Did you know that in addition to running the Bazaar Bizarre and working full-time in science education, that Jamie Chan and her husband Blas Herrera also own Urban Fauna Studio, the best little fiber arts shop in San Francisco?  It’s enough to make a girl feel downright lazy.  Ever the overachievers (and responsible business owners), Blas and Jamie recently went through the process to make UFS a certified green business.  Jamie agreed to share their experience with me so we can all become green businesses, too!

First a little background on their business: Urban Fauna Studio sells independently made (Indie) and eco-friendly craft supplies and tools. They focus on ecologically and socially considerate manufacturing practices (i.e. no-petrochemicals used, sustainable raw fibers and woods, biodegradable products, and recycled materials), products made in the US and handmade items. At UFS you can explore fiber arts such as spinning, knitting, felting and weaving. They offer a revolving series of arts and crafts workshops for small groups (see their calendar for details). At Urban Fauna Studio they believe in supporting fellow indie crafters. They host a growing community of consignment artists and crafters, all of whom are committed to bringing quality handmade goods to their customers. Blas has a background in environmental science and Jamie is a science educator. Both of them come from families that have long enjoyed the fiber arts, crafting and DIY.

Why did you decide to pursue green business certification?

Just because many shops are independently owned and selling green products does not make their business practice green. We decided that a more genuine commitment to sustainability was to get certified by the San Francisco Green Business program. SF Green Business helps San Francisco businesses adopt environmental practices that are sustainable as well as profitable. They set stringent criteria, provide technical assistance, and publicly recognize and promote Green Businesses with a seal that enables customers to shop in keeping with their values. The Program is made of up of three City agencies: the SF Department of the Environment, the SF Department of Public Health, and the SF Public Utilities Commission.  We are the first fiber art and craft shop in the SF Bay Area with a green certification. We feel this sends a message to our customers and our fellow business owners that our commitment to sustainable retail goes beyond selling green, we live green too. It’s not hard to do considering many of us engage in green practices in our personal lives.

What are the benefits of being a certified green business?

San Francisco Green Businesses can save money by implementing practices that lead to cost savings in energy, water, and garbage bills. We have sought out a greener web provider who uses 100% green
renewable energy, Carbon Neutral, who was actually less expensive than our previous, non-green, web hosting provider. We also participate in Carbon Offsetting with our electrical company and reduced our garbage bills.

We use all non-toxic, plant based cleaning chemicals which make us feel safer in our workspace and for our customers entering the store. We buy 80% post consumer, chlorine-free, recycled toiletry papers, 100% post consumer, chlorine-free printer papers, and 80% post consumer, chlorine-free business cards and promotional materials.

We enjoy a marketing edge over the competition. Coupon books, web site listings and other promotional strategies are fine. But a certification system with this level of transparency about standards and regulations makes us feel secure that people will know we are not trying to “green wash” them with hype.

Blas spent his college career studying environmental policy and social justice and I have studied marine sciences. We have seen the data firsthand and know this planet is not heading in a good direction with our current rates of consumption and use.  He and I both care very much about the future of our environment and we want our business to reflect that. The biggest benefit is the peace of mind that this certification brings, that we are helping to make our local and global community better.

How long did it take over all?

We started the certification process right before we opened our shop.  So about 10 months.

What did it take to earn the certification?  Were there requirements you found particularly easy or difficult to fulfill?

We had to submit a written application and then a detailed table or checklist of actions we would take to make our business meet their retail business standards. Then we had a phone consultation with some
follow up e-mails. There was an initial site visit from a consultant. Between that time we had more e-mails and to provide more evidence that we were engaging in green practices. This included taking pictures of certain parts of the store, providing bills and proof of certain services.  Then there was an on-site assessment to verify that San Francisco Green Business standards are being met. We had a few more things to change and follow up on after our assessment. After submitting our changes, our San Francisco Green Business status was awarded! We were listed on the site within two weeks and warmly welcomed into their community. Nothing was particularly difficult. It was at worst, annoying and eye-opening to realize how every detail of our business could be greener. We thought we were “green” already and it was good to know that someone else was there to ensure we got all the aspects of our business to be more sustainable.

Would you recommend the process to other crafters/designers or only to people with stores?

Yes, if your business is certifiable we would suggest it. They currently certify hotels, restaurants, offices, retailers and dentists. This INCLUDES home businesses….and we do mean you, indie crafters! Your studios, offices and work spaces within your home can be certified. It does not take a long time. Our case was an exception, most applications should be approved within 4-6 months.  There is really no reason not go through the process if you can devote the time. We estimate that we spent no more than 20 hours total on this certification process. The certification program in SF is free of charge.  Many towns have a green certification program…we encourage you to look at your options and get involved.

Did you get any help during this process?

Nope. We didn’t know of any certified green indie retailers at the time, but now YOU do! Feel free to contact us. We are willing to answer questions and in general help to promote other green indie craft businesses. The nice thing about being indie is that we all really DO need each other to make an impact in the world of corporate run, big box stores. Being green together, being transparent about our goals, is a good thing. Lean on people in your local business community, you’ll be surprised about how much you can gain from it.

Well, folks, there you have it.  I’m definitely going to look into this for my own home office.  Thanks, Jamie!

Posted by Biz Miss

Tags: green business, green certification, urban fauna studio

The Laurel District Association (LDA) is pleased to invite you to participate in the 10th Annual Laurel Street Festival taking place on Saturday, August 9th, 2009 in the lovely Laurel  shopping district.  Located along MacArthur Blvd between 35th Avenue and High Street,  The Laurel District is truly the heart of Oakland.
 
We are accepting applications for Vendors, Food Concessions & Sponsors.
 
From 1:00p.m.  to 6:00p.m., the Laurel District will transform into a pedestrian zone to host thousands of Laurel residents and visitors from the greater Bay Area.  The festival will showcase live music and performances highlighting some of the greatest Bay area and local talents, a street fair with over a 100 vendors, street art, gourmet food booths, family fun at the Kid’s Zone featuring games, activites for children of all ages and showcases more than 100 retail, service and resturant establishments in Oakland’s own Laurel District.
The Luarel Street Festival attracts over 5000 attendees annually.
 
The LDA will promote the Festival through extensive public relations, direct mail, and media advertisements including radio, magazine, newspaper and the Internet.   
 
To download applications information and rates please visit our website at……….
 
 www.laureldistrictassociation.org 
 
Contact Information
 Zainab Zareef or Saudah Zareef  ( Vendor Coordinators)
 510-432-3137
 
 laurelstreetfair@gmail.com

Feria Urbana is an urban fair made up of local artists/designers selling goods of all kinds.   The space available is acquired on a first-come basis, as well as making sure your product/s are the right mix  - providing a good range of items for shoppers.  

Saturday August 8th 2009; 10 A.M. - 3 P.M

Saturday September 5th 2009; 10 A.M. - 3 P.M

Both events happening at:
Pizzaioli Restaurant (back garden/courtyard)
5008 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA 94609  

RESERVE YOUR TABLE NOW!

Table fee is $100.  The event is to take place in the back garden area of the restaurant.  There are heat lamps we can use and chairs.  A few tables as well but they are not very big, best to bring a 6′ or smaller folding table or some type of display/rack.  Please provide all measurements of your table or display in the application.  You must be able to fit everything into an approximately 6×8′ space.  No sharing spaces allowed and please note that all merchandise to be sold should be priced at $300 and under.  

The fee includes the space and marketing… listings in local websites, magazines, and newspapers, an HTML email to forward to your list about the event and the website -www.feriaurbanaSF.com.  Additionally, each artist/designer will receive postcards with event information and list of all displaying artist/designers. 

If you are interested in participating send in your application and payment as soon as possible since there is limited space (approximately 20-23 designers.) Please forward this along to other artists/designers that you think would like to take part in this event or future ones. 
 
To download an application go to: www.feriaurbanasf.com/artist_app.html
You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to open it. 

Thanks!
Darcy 

……………………………..
Darcy Russell
darcy@feriaurbanaSF.com

www.feriaurbanaSF.com

The first ever Vallejo Crafts on the Water fair is set for Sunday, July 19, 2009 from 9 AM to 4 PM. The point of this event is to feature local artists and crafters with an emphasis on those who use recycled, up-cycled, repurposed and eco-friendly items in their crafts and to promote the sales of these items. All items must be hand-crafted by the vendor. Any vendor with mass produced items or  “designer knockoffs” will be asked to leave with no refund and will not be invited back for future Crafts on the Water events. Because of our 5 acre location, we are able to offer both 10 x 10 and 10 x 15 foot spaces. 10 x 10’s are $50 and 10 x 15’s are $60. All fees are due no later than July 5th and can be paid via Paypal or check. Other than the booth fee, there are no commission costs and no percentage of your sales kept by us, so you get to keep everything you make! Vendors are allowed to split booths however, all artists/crafters must be mentioned on the application for approval. Vendors are responsible for their own set up (tents, tables, chairs, signs, etc.) and are encouraged to decorate their booths in effort to attract more foot traffic. There are no electrical outlets available. Vendors can begin arriving at 7 AM to set up. Vendors must arrive and check in no later than 8:30 AM or they will forfeit their spot with no refund. No booth tear down is to happen prior to 4 PM without permission. Because of our insurance policy, we are not able to allow food or beverage vendors however based on the success of this event, we hope we will be able to include such vendors in future events.

To apply for this event, please submit the following:

Your Name

Location

Type of product you’ll be selling

Price range of products

3 photo’s of your work (or a link to a website)

And a short bio or artists statement

Once you are notified about approval, you may submit your booth fee on Paypal.com to In Good Company account jendoubleyou@yahoo.com or send your check payment to Jenny Whisler at 223 Florida St, Vallejo CA 94590. Once payment is received, your spot is held. Refunds will be allowed if requested if something comes up and you are not able to make it up to July 5th.

We look forward to meeting all of you and having a successful Arts and Craft Festival!!

Note, if this is a hit, we are planning on making it a reoccurring event!

Is it worth all the trouble to give my customers multiple shipping options?

Well, that all depends on what you mean by “options.”  I wouldn’t necessarily recommend offering multiple carriers but it’s okay to offer multiple speeds.  In other words, choose just one company to ship with, such as UPS, FedEx or the US Postal Service.  If your web site’s shopping cart automatically calculates shipping costs, you can offer multiple delivery options such as First Class or Overnight, but if you have to enter those prices manually it may not be worth it to have to stay current with rate changes.  Some sites, like Etsy, never let you choose more than one service or delivery option to a given destination.  That’s fine.  Just add a line to your FAQs, policies, or product pages that asks customers to contact you if they need expedited shipping or prefer a different carrier.

Can I charge for “handling” if I ship products myself?

Absolutely.  I think it’s crazy that people believe their customers won’t buy from them if they charge more than the cost of postage to ship something.  Packing materials aren’t free and neither is your time.  Charge your normal hourly rate plus the cost of your shipping materials and postage.  For example, if it takes you five minutes to ship something (i.e. look up the order, pack it, address it and print out shipping labels) and you pay yourself $25/hr., you should charge $2.08 in addition to the cost of the box and the stamps.  This is not unreasonable.  If you still feel funny about it, though, feel free to lay out the charges in your FAQs or Policies page.  Don’t sweat it if a customer refuses to buy from you because of this.  You don’t want a relationship with someone who thinks your time is worthless anyway.

How can I keep the time and cost of shipping as low as possible?

Whoa.  Big question.  Let’s tackle time-saving first.  The most important thing is having the right supplies around.  I keep all of my shipping materials in one place, including a postal scale, address stamp, padded envelopes in sizes that fit my most common items, and the most common denominations of stamps I use.  I order most of these in bulk from places like Quill and Uline.  The shipping is usually free and my order often arrives in 1-2 days.

My postal scale is a regular spring-loaded Dymo scale with the postage prices printed right on the dial.  I place my package on top, and the needle points to the correct First Class postage price so I don’t have to look it up.  The Priority Mail and Express Mail prices are also printed on the front in a grid.  My only complaint is that the replacement dials they send when the price goes up are slow in coming and expensive ($15).  I looked into postage meters, too, when I was first starting up, and I determined that they are not worth the monthly rental fee unless you send hundreds of First Class envelopes each month.

I keep tons of $0.44, $1, $0.17, and $0.20 stamps around because any First Class package can be mailed using just those four denominations.  It’s often much quicker to address an envelope by hand and use stamps than it is to go online and print out the shipping label.  On the other hand, if you’re mailing something that has tracking info or doesn’t fit in your corner mailbox, it’s usually better to create the label online.  The shipper will send the tracking info to the customer for you and you can drop off your shipments at the post office or hand them to your driver/mail carrier.

Now for cost-saving.  Firstly, the more you can store, the better.  Having space to save shipping materials allows you buy in bulk and and to reuse the boxes, bubble wrap, etc. that you receive from other senders.  Secondly, become familiar with shipping classes and delivery times.  For example, what the USPS defines as a “letter” can be surprisingly large, thick and heavy.  Just beware of uneven or weirdly-proportioned envelopes.  USPS machines can’t handle them so they require a $0.20 “non-machinable” surcharge (hence my stash of $0.20 stamps).  In another example, UPS always delivers Ground shipments within the Bay Area in 1-2 days.  There is therefore never any reason to pay the overnight rate on a local shipment.  It arrives just as quickly at the lowest price.

Thirdly, I’ll reiterate that you should use online shipping labels for any package that uses tracking info.  Most carriers will give you a discount on postage bought online.  You can also schedule a free pickup for most online shipments, which allows you to save on gas money.

Lastly, make friends with your delivery people.  Learn the names of your UPS driver and your mail carrier.  Ask them how they’re doing.  Leave them tips or gifts at the holidays.  Not only are they competent human beings who deserve to be treated as such, they are often happy to do you favors and help you solve problems with your shipments.

Most of the complaints I receive from customers have to do with shipping.  How can I avoid this?

Shipping issues are by far the most common complaints I receive from customers as well, but I’ve been able to reduce them significantly by posting clear and specific shipping policies to my website and Etsy shop.  If an issue ever comes up that isn’t covered by those policies or falls within a grey area, I solve the problem to the customer’s satisfaction and then update the policy page so it never happens again. In addition, I sometimes put the answers to the most common shipping questions on the product page itself.

You can also reduce the number of complaints by offering fewer shipping options.  This may sound counter-intuitive (customers prefer choices, right?), but it ultimately makes for less confusion and frustration.  You can always let the customer contact you if they’d like special shipping arrangements.  If you’re able to provide them, great!  Your customer will love you for being so accommodating.  If not, you can always return a polite explanation that references your shipping policies and leaves no room for argument.

Finally, always pack your items well. Like, to withstand being run over.  It doesn’t matter whether or not your customer opts for insurance, you’re an A-hole if the product breaks in transit and you refuse to replace it.

What are some common shipping issues you’ve faced and how have you dealt with them?  Please share your experiences in the comments section.

by Biz Miss

Tags: ecommerce, etsy, shipping, shipping and handling, shipping policies

We are excited to announce the ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION will hold its 29th Annual  ITALIAN FAMILY FESTA  on Lincoln Avenue in downtown Willow Glen, San Jose, on Saturday, Aug 29th and Sunday Aug 30th, 2009.  You are invited to submit an application as an Arts and Crafts vendor.  The rental fee is $300.00 for the two days and provides a 10 x 10 foot space.   There will be no revenue assessment from the sales of your goods.

We had approximately 34,000 attendees over the two days last year and we measured the success by the camaraderie, fantastic continuous entertainment, authentic Italian foods and beverages and many “gotta have” arts and crafts all highlighting our Italian culture.

Don’t miss out on the chance to be a part of this exciting event.  Spaces are limited and I suggest you submit your application early on for consideration.

If you have questions, please call the IAHF office (408) 293-7122 and ask for Rosa Lopez, or you may use email: iahfsj@iahfsj.org.   We look forward to having you share in this great Italian tradition and will confirm acceptance of your application by June 8th.  

application can be found at;

 http://sites.google.com/a/iahfsj.org/italian-american-heritage-foundation/Activities—Programs/Festa

One of our Baz Biz Veteran Vendors Martin Hsu (www.martinhsu.com) would like to invite you to join him at the opening reception of “The Legend of Naii” on Friday, 6/26/09 from 7-10pm.  ”The Legend of Naii” is a series of 8 paintings which are part of a group show called “Battle Royal” at Gallery 1988 San Francisco.  The series is a tribute to his nai nai which means grandmother on the dad’s side.  She was the center of his family and will always be his inspiration.

Specialty FOOD and Product VENDORS Wanted

THE CRANEWAY PAVILION

FORD POINT, RICHMOND WATERFRONT, CA

INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND EVENTS

JULY 3—5, 2009

FRIDAY JULY 3, 2009 FREE CONCERT BY THE OAKLAND EAST BAY SYMPHONY plus FIREWORKS

SATURDAY JULY 4, 2009 DISNEY’S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL ON TOUR! plus FIREWORKS

SUNDAY JULY 5, 2009 “BIKE THE BAY TRAIL”

411tix, The Craneway Pavilion and Inhouse Talent Production Services is pleased to announce the Craneway Pavilion’s Independence Day Weekend Grand Opening on July 3-4-5, 2009. The Craneway Pavilion is a beautiful event space which features a soaring, industrial-chic interior, breathtaking 180⁰ waterfront views of San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley offering both indoor and outdoor vending opportunities.

email for APPLICATION! comm-mzhfp-1225112097@craigslist.org

Posted with permission from Roxycraft.com

I was going to post about my experiences on each day, but covered the demo end and now I’ll cover my experience vending at Bazaar Bizarre which was at Maker Faire.

Sorry I’ve been MIA since my last post. A bad cold had my energy sapped and my brain fried and I’ve had barely enough energy to watch movies much less type and think.

In short, my experience at Baz Biz this year was super awesome! The crowds were insane in a good way…I can only think that if you didn’t do well as a vendor, you should look at yourself, because people were there and they were buying! Everyone around me seemed to be doing very well and it was so crowded most of each day that it was difficult to walk down our aisle.

I sold tons…above is a picture of my booth at the start of Day 1 and let me tell ya, it was stark by the end of Day 2…stark. I said goodbye to all my mushrooms, the Hippo and Rhino, Tough Love, Chilly, all my Flamies and Buties, the Yellow Bear, all my copies of Tiny Yarn Animals, most of the Booklets and Kits went too. The Flamies were very popular.

My neighbors were great too! To my left was Kelso Doesn’t Dance who had the coolest wallets made from old maps and books. (very popular too) On my right was Petals and PineBlossoms who had some of the most well made bags I’ve seen at a craft fair…not to mention they had super cute owl and fawn motifs. (also extremely popular with customers) Behind my was Claire from Absolutely Small and she’s always fun to be around. Billy and I fell in love with Roger the Pom-Pom dog and brought him home to live with us!

I also got around and did some shopping. We bought a card from Dutch Door Press, an apron from PenguinBot.com, some amazing prints and a  screen printed wood piece from Tiny Sparks Designs.

But Maker Faire was chock full of amazing designers! I wish I had a million dollars because I would have spent them all there!

Posted with permission from http://www.penguinbot.com/blog/view/79

I’m extremely behind on blogging this, but I’ve spent my PenguinBot time this week on custom orders and oven mitts and trying to get the shop updated (I’m still working on the totes, they’ll be up soon!), but I was about to write a blog post about something entirely unrelated (cupcakes!) and figured this should probably go first.

The second day of Bazaar Bizarre was also really good. We sold more tote bags than we did the first day too! Since it was a little slower, I took about 20 minutes away from the booth to go check out the Life Size Mouse Trap contraption that was near Bazaar Bizarre. I only played Mouse Trap a few times when I was younger, when I babysat some kids up the block from me. If I had one of these I’d probably play with it all the time though.

Life Size Mousetrap!

There were lots of people surrounding it, so I didn’t get the best view of ground-level parts in motion when it was actually going, but I saw everything up top. It was pretty awesome. Some guys next to me commented that the Mouse Trap folks were more “crafters” (said with disdain) and not so much engineers. Whatever dudes. I thought it was great (though I am just a lowly crafter), as did all the people around me. If this ever comes near you I’d highly recommend going to see it in action.

This was another one of the attractions right outside the Bazaar Bizarre hall, the Neverwas Haul.

It’s a steampunk house. On wheels. It’s self-propelled. It’s kind of amazing.

Also near us, this big metal snail.

It shoots fire.

I wish we’d had more time to walk around the Maker Faire, especially since I kept missing the giant cupcakemobiles (people kept telling me about them after they passed the hall). Maybe next year!

I also want to mention one of my favorite vendors at Bazaar Bizarre. He was actually my next booth neighbor, Tiny Sparks Design. Brad screenprints original artwork on wood and paper, makes key & coat racks, and is just overall an extremely talented and neat guy. This was his first craft fair too, it was great to have another newbie to chat with.

You’ll have to forgive my pictures - I forgot to take pictures until right when they started tearing their booth down. It looked even more awesome during the fair. I absolutely love the colors he uses.

Brad and his wife were awesome. We couldn’t have asked for nicer neighbors to spend our 12 hour days with. If you’re going to be in the San Francisco area on July 18th & 19th, you can see his stuff in person at the Renegade Craft Fair!