Do stop by Beverly and have some fun and make some friends @ How Sweet The Sound
for this weeks Beautiful PINK Saturday!!!
Not to be a PINK Party flop but Sweet Sisters , may I speak my thoughts and a few worries to you... I sure hope so~~~Here goes~~~
We're now home from a card business trip and it was pretty sad in sales for us . It has been for a while now.. How will I know what Jesus wants us to do with our business???? Super~Hubb's and I are always asking God into our hearts, marriage, Family and our greeting card business, you know, asking for HIS Will to be done in every aspect of our lives daily... Just today we were going over everything during our drive home from a 2 day trip to deliver cards to 9 stores ( we have 63 total now to do every 8 weeks) these 9 were all over northern Iowa this last trip.
Usually most of the stores have great sales. Some of them we have had for a couple years. Since we are NOT a well known Company we are over looked and we do have a special back to our cards to show our faith in God.. Well, this trip sales were sooooo down, or the managers moved our card displays around a corner where they won't even be seen, and then one of them that had done that in fact, informed us just today that the cards had stopped selling..Go figure. Anyhoo's these same stores are increasing the amount of hard liquor they carry and WOW have the wine business's sprung up all around even IOWA. They are now sold in trhe place of our card display
There is more money in that than in our Lil business of Hand Crafted Greeting Cards.
Of course they did,, Super~Hubbs and I thought, leave them out where customers could see them anynmore.. Aurggggggg, it is extremely frustrating and this is what we live on ,, you know, its our WORK each day, it helps feed the boys and pay the bills. If we aren't on the road to deliver them, then we are in the office doing the creating of new designs. Or Super~Hubb's is doing the books, or working on our website.. Of which we have no clue HOW to advertise it..Plus we share about God through each card also. Now Sister's, do keep in mind that this has been our growing business for well over 5 yrs now, but with the economy, well, you get what I mean.
Not only that but, in our town and many near by, jobs are gone. That is what prompted our starting this card business. I use to do it on my own before I was a widow. Then after my 1st Husband passed away, and going through some hard times, and bad choices, God brought Kent into my life. We married and he had a job at a factory here. It then was out sourced and we just prayed a lot and had God in our lives everyday and He showed us how to really get more stores to sell our cards.
This is one of my newest designs, this is "Mimi" above ( after Mimi @ He+Me+3) and its used for someone who is going through a serious illness. Of course there is a verse inside and a PINK envelope too :0) Thank You LORD for helping me get her done.
So its really hard to think that we'll lose more stores in the future.
Guess I'm venting a bit much, sorry Sweet Sisters. I pray for all of you and what you may be going through also.
It is my Hope, request that if you have a moment, would you please pray for us to keep listening for God's voice and, that we will stay strong in our walk with Jesus and in our marriage and family.
It is my prayer that things will not get worse before they get better. Ouch, what a thought..
Get thee behind me satan, you evil thing, in our LORD Jesus's name...
We will just keep waiting and resting on HIM and His unchanging LOVE... These are very trying times for sooooo many people. That may sound a bit odd to some of you but please know that I am Extremely THANKFUL for You, my Sweet Sister's in Christ
You all warm my heart soooo much with your kind and loving words, advise and most importantly, your prayers...
Holding you all close to my heart, and sending up prayers for each an everyone of you...
Blessings to you and yours Sister's.... Loveyalots~~~ Hugs Dena
I just lifted your and your business up in prayer.
ReplyDeletePlease email me for some thoughts/suggestions.
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Oh sweetie. I'm so sorry you and Kent are going through so many trials. You and your family are in my prayers nightly. If you ever decide to sell on line too let me know. Take care.
ReplyDeleteHey Dena,
ReplyDeleteWe've had our family flower shop for 39 years this Oct. The past year has been our most trying. I don't care what the news and Gov says things are not as good as they say. I
go to the stores a lot to keep up on fashion and home trends for silk arrangements and corsage work...this Christmas I noticed a lot of stores did not get a lot of new things. Wal-Mart around here didn't have half the new items they usually have. And, not as many returns as I've seen in the past at the stores either...at least the lines were very short.
I think folks are buying only essentials. Did you notice Christmas cards were down? Even mailing was down.
LOL, Psalm 40 is dogeared and my bible opens to a few of the Trust in the Lord psalms too.
Hang in there.
Your cards are beautiful. I am adding my prayers for you, your hubby and card business. I think people don't send as many cards as they used to. It's easier to send a greeting on the internet. Maybe e-Cards is the way to go. I have no idea how that would work.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and Happy Pink Saturday.
Charlotte
Good luck. Everything alway works out.Happy PS
ReplyDeleteLaura
Things have a way of working themselves out although it may not seem that way at the time. I will be thinking of you and your family. Of course blessings and prayers are on the way. Happy Pink Saturday, Char
ReplyDeleteLove the new design, she is beautiful/cute. I will keep you and your business in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteBless you Dena and your family and your business and And the Lord says to you:
ReplyDelete1)Bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast. Let Your hand be with me and keep me from evil. (1 Chron 4:10)
2) Cast out my enimies and enlarge my borders (Exod. 34:34)
3) Enlarge my heart so I can run the way of Your commandments (Ps. 112:32)
4) Enlarge my steps so I can receive Your wealth and prosperity (Isa 60:5-9)
5) The Lord shall increase me more and more, me and my children ( Ps. 115:14)
6) Let Your Kingdom and government increase in my life (Isa 9:7)
7) Let me increase in the knowledge of You God (Col. 2:19)
8) Let the Word of God increase in my life (Acts 6:7)
9)Lord, You are the God of breakthrough, You have broken forth against my enemies (2 Sam. 5:20)
10) Father, I receive the Kingdom because it is Your good pleasure to give it to me (Luke 12:32)
11) Blessed (affectionately and gratefully praised) be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! and let all the people say, Amen! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) (Ps. 107:48)
The Lord protects my business; He is now through Jesus Christ multiplying our business and blessings upon me and my family as I stand firmly planted in Him; no weapon formed against us shall prosper and for me and my house we will serve the Lord; He is expanding our borders and blessing us a 1000-fold as we call those things that are not as though they were.
Dena, Sweetie you and yours are in my prayers, say these scriptures outloud everyday, give them to your husband. Please read my post today for I feel your pain and I think it was meant for you. Love Terri - morningdewdrops.typepad.com
Dena. I don't know what to say, I know your frustration. Have you looked into selling on Etsy.com? Another place is Make Mine Pink, also an online market place. Both are good places, so do check them out. I have things for sale, too, but I have lost heart and don't try, sad isn't it? I am thankful that this last summer I did 2 commissioned quilts but my longarm work had come to a stop....sigh. Thankfully we have been blessed with a very good year for my husbands cabinet business. I pray God will guide the two of you, that He will make your path straight, guiding you to the stores that will be just right for your cards. May He give you peace as you look for new ways to market your cards. Blessing dear sister. In Christ.
ReplyDeleteHappy PS
Gail