I Shop, You Buy

This is my last post for the month. I want to talk about diversifying your income stream so that when one part of your business is running lean, you have another part to rely on. You have more talents than you realize, you just need to get a little creative with it.

I’m going to attempt to diversify *my* income stream, and we’ll see how the experiment goes. This project is called “I Shop, You Buy”. I’m going to use my keen shopping skills to find the best design from Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong, and then make up cute little packages and send them to you! You’ll get fun souvenirs from faraway lands without having to spend an arm and a leg on the airfare.

Gift bag by Rena, photo by Lisa Congdon.

Questions:

What comes in the package?

I don’t know yet, but in general, cool small things that you would not find anywhere else. I have a weakness for office supplies, tiny vintage knicknacks, ribbon and fabric and buttons and anything with great packaging.

How do I know I’ll get good stuff?

You’ll have to trust me. With my business partner, I have bought the best of small-batch, independent and handmade for my previous store for over 5 years; you can see some photos and read more about our philosophy about that here and here. (Also, see photo above, where I wooed Lisa to be my friend and do an art show for me with presents.)

How much does it cost?

I literally thought of this a week ago so I haven’t thought through all the logistics yet, but let’s say that you can order a $10 box or a $20 box. Shipping is going to be extra; I ship from California.

When will I get my package?

Please give me about a month – time to travel, time to get over my jetlag and time to assemble packages and get them sent. Mid-September is my target.

This sounds awesome! How do I sign up?
NOTE- this is the last day to purchase! When the Buy buttons are gone, that’s it (until next time).

This link is for the $10 box.

$10 BOX SOLD OUT.

This link is for the $20 box.

$20 BOX SOLD OUT.

Wait! I don’t live in the US. Can I order?

Yes! The cart asks for Country and Postal Code. You can change Country and give it your Postal Code (or even a fake one, it seems) to get it past this stage and on to checkout. If you still have problems ordering, you can send a Paypal payment to ms.renatom@gmail.com and I will contact you about shipping etc later on.

Thanks for participating in my experiment in retail! I promise a more in-depth report on other ways to utilize your skills to bring in the money, but in the meantime, write down all of your skills and then give that list to a friend, and have them help you think of ways to branch out from the usual. We’ll compare notes in September when I get back.

xo,
Rena