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9326 SW Bayview Dr., Vashon, WA 98070
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Small Business Classes

Small Business Classes

In addition to networking and activities that help us connect as a community of makers and business owners, the weekend will be chock full of speaker sessions, small business classes, panel discussions, and roundtables pertaining to topics that are particularly relevant to those of us in the world of craft businesses.

 

CRAFT/PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT CLASSES

business classes

 
 
What’s your dream? And what’s that voice that’s holding you back? Let’s translate those feelings to watercolor. Creative Career Coach Laura Kiyoi be your guide as you identify what’s stuck, dare to dream, and create resonate next steps. Join to color your feelings, ground in your creative spirit, and navigate the sometimes perilous yet glorious waters of creativity and independence – all through watercolor!
No watercolor experience required.
With Laura Kiyoi

 

 

 

Watercolor & Dream

 

This class will outline which aspects of your business are the most important to keep track of, and strategies and suggestions for how to incorporate this into your everyday life so that you aren’t slammed with an overwhelming amount of work come tax-time.
We’ll cover why and how to track revenue, expenses (and which are deductible), business miles, home office expenses, and saving receipts. We’ll also have time for Q&A so bring your burning record-keeping questions!

with Lindsey Ross

 

 

Record-Keeping for Your Small Business
Welcome! Join me for the Calm Collective, a transformative retreat course created with you—the busy, creative entrepreneur—in mind. I’m Tiffany Savoy, a licensed therapist, and I’ll be your guide for the afternoon. This class explores innovative anxiety-management techniques, skillfully tailored to address the unique stresses of running a business within the vibrant, fast-paced world of arts and crafts. We’ll delve into mindfulness practices, cognitive-behavioral strategies, and even art-based therapies, providing you with a toolbox of resources to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurial anxiety. This isn’t just an instructional course; it’s a community, a collaborative platform where we, as creative professionals, can share our experiences, celebrate our resilience, and cultivate a more tranquil mental landscape. The Calm Collective is your sanctuary to explore, learn, and master anxiety management. Join me on this enriching journey towards peace and productivity.
 
with Tiffany Savoy

The Calm Collective: Anxiety Management

Are you looking to sell at more craft shows this year? Are you having difficulty getting into shows? Kristen and Heather will do a deeper dive into a myriad of topics from applying to vending. We will cover everything from picking the right shows for you, to how to apply if you are an omnicrafter, to photo submissions, to what to do at the show itself (or what to do if you are rejected). 

Kristen has been a craft show vendor for 30 years and an organizer for nearly 18 years. Heather has been working in show production with various groups for 15 years. We hope to answer a lot of questions, demystify some of the process and leave you feeling excited to get in the craft show game once you leave. We HIGHLY suggest taking Chris Guillot’s class, Merchandising for Craft Shows & Pop-up Shops, right after this class to feel confident in your game from start to finish.

with Kristen Rask and Heather Peek

CRAFT SHOW VENDING 101

Join me for an inspiring and creative workshop where you will learn the art of botanical printing and create your own unique Botanical printed scarf using the beauty of nature. In this hands-on workshop, you will discover the magic of botanical printing and learn how to transform natural materials into stunning and wearable works of art.

With Atenas Morales Aguilar

Botanical Scarf Printing: The Shapes of Earth
Sometimes you aren’t SUPER excited about “the business stuff.” But that’s the part that gets you paid! In this class, you’ll get the big picture of how a creative business works – in a whole new way. Art & business coach Shannon Borg will guide you through a simple process to:
– Understand the 4 essential roles you need to learn in any business and how to think about them
– Create a vision and plan for self-leadership in YOUR business
– Evaluate where you are now, and how you can improve the 4 vital areas of your business to help you know what to do next
– Learn how to start (or grow) a business even if it seems daunting, (but you want to start making money from your art)
– Learn how to get past the feeling of overwhelm when you think about the “business stuff”
– Learn a simple framework you can start using today to set up or grow your creative business
With Shannon Borg

The 4 Hats of the Artist in Business: An Overview, A System, A Mindset

Students will learn various tools, techniques and skills in this beginner friendly class. A variety of designs will be available for tracing, then you’ll be guided through the use of beads, glass, apoxie sculpt, grout and a variety of mosaic tools to create a unique piece of art to display in your garden/yard, or to share as a gift.

With Barbara Henderson

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rock On! Mosaic Garden Art
Are you a crafter with a story to tell? Want to showcase your expertise and passion on podcasts? Then our upcoming workshop, “Speak Your Craft: A Workshop on Effective Podcast Participation,” is a must-attend event for you. Podcasting offers an incredible platform to reach new audiences and elevate your brand. Whether you’ve never held a microphone or have dabbled in a few podcast episodes, this workshop will equip you with essential tools and insights. Tips include choosing the right podcast, crafting your narrative, engaging listeners, and leveraging social media for promotion. Don’t miss this opportunity to find your voice and speak your craft to the world! Click here to register and embark on a thrilling journey into the world of podcasting.
 
With Quynh Nguyen

Speak Your Craft: A Creator’s Guide to Being a Great Podcast Guest

Interested in indigo dyeing but don’t know where to start? Fresh leaf indigo dyeing is a simple, non-intimidating way to add blues and turquoise to your dye repertoire! In this hands- on class we be dyeing a mini skein of wool yarn and a silk scrunchie for you to take home.
We will cover:
– how to grow your own indigo for dyeing
– how to harvest indigo leaves
– A simple and fun way to dye wool and silk with fresh leaf indigo.

With Jessica Miles

Natural Dyeing: Fun with fresh leaf indigo
Feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list? Join Kellie Phelan, owner of The Works Seattle and mom of twins, to unlock the secrets of getting it all done. In this interactive session, loosely inspired by the productivity methodology from the best-selling book, “Getting Things Done,” we’ll break down the core principles of GTD and how they can transform the way you manage your work. Get hands-on experience as we guide you through setting up your own GTD system, tailored to your unique needs and goals.
 
With Kellie Phelan
 
 
 
 
 

Mastering Productivity: How to Get Things Done
When we work for ourselves, we can inadvertently make the most toxic work environment we’ve ever been in. In this class, Organizational Development Consultant and Executive Coach, Verhanika Willhelm, (described by some as a “Workplace Therapist”) will support you through uncovering your values and how you want to move through the world.
~You’ll take those and set business goals you can actually achieve.
~You’ll make goals that are aligned with your values, not the stories we’ve been told about success.
~You’ll make a plan that fits in with the needs of your life and your business.
~You’ll learn an easy framework to overcome obstacles and manage your operations that don’t automatically make you the bad guy.
~And you’ll use that to create a healthy, healing work environment that will foster connection and community, as well as the best art you’ve ever made in your life.
 
With Verhanika Willhelm

Overcoming a Toxic Work Environment When You Work for Yourself
This class is designed for busy individuals who know they should have a business plan but need help figuring out where to start. Hint: most businesses don’t need 50-page business plans; instead, taking the time to write down the fundamental aspects of your business, understanding where and when to do market research, and having a basic financial plan are often all that is needed. This class will utilize the Business Model Canvas and other tools to expedite the planning process. The material in this course will be great for those just starting and those already working on their business.
 
With Domonique Juleon

 

 

 

 

Craft a Plan For Success
In this 90-minute class, you will learn the basics of needle felting — using a barbed needle to poke a fluffy wool roving shape, turning it into dense wool felt. You’ll produce your own fruit or vegetable friend to take home, as well as their needles and enough roving to make another.
 
With Sarah Emerson

Needle Felting 101

Merchandising helps you attract someone’s attention and draw them into your space for a closer look. With well-displayed products, you can offer a memorable shopping experience and create additional value for your customers — both loyal and new.

Want to create an appeal that’s all your own? This class will teach you how to combine fixture placement, display pieces, and signage in a thoughtful and achievable way.

In this class, you’ll learn about important set-up decision and see example pictures that will help you:

– Distribute your booth or pop-up space
– Choose display pieces that are shoppable
– Select signage that encourages sales

With Chris Guillot

Merchandising for Craft Shows & Pop-up Shops

Whether you know it or not, every creative action you take plants a seed. Many of us have founds ourselves living amidst verdant gardens, the fruits and flowers and forests of our creative seeds having been tended to. Some of us are just noticing the seedlings sprout, excited for what they will become. And yet others are sitting there with a handful of seeds, wondering how (or why) to begin.

This class is meant to examine–from historical, contemporary and highly personal perspectives–the ways that our creative efforts might benefit the collective, and why this is necessary. We will establish a new understanding of the power that we hold as artists and makers, and the importance of using that power to do good in the world.

Most importantly though, this class acknowledges the fact that we have all come together in this particular time and place, and uses the energy of that coming together to build something new.

With Chelsea Snow

Radical Creativity: Planting Seeds of Collective Action
Do you have that nagging feeling that your online shop could be serving you better, but you’re not sure where to start? We’ll talk about four main areas of your homepage that you can brainstorm in class and adjust when you get back to work. Important topics will be:

– How to get your message and story clear
– How to establish trust
– How to plan smart navigation menus
– How to grow your mailing list
 
With Arianne Foulks

Achievable Ways to Increase Online Sales

 

 

Are you looking to create a sustainable content strategy and plan for your business? We’ll be discussing your brand strategy (who you are, your mission statement), your target audience, the types of content you can create, and how to create a content plan.

With Emma Cortes Ellendt

 

 

 

How to Create a Social Media Strategy for Your Business

Want to turn your business into a captivating brand that resonates with your audience and makes it unforgettable? This workshop is where creativity meets strategy! Get ready to uncover your unique story, infuse it with personality, and learn how to make it shine. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this workshop will give you actionable insights as we craft your brand narrative into a tale worth sharing. Let’s ignite your brand’s journey together – because your story deserves to be heard!

with Alisha Kumar

 

 

 

From Vision to Visibility: Building Your Brand Strategy
Ready to grow your business and expand your customer market by selling wholesale? Or, already selling wholesale but struggling to get new accounts and re-orders? This course will help you create an effective wholesale strategy, that’s proven to build long term buyer relationships and grow your wholesale revenue without having to rely on fickle platforms like Faire that take money out of your pocket.
In this course you’ll learn how to build an effective wholesale strategy that’s easy to maintain, values driven, and builds sustainable long term revenue.
Things this course will cover:
・How to find + reach out to prospective buyers
・Create easy to maintain templates for outreach and follow ups to grow and maintain retailer relationships without feeling sales-y
・Linesheets that convert
・How to strategically use platforms like faire/bulletin to grow your wholesale without losing money.
・Build a fully integrated wholesale portal through your Shopify website so you can grow your revenue and control the buyer experience.
・Explore the benefits and challenges of exhibiting at tradeshows so you can decide if they are right for you.
・How to use social media and email marketing to strengthen your wholesale strategy and tell your brand story.
・Audit: make sure your product offerings are priced and optimized for wholesale success.

with London Tierney

Grow Your Wholesale Business

In this session, you will learn DEI definitions and establish a foundation for creating more inclusive content. We will cover social media best practices and how to weave accessibility into your content creation process. We will also discuss inclusive language and how to make more culturally sensitive short form videos. It doesn’t matter if you started your business yesterday or 10 years ago, inclusive content is for everyone!

with Simone McNish

Inclusive Content for Small Business Owners

Camp ThunderCraft wouldn’t be nearly as awesome without our generous sponsors! All these wonderful businesses are helping out in some way to make sure the weekend is super fantastic.