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!

Goals

While I'm currently spending my free time with new ideas for fun stationery, I had to take a moment to really think about what my goals are for this up and coming business.  In order to be successful, you have to have well thought out goals and a plan.  I really have never written a full business plan, but thought I would at least write down my mission and my current and five year goals.

Here is goes:

Mission:  To create elegant, tangible keepsakes for life's important moments such as birthdays, wedding, and births.

Current Year & 2013 Goals:

1. Create a full portfolio of 30 designs
2. Open up an Etsy Shop
3. Attend the Stationery Academy in 2013
4. Make $500/month in revenue by August 2012.

5 Year Goals:

1. Create and Launch a wedding invitation line
2. Have an e-commerce website and blog 
3. Sell my creations on other websites and look into retail outlets
4. Have winning designs for sale on Minted
5. Quit my day job

Some of these may be off, but at least I have strong intentions of making them happen.  When was the last time you sat down and wrote out your goals and dreams?  It's often hard to be honest with yourself, but I truly believe anything can happen if you believe in yourself and make a plan to achieve!

Happy Monday!

Brittany

Minted: Wedding Challenge

For the past few weeks, I have been working on some wedding invitation submissions for Minted's current challenge.  I love the thought of designing something special for someone's perfect day.  Although there are SO many color options and fonts to choose from, I found myself being drawn to softer colors with still a traditional feel.  Here are the two designs I have submitted so far:

Nectarine Dream

Twist on Classic

Once these designs enter the voting stage, I will let you know so that you can vote for them.  

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful fall weather!!

It's Official

Well, I officially took the plunge today.  I registered my business with the State of Kentucky and the IRS for a tax-ID.  If you are just starting out, this is the absolute first step.  In order for me to open a bank account to keep business separate from personal, you have to get a Tax ID.

So, no turning back now.  Although I was back and forth on what to name my business, I decided to stick with what I know won't change, my name.  B. Kay Designs is my first initial "B", my middle name "Kay", and Designs because this does not limit me with what final products I might produce in the future.  Although I will eventually hire someone to develop a website, blog, and branding for me, I have to make some $$ before any of this can happen.  So, I'm working on some concepts for branding in the interim.

My husband and dog are out of town this weekend, which means LOTS of alone design time for me, yay!  I am still working on developing my portfolio, so it will be sometime before I fully launch an ETSY shop.  Tonight, I am meeting with another local online business owner that I met through the Junior League.  I'm helping her with re branding her logo, and in return she is going to share with me her own business insights.

For those friends that have been supportive about my new adventure, THANK YOU!  It takes confidence and courage to pull the trigger on something like this, and you have allowed me to do it!

Happy Friday!

Portfolio

I have spent many nights the last month on my MAC designing and practicing with type, color, and graphics. It's very difficult to not let your mind go crazy with ideas and to stick to one theme or concept.  Part of my current struggle is to really refine who I am as an artist.  What is my look?  Are my designs cohesive or all over the place?  I think it's going to take me some time to really figure this out, but all I can do is plug away and improve and hope that my style shines through over time.

My cousin recently had a baby so I jumped at the opportunity to design her baby announcement.  Luckily the photographs were amazing (courtesy of Katie at Exhale Photography).  I really like the way it turned out:

Photo credit:  Exhale Photography


I've also been really starting to work on a portfolio of pieces to eventually sell in my Etsy shop.  I really liked the below phrase that my sister sent to me and thought it was perfect for a Save the Date card.  Since, I only got to make one Save the Date for my wedding, I thought I would use one of our engagement photos for this design. (courtesy of Lang Thomas Photography).

Photo credit: Lang Thomas Photography

I can't believe summer is almost over, but I'm so ready for football, bonfires, and cooler weather!
Happy Designing!
Brittany