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WHY YOU STILL NEED A MAILING LIST IN 2021

6/5/2021

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Email marketing is definitely alive and kicking in 2021. After a worldwide pandemic, when businesses and events went virtual, a newsletter is still the best way to reach your ideal customers. Here's why I still think they are brilliant (even though secretly they feel a bit 1998).
1. Connection with your audience
When people get to know, like and trust you, they are more likely to buy from you. And buy from you again, and again, and again. 1000 true fans are all you need for a fabulously successful handmade business.

2. Building Personal Relationships
Getting an email straight into your inbox is a more intimate experience for your customers than scrolling through Instagram and maybe or maybe not seeing your posts. 


3. You Own Your Email List
What if Facebook and Instagram closed tomorrow? What if your account got deleted? You still have a way to get in front of the people on your list, and as they are your best customers....

4. Less Work
Mailing list subscribers are more invested in your products than social media followers so are more likely to buy. This means you have to create less content for your social channels overall.


5. Your Biggest Asset
Sales are down, in-person events are cancelled, you have a busy month with family situations...whatever spanner in the works that prevents you from making sales can be solved by emailing your list with an offer, launch or event.


6. Longevity
Social media platforms come and go but people hold on to their email addresses for years, even decades.

7. Website analytics
Subscribers are far more likely to click through to your website from your newsletter than they are to find your link in bio or Google you. This helps with your Google ranking too.

8. Repurposing Content
We create so much content in all areas of our business and our followers only see a small percentage of it. Isn't it exhausting? You can add  events, press, podcast appearances, testimonials, new products, blog posts, video links and so much more to your newsletter. I've even added my FAQ page and About Me page from my website to my newsletter.

9. Valuing your community
By adding bits and pieces of valuable content, your community will value you and feel like you value them. Just remember that the content needs to make sense for your brand.
How about adding tutorials, recipes, travel tips, how-to guides, quizzes, checklists, freebies, mini-courses, meet-ups to your newsletters?

10.
Valuable feedback
If you want to test a new product or launch something, you'll get a more useful and engaged response from an audience that knows you well. 


BONUS

Accountability
When you write something down and send it out to several hundred people, it's amazing what that does for your motivation to get things done. The feeling of not letting people down can be a great driver for your business.

JOIN OVERSEAS MAKERS GUILD FOR MORE LIKE THIS

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FUKUBUKURO LUCKY BAGS 2021

20/12/2020

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What is a FUKUBUKURO?
Traditionally in Japan at New Year businesses bundle up their products and sell them in a 'lucky bag' (the kanji 福袋 (fukubukuro) literally means happy bag). The 'happy' part comes in as you can't actually see what's in the bag before you buy. Fun right? Oh, and there are bargains to be had too, as long as you are buying from places you love.

Is the Biku Fukubukuro like a traditional lucky bag?
Yes...and also no.
YES: There are a number of items at a discount bundle price presented in an actual bag!
NO: Before you buy you know what products are included in the bag and the savings you'll make. There are no end-of-line, random items in the bags. Everything is from current stock or made especially for the bags. This year you can even request certain colours to be included in the bag.

So, how do I grab one?
Click the link here and you can see what's available. Make sure to request your colours before you buy though, otherwise you'll receive a random selection.

Important info for UK customers.
Biku will cease shipping to the UK in 2021 due to changes in VAT after Brexit. The final day for UK purchases is Monday December 28th 2020. I hope to find a work around in the future, but for the time being it will be closed at the end of 2020.

When does the offer close?
Monday 4th January 2021 at midnight.
UK Fukubukuro will be shipped by 30th December, rest of the world and Japan shipping is on Tuesday 5th January 2021.


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Small Fukubukuro- ¥5000 plus shipping
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Large Fukubukuro- ¥10,000 plus shipping
PRE-ORDER A FUKUBUKURO

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WHAT IS OOAK ANYWAY?

25/9/2020

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Hosting monthly trunk shows online was a necessary decision for the survival of my business during Covid-19 times. All in-person events have been cancelled for the foreseeable future, and shipping overseas has been patchy or still closed to some countries. Simply put, my  job is to buy materials, make all the things and then sell them to make a profit for my time, energy and experience. This is my full-time job, my income, not my hobby or charity work.

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BIKU LOVES: ECO HACHI LIVING

14/8/2020

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https://www.instagram.com/elodbelle/
Living and travelling widely in Australia and Asia over the past 18 years I noticed our beloved beaches and oceans becoming polluted with plastic and harming sea life. As a family we watched a disturbing documentary called 'A Plastic Ocean’. My then 10 year old asked me if people knew much about this plastic problem, I didn’t have an answer for him. The movie had such an impact on us that we took on the challenge of eliminating as much single use plastic from our lives as possible. 
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https://www.instagram.com/elodbelle/

It all started with a plastic audit, we kept all our single use plastic rubbish for a few weeks to determine what our biggest polluter was. As we imagined there was a lot of plastic from packaged vegetables etc… but more surprisingly there was a lot of cling film.

Around that same time a friend introduced me to beeswax food wraps and I was surprised at just how incredible they were. The only thing that I didn’t love was the fact that the fabrics were so plain. After living in Japan for over 15 years, I had a sizable collection of beautiful Japanese fabric. That gave me the idea that I could start to create my own wraps. I began to experiment with different formulas and after many attempts and much mess, I finally found the perfect balance providing durability, effective sealing properties and functionality.
At that stage I wasn’t thinking about turning this into a business. I started to have conversations with people about plastic pollution issues and I was surprised that many people weren’t really aware and if they were they didn’t know how to make changes in their lives.

That is when I had a chat with Victoria Close from Bikudesigns. She encouraged me to turn this into something more. Take your passion and use it to show people there are alternatives. It was just the push I needed. I created the business name “Ecohachi” (combination of “eco” and the Japanese word for bee “hachi”) and logo just in time for my fist market sale.  The best part about selling at markets is that it allows me the opportunity to interact with people at all different stages of their journey to reduce single use plastic in their lives. 
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https://www.instagram.com/elodbelle/
Using beeswax wraps is one way we can reduce our impact on the environment and embrace sustainable living. Beeswax wraps are the perfect alternative to plastic wrap for keeping food fresh. They are natural, reusable and versatile. Beeswax food wraps are perfect for storing cheese and prolonging the life of vegetables and fruit (avocados and apples do especially well). They are also good for covering any leftover food in bowls or for carrying sandwiches/onigiri and snacks on the go.

I absolutely love sharing my story with others and listening to other people’s stories. I am consistently inspired to continue what I am doing. Working together, we can reduce our plastic waste and care for our world for future generations.
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OMG! I WENT AND DID IT!

24/7/2020

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 Something has been bubbling under the surface for a long time. Something that I think I didn't really want to admit to myself if I'm totally honest.
I left teaching 10 years ago because I couldn't imagine life as a mum and as a full-time educator. This is the hand that many women are dealt after having children but I felt it was an easy choice that was best for the family at that point in time. I already secretly knew that I wanted to set up in business on a full-time basis, having previously had a side-business since being a teen.

It was a juggle with one little one in Nursery and another as a tiny baby. I learned a lot in those first years, more than my brain could take at times. I can't tell you how often I wanted to give it all up, how I had no idea what a brand actually was never mind owning the skills to build one. I was bootstrapping (self-funding) all the way and it was just me, a studio and an extremely supportive hubby. Being a solo business owner in the handmade field means that you have to learn how to become a photographer, graphic designer, writer, social media manager, marketer, accountant, website designer and salesperson. Oh, and design and make products at the same time.

It sounds as if I'm complaining. I'm not. I've never felt freer, more in control or self-motivated in my whole working life. And I should be happy with that right? Well, not exactly. You see the thing I talked about at the beginning, that niggly feeling, that secret fear is that I'm still a teacher after all, despite being out of the classroom for a decade.

I want a world where people can work flexibly, feel like they're making a contribution to their family's finances, take their business wherever they travel and have fun while they work. Most of all I want to share my tips and tricks with you, so you don't have to work as crazily as I did in the beginning!

It's been a long time coming, but my new FREE Facebook group OVERSEAS MAKERS GUILD to support you in building your handmade business overseas is now LIVE! (When I say 'group' there's actually only me in it so far, as you guys are the first to know.)
If you are planning, in the process of setting up, or in the early stages of launching a handmade business overseas, we'd love to have you join us.
JOIN THE OVERSEAS MAKERS GUILD
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BIKU LOVES ERICA WARD ILLUSTRATION

16/4/2020

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Tell us about your work.
I create Japan-inspired artworks of pen and watercolor. I sell original artworks at gallery exhibitions and also offer my designs as prints, postcards, illustration books, and more. 


Does your artwork have a story?
My illustrations express intersections.
Intersections of reality and fantasy, of familiar and unfamiliar, and intersections of identity.

As a foreigner living in Japan there can be a lot of focus placed on cultural identity, and the concept of “insider” versus “outsider.” Art is one place where there are no limits and we don’t have to be one thing or another. By creating a space between reality and imagination, between “inside” and “outside,” I feel I’ve found a space where I don’t have to define who I am. It is a place where viewers can find their own world as well and where everyone is welcome.

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Do you have a  business philosophy?
I believe that it is important to create from the heart. Both the artist and the viewer can feel a good vibe from artwork that is genuine. I will only put out a design that I’ve really put my love into and I have grown to trust that that energy will be conveyed naturally to my patrons as well. 

As an individual creating art and running a business I also value keeping a personal touch with customers. I always add a handwritten note to my webstore orders, to let my customers know it really is me every time at the other end of their order and that I am filled with personal gratitude for their support. 

How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Art has always been something I’ve loved to do, so creating artwork has never been a question. Since moving to Tokyo I became aware of a wide variety of amazing opportunities and venues to connect with other artists, showcase art, and find new fans. As I had the chance to connect with more people I was motivated and encouraged to widen the variety of offerings using my designs, such as making smaller printed merchandise that was more accessible, especially for younger patrons. Now I have a range of merchandise for tabling events and webstore sales, and also continue to offer original artworks at galleries.

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What sets your artwork apart from others?
My subject matter and art style fit into that “in between” space. My experience living in Japan has evolved both my identity and my art style and viewers seem to pick up on that. Both Japanese and non-Japanese patrons find my designs unique, yet oddly relatable. I love thinking that how I express my imagination and experience through artwork might help open up more flexibility for everyone who feels like they are in an “in between” space living in Tokyo.

I think original art is often forgotten as an option for gifts or personal memories. I hope that I can remind people of the option and help them find something special and unique.


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What's your best seller? Why do you think that is?
Of my printed products the most popular is a poster of my design “Metro,” where the Tokyo Metro lines are reformed into an electric guitar. I think it has an element of both surprise and familiarity which makes it fun for people to look at over and over.

I also do commission artworks for individual clients which is a special experience each time. I know that my clients are choosing a painting as a way to remember a time in their life, and I feel so honored and excited to help them create something that encapsulates their experiences.



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Find out more about Erica Ward Illustration
Click the “Shop” link from the menu on my website to see my available products. For inquiries about illustration or commission artworks, feel free to drop me a message in the “Contact” section or on social media.
To hear about upcoming exhibitions, events, and to peruse my artwork, feel free to follow me on Instagram and Facebook.


Website           Instagram            Facebook

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TOKYO SMALL BUSINESS ROUND-UP

3/4/2020

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Welcome to The Tokyo Small Business Round-up, the place to find your favourite businesses who are trading online.

When this whole thing has passed (and it WILL pass), imagine the businesses you want to still see operating. Support them by buying vouchers, ordering takeout, learning with them online or taking advantage of their online offers. If you are not in a position to buy, you can still help by following the businesses on their social media channels, commenting and sharing their posts. It would mean the world to us Tokyo small business owners if you could share this post to wherever your Tokyo friends are hanging out.

If you'd like to be added to the list, please email victoria@bikudesigns.com.

Thank you for your support. Stay well.


FOOD AND DRINK

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APERO
apéro. is a wine bar and restaurant located between Aoyama and Omotesando and run by French wine lovers Guillaume and Chloé Dupérier.
At apéro, our wines are directly sourced from France as we seek to provide you with a very personal, intimate wine selection that reflects both the passion and craftsmanship of the winemakers we love the most. Treat yourself with a unique and pleasurable experience by joining the apéro. community!

OFFERING
apéro is now delivering wine with a special discount of -30% on all items! Get your favorite bottles delivered directly to your home by our team, everyday from 11:00 to 21:30 for people in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Minato, Bunkyo, & Chiyoda. 
Check out the complete wine list here : https://apero.co.jp/en/wines
Order now and get a -30% discount on all price tags shown online !

ORDER
Delivered right to your home by the apéro team (limited to Shibuya, Shinjuku, Chiyoda, Bunkyo & Minato) or to be picked-up directly at apéro. wine bar aoyama.
Email : info@apero.co.jp
Phone : 03-6325-3893
Address : Japan, 〒107-0062 Tokyo, Minato-ku, Minami Aoyama 3−4−6, Aoyama346 Building, 3F

PAYMENT
Online
In cash or credit card upon delivery
Or "cash-on delivery" (Yamato, EMS...)

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    HI THERE

    I'm Victoria, the founder, designer and creator at Bikudesigns, a vintage kimono accessories brand in Tokyo, Japan.

    On this blog I talk about all things sustainability, life in Japan, brands I love and chat about handmade business growth.

    If you want to find out more about me visit the Meet the Maker section.

    If you need support with your handmade product business overseas, click here to join the community.

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  • WELCOME
    • Meet the maker
    • Events
    • Blog
    • PRESS
    • Custom Payment
    • Contact
  • COLLECTIONS
    • Mish Mash
    • INDIGO COLLECTION
    • Sakura Silver
    • Silver Sale
    • Butterfly
    • Ki-Mono Kimono
    • BRAIDED
  • SHOP
    • EARRINGS >
      • Ki-Mono
      • Classic Collection
      • Statement Earrings
      • Studs
    • NECKLACES >
      • Short Neckpieces
      • Long neckpieces
      • Pendants
    • WRIST >
      • Wrap Bracelets
      • Cufflinks
    • Twist Headbands
    • GIFT CARDS
  • SIGN UP