We've all had those days where we wake up and think "WoW, this is gonna be a great day" and then about 5 minutes into it something happens that just derails you right then and there.
I'm an optimistic soul so I'm taking this as just a small bump in the road to financial success. I know I've blogged about, Twittered about, FaceBooked about, emailed about my LolliShop, PrimsyWhimsy (just click the logo above to visit). I was so enthusiastic about my participation in this new website because I could see that the work that had gone into it was well thought out. There was a vendor's Guild and a Shopping guild where you could promote your business to fellow vendors and shoppers alike. I could see the future as nothing but bright and rosy.
This past weekend I spent helping my DD get ready for a new room mate (yes my sweet baby is a bit of a piggy-poo)and so I missed all of the drama surrounding the dissolution of the two ning.com communities where all of the Lolli dreaming took place. Of course I wasn't there so I'll never really be sure what 'went down' but the CEO of LolliShops killed off these two communities that were precious to me and most of the vendors who participated. How or why the 'fight' began I don't know but apparently it was nasty and even went so far as to spread over to the Etsy groups. The Etsy groups I've never participated in because I've heard they are warrior class folk and LOVE to duke it out on the net:)I try and keep my online life as undramatic as possible since my 'real' life is more soap opera than comic strip!
Anyway, I digress...the groups were dissolved and now I'm left with a BIG question as to whether or not to open my own website and link thru Lolli. My stomach is actually knotting up as I write this because I put a lot of faith into the future of a site that I thought would finally be the answer to "where do I want to start up my business". It's not that the 'rent' isn't reasonable enough and is scheduled to go down a bit to promote more participation. BUT...without a forum for us to sell promote our business through, how do we even begin to reach a target audience?
I know that the owner is doing a lot of print advertising. I worked in the print media business for years so I know that it can be effective. Unfortunately not as effective as it once was because of the big take over of the Social Media groups such as the LolliShops Guild once was.
Most of the sales at our grand opening happened because as I've previously mentioned I used EVERY social media at my disposal to get the word out that we were open. Oddly enough...after I stopped promoting it that weekend three weeks ago we've only had ONE sale...and that one came because I posted to Twitter. *sigh*
I'm seriously re-thinking my career path at the moment but never fear...I have never before cried UNCLE and given up. I kicked the h*ll out of breast cancer and if I can beat that, I can surely find a way to solve my current insolvency.
Hugs and LOVE to all the friends I made on "The Guild". Leave a comment so we can reconnect and plan our next move.
Caar
