May you have a joyous Christmas Day and much health, happiness and success in 2010.  May your business prosper in the coming year. From Home Biz Notes! [Read more]

For some time, I’ve considered developing my quilting heritage surrounding the Trails End Quilters, into a series of books, patterns and recipes.  Quilt Image: sxc.hu  I’ve even started a blog to this effect, Tales of the Trails End Quilters and work at it off and on as I research more information.  Here is the description of my blog as it relates to my quilting heritage. My quilting heritage began at Trails End Farm in Milan, New York. There I often sat beside my grandmother cutting squares and sewing them by hand. Eventually I realized that my mother and her sister, their grandmother, and others made quilts here, too. Now my daughter, granddaughter, and I carry on this Trails End quilting tradition from our New Hampshire home. This... [Read more]

Mention the words, Elm Creek or Elm Creek Quilts, and most anyone familiar with the quilting world immediately thinks of the series of books written by Jennifer Chiaverini.  Whether Jennifer thought she’d be writing a series, as well as brancing out into fabric design, quilt patterns and recipes when she started, I don’t know.  However, she has branded herself and Elm Creek (the location of most of the stories in this series), so that quilters and others who are captivated by her books immediately pick them up. I knew Jennifer at a online writers’ group when she sold her first book.  I was excited about this success and have followed her career since.  After reading Susan Gunelius’ book, Building Brand Value the... [Read more]

Piano playing image: sxc.hu Home businesses aren’t new.  They’ve been around for years…and years.  But we may not have thought of them as such.  One of the businesses we can consider is giving music lessons.  Often this is done at the teacher’s home.  Or he/she may go to the student’s home. Thinking of this, I remembered Miss Wanzer.  She taught my sister and me to play the piano.  Sister took to piano lessons much more readily than I, and stayed with it for many years.  I stopped after the sixth lesson, although I often accompanied Sister to Miss Wanzer and listed to them play.   (I didn’t like to practice, so Mother decided it wasn’t worth spending hard earned money on the lessons for me.)  Miss... [Read more]

Packaging image: sxc.hu If you’re  emphasizing environmentally safe and friendly products, do you use packaging that follows this theme?  My niece ordered a recycled item, only to receive it packaged in plastic, which she felt wasn’t environmentally friendly.  She tried to be environmentally conscious, she said, but only ended up polluting. Not everyone will feel as she did, but it made me realize that we must take a look at what we’re doing, especially if we’re promoting the “green” scene that’s so popular right now.  Are we acting in ways that contradict what we say we stand for in our business and our life? Related posts: Organizing Your Packaging for “Green” Products How Do You Package... [Read more]