Networking, Guilds and Groups

Lately I have immersed myself in a new page on the Squnches Craft Network website, I've titled it Guilds and Groups as I'll be listing as many guilds and groups on this directory as possible.
For those who may not know, a guild or a group, in terms of handmade and craft, is a group of people who get together because they share a common interest, it could be patchwork, quilting, knitting or even embroidery, whatever the activity may be, if you want to expand your social circle and develop your skills, being part of a guild or a group is a fantastic way to go about it.

Many people think of or find a craft they are passionate about but don't know where to start, generally they make a start at home by themselves, with nobody else to enjoy this new found hobby with. It doesn't take too long for the passion to dwindle and even disappear completely. That's where guilds and groups come in to help, these lovely people get together on a regular basis, some weekly, some monthly, and they have a chat, work on their projects and encourage each other with their projects.



The challenge most people find is locating these guilds and groups, it can be daunting for many people to seek out a group or guild, which is why I'm putting together this page, to help 'break the ice' so to speak. I go out in search of guilds and groups all around Australia involved in various crafts and list them on the directory, including their Facebook pages or websites if they have them, this makes it so much easier for you because its all right there at your finger tips on this one website, all you have to do is find one near to where you live, that's it, I've done the rest.

Gone are the days when people knew their neighbours and invited them over for dinner, gone are the days when children used to play games with the other children in their neighbourhood and gone are the days when people would go out and be actively involved in their communities and know where streets were in their suburb. A lot of people these days barely know any of the streets around their house, they don't know the names of their neighbours and their children are so tied up in technology that they don't go out and ride their bikes or scooters with other children in the neighbourhood. That doesn't mean you can't go out and enjoy 1 day a week or one day a month, connecting with like minded people who share your passion and hobby.

Why not head over to my website and take a look at this new and growing directory, if you are part of a group or guild that is not listed, why not let me know so that others can join.

Thank you so much for reading this post, I hope you have a beautiful day.

Who is Standing in Your Corner?

You might be surprised to find out, often it isn't who you think it is or will be. For those starting up a business, this is one important question and the results can be shocking. 

When I started my business, it was after a year of trying to get back on my feet, my dream career came crashing to a halt, through no fault of my own, which made it worse for me. My job at the time became unbearable and the thought of never showing up for work ever again became a dream like that of holidaying to a tropical island to lay in a hammock sipping cocktails all day while soaking in the oceanic view.

Knowing I would never be happy working this job, I set towards finding something I could do that would make me happy. After trying all those quizzes to tell me what job would best suit me, what it involves etc, I sat back and thought, maybe I'm not cut out for an everyday, run of the mill job. Maybe my job doesn't exist, maybe I need to create it. Thanks to a friend, I was soon headed in the right direction, the direction of a small business management course. It was at this point I found out who out there was supportive and who thought I should just go and get a 'normal' job. I say 'normal' as a job that is common and already exists, like the one I just had to run away from.

The course equipped us with a business plan, knowledge or taxation, marketing and finance, everything you need to know about running a business. With all the office knowledge and qualifications I had, I was excited at putting these skills to use in my own business, sadly, not everyone was of the same mind and for me, some very close people were not standing in my corner. I tried to show to them it was a good idea but it was a waste of effort, I felt alone, until friends told me not to worry about what those people said and wanted me to do, go and do what makes you happy, this is my life after all. Just knowing I had a handful of people supporting and encouraging me was enough for to take the leap of faith needed to make my business a reality. It has taken two long years, but I'm not counting because this is something I live for and can't wait to work on every morning when I wake up.

As for those who were not standing in my corner, I no longer concern myself with them, they simply cannot see the wonderful things I am capable of. In time, they may come around, but if they don't then perhaps their role in my life has changed or come to an end.

If you find this all too familiar then remember to be gentle to those who are not in your corner or who are trying to hold you back, hold your head high and work towards your dream. If at any time you find yourself struggling, find a role model, someone you can look up to and relate to. Whatever you do, don't give up the chance of making your dream a reality.

~Sarah

Speeding Towards Christmas

With roughly 7 weekends to go until Christmas, it is quite literally around the corner, if this year is anything to go by it will be here in the blink of an eye.
As many of you already know, the website had a few problems back in August which left it offline for 2 weeks while repairs were made and the website brought back online. I've yet to put the Guilds page back online, but great progress has been made with the markets and events and also the shop, which is also online and for those who have a paid listing, the use of the shop to sell their products is free for the duration of the listing, there is no cost per sale, it is completely free.

The number of subscribers to the fortnightly newsletter has been slowly increasing and the newsletter itself has been changing and developing over the past few months to include all kinds of interesting information, events, businesses and more.
The exciting news lately has been that the website itself has broken through the 1,000 views per day mark, which is no easy feat and certainly makes all the hard work worthwhile. To top it off, the website is being shown on 3 search engines, to have 3 search engines leading viewers to the website, it must surely be ranking well on the first page.

On top of the website, I've started making chain maille jewellery, with some god results so far, items can be viewed and purchased in the online shop. I've found it is a great creative outlet and also helps me to connect more with other handmade businesses.

Can't really say there is a lot more to tell, only that if you are still looking for Christmas gifts, then keep checking back on the website, especially the showcases as more and more are being listed and with Christmas not too far away, there are bound to be some Christmas themed showcases starting soon. For now though, it's Halloween.

~Sarah

Was July Achieved?

I attacked July with a list at the ready along with pen and paper close by. Although a little later than I had planned, the secret I had been working on is now online. It's a page where guilds from all around Australia are being listed along with contact details. Listing more than this information would take away from that guild's website, which I think would be unfair, so I think it is best to simply stick to contact details and have those who are interested, easily able to contact the guild and find out more.

The amazing 500 Likes or Less competition, which is held twice a year on the Squnches Craft Network Facebook page and then on the website, has been a wonderful success with voting closing at midnight tonight with winners announced tomorrow. Holding a competition for handmade businesses with so few likes is a way for Squnches Craft Network to help the up and coming handmade businesses connect with other businesses and customers and also to help get their name and products out into the world, a bit like a helping hand up you could say.

Back to normal with the markets and events now and regularly updating and adding new markets and events to the website. It's fantastic to see so many taking place all around Australia. The last task I had hoped to achieve for the month of July, unfortunately a little behind schedule, was a fortnightly newsletter to help all craft minded people keep up to date with the website, markets and more. Hopefully, all going to plan, the first newsletter will be sent out in the coming days.

As for August, the aim is to populate the guild page so that anyone interested in learning new skills, crafts or just wanting to get out and have a cuppa and chat with like minded craft people can do so. These days it seems more and more people are keeping to themselves and all these wonderful crafts and skills are slowly fading away, which is a great shame.

~* Sarah

Coming in July

Half way through the year and I firmly believe I got on the wrong train at New Years, I got on the bullet train through 2015 instead of the sightseeing train. I thought the year was going fast back in April, now I think someone found the accelerate pedal. Nevertheless, I am managing to make good progress with Squnches Craft Network.



June saw many new markets added to the events calendar and many others updated with new times, dates and locations. There was a bit of a go slow on contacting the usual amount of handmade businesses, this was done to provide more time to updating markets. Hopefully in the next week or two, all markets will be updated and this long list I am working my way through will be completed. There is a wonderful support group who let me know of markets I may not have listed, otherwise, I stumble across markets while stopping by business pages.

So for July, the aim is to have this list of markets entered in so I can more easily keep on top of them and continue to add and share upcoming showcases and any other events. For the website there is a little something new happening, I'll be adding a social share to all of the listed businesses allowing people to share straight from the website to other media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Daily, my aim then is to stop by around 50 businesses a day (Mon - Fri) just to keep in touch. There is one other plan I have which I will announce once the markets are all up to date, so stay tuned.



Once I am again on top of everything, there is the thought of sending out fortnightly newsletters as an easier way to keep in contact with people and businesses. While my list of contacts is growing daily, it is making it harder and harder to keep in contact with everyone.

Despite all the work I have lined up, it is still a joy to get out of bed every day to work on my business and take another step closer to achieving my dream.

~*~ Sarah

What's new to Squnches Craft Network

Hi, hope you are having a relaxing and enjoyable day.

It has taken months of brainstorming and adjustments here and there to bring to you the website that is Squnches Craft Network, I hope you enjoy my website and that it helps you to find new fantastic businesses and markets. There is much more still to come which will benefit Australian handmade businesses and suppliers better than any current handmade craft directory or network site.

The aim is to have Squnches Craft Network as the place to be for all Australian handmade craft businesses, the latest additions and changes to the website include:

• Cheaper listing prices.
• Month by month payment option.
• Shop available for all listed businesses to use to sell their products.
• 'In The Spotlight' features a snippet about the history of listed businesses and how they came to be, it also features on the Home page of the website which makes it a great way to introduce a business.

Every day there are more and more markets being added to the Events Calendar for all to see and to make it easier for the rest of Australia to find local markets in their area and even in other states on their travels. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post, if there is anything you would like to see added to Squnches Craft Network, please send me an email at squnchescn@gmail.com

Sarah

Snuggly and Warm

To all the knitters out there, have you ever found yourself relaxing on the lounge or in a comfy recliner knitting away only to find the T.V program you were watching has suddenly ended and you are part way through a new program? I have to admit, I have that problem too, whenever knitting I end up having 'Nanna Naps' especially when knitting a blanket, the one that has sent me to sleep the most lately has been a large blanket I've been working on out of Pom-Pom wool, mostly as it is so soft and warm.

I've made a knee rug or two out of this deliciously warm Pom-Pom wool and thought to make a blanket large enough to cover a queen size bed. As there are certainly no needles out there long enough to knit the blanket all in one piece, I've been enjoying falling asleep while knitting strips to later stitch together to make the blanket. Unfortunately there wasn't enough of the good quality Pom-Pom wool, so cheaper and smaller balls of wool are being used at the top and bottom, hopefully it will still turn out well.