Sustainable Business Practices

***********Humor my while I talk business for a few minutes. I promise you something more interesting will be posted soon.***********

I've wanted to write this all down for a while now. My goal for my little Etsy shop is to promote waste-free homes...to make it easier for busy people to waste less, use less, live more. And it'd be nice to not be too crunchy in the process! So, what are some sustainable business practices that I use in my shop?

Waste less. My designs sometimes vary a little bit from the sizes noted to best utilize the fabric at hand so there is minimal-no waste. Now, when I say something is approx 7"x8" it won't come to you measuring 5"x4"...no worries. I also strive for honesty ;)

Less Packaging. I do not include a printed copy of your transaction when I ship your order. You should have this in an email from Etsy/Paypal anyway. In my shop policies I do state that if you *need* a printed copy from me, I'll happily accommodate that. I also don't use plastic mailing envelopes. Paper from me, thanks. I have not had any issues with shipping in this manner for 100+ orders. Some orders do require more packaging, though. When I need boxes I strive to get reclaimed and to reuse them. This also goes for extra packaging in the boxes. If a plastic bag is needed for cushioning or protection, rest assured that it's a clean reused bag from a smoke-free source.

Product sources. I am going more in the direction of reclaiming fabric and upcycling and repurposing it for most of my products. Much greener, less waste, less energy. Rest assured that I am very picky about where I get this fabric and it's condition. I do try to shop locally as much as possible but when I do order supplies, I try to do so in bulk to decrease packaging and shipping waste.

As no one is perfect, I do have goals for my shop...things I'd like to do better on. I'd like to provide a repurposed fabric option for ALL of my products. I'm working on finding more of my supplies from locally-owned small businesses (no small feat when you live in a small town in the mountains!). Our 5ish year plan includes going totally off grid and moving to solar power for our home, which includes my home studio!

Lastly, I consider my time as a valuable resource that I try to conserve. I love spreading the love for reusables and love making items for this shop. However, you'll never see a huge stash posted for sale. I'd happily make large orders specifically for you though, and even include a small discount.

Your money is also an important resource that needs to be conserved and used wisely, right? I do not mark my items up excessively. Because of this you'll rarely see sales at my shop. I compensate myself for my time but I also want to make reusables accessible for everyone. I rely on word of mouth for my advertising too. BUY HANDMADE!

******Now we can get back to the fun stuff*******

Phew! Glad I got that out! :)