1 00:00:04,470 --> 00:00:05,010 Hi there. 2 00:00:05,310 --> 00:00:06,060 It's Sue. 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:08,670 And thanks for joining me for tips and talk day. 4 00:00:09,330 --> 00:00:13,290 These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and 5 00:00:13,290 --> 00:00:16,800 things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small business. 6 00:00:17,310 --> 00:00:18,900 If you'd like to submit a topic, 7 00:00:19,230 --> 00:00:22,710 DME over on Instagram at gift biz unwrapped, 8 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:24,450 before we get into the show today, 9 00:00:24,750 --> 00:00:27,120 I want to make sure that you know about the newest 10 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:28,800 thing happening over here. 11 00:00:29,310 --> 00:00:34,290 It's called the gift biz bash a zoom party that turns 12 00:00:34,290 --> 00:00:35,850 into a podcast episode. 13 00:00:35,850 --> 00:00:37,230 Several weeks later, 14 00:00:37,770 --> 00:00:41,130 the party consists of a short training with Q and a 15 00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:42,780 from yours truly. 16 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:46,140 And then an opportunity for you to give a shout out 17 00:00:46,140 --> 00:00:47,250 about your business. 18 00:00:47,790 --> 00:00:50,700 You can tell us about a promotion you currently have going 19 00:00:50,700 --> 00:00:54,720 on or share a collaboration that you're considering so that you 20 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:57,840 can find a perfect partner for the event. 21 00:00:58,710 --> 00:01:01,710 A little bit of learning and visibility for your business. 22 00:01:01,830 --> 00:01:03,210 What could be better? 23 00:01:03,810 --> 00:01:07,110 There is a catch though spots are limited to keep the 24 00:01:07,110 --> 00:01:09,690 party to about 45 minutes or so. 25 00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:13,290 That means you should grab your spot right away. 26 00:01:13,860 --> 00:01:17,100 It's totally free to make sure you're included. 27 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:18,600 Why not do that right now? 28 00:01:18,990 --> 00:01:20,100 Pause this episode, 29 00:01:20,430 --> 00:01:22,230 go to gift biz, 30 00:01:22,290 --> 00:01:28,110 unwrapped.com forward slash bash to sign up and then come back 31 00:01:28,170 --> 00:01:29,430 and listen to the show. 32 00:01:29,850 --> 00:01:31,320 I'll see you at the bash. 33 00:01:32,820 --> 00:01:34,140 We're conditioned this way. 34 00:01:34,170 --> 00:01:38,040 Of course you hear there's been an accident and your mind 35 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,230 automatically goes to the worst. 36 00:01:40,890 --> 00:01:45,180 After all an accident is defined as an unfortunate incident that 37 00:01:45,180 --> 00:01:51,180 happens unexpectedly and unintentionally typically resulting in damage or injury. 38 00:01:51,810 --> 00:01:56,940 Yikes. We've all experienced this personally and hear about accidents on 39 00:01:56,940 --> 00:01:58,320 the news all the time. 40 00:01:59,100 --> 00:02:03,720 I, by no means intend to discount the devastating effect an 41 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,630 accident can have on your life today, 42 00:02:06,630 --> 00:02:10,260 though, I'd like to talk about accidents as they apply to 43 00:02:10,260 --> 00:02:11,220 your business. 44 00:02:11,910 --> 00:02:13,650 It's going to be a radical thought, 45 00:02:13,890 --> 00:02:16,890 but I want you to open your thinking to consider how 46 00:02:16,890 --> 00:02:22,110 some accidents can make way to new opportunities. 47 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:24,180 Okay? Okay. 48 00:02:24,210 --> 00:02:26,730 I know I have a little bit of explaining here to 49 00:02:26,730 --> 00:02:30,480 do. It's so easy to get set in our ways and 50 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:35,550 see things only from the perspective that we've always had or 51 00:02:35,580 --> 00:02:40,500 the trained expectation about what an outcome should be like when 52 00:02:40,500 --> 00:02:42,990 the clay goes in the kiln and it should come out, 53 00:02:43,020 --> 00:02:46,590 just so albeit every piece is unique, 54 00:02:46,770 --> 00:02:50,280 but you've done this so many times that in your mind's 55 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:54,960 eye, you already know what you're going to see until it 56 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:59,100 doesn't happen that way as a best practice when you're in 57 00:02:59,590 --> 00:03:01,690 production, there's a process, 58 00:03:02,170 --> 00:03:03,610 certain formulas, 59 00:03:03,730 --> 00:03:04,870 paint, mixtures, 60 00:03:04,930 --> 00:03:06,190 temperature settings, 61 00:03:06,190 --> 00:03:09,040 and drying times as an artist, 62 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,190 do you have set procedures for the creation of your product 63 00:03:12,670 --> 00:03:15,040 procedures that you've perfected over time? 64 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,660 The ones that produce the extraordinary final product that you sell, 65 00:03:20,380 --> 00:03:22,330 when things don't go as planned, 66 00:03:22,660 --> 00:03:24,550 they become an accident. 67 00:03:25,510 --> 00:03:27,130 Here's the twist. 68 00:03:27,970 --> 00:03:32,380 It's possible that this accident you've encountered could present a new 69 00:03:32,380 --> 00:03:35,950 way of thinking that was invisible to you up until now. 70 00:03:36,580 --> 00:03:38,620 It doesn't mean your past processes. 71 00:03:38,650 --> 00:03:40,270 Aren't still to be followed, 72 00:03:40,660 --> 00:03:44,020 but when encountering an accident in your business, 73 00:03:44,500 --> 00:03:47,680 what new idea does this prompt? 74 00:03:48,580 --> 00:03:50,740 It's a mindset switch for sure, 75 00:03:51,100 --> 00:03:54,490 but could be a playground for new opportunities. 76 00:03:55,420 --> 00:03:58,900 One of my favorite examples of this is from Tim of 77 00:03:58,900 --> 00:04:00,310 Burton, Maplewood farm. 78 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,300 You can hear the whole story back in episode 91, 79 00:04:04,930 --> 00:04:06,790 a summary of it goes like this. 80 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:09,550 Tim is a producer of maple syrup. 81 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:11,200 And as part of the process, 82 00:04:11,470 --> 00:04:14,980 the syrup is aged for six months in wooden barrels. 83 00:04:15,430 --> 00:04:18,190 It comes to be that the barrels that we make here 84 00:04:18,190 --> 00:04:19,870 in the states for bourbon, 85 00:04:19,870 --> 00:04:24,130 Brandy, and the like are of superior quality and get repurposed 86 00:04:24,220 --> 00:04:25,720 after liquor production. 87 00:04:26,740 --> 00:04:29,110 Those are the barrels that Tim uses for aging, 88 00:04:29,110 --> 00:04:30,190 his maple syrup. 89 00:04:30,940 --> 00:04:34,420 Well, one day he was reorganizing the maple house. 90 00:04:34,450 --> 00:04:36,970 When he came across a barrel that he thought was empty. 91 00:04:37,780 --> 00:04:39,190 As he tried to move it, 92 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:43,120 he found that it held 30 gallons of maple syrup. 93 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,780 This is a barrel that once had been used for apple 94 00:04:46,780 --> 00:04:47,680 Jack Brandy. 95 00:04:48,190 --> 00:04:51,130 The barrel had been in its spot now for roughly a 96 00:04:51,130 --> 00:04:55,720 year, right near a huge rums for fireplace. 97 00:04:56,500 --> 00:04:57,910 Tim tasted the syrup, 98 00:04:57,970 --> 00:05:01,960 not knowing what to expect much to his surprise. 99 00:05:02,410 --> 00:05:04,600 It was delicious. 100 00:05:05,350 --> 00:05:09,010 You see the heat from the fireplace had released the alcohol 101 00:05:09,010 --> 00:05:12,640 that remained in the walls of the barrel and that Brandy 102 00:05:12,670 --> 00:05:16,180 merged with the syrup in the most wonderful way. 103 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:21,550 This led to a whole new production technique that Tim has 104 00:05:21,550 --> 00:05:24,220 since coined fire infusion. 105 00:05:24,820 --> 00:05:26,530 And it resulted in a new, 106 00:05:26,710 --> 00:05:29,230 very special product line. 107 00:05:30,220 --> 00:05:33,610 You can hear all the technical specifics about the barrel and 108 00:05:33,610 --> 00:05:37,570 its transformation effect on syrup and about the 14 and a 109 00:05:37,570 --> 00:05:40,870 half minute mark of the podcast that I just referenced if 110 00:05:40,870 --> 00:05:41,710 you're interested. 111 00:05:42,250 --> 00:05:46,720 But the point is this accident resulted in something big. 112 00:05:47,170 --> 00:05:50,470 It's an accident turned into an opportunity. 113 00:05:51,490 --> 00:05:55,240 Now I understand that not everyone has a giant floor to 114 00:05:55,240 --> 00:06:00,530 ceiling fireplace or some similar production setup that can yield these 115 00:06:00,590 --> 00:06:02,060 accidental results. 116 00:06:02,810 --> 00:06:07,130 Sometimes a product idea can come from an accidental observation. 117 00:06:07,790 --> 00:06:09,800 That's how brownie brittle came to be. 118 00:06:10,670 --> 00:06:13,970 Sheila started a brownie business in the traditional sense of the 119 00:06:13,970 --> 00:06:16,580 product, delicious square, 120 00:06:16,580 --> 00:06:20,960 moist chocolatey desserts in all sorts of varieties. 121 00:06:21,770 --> 00:06:24,350 One day she went out onto the production floor, 122 00:06:24,590 --> 00:06:27,320 as things were being cleaned up and closed down for the 123 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,820 day. What she saw changed the course of her business, 124 00:06:32,540 --> 00:06:36,320 all the crunchy outside pieces that were left over from production 125 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:39,020 were being eaten by the employees. 126 00:06:39,740 --> 00:06:41,240 Sheila came to discover, 127 00:06:41,270 --> 00:06:44,810 this is one of the most tasty parts of the brownie 128 00:06:45,230 --> 00:06:48,200 and could be turned into a product unto itself. 129 00:06:48,950 --> 00:06:49,580 You got it. 130 00:06:49,790 --> 00:06:50,810 Brownie, brittle, 131 00:06:51,500 --> 00:06:55,040 more detail behind this story can be heard in episode 1 132 00:06:56,090 --> 00:06:58,730 0 1 accidental opportunities. 133 00:06:58,730 --> 00:07:02,780 Don't have to even be on that grand a scale like 134 00:07:02,780 --> 00:07:04,220 Sheena from Lula's bath and bombs. 135 00:07:04,700 --> 00:07:08,390 She has a special place for any broken bombs or less 136 00:07:08,390 --> 00:07:09,830 than best products. 137 00:07:10,190 --> 00:07:11,750 Instead of disposing of them, 138 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,710 they're offered in a special Bennett shows or marked down so 139 00:07:15,710 --> 00:07:18,920 that they can still bring in revenue and are like a 140 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:20,510 product unto themselves. 141 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,140 We've taken this approach over at the ribbon print company, 142 00:07:24,140 --> 00:07:27,350 too. For those of you who may be less familiar with 143 00:07:27,350 --> 00:07:30,620 this, I have my own brand of ribbon called a pretty 144 00:07:30,620 --> 00:07:34,220 print that is formulated specifically to be used with our ribbon 145 00:07:34,220 --> 00:07:37,220 printers. It's manufactured overseas. 146 00:07:37,250 --> 00:07:40,190 And I don't have to tell you how long an order 147 00:07:40,190 --> 00:07:41,240 takes to receive. 148 00:07:41,990 --> 00:07:43,310 Plus with minimums, 149 00:07:43,370 --> 00:07:46,160 each order includes thousands of roles. 150 00:07:46,790 --> 00:07:50,420 Sometimes we find roles that are cut short of our 55 151 00:07:50,420 --> 00:07:51,230 yard spec. 152 00:07:51,980 --> 00:07:54,950 As long as the ribbon quality is to our standards, 153 00:07:55,220 --> 00:07:58,460 we sell these off-spec rolls to our customers. 154 00:07:58,970 --> 00:07:59,720 A win-win, 155 00:08:00,230 --> 00:08:01,880 our customer gets a discount. 156 00:08:02,180 --> 00:08:05,210 We recouped some of our costs and free up space in 157 00:08:05,210 --> 00:08:06,110 our warehouse. 158 00:08:07,580 --> 00:08:11,060 And there was a time when we received replacement product. 159 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:15,290 That was a color we don't even stock nor ever would. 160 00:08:15,290 --> 00:08:18,800 We, I wish I had pictures of our faces when we 161 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:20,330 opened these boxes, 162 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:25,400 that ribbon turned into a promotion that we called never again, 163 00:08:25,430 --> 00:08:26,720 neon pink. 164 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:31,010 And it's sold out in just a few days as you 165 00:08:31,010 --> 00:08:33,050 go throughout your business day, 166 00:08:33,470 --> 00:08:35,390 when an accident happens. 167 00:08:35,630 --> 00:08:38,060 I want you to remember this podcast episode, 168 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,990 instead of immediately jumping into frustration mode, 169 00:08:42,560 --> 00:08:44,090 take a minute to contemplate. 170 00:08:44,090 --> 00:08:47,690 If there's a hidden opportunity in the accident, 171 00:08:48,350 --> 00:08:51,680 can it lead to a new version of your existing product, 172 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:54,020 a new product design? 173 00:08:54,990 --> 00:08:57,240 Does it offer the possibility of rewarding, 174 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:01,350 your most loyal customers with something special and in limited quantity, 175 00:09:01,980 --> 00:09:03,330 who knows what it could be? 176 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:07,500 You might just find that the day of an accident can 177 00:09:07,500 --> 00:09:11,220 turn into the most amazing of days. 178 00:09:13,350 --> 00:09:14,280 That's a wrap. 179 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:16,530 I'm a get to the point kind of girl. 180 00:09:16,650 --> 00:09:19,440 And this is what you can expect from these quick midweek 181 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:24,510 sessions. Now it's your turn go out and fulfill that dream 182 00:09:24,510 --> 00:09:25,290 of yours, 183 00:09:25,590 --> 00:09:27,750 share your handmade products with us. 184 00:09:28,020 --> 00:09:28,950 We want them, 185 00:09:29,130 --> 00:09:32,040 and they bring us both so much happiness.