I really need to keep in mind that business cards are meant to be given out freely and in great numbers to any and all that might inquire about them!

Introductions: Hi! I'm Victor (hand over business card)

Sales: INCLUDE BUSINESS CARDS

Inquiries: Do you have a business card? YES! (hand over business card)

That's the way it's supposed to work! They're not meant to be hoarded by me- they do me no good when they just sit in my wallet or up in my closet.

I posted up a few more bonsai on my etsy shop. I usually pot up a set of about 5-6 bonsai at a time, but it takes me a while to post them on etsy. I really do enjoy posting items on etsy, but it's time consuming; a real labor of love. After I have a product ready for sale I have to:

Take a set of pictures

Write up a description

Load it on Etsy

Taking the picture is not as easy as grabbing my camera, snapping some pictures and away we go! My camera is a piece of crap (but very capable). Its batteries are always running out, and it takes a while to recharge the batteries. I have to do careful planning, as I have to recharge EVERY time I want to snap some pictures. Then I have to wait for good lighting. I've found that taking pictures outside in natural sunlight is THE best way to photograph my products. I have to wait until there's plenty of shade so I don't end up with wash out photos. Once I take the photo set, then I have to edit the picture. There's cropping and composition to do, and resizing at the very least.

The description write up takes a surprising amount of time. It's not just giving dimensions, but it's my chance to stir up an emotion from the buyer. These are hand made unique items; they sell a little bit more (sometimes less) than mass-produced items, so I have to get the buy in from the buyer. Hand made means the item was made by a living, breathing entity, not some cold, heartless machine. Hand made also means that each item has personality, and it's the description's job to convey that personality to the buyer.

Finally, gathering it all up and loading it on Etsy takes a good amount of time in itself. Meaningful tags have to be included. Shipping charges have to be calculated (I almost ALWAYS undercharge in shipping). And the item's price has to be determined. Looking at my prices, they don't truly reflect the amount of time it takes me to create the item. This is especially true with my potted bonsai. It's more a labor of love.

And this truly is something I don't mind doing. Don't get me wrong, I like it when I actually SELL an item, but I understand times are TOUGH right now. I know there are plenty my fellow Etsians who enjoy virtual window shopping and if I can offer up a little inspirational something and brighten someone's day, then its worth it to me.