Find a side job

http://applejade.etsy.com

Made some 30 second short promotional clips of my Etsy shop created with Animoto. Take a look:

http://animoto.com/play/IHVGoZY7EvtbGZW5r5QDGg
Swan Lake: Danse Russe, Moderato & Andante (Tchaikovsky)

http://animoto.com/play/Zs0Hmkb0Fe1YT1PKbyJdtA
Congratulations! – Ah, My Goddess

And a Gallery of Sold clip… oh, the beautiful sadness:

http://animoto.com/play/FlbnYefmnYzro7jaBVk3mg
Largo, Winter Movement – Four Seasons (Vivaldi)

=D

http://applejade.etsy.com

I didn’t think I’d make my end of March goal of 60 sales by the end of February, but I made it on March 1, which is phenomenally awesome too.

So, I made both my end of March goal and the goal to have more sales than items listed =D

And… it’s a big ego boo to have something snapped up almost as soon as it’s listed =D

http://applejade.etsy.com

I am so close to meeting my aggressive February goal! The aggressive goal was to have the same number of items sold as I have listed.

I had never thought that possible, but here I am, half way through February and only 8 sales left until my end of March goal of 60!!

I officially need to swear off the Etsy Forums. I’ve been trying to be patient because it was a good place to meet new people, see new shops and help people out. But it is toxic in there.

http://applejade.etsy.com

This has been such a delightful time as Chief Cook and Bottle Washer of my own little hobby business. Sales aren’t through the roof or anything, certainly not enough to quit the day job over. =) I’m doing much better than many, but not as great as others.

My cell phone charms are selling decently well. Everyone that has bought one has loved it so far. All 100% feedback! YEAH! =D

I average 10 sales a month, which is decent progress. I even made my Stretch Goal of 40 sales by the end of January 2008.

My next goal is to have as many sales as items listed (I currently have 63 items listed for sale). 60 sales by February 2008 is probably too aggressive. 60 by March 2008 might be more realistic.

The latest intrigue in my shop is Apples!!

Those were the cutest apple beads. I had promised myself that I wouldn’t buy any more beads until some of my first bunch sold. Yeah, that didn’t last long.

But I’m really glad I did. The cute apples drew in buyers and, in turn, they bought all sorts of other stuff.

I have more ideas up my sleeve. Look for them later this Spring and into the Summer! =D =D

http://applejade.etsy.com

I’ve opened an Etsy shop and I’ve started selling handmade thingies online. This holiday season, if you love me, don’t buy anything for me. Buy something FROM me. Better yet, buy something from me and tell all your friends XD

I make lampwork bead cellphone/keychain/zipper charms. I also have a few bracelets. I have other handmade things planned, but so far, it’s just these.

I was also featured on Cuteable.com!! =D

Please note, I had to open it under my maiden name though (“Jade Lin” is my married name). I can’t go by my married name because it involves actual money transactions which needs the name that I use for banking.

Just so no one is surprised by the different name. =)

Well, I was slated to write the instruction booklet for a Nintendo DS game in development. That would have been so exciting.

It somehow amused me to no end that I was going to “make a living” writing something that NO ONE would read XD I was going to THE TOP of the New York Times Worstseller’s list! Because, c’mon, who the hell actually reads the instructions when they play video/console games? =D

But that contract fell through. =P

So, I didn’t want to wait anymore. I opened a bottle of beer and started my own little business. I wrote up a plan for making and selling jewellery online.

I set up a few things, ordered some supplies and went at it. I’m finishing up the last of them now. I just need to photograph them all and then post them for sale.

I’ve also set up Inventory tracking, Expense tracking, Sales Invoicing and Receiving in a gigantic cross-referencing multi-sheet workbook and I’m rockin’. Or at least I should be pretty much good to go, come tax time. =)

I might have something lined up in the near future. Beginning some time this summer or in the fall, maybe. I really don’t want to jinx it. It sounds really positive right now, but we’ll see.

I knew that this company would be looking to fill a certain type of role eventually. It’s a matter of time and resources, which is why a part-time contractor for the time being would be perfect for them. I also knew that I would be hurting badly if I didn’t make it known that I wanted to do something with this company and they actually hired someone else to fill it.

Honestly, I think that I would love to work for them full-time. But I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t pay nearly as much as I’d want for full-time salary. If I could afford to take the pay cut, I would SO do it. But at this point, I can’t.

I’m not a little girl anymore. Gone are the days when I’m willing to work for just a bit of resumé padding. I have a family, a mortgage, bills, expenses, aging parents and in-laws. I now work because I have to prepare for the future.

Ever since organizing my own wedding, I’ve been very interested in wedding planning in general. I’m good at origami and small crafts, so I thought I could find a shop or someone who sells wedding favours, centre pieces, pew bows, flower arrangements and other wedding accessories to see if they could use an extra person to make the things that they sell.

There are online directories for wedding vendors. I can start compiling a list from there.

I mentioned in this entry that I wanted to find extra part-time work. It isn’t really for the money; I expect the money will be piddly squat. And the work doesn’t even have to be all that interesting or exciting. I was thinking along the lines of envelope stuffing, filing, folding paper roses, making wedding favours… those kinds of things.

But the whole point is to be able to bring the materials home with me, do things at home and claim the business expenses as a loss against my income. I guess this is where I can explore what I can do and what I’m willing to do. Then get a list together of people/companies that I could approach and do my cold-calling.

I didn’t want to do anything that’s IT related. I don’t want to run up against a conflict of interest. Instead I want to do something completely different, completely unrelated to Work.