CNN.com reported this here:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/internet/11/01/100millionwebsites/index.html

So… does this mean that those of us in Needlework and Quilting are in trouble?

Not at all… in fact, we small businesses are in a better position than larger companies to use the internet effectively and efficiently! At this point, independent retailers have the jump on the big box retailers, if they are willing to go for it!

Needlework and Quilting are both personality based industries… and, wonder of wonders, the internet is a personality based communication medium! It doesn’t get much better than that!

New technology, tools, options, and opportunities are appearing every day!

If you are willing to commit the effort and energy to using the internet in innovative ways, the web is providing us with incredible marketing methods.

Can it still be done for free? No, it can’t… but it can be accomplished with a small financial investment… and a LOT of creativity!

YarnAndThreadDesigners.com and YarnAndThreadRetailers.com are the membership sites that I have created to provide information, structure, and strategies for those who wish to utilize these exciting opportunities.

I spent last weekend talking with retailers, designers, and wholesalers at International Quilt Market in Houston, TX. I was thrilled to see how many of them *Get It!*. These are exciting times and for once, things are going our way, thanks to recent changes at Google, new tools at our disposal, and a creative approach to marketing.

One of the important elements necessary to creating a successful web site is understanding why you MUST have a USP (Unique Selling Position) for a web site. I have started work on a report for Needlework and Quilt Retailers, detailing how to create your own USP and how to apply it to your online and offline markeitng methods.

Keep an eye out… as soon as it is ready, I’ll be announcing it here!

Sharing the Road to Success
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http://yarnandthreadretailers.com/

http://yarnandthreaddesigners.com/