Heart to Heart Forum: 2013

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Hello Everyone,

Hope you had a joyous Thanksgiving and are looking forward to Cyber Monday and the Christmas season!

We would like to encourage you to shop online at your fellow merchants at the Heart Shoppe :)

Our featured site for December is Roses and Teacups, with over 7000 items to choose from you're bound to find many that tickle your fancy: December's Feature

We are looking forward to next year with great anticipation! We have ordered member business cards for you and will let you know when they come in so you can let us know if you'd like some mailed to you. They include our new logo and matching colors of our upgraded site.

Some time in the next few days we will have some important information about renewals and next year's additions!

Have a wonderful Sunday and don't forget to open your Victorian Etc. newsletter :)

Thanks,

Vic

Friday, November 1, 2013

Good Morning Everyone, Hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween :) We welcome November with our featured site from Coeur d'Alene Gifts: November's Feature Page Be sure to check under the three images for Nancy's wonderful Contest and Giveaway! Have a gorgeous day and don't forget to open your Victorian Etc. newsletter and click thru on the doors. Vic

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Good Evening,

Why is it I still hear Boris Karloff's voice every time I use that expression?

Well, it seems as though October just snuck up on us out of nowhere!

Please read your Victorian Etc. Newsletter today and follow thru on some of the great links.

Visit our "featured site," Victorian Laurels: October's Featured Site

Enjoy the gorgeous fall weather (hopefully)! The International Balloon Fiesta is in Albuquerque starting this week. Always exciting and very busy :)

Welcome fall, my favorite season!

Bountiful Blessings,
Vic

Thursday, September 5, 2013

September, One of my favorite months, now that my teaching days are over!
Please check out our feature site: Victorian Etc.
Have a beautiful end of summer and beginnings of fall day!

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Good Morning Everyone, I don't know about the rest of you, but my July just flew by :) Half was spent in Minnesota and the other half here at home in New Mexico.

August feature page has an opportunity to win a gorgeous pendant from Linda: Charmed Victorian

We are trying a different timeline for our Victorian Etc. monthly newsletter. Look for yours within the hour :)

Our last Issue of the year will be on Women's Retail and Women's Rights in the late and post-Victorian era. Don't miss a chance to advertise for just pennies/day. E-mail for available space.

Have a lovely month of August, hope it's relaxing but full of business!

Good Day,
Vic

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Good Morning, What a lovely June morning in NM. The birds are singing, the roses are in bloom, and my Topsy Turvy has a dollar-size tomato. All is well!
Please check out our feature page for June: Victorian Laurels
Great summer savings and free products await you!
Have a sunshiny day :) Victoria

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Good Morning Everyone,

Visit our Featured Shop for May, brought to us by Terry of Cottage Violets:
May Feature

The Magazine finally has it's first new complete issue of the year with our new format, please read:
Miracles & Mystery

We hope you will enjoy today :)
Vic

Monday, April 1, 2013

Good Morning Everyone,
We are welcoming April with open arms :) Enjoy the spring assortment of wonderful items from Roses and Teacups:
April's Feature Page

Victorian Etc. has researched the origins of April Fool's Day around the world and we found it very enlightening! Be sure to open your newsletter and absorb the wealth of information therein.
We are very excited about our next issue and the partnership Contest with VHS, also with the contributions of our new section editors.

Have a delightful day and don't get fooled.
Vic

Friday, March 1, 2013

Good Morning Everyone, It is a beautiful morning in New Mexico : ) Perhaps spring is finally here!

We have a gorgeous feature page at VHS. Brought to us by our artist/friend, Shelley McVittie, from Canada:
"Shelley McVittie's Gallery"

Also, the Victorian Etc. Newsletter has a great "meet and greet" for our new section editors. Find out a bit about these ladies that you probably did not know: Victorian Etc. Magazine

While you are there, please take the VIP Challenge on p.8.
Take the VIP Challenge!

Thanks and have a perfectly perfect day!

Vic

Friday, February 1, 2013

Good Morning All,
It's February! Although January seemed long with never-ending cold spells at times, February just kind of snuck up on me : )
First things first, please visit our featured page for the month brought to us by Linda of Charmed Victorian and Charmed One:
Charmed One
Second, do open your Victorian Etc. Magazine newsletter as we have a non-issue/issue with something new each month!
Third and finally, have a wonderful Valentine's Day and a great month!
Have a great day!
Vic

12 Tips for a Successful Christmas Bazaar Table

12 Tips for a Successful Christmas Bazaar Table
by Victoria Otto

The following tips are recommended for a small retail shop participating in an arts & crafts holiday fair or a Christmas bazaar.

Up to 6 weeks in advance:

1. Make a list and check it twice; more often if a tendency to misplace lists exists.

2. Brand your booth with the following items: (These can be purchased "free" at www.vistaprint.com for only the cost of shipping) banners, business cards, calendar magnets, rack cards, etc.

3. Invite friends and recruit plenty of help for the actual sale day.

4. Inventory your products (something old, something new): ordering too late could cost a sale so make sure to have plenty of that "most popular"' and "brand new" item on hand for the big day.

5. Print out a readable price list, stickers and tags get lost in the shuffle: whole dollar amounts (round $4.95 to $5) will make it much easier to make change at the actual event.

6. Get in the spirit of the event with tablecloths, decorations, centerpieces, etc. that reflect the holiday theme.

At the event:

7. Provide a sample to all interested traffic (if you are selling perfume, spray a business card "to go", free recipe cards for a food booth, etc.).

8. A sale isn't a sale unless there is a discount: offer 20% or more off the regular price and be sure to bring a calculator.

9. Feed the impulse buyer: the 'five and dime' has acquired dollar signs so be sure to have at least one $5-$10 item for the impulse buyers, perhaps no higher than $30 unless you are prepared to take checks or credit cards.

10. Stage your products: the most expensive jewelry looks better on a hand, the most beautiful scarf around a neck, an exquisite 'wine charm' dressing a crystal goblet, the idea is to show off the goods (baskets, boxes, bags)!

11. Have an appropriate cash drawer, money bag, or register, with plenty of change (makes both dollars and sense).

12. Remember the true meaning of the event: Christmas is a celebration of the Christ child's birth. Arrive early, have fun, be of good cheer, suggest appropriate gifts, and be thankful for all blessings from Above.

Author: Victoria Otto from Victorian Laurels @ www.victorianlaurels.com

Contributors: Linda from Charmed Victorian @ www.charmedvictorian.com

Debbie from Cozy Cottage @ www.cozycottage.com

All of the above shops can be found in one place: Victorian Heart Shoppe mall @ www.victorianheartshoppe.com

About the Author:

Victoria Otto is the owner and CEO of the retail website, Victorian Laurels, and the membership mall, Victorian Heart Shoppe. Her newest venture is as the Editor of an online magazine called Victorian Etc. She has a BS in Mathematics and is a retired school teacher of twenty-five years. Victoria lives in New Mexico with her husband, Jeff, and their dogs, Duke & Roscoe.

Spring Cleaning by Terri Seymour

How to Spring Clean Your Website

Spring is a wonderful time of year but it might not be so wonderful for our online business. The weather is getting nicer and people are spending more time outside, away from their computers. One way to get more people to come to your website is to do some spring cleaning and I don't mean your house! Our websites can get stale and outdated if we do not clean them up periodically.

There are lots of things you can do to freshen up your site and bring new life and new customers to your online business.

1. Add a new section filled with resources, information and maybe even some special deals for your customers. Use relevant keywords to improve your ranking. For example: if you own a home decor business, offer decorating tips and advice. Show people how to decorate on a budget or how to redecorate with things they already own. By providing information and resources along with your products, you are giving people a reason to keep coming back. This is how you build trust with your visitors and get more sales.

2. Remove all dead links, outdated information and products. Nothing is worse than going to a site and finding links that don't work or information and/or products that are no longer useable or helpful. Go through all the links on your site and freshen up the content to offer up to date information!

3. Give your homepage a facelift by adding new graphics, text, etc. Redo your banner and give it some new life. Take out the old graphics and add some fresh new images. Research your keywords and revamp your text with some effective keywords. Write a new introduction to your site detailing all your new additions.

4. If you haven't yet tried blogging, read up on blogging and zap some life into your site. Some free blogging sites are Blogger and WordPress. Blogging is a great way to improve your search engine ranking while expanding your network.

5. Update your product line. Add some fresh new products and offer the old products at clearance prices. Have a Spring Sale and liven up your sales! Keep those customers coming back for more!

6. Add a What's New page so you can let everyone know about all your updates now and in the future. This feature could get more people to return to your site to see What's New?

7. Research the colors used on your site. You may find changing the colors of your site can bring a whole new life to your business.

8. Put a small survey on your site. Ask your visitors what they would like to see and what type of products they are looking for. Getting the information straight from the horse's mouth could do your business a lot of good. Offer your visitors a small gift for answering the questions on the survey.

9. Renew your goals! Make new goals and write out a new business plan. Learn from your experiences, good and bad, and improve your plan for success.

Spring is a time of renewal, revitalization and reenergizing! Our online businesses are no exception!

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