Reflections on this past year

I hope everyone is having some good eats and excellent holiday fun first and foremost.  As a new and naive business owner for my company this year, I wanted to reflect and maybe pass on some advice to new comers who are getting into this just as I am.   

When I started this back in January, I had no idea how to do taxes, sales taxes and all that jazz. I just knew I wanted to do what I love to do and make some money off of it.  So I attended some semiars provided by the local city for business owners, business counselors and learned about how complicated putting together a business plan to present to the bank was.  Which I have not yet done, because I'm still too scared of the rejection, lol.    I did have to learn the art of organization with my receipts all year, which I had to make a nice little folder for all my tax exempt receipts, sales reciepts, etc... Which at this point in the end of the year was very helpful, and I'm not scrambling trying to organize a years worth of paperwork. 

With the supplemental help of events and promotions, I was able to pay my bills all year by myself, which for anyone can be such a self fulfilling achievement.  Even now that I got a regular Joe Job, I felt more accomplished making my Eclectic Visions money than I do now at my normal job. 

Even if you are or aren't into the making clothes business, having shows (fashion shows, in my case) or craft shows to sell your products is the first step for introducing your items at a local level.  Not many craft shows this year were successful for me, at all. But I'm glad I did them, each one is a learning experience which is always good for you (the business owner) whether positive or negative.  I had 3 fashion shows this year, I met many amazing models, and networked with different photographers.  Another thing I learned this year is to make sure you have your business cards on you at all times, whether you're at a craft/fashion show, or just walking around the mall on your day off.  You'll never know when someone is looking for someone in your field of expertise and you don't have a card with you.  You'll feel quite foolish, I know I did. lol

Goals for the New Year
For 2011, I want to branch out. Hopefully do some huge out of town craft fairs within TX like Austin or Dallas, really get my name out.  I want to design new stuff, maybe even swim wear this year. I'm pretty sure there will be new fashion shows I'll get called back for this year, and I want to be ready when they do.  I also want to be aggressive on magazine submissions, I'm already on one collaboration on that for a sci-fi mag in January. So I'm excited to do that, just more photoshoots, fairs, and shows.   Write down your goals and meet them, nothing is unobtainable if you set your mind to it. 

Merry Christmas soon!

Things have been slow in the sewing department for me lately. I got a full time job at a call center, so I haven't been aggressively pursuing my sewing or trying to get orders.   And I apologize for everyone that has been waiting for my spats, I made some then realized I didn't have a camera anymore, and I'm not about to use my crappy camera phone for my etsy, so yea lol..   I'm really hoping to save up to get a better camera before the year is up (so it can be a tax write off, MUAAHAHAA!) so I can have better photos for you guys and the webstore.


I am in the process of collaborating with Robert Tibuni of VaboomStudios for a magazine submissions to Time of the Faeries by J. Corsentino.  We're meeting tomorrow at the fabric store, and I'm going to be sketching some ideas for the Cyber Faeries outfit.   I'm really excited for this project and I hope our submission proves successful.


I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and will have an awesome Christmas!

Ah yes the moment you've been waiting for

I styled this baby to perfection!!

I had my husband buy me some photos from the show. Hopefully as I get more money in my pockets I will buy the rest from that day. Until then. look at these babies!!!!!

Me(left), Melanie, Melissa

Fashion show is done! Now for pics and mayhem

Well a lot of things went wrong, didn't happen. I was a little disappointed as there was no live auction so I didn't get to make money and give some to the Susan G Komen Foundation. The shoes I borrowed from Dillards came, and everyone got their shoes in full except for me. I was missing a pair of heels and one of the shoes that I picked came in the wrong size, even though the day I picked them out I had all the correct sizes.
For the moment where I didn't have a headache was when my collection went down the runway, and may I say, I styled everyone to perfection!! My models were outstanding, and my outfit was rockin! Unfortunately I didn't make my dress, I bought it at Skin Graft when I was in LA recently. I need to buy the pro photos from when my stuff when down the runway, but! I do have the link to the proofs, and they are stunning!

http://www.digitalmilephotography.com 2010 Breast Cancer Fashion show album

My photos are 102-113 in the album of photos. I can't wait to see the video too! Now that all the mayhem is over, I can concentrate on making new accessories for my shop, and cleaning out inventory.

I made myself a pair of spats for the show, and I must say I'm becoming quite obsessed with these things, so I might as well share my love for them with all of you gals, and make them for my etsy shop. I'm just going to clean out my bins of fabric making these so in the next few weeks all spats on my shop will be ready to ship!

Everyone waiting for the show to start

As promised new items in all sizes!

From the tiniest size to the largest of BBW's, these new items are available to anyone!

Indian Goddess Gown
High Waist Office Skirt
Summer Dreams in Green dress
Turkish Delights capri set

Things are really getting a move on, I have hope!

Wow, so this month is starting to pick up in work. I don't know if fall has anything to do with it, but I'm very happy right with how things are going. I just got signed on for another fashion show in Oct for a Breast Cancer Fundraiser, I just finished up a fashion show this past weekend which went great. I have some photos from that in this blog post.

People locally are starting to take more interest in my work, my name came out in the paper which would make anyone smile. I just think damn, if I had quit back when nobody bought my stuff I wouldn't be having all these opportunities I have now. So yea August has been an amazing month, and September-Oct looks to be full of awesomeness too!

El Minya Fashion Show

Some ideas for growth and development

Well I put off the mini mall space rental, I 've actually have been attending small business seminars on loans n stuff first, before I try to get the space. I have some appointments next week through the Small Business Association, to learn how to do my taxes and book keeping free! I never knew how much free help there is for people to learn how to run a small business. You can find more information on small businesses at:
The IRS site
Business Grants
Small Business Association (google it for your state)

Also I really want to expand my business locally too, not just through the web but here in the EP/Las Cruces area to get more clientele. My husband brought up a great idea to get my name out more, and since I've done a few charity fashion shows so far I thought it was a good thing. He was suggesting I offer my services to make pretty dresses/clothes to Candlelighters, for the children suffering from cancer. Something to maybe cheer them up? So thats going to be in the works soon, after another charity fashion show August 21st for The El Maida Shrine.


For that particular show I made a bunch of new designs that will be up in my Etsy shop shortly. I made 3 designs aimed toward my plus sized ladies (sz 18-20), so if those go well, I probably will make a more unique designs for plus sizes. I mean I do have some now, but the new designs will be made to flatter larger pear/hourglass/apple shapes. I have my consultant (my best friend of 20 yrs lol) to let me know what works on these shapes and what doesn't, which I was not aware of LOL.

You can read more about my business trials and tribulations through my facebook.

I am also now selling my items at The Velvet Garden-Gothic Marketplace under my username egyptmachine915