Setting Up Shop

I have spent the last couple of weeks getting Amy.Be.Loved set up. Of course, having a full-time job and being a full-time wife have complicated things slightly. I had high hopes for being able to sew every night to jam pack my store with inventory. That simply hasn't happened. Life has gotten in the way. There is always dinner to fix, ball games to attend, laundry to do, errands to run... shall I go on? Long story short, I find myself slightly frustrated with the progress of things.

Interestingly enough, although I haven't had time to fill my store with inventory, I have been very successful in putting together the accouterments of my branding. I have found Etsy to be a wealth of resources for entrepreneurs. So at the very least, I can share what I have found.

I found an extremely talented graphic designer who put together a wonderful package of graphics for my store. The banner above is some of her work. She was extremely easy to work with and couldn't have been more eager to give me exactly what I wanted. If you find yourself in need of graphic designs, Thompson Designs comes highly recommended!

I really wanted to create a brand more than just a shop. Part of my package from Thompson Designs were business cards and return mailing labels. I have found an excellent source for printing. Vistaprint. They did my wedding announcements (which turned out perfect!), so it was an easy and cost effective choice for my business printing needs. My stuff in is the mail as I type this so I should have it all before I know it!

I also used Etsy to get some hang tags for my bags. My hopes are to someday do some Farmer's Markets and Craft Fairs. So in those hopes, I wanted to have some really nice looking pricing tags. I found a wealth of tag makers! I finally chose Rhubarb. She was able to give me an excellent deal on some custom tags. She made them exactly to my specifications! I couldn't have been more pleased.


I also have nearly 45 fans on my Facebook page! Questions about my bags are rolling in and I am hoping to roll those questions into sales.

So amidst the doldrums of not getting inventory into my store, I have found myself highly pleased with my ability to get the Amy.Be.Loved brand on it's feet. I have a few more things I would like to do including sew in fabric tags so that my actual items are branded. I haven't quite found what I am looking for there yet, but soon!

I have also gotten 3 custom orders from family members. I will be working on them all this weekend. I am so thankful to have a family that supports my endeavors! There are some days where I wonder why I am putting all this time, effort, and money into this (I'm sure my husband has those days as well!) But it always seems like those days are the ones where I get a question about my stuff. It cheers me on and drives me forward. I love every second of what I do. One day it will pay off...I just know it!