Sisters Hand Made Article

Here is a nice feature article from a great Handmade blog site.

http://sistershandmade.blogspot.com/2009/11/art-in-toilet-paper.html

Boone's Hooks on the Today Show

Here is the video clip of Boone's Hooks from today's Today Show on msnbc...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

"Prosumer" Economy

Here is an encouraging article from the San Francisco Gate. My comments are below...

Get ready: Here comes the 'prosumer economy'

Hunkering down, cutting and conserving, snapping up opportunities that others may miss. All the standard nostrums for surviving the Great Recession make sense, but they're not sufficient to cope with the new economic order that's coming.

That's what Eamonn Kelly, CEO of San Francisco's Global Business Network ( www.gbn.com), is telling CEOs of the Fortune 100 companies he advises. At a recent gathering of the Alliance of Chief Executives ( www.allianceofceos.com), an organization of Bay Area CEOs headquartered in Walnut Creek, Kelly outlined some of the coming challenges:

-- The era of Western-led innovation and globalization is finished, as China and India lead the shift to the East and begin to make their own rules. Henceforth, businesses will be operating in a world of "multiple models of government-private sector relations."

-- In the United States, "government is back," ending the private sector's "untrammeled permission to play." In addition to the state, the nonprofit civic sector - environmental organizations, for example - will become increasingly visible stakeholders in private enterprises.

-- Western consumption patterns are unsustainable. In fact, they are "structurally broken."

What does all this mean? Kelly believes - and this is a Fortune 100 adviser, mind you - that material consumption is being replaced by, for want of a better word, spiritual consumption. In a nutshell, quality supersedes quantity, a trend I believe we are already starting to see. For companies, that implies "a massive emphasis on co-creation with consumers," evolving into what Kelly calls the "prosumer economy."

It also presages, he believes, a transition from traditional models of competition to shared "webs" of innovation. "Companies are going to have to be more agile, more collaborative." Which, he acknowledged, "puts corporate executives in a very hard place. How do you manage that tension between dealing with the current recession and needing to adapt to these fundamental changes?"

---

I feel this trend is very encouraging to the craftsperson and anyone that deals with quality items. If you are an artist, please keep up the great craftsmanship and as a consumer, which we all are, please purchase high quality.

I am glad to see the consumer finally get some power back over the corporations and I look forward to the new products that will surface and the older ones that will stay in demand.

Cheers,
Smyth Boone

Design Style Guide

I would like to introduce a new website called Design Style Guide.
http://www.designstyleguide.net/


The site is a collection of amazing hand made art from artists that specialize in interior design. The site is a brilliant one stop resource for a growing number of artists and professionals in the home decorating industry.

A couple of my favorite things about the site is that it is simply a networking tool to get prospective buyers to individual artists websites and highlights so many great artists and buyers can see a ton of wonderful art all in one stop.

Design Style Guide is very easy to navigate, features treasuries, and only carries high caliber artwork that meets rigorous standards. The editors make sure every posting qualifies to their specific standards.

Here is the description on the Design Style Guide homepage:

If you are an interior designer, decorator, or home stager, this website is designed to help you quickly find that perfect accent to help you sell to your clients. You can search for items by style, color, room, or material, to help you work more efficiently and use less of your valuable time wading through the mountains of things available online.

Please check it out... http://www.designstyleguide.net/

Cheers,

Smyth Boone

Boone's Hooks in Gaiam/Real Goods catalog

I am proud to announce that the Boone's Hooks hand forged home accessories line has been picked up by the Gaiam/Real Goods Living 2008 Fall Holiday Catalog.

Gaiam is the leading provider for green and ecologically friendly products on the planet. As you know Boone's Hooks are made of 100% recycled steel, the most recycled product on the globe.

Please sign up and get a catalog mailed to you or check it out on the internet. Here is the link to the web page featuring Boone's Hooks...

http://www.gaiam.com/product/eco-home-outdoor/living-space/decor/hand-forged+recycled+steel+leaf+towel+bar.do

Here is a word about Gaiam:

Gaiam invites you to live the life of intention you've envisioned. From yoga & fitness DVDs to non-toxic cleaners, we give you the green shopping options and healthy living products to help you live your best life. Discover health & wellness tools, sustainable living solutions and green products from our online catalogs.

and here is the link to Gaiam...
http://www.gaiam.com/

I am glad to participate in the green revolution! Thank you for your support.

Cheers,
Smyth Boone

Advertising...

I have found that different places for advertising take different artistic approaches according to the potential clients that will see the ad.


This top ad photo is clean and classy. I use this ad on my local movie theater screen. I am able to trade work for the ad space. It shows before all movies and events at the theater, The Paradise, in Paonia, Co. http://paradiseofpaonia.com/
I live in a small town and I find it very important to let the locals know about my business. I have had lots of local clients let me know that they have seen the ad and are glad to support my local business.
It is difficult to trace the direct effects of the ad, but am sure it gets the word out to the local community which I feel is critical for success. The locals are great for recommending one's work when guests visit and are looking for art/crafts.

Next ad...
This is the paid ad that I run in The Mountain Gazette magazine. http://mountaingazette.com/
The Gazette is a free publication distributed throughout all mountain towns in the western U. S. It highlights incredible writers and is a very cheeky vibe which relates well to the local populations living in mountain towns.
You can see the ad reflects the style of readers. Hopefully, the reader finds it interesting and funny enough to check out my website. I have had good results and plenty of good comments and a reasonable amount of sales. The ad runs monthly which is critical for product recognition and potential sales.
Currently, I do not track where all of my sales come from, but that is maybe something I will be able to fine-tune in the future.
Future discussions involving advertising may include discussions regarding the artwork, information, locations of ads, costs involved, and results.

Cheers,
Smyth Boone