Mom of the Month
July 2009
On a Whimsy has unique and whimsical gifts, personalized
just for you.
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What is your biz name and how did you come up with it?
My business name is On A Whimsy and I thought of it one day shortly
after I decided to start my work at home business. I originally sold
hand painted canvas art for children and the paintings were very
whimsical. The only name I could think of was On A Whim, but since I
added a lot of whimsy to my paintings, I called it On A Whimsy. It
was a name that seemed to fit many different business ideas and when
I decided to branch out and add more personalized items, I kept the
name.
 What
do you sell?
Since I have been in business for nearly 5 years, my focus has
changed. Now I sell a lot of personalized items, bottle cap
necklaces, market totes and other unique gifts. Has the economy
affected your business? If so, how?
Yes, it has. I have been affected in 2 ways. Firstly, by the
decrease in sales that normally come with a recession and secondly,
I have gone back to work 25 hours a week to add extra income for our
family. The extra working hours have dramatically decreased the time
I am able to devote to networking and advertising for On A Whimsy.
Do you use social network (facebook, twitter, myspace) and how do
they help?
I do use Facebook. I started using because I though it was a good
way promote my business and to be able to build a fan base, but it
ended up being more for personal use than for the business. Since I
don't work during the summer, I hope to be able to utilize Facebook
as a networking tool for On A Whimsy. I'd like to start promotions
and advertise sales on it. Can you share your tips for survival
and success?
Survival and Success are really dependent of how hard you work at
your business. Once I started my online store, it took about 3
months to start getting steady orders and about 6 months before I
started ranking on the first page of Google and Yahoo for my bottle
cap necklaces. I worked for hours a day and really tried to read as
much as I could and ask questions so I could learn as much as
possible.
Along with my online store, I do craft shows about 4 times a year.
That really helps with the success for my business. It is so nice to
get out and meet the people who are buying my product.
What is the best advice you could offer to someone just getting
started?
My best advise is to do what you love. If you love crafts, then
there is something you can make that people will buy. You will also
need to be organized to keep up with the paper work. That is the
most challenging aspect of business for me, I am very organized in
my production process, but my books are very low tech. What
inspires you?
The Lord inspires me. I feel like being crafty is a God given talent
and I am doing His will by using my talents. Secondly, my customers
inspire me. I love getting an email about how someone loved their
bottle cap necklace or I love seeing the faces of the people at the
craft shows when they see the necklaces and think they are adorable.
I reminds me of why I do what I do.
 
What is your favorite quote?
Actually, my favorite quote is from the Bible, it is "Trust in the
LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in
all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths
straight." Proverbs 3, 4-5 It reminds me that I am not in control, I
may not always understand why something happens the way it does, but
I do understand that it is all in His will. As long as I go to Him,
He will keep me on the right path.
Karina
more new items online at
www.shoponawhimsy.com
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