the magazine dedicated to greeting card publishing and entrepreneurship
Gypsy Chic
magazine Issue 5 - 2016
BELFAST FOCUS
HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY My E-SPARK Journey
RETAILER SPOTLIGHT ON THE WICKERMAN
BRAND BUILDING BLOCKS
GYPSY CHIC QUOTES
atherine C , li e le K e in r e ws with Cath Inside!!! Intervie ds Ar t .... ir b y ll o D d n a is Charlotte Ell
Pain,
P.10
CONTENTS 3
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
4
THE HATCHING CHICKLET!
6
INTERVIEW WITH...CATHERINE KLEELI
9
GYPSY CHIC QUOTES
P.14
10 INTERVIEW WITH...THE WICKERMAN 13 BRAND BUILDING BLOCKS/BOOK NOOK 14 INTERVIEW WITH...CHARLOTTE ELLIS 17 EARN YOUR STRIPES 18 INTERVIEW WITH...DOLLYBIRDS ART 21 ARE YOU PROFILE PRETTY?
P.18
22 INTERVIEW WITH...CATHERINE PAIN
P.6
25 VIDEO TYPES 26 YOUTUBE
P.22 2
LET T E R f
rom the Editor
W
hat a whirlwind of a month February has been. Joining the E-spark programme in the Belfast Hatchery has been nothing short of lifechanging. Meeting 80 new businesses, learning about what each other do, and pitching en masse in front of total strangers, has helped us bond - there is real momentum in the group. Knowing that our time won’t last for ever, we’ve already started to gather each other’s contact details, formed groups on Twitter and Facebook, knowing only
too well that we can’t stay here forever. Once we have flown the nest in August we will have to forge ahead on our own, all the stronger for having had this shared experience. But for now, we all plan on making the very most of the remaining 5 months, despite knowing that much of it will not all be plain sailing, and that we will all face the Piranha Pit where we will have our business ideas torn to shreds, and our assumptions called into question. We expect to feel discombobulated by the end. My involvement on this accelerator has prevented me from getting Issue 5 out on time – late by a fornight. But I hope you will overlook this. As you know life just gets in the way sometimes. Thanks again to Sharon, my graphic designer who helps me on a daily basis to make things look beautiful and to pull together the contents of this e-zine amongst other things. Special thanks also to my contributors this month – the 3 C’s : Catherine Kleeli, Catherine Pain, and Charlotte Ellis of Charlotte Elizabeth who all share their journey in this incredible industry. Belfast is my focus for this issue with a contribution from The Wickerman, a lovely Celtic themed gift and craft shop near my office in Lombard Street, and a feature on Dollybirds Art, owned by Eimear Maquire. I hope you enjoy reading all about them. Wishing you a happy St Patrick’s Day, and a shamrock filled month!
Lorraine www.lorrainestylianou.com
3
THE HATCHING CHICKLET!
H
aving completed my fourth week on the E-Spark business accelerator I am better placed to see what has been a bit of a personal whirlwind more objectively, which in turn allows me to write a few words about my experiences to date. I saw the E-spark programme, a free business accelerator, advertised in November 15 via a flashy advertisement on Facebook. This world’s largest business incubator is available to entrepreneurs at all stages at various locations around the UK, and India. Belfast happened to be my local “hatchery” - the name given to the space “chicklets” or new startup businesses occupy. The free office space is provided by the Royal Bank of Scotland, or it’s offshoot in N.Ireland, the Ulster Bank. The whole concept is the brain child of Jim Duffy, who started the idea in Glasgow, with the backing of leading entrepreneurs. Jim, an ex-police officer, went to Business school after leaving his job and is passionate about changing the culture of the UK, and elsewhere through entrepreneurship. Having successfully registered, I waited for an email from the E-Spark team indicating a range of appointment dates. With Christmas looming, and knowing my annual tax affairs needed finalising, I certainly
wasn’t going to choose a December interview if a later one in January was on offer. So that is what I did – booked the last possible option of January 14th. This gave me more time to get my own domestic chaos in order and think about what I was going to say in my 60 second pitch. It also gave me time to research, and draft, my value proposition, and vision for my business. The great thing about networking in a small city like Belfast is that I met at least four other people who had already applied and attended interview. Sadly none of them got on the programme. I will mention the reasons why I think this was a little later on. On the morning of 14 January, before my interview, I headed into town with only one objective in mind – to sit at my favourite window seat in the Europa Hotel with a relaxing hot chocolate. Ironically the hotel is the most bombed hotel in the world, having been targeted 28 times during the troubles. Realising I still had over 45 minutes to spare, I skipped along Royal Avenue to meet my Italian friend Chiara who was busy selling Italian leather handbags in a shopping mall. Standing in the middle of Castle Court, Chiara made me rehearse my pitch over and over again. This preparation helped
http://www.entrepreneurial-spark.com/ 4
steel my nerves and I headed towards the large Ulster Bank building to take my turn in front of the judging panel. All the attendees were shown into a tiny side room. Some were studiously repeating their pitches in front of laptop screens while the rest of us joined in lively banter, finding out what each other did. When we were called up, we headed en masse to a top level floor and shown in to a board room with just enough seats for everyone. With only 15 minutes allocated to each person for interview, two “enablers” listened to my 60 second pitch, and asked me a few questions on my vision for my business. The objective of this accelerator is to grow a business rapidly, the interviewers uninterested in lifestyle business proposals. Prospective applicants please note! We were given the opportunity of staying on after our interview to network but I headed for the lifts, and my train home. I had watched my two interviewers for signals of interest in what I shared at interview, but wasn’t able to pinpoint anything one thing over an other. What I can say with certainty now, however, is that I definitely expressed a desire to go global. To do that, there has to be things in place within your business to allow that. I believe the fact that I already include in my team freelancers from all over the world was a strength. I’ve never had a problem delegating tasks to people far more skilled in the use of Creative Suite 6 than me, once I’ve scanned in my original artwork. Neither have I found it difficult to hire and manage multiple freelancers for translation services, animation and video production. Given that I’ve worked with my team for over two years, I have grown to love and trust them all. I couldn’t wish for a better bunch. Going back to my contacts who did not join
our hatchery in the February intake, it is clear that the proposition they put forward was not scalable. The great work/life balance one accountant I meet at numerous local events makes clear he is interested in achieving does not float the E-spark enablers’ boat. As part of an intensive accelerator we are there to achieve rapid results, with little chance of balance in the early months. In a little pep talk by Jim, the CEO of the Company, before our official launch on 3 March, we were warned that family life may never be the same again and were encouraged to have a little cry when the pressure gets too much. Moving from my comfy home office into a hatchery filled with ambitious entrepreneurs has forced me to reassess my goals. Thoughts around what I would prepare for lunch were soon replaced with thoughts around innovation, market fluctuation, brand awareness, and business model generation. Being accountable to a mentor at fortnightly temperature checks soon gets your work juices flowing. My focus prior to the programme was very much centred around design – my comfort zone. This has now moved more to thoughts of how I can collaborate with team members, and generate sales. I’ve had to substitute family commitments for event nights, and must face constructive criticism from mentors in the forthcoming “Piranha Pit” – a place where your business proposals are picked apart in order to get you to question everything you are doing. I’d like to thank everyone on the E-spark programme for the opportunity afforded me, and hope I can live up to their expectations. Thanks also to Sharon Little of the GCA for asking me to write about my journey so far. Wishing all future applicants the very best of luck! Remember, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. How else does a chick break out of it’s egg?
http://lorrainestylianou.com/ 5
Interview with .....
Catherine Kleeli
of Catherine Kleeli Designs
6
2. I NOTE THAT YOU HAVE A DEGREE IN FINE ART. HOW DID THAT HELP YOU PURSUE A CARD PUBLISHING BUSINESS? l l l There is no doubt that my Fine Art Degree has been helpful to my creative processes in helping me think critically, helping me explore possibilities and opening up my practice to new disciplines and techniques. Getting involved with Printmaking has probably been the single most helpful element in extending my creations into the card publishing business. This exposed me to creating works in a ‘series’, to working with F
1. HAVING LOOKED AT YOUR WEBSITE BRITISH ANIMALS ARE YOUR MAIN SUBJECT. HOW DO YOU START EACH DRAWING AND WHAT TECHNIQUE DO YOU USE TO GIVE IT A COLLAGE/ TEXTURED APPEARANCE? lll Something of the creature’s intrinsic qualities or character have to catch my attention in the first instance. Preferably I begin by capturing this photographically myself or I use a found image. The textured appearance comes from collageing onto heavyweight textured watercolour paper.
7
‘Chine Collée’, a French term for incorporating collage into printmaking, and to using prints as ‘cards worth keeping’ which has become the ‘strapline’ of my business.
cards for the foreseeable as this is why some of my Agents have taken me on to sit alongside their other publishers. 5. HOW DO YOU FIND NEW STOCKISTS? l l l I was very fortunate to find an Agent early on in my business development. This and other subsequent Agents have by far proved the best way of finding new Stockists. Finding new good Agents – well that’s another issue. Like finding a hen’s tooth! Other than Agents, I approach Stockists directly if I’m visiting anywhere that I think my cards would sell well, I always have some samples with me in the car – not easy, and takes courage but can be immensely satisfying when someone says ‘yes, I can sell these’. Thirdly, momentum is the thing, like getting a jet plane off the ground. Once people see your cards, that momentum can build via trade fairs, your website, social media and editorials. It’s basically a multi-pronged attack.
3. FOR THOSE OF US WHO DON’T KNOW TELL US ABOUT GUM ARABIC TRANSFER PRINT – WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE? lll Another name for the Gum Arabic Transfer Print is ‘Paper Lithography’ as the resulting print has the quality of a lithographic print. Instead of using a lithographic stone from which to make a print, you use a photocopied image as your print plate. In order to do this, using the principle of oil and water not mixing, you use an oil based ink and gum Arabic medium mixed with water. This isn’t an easy process to master, as you’re basically inking, rolling and handling a soggy piece of thin paper to make a print. Somehow, I just managed to get to grips and persevere with the process as the resulting print gives an image that inspires me and is the basis for layering with other print techniques like ’Chine Collee’. I’m also very ‘light of hand’, an essential quality with this technique.
6. DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO SCALE THINGS INTO SOMETHING MORE THAN A LIFESTYLE BUSINESS? IF SO, TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE CATHERINE KLEELI DESIGNS IN THE NEXT DECADE? l l l I’m keen to explore the possibilities of licensing some of my designs as another income stream. This is on my agenda to explore in the coming year. As an Artist, I’m also keen to continue paint and printmaking whenever time allows and who knows how this might seep into Catherine Kleeli Designs – the possibilities are endless.
4. DO YOU PLAN TO INCLUDE OTHER THEMES IN THE FUTURE OR DOES BRITISH WILDLIFE AND NATURE IN GENERAL GIVE YOU A WIDE ENOUGH SCOPE? WILL YOUR CARDS REMAIN BLANK? lll For the moment I think there is still some mileage in continuing my Animal/ wildlife theme as this is what people identify my brand with at present. I think my range will evolve gradually so that new themes will emerge generically without moving away too much from my origins. I will be continuing with blank
CATHERINE KLEELI
Mobile: 07814 293155 Email: ck@catherinekleeli.co.uk Web: www.catherinekleeli.co.uk
8
In this edition I want to share some of the very direct quotes I’ve heard from business mentors I’ve followed [paid for their courses, bought the books, wear the T-shirt] - those organised by entrepreneurs Daniel Priestley, and Jim Duffy). I hope they resonate.
“Prolific beats Perfect.”
“Get Sh*t done. Then make it better.”
“GO DO.” “INFLUENCE FLOWS FROM OUTPUT.” 9
Interview with .....
The Wicker Man
10
age from 20 years old to 80+, with large companies and “one man band�, with professionals and hobbyists, with people who have lived here all their lives and ones who came from somewhere in the world but chose to live in Ireland and add to the mix. We know all our suppliers and their stories. This enable us to sell not only beautiful products but also where they came from, who made them and how they are made, enriching both our experience and yours. We are not a souvenir shop, we are a craft shop so we enjoy a strong support from local shoppers, some have been our customers for 20 years and of course we love welcoming visitors to Belfast and tell them about our beautiful city. F
1. TELL US HOW THE WICKERMAN WAS ESTABLISHED AND SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO BELFAST TO BECOME A SHOP OWNER AND PROMOTER OF CELTIC ARTS AND CRAFTS. lll The Wicker Man was created in 1994 by Laurence Burrell and Peter Todd, 2 jewellery makers who saw a niche in the market promoting locally made products. We have been in our present location since 2007. We work with around 150 makers from the island of Ireland: potters, weavers, jewellery designers and artists with different media. Our ethos is to promote and celebrate everything which is local: skills, talent, materials and traditions. We work with makers who range in
11
2. YOU HOST CRAFT EVENINGS AND GALLERY EVENTS. IS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IMPORTANT TO YOU? IS THERE A STRONG INTEREST IN LEARNING IRISH CRAFT TECHNIQUES? lll 5 years ago we started promoting and selling pure Irish wool in our shop. We have 2 suppliers from Kilkenny & Donegal. From this we discovered that our customers wanted to learn to knit and crochet so we set up classes taught by a passionate professional tutor and have been running them successfully for the last 4 years. There is definitely a revival in people wanting to learn traditional skills and we are happy to cater to that demand.
space for newcomers and offering a local aspect to their cards is as important as having a good variety in their range. We mostly buy cards outright as it is a bit difficult to keep track of them on a sale or return basis unless they are bar coded. We only attend one trade fair: Showcase at the RDS in Dublin. This show exhibits mostly Irish makers so it works well for us. A large number of makers also visit the shop to show us their work during the year.
3. I GET A LOT OF CONFLICTING OPINIONS ON THE FUTURE OF GREETING CARDS – FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW ARE CARDS STILL A PROFITABLE PART OF YOUR BUSINESS. lll Yes, we still sell a lot of cards. It could be to do with the fact that we only sell Irish artists cards, some Celtic and in Irish. There are a lot of people in the world with Irish connections and they love to receive a physical card rather than a digital one. I also thing that people generally like receiving cards and appreciate the time someone has taken to buy, write and post it, which makes it a lot more personal.
5. TOURISTS MUST MAKE UP AN IMPORTANT PROPORTION OF YOUR CUSTOMERS. CAN YOU TELL US WHERE THE MAJORITY OF TOURISTS COME FROM? IS IT POSSIBLE TO SAY WHICH NATIONALITY SPEND MOST IN YOUR STORE? l l l Visitors to our shop are from all over the world, especially the USA, Australia, Europe and Great Britain. Americans tend to spend the most.
4. WHEN WORKING WITH A NEW SUPPLIER OF CARDS, WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR? DO YOU WORK ON A SALE OR RETURN BASIS OR PLACE ORDERS? WHAT TRADE FAIRS TO YOU VISIT, IF ANY? lll We look for something different than what we already sell, having been in business for 21 years means that we have been buying from some of our suppliers for a long time; this makes it difficult sometimes to make
6. ARE THERE ANY NEW MARKETING STRATEGIES YOU PLAN TO TRY IN 2016? l l l Our strategy for 2016 is to grow our branding to emphasise the priority of promoting and selling local in The Wicker Man. THE WICKER MAN
W: http://www.thewickerman.co.uk/ E: admin@thewickerman.co.uk T: +44(0)2890 243550
12
BRAND S K C O L B G BUILDIN l Businesses both old and new must constantly
not greeting card specific but since presentation,
build their brand. The starting point is always
packaging, logos, the colours we choose are all
knowing your market, and your customer profile.
part of our brand image, you can’t go far wrong by
Positioning your brand is all about finding a niche
looking at a few.
in your prospects mind and satisfying them with
Consider the history and inspiration behind the
products, visuals, and word associations that stick.
brand, the values they aspire to, their “tone of voice”
What does your brand say about you? Get some
and the photography used.
friends, and random strangers to make a list of the words they associate with your products and the
Silken Favours: http://silkenfavours.com/
feelings they evoke.
Louis Vuitton: http://uk.louisvuitton.com/enggb/homepage
A good a place as any to start is by looking at what your competitors are doing. Here are some
Cath Kidston: http://www.cathkidston.com/
businesses you may like to research for ideas on
Belleek Living: http://www.belleek.com/
how they’ve put together their brand story. They are
belleek-brands
The Book Nook l l l Downloaded
at 6am one cold March morning, the moment it came through on my Facebook feed, this kindle download is a joy to read. Follow the author Martin Norbury though his amusing story of how childhood lessons of rejection, not fitting in, his love of dance, and magic, helped him succeed
in business. Now known as the Scalability coach, Martin’s book will be one I get through quickly and the moment I’m back in bed (my only chance to read anything) I’ll be polishing off the remaining 1 hour and 50 minutes remaining of my kindle download. Enjoy - and let me know what you thought of it.
13 2
Interview with .....
...Charlotte Ellis
of Charlotte Elisabeth Designs
14
1. YOU HAVE MANY LOVELY DESIGNS ALL FEATURING AN EMBELLISHMENT OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER – BUTTONS, DIAMANTES, RIBBONS. DO YOU HAVE ANYONE TO HELP YOU APPLY THESE. lll No, currently I do everything including all the embellishing although I know that I do have the support of family and friends when a big order comes in. The majority of my business is online sales - I try to get my orders out within a day or two for single cards and there are some designs that are quicker to put together than others. It’s just about manageable for me to carry out all the work myself. If I was to supply my handmade designs to stockists, then it might be a different story and I’d definitely need more help with finishing the designs.
I try to draw on my PA skills in terms of planning and prioritising my day to day goals and objectives. While a lot of my days do feel a little rushed, there are a few things that I find helpful - making lists and prioritising each task; deciding first thing in the morning what I can realistically fit into each day and what I need to accomplish; always communicating with customers and keeping them informed of progress; setting aside dedicated time with my little boy in the afternoons and on weekends. Often my work doesn’t feel like work so sometimes I find it difficult to shut off from the business completely. Most importantly, I try to take care of myself with a healthy diet and trying to get enough sleep. Sometimes easier said than done. When I have a lot on, it’s much easier to break things down into smaller, manageable steps, perhaps taking an hour or so away from work and then coming back with a fresh mind. My advice would be just believe in yourself and your ideas, follow your dreams and the opportunities will arise. F
2. LIKE MANY OF US, WE HAVE TO JUGGLE CARD PUBLISHING WITH FAMILY COMMITMENTS. HOW DO YOU BEST DEAL WITH THE CHALLENGES THIS CREATES – ANY TOP TIPS? lll I’m a single mum to my gorgeous four year old son so time management is key. For many years, I worked five days a week as a Legal PA in London only making my cards in the evenings and on weekends. It was all proving very stressful and recently, with my son due to start school, I knew that I wanted to be closer to home. Luckily, the opportunity arose at exactly the right time to enable me to work from home but that has meant I have to be even more disciplined and organised - my day is also split because of the afternoon school pick up so I tend to work mornings, stop mid-afternoon, and then carry on again in the evenings.
15
when the customer needs their cards so whether it’s a large or smaller order, I just allocate the time necessary around other work to get everything finished on time.
3. WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS DO YOU USE? WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVOURITE AND WHY? lll I use Facebook and Twitter although I sometimes struggle to be consistent with either. I lean towards Facebook because it’s the platform I’m most familiar with and I have more of an audience there. I’m not someone who naturally loves posting on social media which I know in this day and age is something I need to address especially now in terms of expanding my business. I have enough artwork, orders and creativity going on to post everyday, I just don’t seem to have settled into it and I often get so caught up in making orders up or designing instead. Perhaps it’s time to make a new list and start scheduling some posts! 4. DO YOU CURRENTLY EXPORT, AND IF SO, TO WHICH COUNTRIES. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH BIG ORDERS? lll No, it’s not something I’ve looked at in any detail. Due to the handmade nature of my cards, I never felt I would be able to cope with all the work involved in hand-finishing. However, I’ve had quite a few online orders from people in Australia so perhaps there’s a market for my cards there. With any size order, time management and communication is so important; it’s always good practice to determine from the start
5. WHAT THREE THINGS WILL YOU IMPLEMENT IN 2016 TO HELP GROW YOUR BUSINESS. lll I am exhibiting at the British Craft Trade Fair in Harrogate in April so that will be the first major event of 2016 for me. Meeting customers directly is always encouraging - I’m so used to selling online and working on my own that trade and local craft fairs are definitely going to be an avenue that I intend to explore. Secondly, I will be looking to acquire a few more stockists and thirdly, I definitely need to focus on a marketing strategy and getting my brand name out there. 6. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE CHARLOTTE ELISABETH DESIGNS IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS. lll I’ve always had success with online personalised card sales so I intend to carry on developing that side of the business. I’m planning to design more birthday and wedding invitations since they have taken a back seat over the last year or so. Selling directly to the consumer is what I’m familiar with but I’ve recently been thinking more seriously about acquiring stockists. I’ve started changing the way that I design, and I’m producing a lot more hand-drawn work - I have lots of ideas so I’m just going see what opportunities present themselves. The one thing I would love is to be able to generate enough business to afford more space to work in - whether that be a small studio or just another room (or two!) at home. Currently all my work is still done from my living room table. CHARLOTTE ELISABETH DESIGNS W: http://charlotte-elisabeth.co.uk/ M: 07816 814 805 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ CharlotteElisabethDesigns/?fref=ts
16
EARN YOUR
A
STRIPES!
lmost everyone will be familiar with the black and white codes on products known as barcodes which are used for stock control – when scanned, the retailer can determine what, and how many, items s/he holds in inventory. They are not only used for determining prices, and stock levels of goods, but for tracking items (luggage at airports, the location of postal items etc). Indie card publishers looking to use the Universal Product code – official name for barcodes – on their greeting cards will come up with numerous barcode providers – all offering different levels of service, and prices. Do your due diligence before purchasing vast quantities as some providers are charging excessive amounts. Barcodestalk (thanks to agent extraordinaire Ian Bradley’s recommendation!!) is by far the cheapest I’ve seen, although the web interface on Buyabarcode’s site is user friendly (except for the annoying pop up lady who appears on the screen every time you visit whom you must silence immediately). The difference in cost of 1000 barcodes between the first (€180) and second company (£830), for example, is a whopping £690 – an amount neither a startup nor an established publisher can afford to lose. And there are some companies out there charging even more. I started listing barcode
providers, inserting them into a table which I was going to share in this article, but most were so expensive, I decided the exercise was futile. Nobody in their right mind would pay 83p for something they can find just as easily for 14p. If you can better 14p (for 1000) please let me know. For the young publisher, the investment in barcodes may appear prohibitive but if it represents the difference between only being stocked in independents rather than major retail chains, the investment is, in my view, well worth making if your objective is to run a scalable business. It could be one of the “quantum leaps” your business must go through to become a recognizable brand. After weeks of dithering, I have taken out GS1 membership and will be generating my “stripes” with free barcode generating software. A learning curve on a par with a Himalayan trek. So what of the inventor of the barcode? George J. Laurer still lives in the US. Born in 1925, George was requested to create a pattern or code that could be used on food labels and that was readable by the scanners of the day. Different protoypes were created but Laurer’s striped version won the day. The striped code brought supermarkets into the digital age – and I’m about to bring my cards into this mythical other world very soon too.
17
Interview with .....
Dollybirds Art
18
3. WILL YOU EXTEND YOUR BIRD PAINTING TO INCLUDE MORE EXOTIC BIRDS LIKE FLAMINGOS AND PEACOCKS? l l l Yes, I have so much that I really want to make and paint. I would love to do a really sweet collection of budgie paintings, also I would love to paint a collection of woodland creatures. I still have lots native birds to paint too. I did paint a flamingo as a commission and I really enjoyed painting it. I do love a bit of pink.
1. WHEN I SAW YOUR BEAUTIFUL BIRD PAINTINGS ON TWITTER I KNEW I HAD TO GET IN TOUCH. HOW DID YOUR ART JOURNEY START AND WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO NICHE INTO BIRDS? lll I have always known I would be an artist, my dad is an artist and I have lots of childhood memories of sitting drawing with him. I went to university in Belfast and studied painting before going on to complete a Post Grad in education. I started painting birds when my children were a bit smaller. We have lots in our garden because we are so close to the mountain, I love wildlife and the birds were a perfect subject because of their scale and beauty.
4. HAVE YOU MANY ARTIST FRIENDS IN THE BELFAST AREA WITH A SIMILAR LOVE OF WILDLIFE AND E-COMMERCE SKILLS? l l l I am lucky as my studio space is in a building with 3 other artists who are in a similar position to me. I am also a member of Belfast Print Workshop so I get to work in an open workshop with other artists to produce my screen prints. One of my sisters is an artist and the other is one half of a design company Oscar & Oscar so both are great to get advice from.
2. YOU HAVE QUITE A PRODUCT RANGE FOR WHAT I’M ASSUMING IS A RELATIVELY NEW STARTUP (CORRECT ME IF I’M WRONG). WHAT SELLS BEST FOR YOU AND DO YOU SELL AT LOCAL MARKETS? ARE PRIVATE COMMISSIONS AND LICENSING SOMETHING YOU HOPE TO DEVELOP IN THE BUSINESS? lll I have been working on Dollybirds Art for around 3 years. I have 2 young children and my husband works long hours so there is never enough time to get everything done. My best seller would be my Dollybird prints followed by my new notebooks. I have a new collection of Greetings cards being launched in March. I don’t do a lot of markets but I do sell through some lovely shops such as Avoca, Kiln & Loom and Line & Latte. I also have an online shop on my website. I have had a few private commissions and have also dipped my toes in the world of licensing with a London based company, I would like to develop this further though.
5. DESCRIBE YOUR WORKSPACE AND WHERE YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM? l l l My studio is on the top floor of a 1950s building which really reminds me of the offices in the series Mad men. Some of my walls are covered in beauty board. It’s a great space big enough for my ever growing collection of stuff, I like to collect things! I have lots of old bird books in my studio, I love looking at Victorian illustrations. I have a table for painting by the window, a framing table and a table for packing and wrapping things. There are great views of the Cavehill from the window & I start each morning with a walk which is where I get most of F
19
my inspiration. I see so many birds on my walks, I love watching them.
a children’s book idea in my head that I would love to make a reality next year. I would like to find more lovely stockists for Dollybirds Art. I also would like to find some new licensing partners.
6. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE DOLLYBIRDS ART BY 2018 – SHARE SOME OF YOUR MORE PRESSING GOALS. lll I would like to develop a complete range of Dollybird stationery. I have just started a course in Illustrator as I want to develop a range of wedding stationery. I will be working on that this year. I have
DOLLYBIRDS ART
Web: www.dollybirdsart.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DollybirdsArt-101059810024881/ Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/dollybirdsart/ dollybirds-art/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dollybirdsart
20
ARE YOU PROFILE PRETTY? – A Linkedin CRASH COURSE
P
art of your professional online brand will include your presence on social media and it might be worth asking yourself how you are perceived. Have you taken a look at LinkedIn lately? Firstly you will be missing a trick if you haven’t thought of how your website will look on a mobile. When people access you via LinkedIn (a potential 400 million viewers) they will try and gather how personable you are. They don’t want to do business with a faceless corporate, but with someone with a nice headshot, good visual content and video because it is through these mediums that we learn most about someone.
7. LinkedIn is a professional “Work/business” site so keep it smart casual – don’t be too familiar or obscene – that could be a major faux pas. 8. Don’t use LinkedIn as some recruitment site where you post a dry CV. People want to connect with a person, not a digital résumé 9. If carefully crafted, your personal brand will give you a competitive edge – how do your competitors on LinkedIn come across and how can you better them. 10. Credibility is built on trust, and truth. Don’t fabricate information.
HEADSHOTS
Try and get a professional photo taken. A profile with a photo gets many more profile views than one Firstly it gives you a profile, allows you to connect, with no photo. It is fine to get a photo taken of you find and be found and gives greater insights into what doing your professional line of work (within limits) you do. The top 10 tips I would recommend to make – if you are a car polisher, then one of you polishing you “profile pretty” are: cars will be fine. 1.Share and post good content regularly. Remember what I’ve harked on about in previous editions – the BACK TO BASICS need to be seen as an influencer. Ask yourself why you are using LinkedIn? What is 2. The more active and engaging you are on LinkedIn, the goal you wish to achieve? Most probably it is to the higher up the Google search engines you go create a professional identity you are proud of, or to 3. It reinforces your personal brand by saying that engage with a certain group of people. There is a way you are relevant, current, and alive of utilising LinkedIn fully. 4. If you are not there, you are not being talked about – you are inconspicuous by your absence. Here are my top suggestions: 5. If you decide to update your profile do so with • Set your goal • Complete your profile as fully a lot of forethought, and preferably by using the as possible • Make it search friendly • Grow your “incognito” button in settings until you are ready to network • Be responsive and communicate regularly go live (more later) with your network • Join new conversations • 6. Think about how you differ from others and make Recommend people • Give your best URL – sure you spell that out in neon lights on LinkedIn preferably mobile friendly.
WHY DOES JO BLOGGS JOIN LINKEDIN?
4
8
THE “DON’TS”
THE “DO’S”
• Don’t copy and paste your CV and Job Description straight up to the site • Don’t tell fibs • Don’t be a slob – check for grammatical errors and punctuate correctly – these really ruin your credibility.
• Tell people who you are, summarise your expertise and abilities • Use key words • Keep it clean, simple, and fresh • Share info and useful, interesting links
IN ISSUE 6 I WILL CONTINUE THIS ARTICLE WITH TIPS ON HOW TO BE FOUND, AND AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WHO IS THE MOST PROFILE PRETTY PERSON ON LINKEDIN. WATCH THIS SPACE.
21
Interview with .....
Catherine Pain
22
1. GIVE US A PEEP INTO YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW IT ALL BEGAN FOR YOU AS AN ARTIST? lll I have always drawn and painted. I didn’t follow any formal training as I like to do things ‘my way’. My subjects tend to be animals and plants as I am drawn to those. I’ve always loved living creatures and to depict them is great fun. The lovely designs of William Morris inspire me as do the early artistic representations of hares and bears (e.g. in medieval and early Egyptian art). Illuminated manuscripts are a constant source of enjoyment for me too.
brainchild of the late Richard Skellington, and this has now evolved into part of the OpenLearn online platform. Here is a link to the Society Matters area: http://www. open.edu/openlearn/people-politics-law/ politics-policy-people/society-matters/ public-spending-drain-on-the-economyor-the-mark-civilised-society . The Tablet approached me in 2013 because of the work that they found online for The Open University and I have been lucky enough to produce occasional illustrations for that publication ever since. I enjoy the world of cartooning and am open to any more offers of work in that area.
2. UNTIL I RESEARCHED YOUR WEBSITE I HAD NO IDEA THAT YOU ILLUSTRATED CARTOONS. HOW DID YOU FIRST START AND WOULD YOU LIKE MORE CARTOON COMMISSIONS? lll Cartooning has been something I have done from childhood. I’ve been illustrating for The Open University for around 15 years creating cartoons for the magazine ‘Society Matters’, which began as the
3. YOUR ANIMALS SHOW A LOVE OF BRITISH WILDLIFE: DOGS, CATS, OWLS, HEDGEHOGS AND BIRDS TO NAME A FEW. DO YOU PAINT FROM LIFE, PHOTOS OR THE INTERNET, AND WILL WE SEE SPECIES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES AT SOME POINT? l l l I work from life for most of my paintings. Drawing is the starting point for me. However for animal portrait F
23
commissions I normally work from photographs. When it comes to greeting card designs I tend to draw from my imagination and refer to my own photos or the internet for references as to proportion of the animal and so on. I do have sketchbooks containing drawings of animals and plants that I have seen in other countries so may well venture into images with those in. Interestingly my UK clients seem to really like the local British birds and animals and keep asking me for them, so I follow my heart and also requests from my supportive outlets in the UK.
4. WILL GREETING CARDS BE YOUR MAIN FOCUS NOW FOR SOME TIME AS I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE TO CONCENTRATE ON ONE PRODUCT FOR A WHILE TO GAIN TRACTION IN THAT INDUSTRY? l l l Greeting cards are my primary focus at present. My agents work tirelessly to spread the word and I am fortunate enough to have a very loyal following in the UK. I love the world of the greeting card industry. Everyone is so friendly and cards are such lovely things to send and to receive. 5. NAME THREE MAIN GOALS IN 2016? l l l My three goals for 2016 are to draw every day, to draw every day and to then do a bit more drawing every day! 6. SHARE ANY BIG VISION OR DREAM YOU HAVE FOR THE FUTURE AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU. l l l Export is my big goal. Our country is a great one but in a global marketplace we UK citizens need to expand beyond our shores. My aim is to herald the work of UK artists and designers by making my work as good as it can get and then sending it out around the globe. We’ve seen a rapid decline in our manufacturing base. It worries me that the UK’s world standing may not be as strong as it was. If I can contribute to the other fantastic work done by British artists who are already trail-blazing the export path and representing the UK to the world with their glorious work then I’ll be made up. CATHERINE PAIN
W: http://catherinepain.co.uk/greeting-cardscatherine-pain Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greetingcards. catherine.pain E: info@catherinepain.co.uk M: 07831 672 535
24
o e d i V I
T Y PES
n my Youtube article I discussed the importance of video to grow your brand. In this page, I want to outline a few of the multivarious types of video there are, and ways of creating really cheap videos from your mobile phone. I start with a list of 10 of the most well known video categories:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Humourous videos Interviews How to Videos Reviews Behind the Scenes Documentary Crowd funding videos Hot topics Demos Travelogues
at the affordable price of £7.99 is Filmic Pro. Once downloaded, simply experiment with the features it offers. Within a matter of minutes you can add text to photos, incorporate short film clips between photos and add music. This is the simplest type of video – one that needs no video equipment as such, nor any expertise in terms of shots (opening shots, extreme close up, or wide shots) and can be added to your Youtube Channel in minutes from your phone. Post to Twitter or your Facebook page. Let me know how you get on!
For card publishers, taking some really good photos from your cell phone is the first place to start. Then open up your App Store from your phone and download a video editing app. These can range in price from FREE (Adobe Voice) to £70 (Premier Elements). A really useful one
25
YouTube W
e all know that having a presence on Youtube is important for any business these days but only a tiny percentage of card publishers utilize the platform. After a few searches this week there isn’t a lot of new content from greeting card designers. The most recent videos out there are produced by large companies like Hallmark, or the paparazzi who follow celebrities around (check out these two with Jessica Parker-Smith). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYGHirI70Ng https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSaQe2m5ags
USING YOUTUBE’S OWN STATISTICS WE KNOW THAT: l YouTube
has over a billion users - almost a third of all people on the Internet - and every day, people watch hundreds of millions of hours of YouTube videos and generate billions of views. l YouTube overall, and even YouTube on mobile alone, reaches more 18-34 and 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S. l The number of hours people spend watching videos (aka watch time) on YouTube has increased by 60% y/y, the fastest growth we’ve seen in 2 years. l The number of people watching YouTube each day has increased by 40% y/y since March 2014. l The number of users coming to YouTube who start at the YouTube homepage, similar to the way they might turn on their TV, has increased by more than 3x y/y.
PRODUCT l 80% of YouTube’s views are from outside of the U.S.
YouTube has launched local versions in more than 70 countries. l You can navigate YouTube in a total of 76 different languages (covering 95% of the Internet population). l
26
MOBILE users are on YouTube, they are spending more time per session watching videos. On mobile, the average viewing session is now more than 40 minutes, that’s an increase of more than 50% y/y. l The number of hours people spent watching videos on mobile has increased by 100% y/y. l More than half of YouTube views come from mobile devices. l YouTube’s mobile revenue has doubled y/y. l Once
There are hundreds of tutorials on Youtube on how to create a video for the complete beginner covering topics on equipment, editing, and uploading to your channel. For those of you who don’t want to make your own, there are some video production companies out there who can produce an off the shelf version for you for as little as £150. With card designs, it really is easy to slot them into a pre-prepared format and add your own branding and wording. If you would like details of my video team please email me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7zE_3wWi-g 27
A window on the world of a greeting card publisher
Gypsy Chic magazine