Finding a unique niche and/or developing a brand reflecting this niche enables you to become better known in your field.  Kyra E.  Hicks, author and quilt researcher, has become an experi in the area of “Black Threads” (the name of her blog) and is a font of information about African American quilters.
Her most recent book, This I Accomplish about Harriet Powers and her quilts, also reflects Kyra’s expertise as a researcher.  She sought information about Harriet Powers’ Bible Quilt and other pieces, discovering little known and totally unknown details about this quilter’s life and her work.
Harriet Powers was a former Georgia slave , who lived from …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 …read more

“Can you help me make these lined drapes for my room?”
a friend of my daughter’s asked.  “I thought I’d save money by making them myself.”
They calculated yardages and Deb arrived with fabric in hand.  They spent the afternoon making and lining the drapes.
A reader, who works at a fabric store, mentioned,  “We have seen a great increase in business due to more people choosing to make, rather than buy, their gifts, home decor, etc.”
We often don’t think of fabric stores as home businesses, but in our small town, there were two very successful ones located in the owners’ homes.  One …read more

HomeBizNotes.com 

Quilters often add interest to their talks and workshops with “Trunk Shows.”  They carry their ”show and tell” items in an antique trunk.  When on stage, before a group, or at a booth, they drape some of the items over the trunk and display in the trunk (or trunks).
However, this idea could carry over to almost any type of talk or workshop.  Find an old trunk, a unique trunk, or any type of carry-all that will add interest to your talk…or simply when you’re transporting your show items.
Have you used a trunk for any of your talks?  Did you decorate it to go along …read more

HomeBizNotes.com 
Are there any home business owners who are quilters or involved in a quilting related business?
I’m sponsoring a drawing over at my Quilting and Patchwork blog for a quilting booklet, Bonnie Leman’s How to Make a Quilt – 25 Easy Lessons for Beginners.
Click on the title above for guidelines for the drawing.
Also, if you are a quilter, you might like to let us know in the comments below.
Share with us your projects or about your quilting business. Quilting and fabric art can be very relaxing in times of stress. Sharing or networking with others also encourages us in our …read more

I’ve mentioned previously that you never know when you may be interviewed as a result of  your home business.  Gayla McCord, the Channel Editor at the Lifestyles Channel  (where I write the Quilting and Patchwork blog) interviewed me for At Home for the Holidays with b5media Lifestyles Channel. 
There you can learn more about me and my enjoyment of quilting and blogging . (I write three blogs for b5media.)  You’ll even view a photo of one of my daughter’s fabric postcards, which ties in with fabric art work I do. 
Sometimes home business interviews will result because you seek them out; other times they will …read more

Laura Spencer, at Work From Home Momma, has a helpful post about offline promotion, Five Tips for Promoting Your Home Business Offline.  So many people concentrate on online promotion (which is great).  However, they forget that offline promotion is still valid and, in most cases, necessary.
One item Laura mentions is the business card.  I had one business owner tell me she finds business cards unnecessary these days because her promotion is entirely online and her communication by e-mail.  Nevertheless, I still use business cards for my online business because I encounter many people in person who are interested in what I …read more