience. What do you hope your logo communicates? If you already have a logo, use the spaces to describe your logo. Feel free to draw any logo ideas.

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GRAPHICS AND IMAGES The graphics and images you use on your webpage connect the audience to what they’re viewing, reading, and experiencing with your brand. All pictures and graphics that you use throughout your website should share a common aesthetic. The mood, general color scheme, and any edits should work together to create a connected visual representation of who your business is and what you’re providing. These design elements should answer the WHO, WHAT, WHY, and HOW of your brand as you intentionally relate to your demographic with imagery that captures them, speaks to them, and prompts them to respond the way you intend.

There‘s a good reason we hear the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Images have the capacity to deeply touch the soul in a way that words sometimes fail to articulate. They can communicate tone, stance, attitude, and heart in a powerful way. Use images that harness your overall goal and vision behind your business to further the narrative of who you are as a brand.

Images are most powerful when they tell a story. Whether you decide to use a professional photographer to capture them, or you decide to take a crack at it yourself using your smartphone to begin, the images we use should communicate the story of who we’re growing towards becoming. If you choose, there are also lots of stock imagery available for a small cost, or for no cost at all, that can help fill in any gaps. However you plan to source your images, they should be clean, clear, high quality, and in line with your overall brand.

Basic photography tips for product listings: • • • • • • • •

Use pictures that are naturally lit and clear.

Offer several different angled and styled shots for your products.

Keep scale in mind. Use hands, or something else, to give the customer an idea of the size of the item if applicable.

Create an image depicting lifestyle, give the audience an idea of what it would be like to have your product and how it may fit into their own life.

Use pictures that are free of too much distraction.

Edit your photos in a way that keeps them as accurate as possible (ie. don’t use filters that change the colors of your product which would mislead customers).

Use a combination of simple product photography and pictures of the products in the wild which display them in action.

Use pictures that feature your item/offering as the main focus. Your photos are a celebration of you partnering with God to create something beautiful. Share it with the world

What general direction do you hope to move towards with your photos and images? Do you want bright and natural? Moody? Saturated colors? Muted tones? Use the space below to write down key words and phrases you’ll keep in mind when selecting your photos for your company. ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................................................

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FONT / TYPOGRAPHY The font you use communicates a very specific message, so you’ll want to be sure your typography is in line with your audience niche. The font should be appropriate to who you’re speaking to. The spacing (kerning), as well as the number of different fonts you use, should work together aesthetically and aid the readability factor. You’ll want to use a maximum of two or three different fonts to keep it simple and keep your distraction levels to a minimum. These two fonts shouldn’t be too similar, but should also not be conflicting in style. Smart pairing incorporates one font for a heading, and another for a subheading, which both work harmoniously to be aesthetically pleasing and readable, offering ease and interest to the reader.

With multiple fonts, you’ll want to keep size in mind when designing the movement of your text. As a basic rule of thumb, the larger size/boldness of the font will be the first text your audience notices.

The smaller, detailed typography that covers the majority of your material should be readable and not stylistically distracting. Spacing is an important factor that can add smart breathing space to enhance not only the aesthetic but also the impact of the message. All of these elements can work together to create a clean package that works harmoniously with your overall brand.

As a great starting point, you can always look up font pairings to get inspired. There are great resources online for free fonts, but you can also invest and purchase highly designed fonts to add to your portfolio.

As a basic rule of thumb, start with one font that will be your main idea (headers and titles) and then a second font for the bulk of your written content (or subheaders/longer paragraph text).

The images from piperdeyoung.com on the following pages showcase some examples of smart font pairings.

Brainstorm your ideas of what style of fonts you’d like to use for your brand design. Feel free to use the piperdeyoung.com fonts for reference and do your own research on font names from the web. If you choose to create your own fonts, use the spaces below to either doodle your ideas or write down which fonts and font pairings you would like to use. You can name the specific fonts if you’d like or use this space to brainstorm the general style of what typography you’ll incorporate to strengthen your brand

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COLOR PALETTE In terms of a color palette, your choices should make sense to your brand, niche market, message, and product/service. Your colors should support your message, never distract from it. The colors of your products, design elements of packaging, web design, fonts, graphics, and images should be chosen intentionally to work harmoniously together to build on your vision.

Your audience should be at the forefront of your thoughts when you’re deciding on a color scheme.

For example, a website providing vibrant and lively children’s apparel will have a different ideal client than a business for a small law firm, and the color palette will directly reflect this. The colors should make sense in relation to what you’re building and who you’re hoping to reach.

The psychology of color is the science of how color affects our mood. While everyone may have their own individual reaction to color, there is a basic rule of thumb to how color is perceived by the majority of people. Below is a chart (adapted from sleeknote.com) delineating each color’s impact.

View the images and jot down any notes you have about your own color palette choice and how you hope to impact your audience with it. Feel free to do more research on the psychology of color if you need more direction. There are no limits to the rainbow! Don’t feel limited with the selections below, they’re just a starting point to help offer you some direction.

BLACK sophistication power mystery formality evil death

YELLOW joy cheerfulness friendliness energy warmth caution cowardice

RED danger passion daring romance style excitement urgency energetic

GRAY stability security strength of character authority maturity

WHITE freshness hope goodness light purity cleanliness simplicity coolness

BLUE peace stability calmness confidence tranquility sincerity affection integrity

PURPLE royalty luxury dignity wisdom spirituality passion vision magic

PINK romance compassion faithfulness beauty love friendship sensitivity

GREEN life growth environment healing money safety relaxation freshness

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PACKAGING The way we present our brand through packaging is the first tactile experience our customers will have in interacting with our product as their very own. It’s the “baton” moment of handing off something we have created to someone who will then adopt it as their own. In this way, we get to play a small part in our audience’s journey as we experience the great honor of their choice to partner with us in the continuation of their own beautiful story. The way we package our product is communicating our level of care for not only our craft but also the level of value we place on our customers. Everything we do communicates something. Packaging can be a special experience where the customer feels a genuine connection with the person who created their goods, building trust and relationship at a human level.

This element of humanity and connection sets you apart as a unique small business that genuinely cares for your audience. The packaging is the first interaction our customers will have with our physical item. This is an opportunity to continue our message.

Packaging can be simple, affordable, and highly impactful. However you choose to package your items, it should work cohesively with your branding and offering. For example, if you sell sustainable products that promote recycling/reusing/reducing, you would want to keep this in mind with your packaging to stay consistent in your message and intent. The physical packaging elements will vary depending on what you’re providing, but should always include your business name/logo, contact information, and some personal element (such as a handwritten “thank you” note).

For my particular company, my packaging is quite simple, but the most important factor for me is to make sure it communicates gratitude to my customer so that they feel valued as they receive their item.

I include a “thank you” postcard which includes my shop information - a helpful element if they ever need to reach out to me - as well as a “product care card” to make sure that they get the best use out of their product. It’s the small touches that add unparalleled value to our small businesses because it allows us the opportunity to connect with our customers at a more personal level.

I believe that your company values, at a heart level, will extend to your audience at an experiential level when they interact with our physical product. As creators made in the image of God, the life we breathe (or fail to extend) through our brand will speak beyond words and have an emotional impact on our audience. Packaging is a practical way to present our message and values, so keep these in mind when selecting your packaging elements.

Use your Pinterest boards to record ideas about what packaging you plan to use. Write down what sort of materials you hope to use for this element of your brand. Will you use custom tissue paper?

Personalized stickers? Personal notes? Business cards? Boxes? Fabric? Wrap? Write down your vision below.

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PR AC T I C A L PR O D U C T PH OTO S H O OT Practice doesn’t make perfect, but it undeniably enriches our lives, our art, and whatever we hope to build. One of the key ways in which we can communicate our brand is to capture images that express a greater message. This practical exercise is designed to challenge your mindset and dig deeper to discover how to best communicate your message through images.

For this hands-on exercise, you will need your camera phone, photo editing apps (there are lots of free options), and one (or more if you’d like to challenge yourself ) item that will act as your product.

You will be doing a mock photoshoot to capture images of your product that you’ll be using to build your brand. These photos will be used as product listing images, the main images your customer will see when they click on your item online, as well as more stylized images that can be used throughout your brand to build its reputability and trust with your client. Ideally, you’ll use an item of choice that is relative to your future company (apparel, instrument, mug, flowers, shoes, beauty product, etc).

You don’t have to have your own product designed in order to do this exercise, you can use whatever resource you do have. But try to aim for a physical product that you can move around, style, and photograph easily in different settings. You are welcome to join a partner if you choose, work solo, or find a hybrid and switch off using each other as models to help display your product.

These photos should showcase your product well and be varying in style, scale, angles, and setting, but the most important factor is the MESSAGE behind the product. With your company’s message in mind, take photos that will communicate the values and heart of who your business is and how you hope to reach your audience. Try finding aesthetically pleasing locations that you can incorporate your product with to create a natural-looking scenario in which your item can be showcased. Use a combination of stylized photos using any sort of prop that you think would be helpful, “live-action” photos with people included, and communicate an understanding of your product’s scale/size. You can choose whatever style you’re hoping to aim for, but keep these important factors in mind: •

• • • • • •

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Use natural light. Fluorescent lighting is the least flattering and doesn’t create a natural setting.

Go outside, or take photos near a window/door that allows natural light in. Be careful to not photograph in direct sunlight which may cause your product to be washed out and will cast strong shadows (unless this is an intentional stylistic choice).

Be mindful of the color palette.

Use textures appropriately in your images.

Avoid distraction. Simplicity is key.

Be mindful of angles and choose different angles to showcase facets of your product.

Make sure your product is showcased clearly.

Give your audience a full picture of your product. Capture it with closeups that include details, as well as “in action”.

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After taking your photos, go through your images to select your top six pictures. The next step is to edit your images using free editing apps on your phone. Some free apps include a Colorstory, VSCO, Lightroom (free app version), or whatever app you’re most comfortable and familiar with.

Next, you’ll edit your photos to create your final photograph product. Keep your editing in line with your message. Play around with the different features, filters, effects, settings, etc to come up with edits that reflect your brand values and aesthetic. Cohesion is key. You’re telling your business’ story through your images. The edits on your individual photos should work together, not fight one another. Look at each image as adding value to the next. You’re trying to create images that capture what your audience will experience if they buy into your company and become a loyal customer.

The stylization of your photos should be unique to your brand, so choose edits that reflect this well. A few main points to keep in mind when editing are: • • •

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Keep your product as the main showcased element of your photo without too many stylistic distractions.

For example, adding a texture or grain over your photo can be a fun edit choice, but make sure it’s not too distracting. Your editing should enhance your product, not hinder it.

Choose editing that accurately represents your product. For example, don’t do a color swap to make your green product appear red. This would mislead your customers.

If you need any inspiration, check out your favorite brand’s IG accounts to check out their approaches to their own product photography. The idea isn’t to copy directly but to inspire creativity, so feel free to do a bit of research if you need a bit of direction.

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PR E S S I N G O N // W E E K FI V E Share your eCommerce link with others and for those who can afford it, purchase products from one another. It’s time to land your first sale. This will give you the opportunity to practice packaging and shipping your product.

One of the greatest ways to gain a customer’s trust is through reviews. Ask your buyers to leave reviews at their leisure and be sure to advocate for others’ brands by leaving positive reviews for their items as well. Don’t be too shy to ask each other to critique your product so you can further improve your marketing and product. Ask them what they enjoyed, what was perhaps something you could improve on. Opening ourselves up to critique is a major test of vulnerability. Your item is naturally an extension of who you are, but don’t allow your nerves to keep you from growing and improving. We all have room to amend as needed. God gives grace to the humble, and this is a great opportunity to take new ideas on board. You improve faster when you include others in the process. Be intentional with championing one another this week as you step into new challenges.

Community is powerful, and together, we can go so much further. Record feedback in the space provided below.

“God’s splendor is a tale that is told, written in the stars. Space itself speaks his story through the marvels of the heavens. His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky, showing his skill in creation’s craftsmanship. Each day gushes out its message to the next, night by night whispering its knowledge to all — without a sound, without a word, without a voice being heard, yet all the world can hear its echo.”

Psalm 19:1-4 TPT

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M A R K E T I N G A N D M OT I VAT I O N the activity and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. // American Marketing Association You have a product to sell and a message to share - now the question is, how do you increase your reach? By using helpful tools to amplify your brand, you’ll be able to reach a larger market. But in the process of extending your company to others, I would like to challenge you to check your motives.

Promotion is an element of marketing, but as entrepreneurs who are also operating in ministry, our main goal is so much greater than simply expanding our customer number and bottom line. If our sole focus on promotion is to increase our earnings without a greater scope and understanding of the stakes at hand, we’ve actually missed an impactful opportunity to serve our audience.

The kingdom of God is an upside-down reality that stands in stark contrast to how the world operates. His kingdom is all about going lower to have a higher vantage point and serving others when the world tells us to build our own empire. So the real question is, what is it that you’re hoping to promote? Are you promoting for your own gain, or do you see a bigger picture at play? There is a priceless opportunity to speak into the lives of our audience that far surpasses the “success” the world defines and chases. In the upside-down kingdom, success has a different taste. When we partner with what God is doing, we get to play an active role in the greater picture of bringing heaven to earth.

Notice how in the American Marketing Association’s definition of marketing is based around the value an offering has to the customer. What we place value on grows. There is no shortage of people thirsty for what God has to offer. A successful marketer will work on clear communication about the value the product has while simultaneously building trust and faith in the organization or person.

We’ll be discovering five key elements of brand promotion in this chapter including: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Influence marketing Relational marketing Viral marketing Event-based marketing Social media marketing And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.

So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

Matthew 10:30-31 NLT

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How do you increase awareness of your product?

Once you have made your product and identified who needs it, the next challenge will be increasing awareness of the product and your audience’s belief in it’s potential to have a positive impact in their life. There are a variety of ways to build faith in your product including testimonies, money-back guarantees, strategic partnerships, and accredited organizations.

It is worth noting that when Google was first deciding how to rank businesses on their search criteria, they agreed that the number one way to correctly prioritize businesses was directly related to their credibility in connection with other reputable organizations. Google’s algorithm to this day remains largely based on how many credible organizations are connected to your business. All websites are ranked by alexa.com with government and institutional organizations ranking at the highest. This means that when a government-run website places a link to your website, you would begin to be ranked higher and found more easily. The level of value placed on your business by outside sources will affect the number and volume of sales you receive. So let’s explore various ways to increase the value placed on your business.

First, let’s explore our own belief in our product and potential. It’s important to come into agreement with what God has spoken, so take a moment to have an honest internal look at the questions below.

Why do you believe in the product you are creating?

What is the potential positive impact that your product or business might have on someone’s life?

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Why do you believe in your ability to be used by God? What skills and giftings do you have?

Why do you believe in the grace of God that He would use someone like you?

These are all contributing factors that will affect the longevity and success of your business. So I encourage you to write your answers in this book and in your journal, and pray about them often. Seek God’s heart and allow Him, and others, to encourage you as you create.

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Influencer marketing someone (or something) with the power to affect the buying habits or quantifiable actions of others

Influencer marketing focuses on leveraging individuals who have influence over potential buyers and orienting marketing activities around these individuals to drive a brand message to the larger market. In influencer marketing, rather than marketing directly to a large group of consumers, a brand inspires or compensates influencers (including celebrities, content creators, customer advocates, and employees) to get the word out on their behalf.

Practically speaking, this means forming strategic partnerships with people who already have a larger platform to communicate with others and ideally have credibility with their audience. The most common way to achieve this is to send influencers care packages at no cost with a card directing them to your Instagram site, with an understanding that they will wear the product and tag you in their image. This can take perseverance and there is the obvious price of paying for the cost of the product and the shipping each time. Communication is key here. Be sure to have an open line of communication with potential and current brand influencers about expectations.

Instagram influencers are on the rise. Depending on who you’re working with, many influencers have a very strict and often expensive cost to promote your product. Consider having an open call on your Instagram for anyone hoping to become your brand ambassador or rep. This is a simple way to get your product out there at no extra cost of hiring professional “influencers”, but instead, focuses on using genuine, authentic, and organic followers that will have the greatest impact on building your own organic audience. I personally have never used a paid partnership and have only used organic followers to help promote my brand through pictures and IG posts. I’ve found this to be my preferred method because it involves a genuine relationship that works best for my personal small business.

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Relational marketing concerning the way in which two or more people or things are connected.

Relational marketing refers to strategies and tactics for segmenting consumers to build loyalty.

Relational marketing leverages database marketing, behavioral advertising, and analytics to target consumers precisely and create loyalty programs. These days all of our data is captured particularly through social media. You can run campaigns that target any demographic, beliefs, region. This method has proven successful for many, but it can get expensive and does take a level of expertise to master.

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Viral marketing something that spreads quickly and widely across its audience Viral marketing is a marketing phenomenon that encourages and facilitates the rapid spread of a marketing message through the general audience. Nicknamed “viral” because the number of people exposed to a message mimics the process of passing a virus or disease from one person to another.

Viral marketing is powerful and exciting, however, it is notoriously hard to manufacture. It is an oftenorganic phenomenon occurring within the online ecosystem, and is therefore difficult to predict and manage. One possible approach is to be topical for your region and get involved in what matters to the local community. There are focus groups for every subject on Facebook and a genuine passion to support the community often ends up creating additional exposure to your business.

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Event-based marketing a thing that happens, especially one of importance; a planned public or social occasion When we first started Little Fruit Tree, we attended craft fairs, art shows, and exhibitions to get brand exposure. It was our first experience landing sales and interacting with real-life clients. Event-based marketing can be a helpful tool that allows you to experience in-person sales and build a relationship with your audience. This is an invaluable asset in understanding your niche market, how your product is helpful, and if you need to make any adjustments to better suit your audience.

This experience played a major role in helping me better understand who my business was, how it related to others, and how I needed to make tweaks along the way to improve. However, during these early days, I put a great deal of my attention into in-person events and neglected the online side of my business. In hindsight, we could have optimized much more successfully if we were able to hone-in on our returning audience with a more established online presence.

The key to in-person events is to establish an audience that loves returning back. Marketing experts scale businesses into large organizations by analyzing the data on repeat customers. The experts analyze the cost of acquiring new customers and the profit that you actually make in the lifespan of your business.

For example, let’s look at the figures of a repeat customer with the following data: •

Cost to acquire new customer: $5 (this number is decided by the market price tag)

•

Average spending of new customer: $16

•

Future repeat orders: $50

As you can see, the initial cost to acquire your customer is well worth the expense when you consider that this customer has become a faithful repeat buyer. In the art of growing a successful business, you’re aiming to lower the cost of acquiring new customers while increasing the number of times they want to return to purchase from you. This is the benefit to the art of developing a loyal following.

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Social media marketing technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through the building of virtual networks and communities Social media is a major element of marketing and communication that can help spread your company’s awareness and help grow your audience’s trust. Social media is free marketing (with the option to boost with paid advertisement) that can reach a vast audience. Some of the most popular social media platforms include Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, Tik Tok, Twitter, and Snapchat, but there are various vlogging and blogging platforms, and countless other platforms to choose from. Your engagement on social media is vital to the growth of your business/nonprofit/product. Social media shows the face behind the business/organization and can be used to not only spread content and build trust, but it also is an important aspect of building your SEO legitimacy.

Social media is a medium used to create a connection between you and your audience. It can be harnessed to serve your audience in a relevant way as you’ll be sharing content and establishing a relationship with others. It can be used as a real-time flow of your business/organization with relevant updates, news, and behind the scene content to help build customer/audience trust. Harnessing social media as a part of your marketing strategy aids in: •

Keeping your audience updated with real time news

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Allowing your audience a front seat view behind the scenes

• • • •

Creating space for audience feedback

Boosting your audience’s trust in you when they see the face behind the brand

Better serving the needs of your audience through person-to-person interaction Providing a space that not only offers a product but provides a community

Your social media platforms should be more than a clickable post to your product. They should be seen as a window into the world of your audience’s life. Social media can be used to raise awareness of new offerings/products you’re serving, but it should focus more on the message behind the company, so keep your WHY in mind with every post you share on your social media. Before clicking “share”, ask yourself, does this post support my message? If the content you’re about to share doesn’t serve your audience well, you may want to reconsider clicking “send”.

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Serving your audience through social media There are countless creative ways to show up powerfully and authentically for your audience. Brainstorm some ideas that you could share via social media that would provide them relevant, helpful, creative, or practical solutions. For example, if you’re a calligrapher, consider posting content that is not only just your latest creation, but create additional content by sharing a HOW-TO video to teach others the tips and tricks to creating a thoughtfully-crafted piece of their own.

Take the spaces provided below to brainstorm some ideas of content you can share with your audience that would serve them. How can you show up for them? What sort of content would be relevant, helpful, or entertaining that would serve them well?

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PR E S S I N G O N // W E E K S I X If you haven’t already, set up an Instagram account for your business. Brainstorm some ideas about the next five posts that you’re going to share on this account. Keep in mind, this is an opportunity to share content that touches on more than simply what you are creating; it’s a chance to share information that opens a window to others into who you are, who your business is, and why you’re there to serve them. Your IG content should be engaging and also include some sort of an audience “response”. Ask them a question, get them involved, actively invest in who they are, and be interested in their lives. Genuine interaction and response to your audience’s comments plays an important role in establishing a relationship with your audience to build a faithful customer in the future. You can use the template below to help you plan your next 5 posts or create your own.

POST 1: INTRODUCTION CONTENT: Introduce yourself – who you are, where you come from, etc.

PHOTO: A picture of you behind the scenes.

POST 2: BRAND INTRODUCTION CONTENT: Who is your business? Why are you doing what you’re doing?

PHOTO: Include a photo of your product.

POST 3: WHAT INSPIRES YOU CONTENT: Why did you start your business? What inspires you to create?

PHOTO: Stylized photo of your offering “in the wild”, being used as it was intended.

POST 4: HELPFUL TIPS CONTENT: Include content that is relative and serves your audience. This will be unique to your company. (Examples: Three ways to style your t-shirt, a how-to clip, step-by-step guide to cartoon illustrations, best tips for pottery, storytime video, etc) PHOTO/VIDEO: Capture an image/video of your serving content.

POST 5: BEHIND THE SCENES CONTENT: Show your workspace. Offer your audience a window into your life.

PHOTO: Workspace or picture of the process.

BONUS CONTENT: Incorporate stories or reels into your feed. Statistically, more people are likely to watch your story than see/interact with your post (though both stories and posts are important in developing your IG presence.)

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seven communicating care and value

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PL ACI N G VA LU E “And He said to them, ‘Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’” Luke 2:49 I think one of the greatest potentials of a business is its ability to place value on people. If we miss the point of caring, we’ve missed everything.

If ever we need a pure and perfect example of how to conduct our lives, looking to Jesus will always point us in the direction of heaven. Jesus dwelt on earth, sent as a man to walk among us, to share with others about the reality of the kingdom of God. He was about His Father’s business, and His Father’s business was all about people; reaching out to people, bringing mercy and healing and redemption, all to reveal the kingdom that is present and yet to come. If Jesus is all about the Father’s business, then we too, should be all about the Father’s business. At its very core, business is the organized effort of a gathered people for a particular purpose. Business is people.

Our greatest calling as business owners is to place value on people just as our Father does. When we place value on others, we are actively participating in God’s plan for humanity: to draw others towards Him so that they know their importance and significance to a heavenly Father who sees in fullness.

We’re aiming to be catalysts for positive change in the lives of our audience. We’re called to love and create transformation that has the capacity to change the trajectory of someone’s life. No matter what your product or offering is, you are called to place value on others so that they too can respond by placing value on the world around them. This is a beautiful cycle of God’s intention for love: that we would find transformation which compels us to actively participate in God’s love story.

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus had to pass through Jericho. There lived a very wealthy man named Zacchaeus, who supervised all the tax collectors. He was very eager to see Jesus and kept trying to get a look at him through the massive crowd. Since Zacchaeus was a short man and couldn’t see over the heads of the people, he ran on ahead of everyone and climbed up a blossoming fig tree to get a glimpse of Jesus as he passed by.

When Jesus got to that place, he looked up into the tree and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry on down, for I must stay at your house today!” So he scurried down the tree and found himself face-to-face with Jesus.

As Jesus left to go with Zacchaeus, many in the crowd complained, “Look at this! Of all the people to have dinner with, he’s going to eat in the house of a crook.”

Zacchaeus was amazed over his gracious visit to his home and joyously welcomed Jesus. Zacchaeus stood in front of the Lord and said, “Half of all that I own I will give to the poor. And Lord, if I have cheated anyone, I promise to pay them back four times as much as I stole.”

Jesus said to him, “ Your repentance shows that today life has come to you and your household, and that you are a true son of Abraham. The Son of Man has come to seek out and to give life to those who are lost.”

Luke 19:1-9 TPT

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Can you think of a time when value was placed on you? What was it in this moment that made you feel most special? Write down as many details as you remember — how you felt, what was said — as many sensory details as you can.

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Now think about your own story. Whatever your life’s narrative has been, God’s redemptive story meets us in our place of darkness or challenge and brings restoration. His story of renewal is not only for the sake of our own freedom but for the purpose of bringing freedom to others. The story of redemption is all about bringing an awareness of the value God placed on humanity. With your personal story in mind, how might God be calling you to place value on others? What sort of challenges and triumphs has He brought you through that you can lead the way for others to experience as well?

It is in this cycle that we all are joined in God’s tapestry of the greater story of redemption on earth.

You are empowered to make thoughtful, intentional decisions in every sphere of your business. In this chapter, we’ll discover the different aspects allowing us to communicate the power of reinforcing value and care through your own brand. Let’s work through a list of four different categories and brainstorm how we can communicate care and value to our audience through each element.

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2.

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Customer care Quality and excellence Presentation and packaging Community

C U S TO M E R S E RV I CE The way you talk to others is clear reflection of the value you are placing on them. The main goal of customer care is to ensure that your audience feels that you value their perspective and are working towards creating a solution when any sort of obstacle arises. You will want to establish in your own mind how you plan to interact with your audience in customer service situations. Determine in your heart now that you will always choose kindness and empathy rather than defensiveness. A customer will feel supported when you approach them with kindness and concern rather than a million excuses.

It’s easy to start feeling personally attacked when this sort of situation arises, but at the end of the day, you are there to support them. You are empowered to be a problem-solver. If you aren’t able to write back an email with kindness, then take a breath and wait until you can respond without a personal reaction rooted in defensiveness. Seek to understand, not just to be understood.

It’s easy to be kind to someone else who is kind to you, but what happens when you are faced with a more challenging customer? How easy is it to be caring and compassionate towards someone who may be taking out their frustration on you? The tricky and important aspect of customer service is to ensure that you are present to be a helper, rooted in peace and kindness.

With people at the forefront of your priorities, the way you speak and treat your customers is a direct picture of the true success of your business. How well are you loving them? Are you embracing your customers? Are you pushing them away? Do you actively draw them in? The objective of thoughtful customer care is to support your clients so that they can leave better than when they arrived. If a customer gets aggressively personal, you will still stand your ground, but it should always be rooted in kindness.

Brainstorm some ideas of how you can communicate care and value in your customer service. When you interact with a customer who needs extra help and support over a concern of theirs, how will you approach it? What challenges can you see yourself experiencing with difficult customers? List any helpful ideas that you can refer back to. After you write these ideas down, we’ll have a custom care re-enactment to practice putting these concepts to practical use.

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” James 1:19-20

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Quality and excellence The care you put into the quality of your product or service communicates value for both the product as well as the customer experiencing your product. When you put time into the details, connecting every detail to making your product the best that you can, you’re determining that your customer is worthy of your very best effort. Even with the most seemingly trivial details, excellence brings an incomparable level of thoughtfulness that serves your audience. As a small business owner, this is one of the richest tools you have in your belt that sets you apart from larger corporations. It allows for a genuine connection between the customer and creator as you make your product with your specific customer in mind.

The physical product or service you’re offering through your company will also be enriched when you value it for more than its face value. You’re not just providing items to be purchased, you’re providing a memento of hope, of freedom, of joy, and of however you hope to impact your customer. You’re offering an experience, an heirloom, a memory to someone. So when you’re making decisions about the production and materials needed to create your product, keep this in mind. The quality of your item will be determined by what value you place on it, and what value you intend your audience to place on it as well.

You can apply the rule of excellence and quality to every aspect of your business. The thoughtfulness behind your branding decisions, your attention towards the needs of your niche market, the details of production, your marketing strategy, your packaging elements, all of these will be enhanced when you approach them with mindful decisions. Don’t confuse the importance of excellence with the trap of perfection. Excellence is tuning into details to deliver your best work, while perfection is an unattainable ideal that can paralyze you from moving forward. Your goal isn’t to set yourself up for failure, it is to establish your intent and create an achievable plan that results with something that you’re excited for your customer to experience.

Brainstorm areas in which you can run your small business with excellence, placing value on what you create as well as the people who you’re creating for. This may be challenging if you’re a big picture thinker, but details are vital to building a strong foundation. How will you put your best effort forward?

“Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others. For we know that we will receive a reward, an inheritance from the Lord, as we serve the Lord Yahweh, the Anointed One!“ Colossians 3:23-24 TPT

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Presentation and packaging The first impression of your company will be determined by the way you show up. There are endless ways you can present your company - boldly, minimally, organically, humorously - but the key is to stay consistent. Think back to your business as a person. How do they dress for a casual lunch? What’s the timbre of their voice? How do they play? How do they introduce themself to strangers? Are they confident, timid? There is a unique nature to how they present themself, and every aspect of their presentation works in synergy to determine who they are and how we relate to them. Our business works similarly. Whichever angle you choose to express yourself, the way in which your business interacts with your audience should communicate care and value to others. This will be actualized through your brand, language, attitude, and customer connection.

We’ve addressed the importance of thoughtful packaging in relation to branding, but the physical approach of packaging is just as important as the aesthetic. Your packaging elements should not only communicate who you are as a brand, but they should ensure your item arrives at its new home safely.

Let me break down my own packaging for Little Fruit Tree. My main factors in choosing packaging include: • • •

• • •

A “product care” card: This ensures my customer gets the best use of their product and that it maintains its quality. This communicates that I want them to get the most use of their product with longevity.

Contact information: I provide a way they can easily reach me in case they have any issues or questions that I can help with. This communicates that I care about their experience and am happy to chat if they have any concerns.

Clear cello bag: While this may be controversial to the more eco-focused, I personally find great importance in this extra level of protection of the product. Unfortunately, I’ve received broken/ dirty items in the mail because the package was punctured during transit. This cello bag adds an extra level of material between the poly mailer and the product itself. Eco-friendly options are certainly available, but for the price point and protection level, this works well for me. This small packaging choice communicates that I care that my customer receives their item in the best condition.

Eco-friendly air pillows/bubble wrap: I only use these when I’m sending breakable products like my mugs. This is an extra level of protection to ensure the product arrives in the safest way. This communicates care and value on the product and the customer who has paid for it.

Personalized gift messages: For customers who are sending a gift directly to their loved one, I offer the option for them to leave a personal note. This is a small but thoughtful extra touch.

Gift wrapping: For a small additional fee, I offer gift wrapping for customers who have purchased a gift. The gift wrapping I choose is a high-quality fabric wrap that ships well without the risk of tearing that normal paper presents. Pillows, for example, are much trickier to wrap with paper because that material doesn’t mix well with the soft material of the stuffing/filling. This is a small but intentional decision I make to ensure that my customers feel valued when they receive their product safely and soundly.

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Think about your product’s presentation and packaging. Keep the materials of your items in mind and jot down any ideas you have about helpful packaging that would ensure a safe delivery for your product. Do you need small cardboard boxes? Bubble wrap? Tissue paper? Muslin bags? Write down any ways in which you can prioritize care in this area.

“Remember to stay alert and hold firmly to all that you believe. Be mighty and full of courage. Let love and kindness be the motivation behind all that you do.“ 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 TPT

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Community One of the greatest tools we can use to spread our message of care is through thoughtful marketing that seeks to serve. Marketing is so much more than an opportunity to promote yourself. It allows you to spread your message and reach your niche market with helpful, relatable content that meets them where they’re at. When you approach your marketing strategy, I challenge you to put one simple question at the forefront of your mind: How can I serve my audience well? A company that invests in their customers builds more than a portfolio of consumers, they’re growing a community built on unity and trust. When you actively posture yourself to serve your audience, you communicate care and value over your own monetary success.

Social media allows you to create a space in which your community can connect with you, connect with one another, and find true relationships. Use your social media platform to support one another, to bravely show up, to celebrate each other’s stories, to be present. Take advantage of this online space to not only share the deeper truths behind your WHY, but also to draw in and invite others who can identify with your message. Ask them questions, get them involved, actively connect, and become a consistent voice in their thread that shows up, knowing that they, too, can show up just as they are.

Use the space below to brainstorm ideas of how you can actively build a community through your social media and other marketing tactics. What sort of genuine connections can you make? What sort of helpful serving-based content can you share with them? (Examples: 5 ways to style your basic tee, a video about practical organization tips, free coloring pages to print at home, etc.) Think outside of the box and — keeping your message behind your business as a leading point — brainstorm ideas that would help your audience. Whatever your personal company is, you have the opportunity to reach others with relevant information that will serve them, place value on them, and this will encourage them to keep tuning in. Social media is more than an opportunity to show off your offering, it’s an opportunity to create a bond with others and become a valuable voice in their feed and day-to-day life. List your content ideas in the space below.

“Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love.” Hebrews 10:24 TPT

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Can you think of any moments in which you felt valued by a company? Some examples could include an employee who went above and beyond to help, walking through a holiday wonderland while shopping at a decked-out boutique, a personal note written to you tucked inside your delivered package, a newsletter from your favorite brand, etc. Reflect on ways you’ve felt important to a company through some sort of interaction or moment in which you felt that you truly mattered to them. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................

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• How might you emulate this in your .......................................................................................................... own company? Be specific and creative. ..........................................................................................................

• How can you seek .......................................................................................................... to make sure your audience feels that they .......................................................................................................... matter to you? ..........................................................................................................

• List three reasons why the people you are .......................................................................................................... hoping to serve matter to you. .......................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................................................

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In all that you do, you have the opportunity to serve and love those in the sphere of influence God placed in your life. Never underestimate the power of a loving heart. God has equipped you with everything you need to reach others and draw them into his loving arms. Your small business is an opportunity to extend the power of the kingdom of God to bring hope, love, joy, peace, and goodness as you invite heaven unto earth. Small business is an expansion of what God has done in and through you so that you, too, can encourage and champion others. The ultimate picture of value is lining up with who God says you are and walking into all that He’s called you to.

“Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me”. Matthew 24:40 MSG “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

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PR E S S I N G O N // W E E K S E V E N Vendor Product SKU Document

As you begin growing your business, your portfolio of materials and expenses you use daily will increase. It can become hard to stay organized with all of the different websites you use to order your business inventory and expenses. We’ll be implementing a system to keep track of everything so that you have a handy document to refer to that includes all of your vendor product information.

This week’s challenge is to create a Google doc or spreadsheet with every item you use for your business and order fulfillment. This will be different for everyone depending on your products, but some examples of outside vendor items would include your stationery provider, packaging, blank shirts for printing, etc. This document is also a good way to make note of the product SKU (stock keeping unit), the unique number given to a product to help identify it, and of the materials/items you purchase for your business. Every item you purchase will have an SKU (stock keeping unit) number that identifies what the product is. The product SKU for every item you purchase will be included in the product description or title. Creating a one-page document of each item needed to complete an order is a helpful system to implement especially with reordering. You may also want to consider including clickable links to products or costs of each item if that’s helpful. I’ve included an excerpt from my personal business’ vendor product SKU document as an example to refer to.

When it’s time for me to reorder materials to fulfill my company’s orders, I hop on the website I’m ordering from and refer to this spreadsheet for the items I need. I then copy and paste the SKU in the search box for the website and can easily add it to my chart. Creating small but useful systems like this will help your organization and its ability to add to your portfolio. The more systems you have in place, the quicker your company can move forward and grow. Use the space below to jot down some ideas.

“Now it’s up to you. Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people—God’s people they are—to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for.” Acts 20:28 MSG

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VENDOR PRODUCT SKU kidsblanks.com polyester short sleeve onesie - LG4200W polyester long sleeve onesie - LG4100W cotton short sleeve onesie - LG2200W cotton long sleeve - LG2100W 65/35 poly/cotton oatmeal short sleeve onesie - LG3201O 65/35 poly/cotton baby gown - LG3800W polyester short sleeve toddler tee - LG4556W 65/35 poly/cotton oatmeal short sleeve toddler tee - LG3556O cotton short sleeve toddler tee - LG2556W cotton long sleeve toddler tee - LG2586W 65/35 poly/cotton blanket - LG3412W tscapparel.com Bella+Canvas Unisex White Short Sleeve Cotton - 0030BC Bella+Canvas Unisex Triblend Oatmeal - 3413BC Bella+Canvas Unisex Cotton Ash - 3001BC Bella+Canvas Off Shoulder Triblend White Fleck (appears gray) - 8816BC Bella+Canvas Unisex Triblend White Fleck (appears gray) - 3413bc Tultex Unisex Sweatshirt (white) - 0340tc vistaprint.com (Account # 5328-8811-3410) Current Stationery Apricot Postcard (Identification #: 398X7-V5A89-8C4) Apricot Business Card (Identification #: 0GFX7-V5A33-7K1 ) coastalbusiness.com 11 oz Mug - SKU21108G 15 oz Mug - SKU21508G 11 oz mug box with foam - SKU93626-G 15 oz mug box with foam - SKU94626-G Ink for Epson Surecolor F6200 - SKUT74-C Ink for Epson Surecolor F2100 - SKUT725-C

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Heat press cover sheet - skusilicone-g Sublimation Transfer Paper Roll usps.com Priority Mail Shoe Box - SKU 0_SHOEBOX_X Priorty Mail Box - 4 (7x7x6) - SKU O_BOX4X Priority Mail Regional Rate A Box - SKY RRB_A1X Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope - SKU EP14FI walmart.com Poly Fil 10 pound box - # 4453384 plush labels “lft labels” https://wunderlabel.com/order-status/ Infantblanks.com White Interlock Hooded Sweat Shirt - 417W

Life is for service. // Fred Rogers

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CR E AT I V I T Y A N D OW N E R S H I P Strive not to be a succes, but rather to be of service. // Abert Einstein The most unique part of your business is you — you are the engine of creativity, forming the designs you come up with, breathing new life into everything you make.

Sometimes people become concerned with the need to protect themselves from imitators. The good news is that Federal law protects you from someone commercially copying your business ideas, but unfortunately, it’s virtually impossible to implement legal protection against anything that is somewhat generic. Rather than worrying about protecting your designs or ideas, focus first on proving that there is value in what you are creating.

Over the years, I’ve had many small and several larger organizations copy my designs and even steal my photography as their own for marketing — but I’m ultimately encouraged that they can only imitate. My first response was frustration, but after research and very little ability to actually defend a case, I now take it as a compliment and that I’m doing a decent enough job that people imitate my work. There is a time and place to get professionals involved if the situation should arrive, but it’s most important to stay focused on making the best products you can rather than focusing on matters outside of your control.

As an entrepreneur, you become a sole proprietor the moment you start selling your products. With regards to filing tax returns, whatever you make will be added to your personal income that you report to the IRS at the end of the year.

Benefits of being a sole proprietor include:

Disadvantages to sole proprietorship:

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•

•

Full decision-making authority

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Free to start (Other fees apply, but you won’t pay the $1000 average cost of starting an LLC)

Personal assets are at risk

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Business bankruptcy means personal bankruptcy

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Simpler tax filing

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Balance sheets not required by the IRS

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Easy to set up (no state registry necessary)

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Lower tax rates

Full control over revenue

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Increased personal liability for lawsuits

Difficulty raising capital Self-employment tax

Many banks require businesses to incorporate before they’ll lend money Perceived lack of professionalism

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Reseller’s license There are a number of licenses you might consider applying for. The reseller’s license in California indicates that you are going to be selling the products as retail, therefore the wholesaler should not charge you sales tax on products you purchase for the resale.

Seller‘s Permit A seller’s permit in California is required when selling products through retail markets which means you need to apply via the https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/ website. This indicates that you will withhold sales tax to be filed directly with them monthly, quarterly, or annual depending on what you prefer. Any bookkeeper can help you with this process.

Business License You are expected to register your business and obtain a business license from your local district. The SBA.com is an excellent website (if you are based in Southern California) to support all your needs as you register and comply with local laws. If you are outside this area, you can contact your local municipality who will be able to guide you to a local resource to support any needs you have. My advice is to connect with your local authorities to make sure you’re complying with their requirements.

There’s no need to be intimidated, this is new for everyone in the beginning and the professionals are there to help and offer guidance.

Registering a Business Name As a small business, your business name will automatically default to your name, however, if you want to operate under a different name you will need to register a fictitious business name which is called a DBA (Doing Business As). Again your local county headquarters can help you with this.

Other things to consider as you begin to operate your business are:

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If you have other people with an interest in partnering with your company, you will need to set up a partnership agreement.

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If you want to limit your liability, you should consider taking out insurance with a business broker.

Every industry is different but if you are crafting and creating things, it tends to be a reasonable amount. This is particularly important if you have a lot of assets that you want to protect.

•

If you want to employ people on payroll, you will need to register for an EIN which is a number for the government to track how much you are paying employees etc. Anyone you are paying over $650 a year will require a W4 and a 1099 to be filed. If you are paying people through PayPal, Paypal can do that for you automatically.

Financial management Most creative people start to sweat when you start talking about filings and recording numbers in systems. The creative mind is not often naturally logical and ordered, so don’t worry if you don’t consider yourself a systematic person. There are other people that love organizing and creating systems to bring order and peace. I’ll be going through this chapter’s financial content in a very simplistic way with the most important factors to consider. Finance can be a very involved world that feels overwhelming for those of us just starting out or unfamiliar with the information. But the important truth to keep in mind is that you can always turn to the professionals for advice in your own business to establish a credible plan and system.

Tax law, forming contracts, and the legal implications of reporting our accounts is not my field of expertise, but even I have learned that it doesn’t have to be something that intimidates me. All I remember is that I have nothing to hide and I just need to work through things in a simple and practical way. I hope these simple rules help.

Rule 1: You must start keeping all receipts.

Any time you purchase something for your business, save the receipt/invoice, and be sure to include the date. These receipts will be tax-deductible. You can save your receipts as physical items (which I prefer) or save them digitally. A few apps you can download to save your receipts are: • Freshbooks • Expensify • Abukai • Smart Receipts • Receipts by Wave • Genius Scan Rule 2: How much comes in - how much goes out = what is taxable.

You are going to be taxed according to the profit you make. To figure out how much tax you’ll pay its best to use a tax calculator like: https://smartasset.com/taxes/california-tax-calculator.

Purchases made as direct business expenses (paper, machinery, tools to make your product, etc) are claimable. For example, products for the business bathroom are claimable but for your personal bathroom are not claimable. The IRS does not approve too much entertainment happening in your business, food, shopping, etc, but you might need to network with other people and buy gifts for them.

We would recommend you read up on this subject because many people are not claiming the receipts that they should be applying to their business. The IRS asks for you to have a record of your expenses for up to six years. We can train you in simple ways to reconcile your expenses versus your revenue, but as a rule of thumb, if your goal is immediate provision, do not be too worried about the business having high expenses. However, if your goal is rapid financial valuation, you should be working to restrict spending to a minimum and amplify revenue as fast as possible. Depending on the industry, most businesses are valued at 2.0-6.00 of their EBIT (Earnings before Interest and Tax,) therefore if you don’t take a salary and declare $50,000 taxable income in your first year you would have created a company between $100,000,-$300,000 if sold. It all depends on what your goals are.

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Rule 3: Spend a small amount of time learning a bookkeeping system (eg., Quickbooks).

This will save you so much time and effort in the long run. Quickbooks entrepreneur is $12 per month and plugs into platforms like Etsy and Shopify.

Other options: We have always found that paying an accountant to file for us is time and money well spent. We must be able to explain our actions with honesty and transparency to a third party should that situation arise. With a little research, managing the finances of your business can become less overwhelming and more empowering. Developing simple systems can become a huge blessing and help you improve your strategy as you grow and choose where to invest your money. There are quite a few different ways to register businesses, this process is the simplest one to start with. LLC’s are more expensive to manage and have more requirements, but they are better if you are raising outside funds from investors. If you are looking for a more specialized approach and have something with a startup investment of over $100,000, you may want to consider one of these alternatives.

RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESS PHOTO & DESIGN APPS •

Colorstory

•

VSCO

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Canva

•

Over

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Feed Preview

•

Lightroom

•

Filmm

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Life Lapse

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Template

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Spark Post

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InShot

• • •

PS Express A Design Kit SketchBook

SOCIAL MEDIA APPS • Pinterest • Instagram • Youtube • Facebook

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PRODUCTIVITY APPS • Podcasts • Pages • Files • Keynote • Good Calendar • Venmo • Acorns • Dropbox • WhatsApp • Hangouts • Slack • Zoom • Asana • Evernote • Plann • Tailwind LEGAL RESOURCES • https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/ (California) • www.legalzoom.com • Irs.gov (Apply for EIN)

PACKAGING & STATIONERY COMPANIES • Moo • Vistaprint • Printful • CafePress • Mimeo • Amazon • Uline • 4 Imprint • upaknship.com BLANK SHIRTS FOR WHOLESALE (some require a registered EIN/ Tax ID to register) • TSC Apparel • Bulkapparel.com • BlankStyle.com • Direct Apparel Wholesale • Royal Apparel • Rush Order Tees

DYE SUBLIMATION BLANKS, MACHINERY & RESOURCES • Heat Press Nation • Coastal Business • Best Blanks • US Cutter • Dye Trans • Sublimation 101 • Conde • Discount Mugs FREELANCE HIRES • Indeed • Upwork • Freelancer • Fiverr • Flex Jobs • SEO help resources • Semrush.com • Raventools.com • Wordtracker.com SEO RESOURCES • Semrush.com • Raventools.com • Wordtracker.com • Free, beautiful stock images • Unsplash.com • Pexels.com • Pixababy.com • Magdeleine.co BEAUTIFUL STOCK IMAGES (FREE) • Unsplash.com • Pexels.com • Pixababy.com • Magdeleine.co

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My prayer for you is that these weekly lessons have and will continue to empower you with all the tools necessary to step forward in the endeavor God is drawing you into. Find comfort and peace in His presence as He leads you, directs your steps, and pours inspiration into of you to spread to others.

God is calling you to be a unique part of His story of redemption on earth. No matter how great or how small you think your role may be, I believe He has a unique destiny and plan for your life that will be expressed through your small business. I bless you to take risks, to hone in on His wisdom, and to boldly answer the call which He speaks over you. You, and only you, have the intricate details He’s decided to use for His glory. You don’t need to be perfect, and you don’t need to always get it right — you simply need a willing heart that seeks Him in all things.

I am so excited to see what God births through you and in you as you step out in faith. I am rooting you on, fully believing that He who begins a good work will bring it to completion. I’m praying for you and this beautiful journey God is calling you into. I pray that you find the ebb and flow of the rhythm of grace through it all, that you would flourish in all you put your hand towards. Blessings friend. It’s going to be a beautiful, wild adventure.

Kate xo

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