Finding the RIGHT name

Well, you might notice the blog looks a bit different today.  It's only been one month since making this business official, and I'm already changing things up!  Naming your business has to be one of the single most difficult things to do, and as you can see I had a bit of a time figuring it out.

I recently hired a business consultant to assist me in writing a business plan.  Our first call was last week and she asked me why I chose B.Kay Designs?  I said honestly, because it is my name and it won't change.  But, as I was telling her this, I noticed that I wasn't even excited about the name.

I had originally wanted to name this business after the Kentucky state flower, the Goldenrod.  But, the "rod' part of the word makes it sound too harsh.   So, over a glass of wine with a friend, I decided to start brainstorming again.  I visited the Kentucky state symbols web page to notice that our state fruit is the blackberry.  Obviously, my first thought was blackberry cell phones so that wouldn't work.  Then, I thought maybe I could combine the state flower with the state fruit, for Goldenberry.  I love the way it sounds, I love the colors it represents, and I knew I could do a lot graphically with the logo.

So, after much anguish, I am thrilled to announce my official shop name is Goldenberry Paper.  I designed the first thing that popped into my head and think the logo fits "me"!

I am really excited to continue on through the business planning process.  Stay tuned for more updates related to this!

Research Research Research

I know it's been a few weeks since my last post, but believe me when I say I have been working non-stop on this business.  Not necessarily in the form of designing, but research.

There are SO many things that go into opening a stationery business.  Luckily, there are plenty of designers who have walked this walk before, and I have found some amazing resources and websites that are helping me things out.  Here are just a few things I have been pondering:

- Will I outsource all of my work, or print some of it in-house?
-  If I outsource, who will be my primary printer?
-  Where will I order envelopes, paper, packaging, shipping boxes, etc?
-  Who will I use to ship my products?
-  What accounting system will I use to keep track of sales, taxes, and expenses?
-  How will I get good photography shots of my product line once it's finished?
-  If I print in-house, I need a good paper trimmer, which one is the best for my needs?
-  What will I charge for my final pieces, once all of these things are taken into consideration?

As you can see, this just touches the iceberg of all the things stirring around in my head.  If you have any suggestions for me, please share.

In the meantime, I will continue to research and order product samples.

Happy Monday, hope you have a great week!
Brittany

Invitation Design: DZ Sorority

A coworker of mine recently approached me about designing her sorority's upcoming Founders' Day invitation.  This year was extra special because they were celebrating the new National President who happens to come from our local Louisville Chapter.

For this design, I mostly followed the brand guidelines laid out by the Delta Zeta Sorority which encompasses their logo and rose emblem.  I decided to frame the invitation with a classic frame.  The light pink lightens the heaviness since this is an event that will take place during the day.

Thanks Jenn for asking me to help, looking forward to working on many more fun projects such as this.

How I got here

I didn't always think of myself as a Type A person, totally in control of where I wanted to go in life.  In fact, I very clearly remember a friend telling me they thought I was a bi&*h in high school, because I NEVER talked.  Somewhere between finding the courage to tryout for the high school dance team, dancing at the University of Louisville in front of thousands, graduating in four years, coaching, and getting a full-time job the month I graduated, I've realized this is EXACTLY who I am.

In June, my sister and I were chatting over Gmail chat as we often did.  She was in Denver where she attended college and currently lived.  Both of us had found our way into corporate America, working 8-5 everyday mostly feeling fulfilled.  Until...Kristina decided she'd had enough.

She wrote me over chat, "you know what I really want to do.  I want to teach."  And so, she got online, found a school in Honduras that was in need of teachers, quit her job, and is currently living there fulfilling her dream.  At the exact same moment, something inside of me decided to send a chat to her stating exactly what I wanted to.  "You know what I really want to do?  Open a stationery shop, and attend the Stationery Academy in 2013."  I was THAT specific.

That was the moment when I knew this is what I was supposed to do.  My sister is a very rare person.  Not everyone can say what they WANT to do one minute, and literally make it happen the next.  For some reason, the decision to begin a path of entrepreneurship was always inside of me, but it took my sister and her ambition for me to really step outside of my comfort zone and live it.

For those interested in following my sisters journey, you can tune in here:  http://inthis-wonderful-life.blogspot.com

On a positive note, I FINALLY connected our printer at home to my MacBook, which means I can start testing and printing some design samples.  More fun to come!