Maker markets are in flux, retail stores are just now grinding back into motion, and the future of live, human-to-human commerce opportunities for handmade, local goods is uncertain. This moment presents a huge opportunity for you to do a strategy pivot, test new digital marketing tactics, and experiment how you’re getting your good goods out there in front of the world. Use this time to up your entrepreneurial ante and you may just find yourself better off than you ever could have imagined.
Lots of changes are happening, and fast. It might feel overwhelming, but you are not alone. We're right there with you, and we will continue fighting the fight for makers and small businesses during these difficult times.
Booth Andrews, a partner with KEC, is simply amazing. If you don’t know her, you need to. She has been in the corporate world and now works as a freelance supporter of all people. She is all too aware of the pressures people hold within themselves and has offered us techniques to help them breathe again.
When the anxiety starts to turn up our nervous and immune systems are taxed.
1. List things you are grateful for as specifically as possible. Write them down.
2. Go outside. Even a few minutes of fresh air can make a difference. Seriously - put your bare feet in some dirt!
3. Connect to your senses. Name things you see, hear, smell, touch and taste. Don’t think too hard - just allow yourself to feel.
4. Dance or shake your body. This movement discharges extra energy from our nervous systems. I dare you to play Simon Says!
5. Engage in a calming ritual. Hot tea? A blanket? Yoga?
Do some — or all — of these each day. Make time for your mental and physical well-being and encourage others in your house to do the same. Small changes make a big impact.
Makers, we would love to know what’s working for you. We are working to share any resources available. Tag us in posts and we will repost, email us information to share, or fill out this form to give us feedback about virtual gatherings while we all practice social distancing!
If you only carry one thing throughout your entire life, let it be hope. Let it be hope that better things are always ahead. Let it be hope that you can get through even the toughest times. Let it be hope that you are stronger than any challenge that comes your way. Let it be hope that you are exactly where you are meant to be right now, and that you are on the path to where you are meant to be … Because during these times, hope will be the very thing that carries you through.
- Nikki Banas
Take care, friends.
- The Maker City
Health insurance has long been a stumbling block for small business owners and their employees. Perhaps with the advent of association health plans and SHOP (Small Business Health Options Program) health insurance plans, this issue will trip up fewer makers and others on their way to making a living doing what they love.
The Maker City is launching its first-ever Holiday Gift Guide! We're selecting high-quality products made in Knoxville to inspire shopping locally this holiday season. We're choosing products and makers with exceptional photos, easy-to-navigate shops, and stellar selling reputations.
We want to help YOU take awesome photos. On October 25 - 27, we hosted a 3-day Instagram photo inspiration + tips series. This is the full series we posted to Instagram, featuring the photos that inspired the tips!
