B3 Can Really Move!

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It’s been one week since we tackled our big move and while our buildout isn’t quite where we hoped it would be, we’re still pretty darn excited to be in our new space.  The move went amazingly smoothly (we were done in less than 4 hours!)  Especially impressive because, in lieu of hiring professionals, our team stepped up and volunteered to do the heavy lifting themselves to help save the business some money (amazing, right?)

Because this was such a big day for us, we knew we needed to some documentation which resulted in the fun video below.  Watching the video footage from the day, we were struck yet again by all the smiles, laughter and great attitudes the team kept throughout the day.  Hey, if this whole chainmaille thing doesn’t work out, maybe we can start a new moving business *wink*.

Want to see how our space develops?  Hop on over to our page on Facebook and check out the photo album we started for “Our New Space!”

 

How much should I charge to teach? What’s the best way to host a class? Let’s put our heads together!

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While chainmaille itself is still somewhat niche (although we can probably all agree it has been growing by leaps and bounds in the last few years!), the craft world is actually quite large—a $29 billion industry.  It’s for this reason that we’re always so surprised how little benchmarking information is available for craft businesses.  With little collective information, it can feel like you’re reinventing the wheel sometimes when it comes to making business decisions, whether you’re an individual or the owner of a shop.

We’ve decided to take this matter into our own hands.

With your help, we plan to do a series of benchmarking surveys on jewelry-making/teaching/crafting/craft stores/supplies, etc. and publish the results for everyone’s benefit.  The way we look at it, knowing things like how much other teachers charge for classes or inventory turnover rates for shops across the country can only help us all in our quest to make the world a more creative place.  Here’s how we hope this will work:

Throughout the year, we’ll create and publish surveys here on our blog and promote these surveys through social media channels and emails to our peers.  If you see a survey that applies to you, take it and share it with your peers as well.  If you feel the survey doesn’t apply to you, send it to your favorite craft supply store and encourage them to participate.  Make sure they know that we’ll publish the results for them to use as well and you can even send us their contact information to [email protected] so we can make sure to share the results with them specifically.

Sound good?  Let’s do this!

Our first two surveys (links below) focus on jewelry classes and teacher pay because this is the number one question we are asked by instructors when people start teaching.  Everyone always wants to know “How much should my teaching fee be?”  New craft stores also sometimes are unsure how to pay instructors for classes.  It can be a difficult question to answer, because the fee will vary greatly by location, type of class, type of location and instructor experience.  We hope that doing a survey like this will be enlightening and provide some benchmarking information for various demographic groups.  The survey also touches upon other areas, but payment is the main focus.

Everyone wants to know about money, but no one wants to talk about it!  Hopefully this survey can help in that regard!

 

We have two separate surveys – one for jewelry instructors and one for locations that host jewelry-making classes.  Please do take note these surveys are intended to gather information about jewelry-making classes only, no other crafts for this round.

INSTRUCTORS:

BEFORE filling out the survey, you may want to take some time to gather the following information:

•    How many hours you teach in an “average month”?
•    What are your busiest teaching months?
•    How are you paid for your classes (per student, per hour, or some other way)?
•    How much are you teaching fees?
•    What have been your positive/negative experiences regarding payment and interaction with a hosting location?
•    What items/equipment do you expect the hosting location to provide?
•    Additional questions will be asked, but those are easier to know answers to on the spot, which is likely not the case for the bullet points above

The instructor survey is 26 questions, with 13 required questions.  Allow 15-30 minutes to complete the survey, depending on how many non-required questions you answer and how much detail you provide for open-ended questions.

Survey for instructors – http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e6fnk4r0h7ksbpmt/start

HOSTING LOCATIONS:

BEFORE filling out the survey, you may want to take some time to gather the following information:

•    How many hours of class instruction do you offer in an “average/typical month” (for year-round locations, not for one-time or quarterly bead shows)?
•    What are your busiest teaching months?
•    What percentage of offered classes run? (an average for the past 2 years)?
•    How do you pay instructors for your classes (per student, per hour, or some other way)?
•    How much do you pay instructors?
•    What have been your positive/negative experiences regarding payment and interaction with instructors
•    Additional questions will be asked, but those are easier to know answers to on the spot, which is likely not the case for the bullet points above

The survey is 31 questions, with 16 required questions.  Allow 15-30 minutes to complete the survey, depending on how many non-required questions you answer and how much detail you provide for open-ended questions.

Survey for hosting locations – http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e6i35xbsh87gce25/start

We plan to publish the results later this year, so check back here on our blog if you’re interested in this information (and we hope you are!) Also, if you have requests for other surveys you’d like us to conduct, let us know! Leave a comment or send us an email at [email protected].

Best Wishes for 2013!

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As I reflect back on 2012, I am once again touched, humbled and amazed at all of Blue Buddha’s wonderful customers as well as our highly dedicated team.  For the past 12 months, we asked time and time again for you to support us, either by voting in various contests, or through our Jumpstart program geared to help ease the financial burden a small business faces when expanding.  And over and over again, you were there for us.  We received nearly a thousand votes for my Poseidon’s Embrace necklace to be on the cover of the Crafts Report magazine.  We received hundreds of votes for both the Chase Small Business grant and the FedEx Small Business grant contest.  While its true that we didn’t wind up winning any of these, that certainly doesn’t dilute how proud and happy we are that you believed in us and wanted us to win.

And of course, we are also exceedingly grateful for the financial support so many of you showed during our Jumpstart crowdfunding campaign. As you know, we have moved into a new space and are facing a huge number of expenses in order to open this store that so many of you desire.  I struggled with deciding whether to crowd fund or not.  I thought that some people might think that a business should be able to take care of itself and not need what they might view as “handouts.”  But on the other hand, I know that most businesses don’t experience the incredible growth that our business has.  Along with that growth comes growing pains–finding ourselves needing a much larger space for the future, but not quite being able to afford it this fiscal year.

Our new space so far - just temporary workstations while construction is finishing up but we're still thrilled to be moved!

We wanted to teach classes, but had no classrooms or tables or chairs. We wanted to expand our product line and begin carrying rubber rings again, but we had no space to store the product.  So we surveyed you to see what you thought about our crowdfunding idea, and overwhelmingly, you loved it.  Through your support, the Jumpstart program ran from October through December, raising nearly $20,000. Stay tuned for a round-up as to how that money was spent!

Looking forward to the rest of 2013, I think you’ll like what’s in store for all of us:

Anniversary: 2013 marks our 10th year of business!  We’ll definitely do some sort of online promotion as well as a gala event in Chicago to celebrate this milestone.

Retail Space: We are continuing to work on the buildout and hope to open our retail store in the summer or fall.  In the meantime, at least we’ve moved to a larger location so our team isn’t tripping over one another every time they turn around!

Classes: Even though the retail space won’t be open as soon, we’ll start Classes and Open Studios by the end of February!

Account Enhancements: We are continuing to work on the customer account pages, adding the features you request most often.

New Products: We’ll be launching many new kits and other components.  We’re also looking to debut new colors of Anodized Aluminum.

Internal Development: We are beginning Open-Book management, which will educate all B3 team members on the ins and outs of business finance and help us all work toward building the foundation of a fiscally strong company that can endure for a century.

Chained #2: Yep, I am finally starting to write the followup to the incredibly successful CHAINED.

Dedicated Customer Experience Manager: We are in the process of hiring our first Customer Experience Manager to ensure we continue to deliver top-notch service and stay in tune with all your needs and desires.

Oh, yeah, and there will probably be more contests in 2013.  Just ’cause we didn’t win this time around, doesn’t mean we won’t keep tryin’!

We are looking forward to 2013, and we can’t wait to see what you create in the new year as well.  As always, keep showing off your work on our page on Facebook.  We love being able to help you make your creative visions a reality.  You are the reason for our existence, and we thank you deeply.

May you all have much success, health and happiness in 2013!

 

Vote to crown the 2012 “Mailler of the Year”

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It’s no secret that our customers are super talented and creative.  After years of seeing your creations in photos posted to our page on Facebook, in-person at shows and classes and in your online shops, we decided to create a contest to showcase your creativity and even award you for it!

We started our “Featured Product” contest in 2011, choosing one of our products and challenging customers to make something great with it each month.  In 2012, we had more than 170 entries utilizing everything from beads and scales to large rings and tough stainless steel.  Below are the top 12 finalists as chosen by YOU each month throughout the year and it’s time for them to go head to head to choose a top winner to become our “Mailler of the Year 2012”.  The winner will receive a $100 B3 Gift Certificate and, of course, bragging rights for the year.

Preview the winners below and then vote for your favorite be clicking the button or using the link at the end of the post.  Voting will close at midnight CT on January 31st.  Good luck to all and thanks to everyone who helped make this contest so inspiring all year round!

January

Featured Product: Enameled Copper
Winner: Mini Rondo à la Byzantine by Jessica G.

February

Featured Product: Anodized Aluminum Scales
Winner: Deluxe Tarzan Bracelet by Chrys M.

March

Featured Product: Size O18
Winner: Spring Celebration by Thereze J.

April

Featured Product: Swarovski® Crystal Beads
Winner: Captive Crystal Byzantine by Chrys M.

May

Featured Product: Stainless Steel
Winner: Persian Snake Cuff by Lisa S.

June

Featured Product: Creative Color
Winner: Dragons! by Chad M.

July

Featured Product: Miyuki Seed Beads
Winner: Danu’s Delight by Lindsay L.

August

Featured Product: Copper Rings
Winner: Knotted Chainmaille Statement Necklace by Joyce K.

September

Featured Product: Rings Size T (3/8″ 9/5mm) or Larger
Winner: Lacey Victorian Collar by Heidi V.

October

Featured Product: Halloween/Fall Inspired
Winner: Shelob’s Snare by Lindsay L.

November

Featured Product: Geometric Shapes
Winner: Times Square by Cynthia T.

December

Featured Product: Bright Aluminum ONLY!
Winner: Japanese Dragonscale Bracelet by Wing N.


Vote for your favorite! Good luck choosing….we know it won’t be easy.

Congratulations to December’s “Featured Product” Contest Winner

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Voting for December’s Featured Product of the Month contest is officially closed and the winner as chosen by you is……

 

Wing N. with her piece “Japanese Dragonscale Bracelet”


Congratulations, Wing! Your creativity has earned you a B3 gift certificate for $25! To claim your prize, please send an email to [email protected].


We also want to give Wing a little extra recognition as one of the only people who participated in the contest EVERY MONTH this year.  We loved seeing your creations each month – way to rise to the challenge!

Our contest is changing for 2013!

FEATURED WEAVE FOR JANUARY – Byzantine


For 2013, we’re changing our “Featured Product” contest into a “Featured WEAVE” contest. That means, starting in January, you can use any and all B3 products to create your entry, but it must showcase the month’s “Featured Weave” in some way.

January’s weave (as highly requested by our fans on Facebook) will be byzantine. We totally understand why our community clamored for this weave as it has tons of potential for variation and is also a great beginning-level weave. To get some inspiration, as well as ring sizes and counts for byzantine, visit the “Weave Ideas” section of our blog or check out the stats & uses pages for base metal and silver rings.