The Etsy Twitter Team introduces Mandy Graham of AbbyChaseDesigns. Mandy has created her products to fill a niche that large corporations or manufactures ignore. Mandy recognizes that it's the "little things in life that make being a mother and child a little bit easier. Most of my creations come from a need in my own life". Some of her useful creations include:
* An "incognito" wallets to discreetly carry that item of personal hygiene we don't care for others to see--a very pretty way to stash that tampon in our purse!
* She has tackled another irritation--the seatbelt that rubs against your neck! Her seatbelt covers snap over the seatbelt to prevent irritating chafing--and they come in both adult and children's sizes!
* Are you a seamstress? Mandy has e-books available, too! The list includes a camera/diaper bag, a children's game, and more!
Mandy says the most influential person in her craft is her husband, "...who is also an artist, [he] has been very influential to me because he has a very matter of fact way of looking at things and when I would get frustrated, he would help me see the big picture. He also has helped me work through some designing challenges and technical issues of designing patterns and working online."
Mandy tweets, but cautions shop owners: "Twitter is a great tool for promoting products, but it can easily be abused. My advice to a new user, would be to create relationships with their followers and engage in conversation, rather than only promoting. If meaningful conversation is engaged in, then the promotions are likely to be more effective."
Mandy doesn't just apply her personal experience to her shop, but would share it if she could. She says, "If I had a million dollars to give away, the first place I would start would be work at home moms and dads. I am a work at home parent and my family has made sacrifices to allow for me to stay home with the kids and I know that there are many parents out there who are making large sacrifices to stay home with the kids. So helping those parents create a second income by helping them start a business and get the training or the startup that is neccessary would be a great accomplishment. I would also start a foundation that helps ordinary people through the patent process. I know there are billion dollar ideas born every day, but often times they are short-lived because the patent process can be expensive and daunting. So I would like to help people overcome the challenges of the patent process so they can make their dreams a reality and nurture their great ideas." Maybe Mandy will consider writing a "How to" e-book on that! I'm sure many of us on Etsy would be interested!
She'd have to do it in her "spare time". Mandy has five kids and, yet, she still finds time to run a business. When people express surprise, she answers, "Running a creative business is my outlet and it's what keeps me sane with five kids :)"
While her home environment encourages her to be inventive in her life and product line, Mandy is also affected by living in rural Idaho: "[it] forces me to be creative and organized, but it also allows for the quiet time that I need to create. As long as I organize my shopping and shipping outings, things work out perfectly."
However, she admits that if she could live anywhere, she would head for a beach in Costa Rica: "...it is warm (there is no snow!) and it is beautiful. The people are happy and I feel that it would give me a wonderful environmnet to create in."
And, should her dream come true, we're in luck. Mandy ships internationally!
AbbyChaseDesigns is offering
20% off
Use code SOTW20
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For more about Mandy and AbbyChaseDesigns:
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AbbyChaseDesigns
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AbbyChaseDesigns
Twitter: http://twitter.com/abbychase
Blog: http://abbychasedesigns.blogspot.com
