A colleague recently mentioned to me that she polled some business students and the number one thing they wanted to learn was networking. I was a little surprised by this! Who needs to learn to network? I grew up with a business owner father who was capable of talking to anyone, anywhere. He’d always come [...]
Last year, I shared the three best things I did for my business in 2010. Writing that post was a great opportunity to reflect on what did (and didn’t) work for my business in the previous year, and so I’ve decided to make it an annual tradition. 2011 was an interesting year for my business, [...]
Today’s video asks a really crucial question: Are you making time for your business, or just making excuses? Some of you watching the video are probably wondering, “yes, but HOW do I make time?” There is no magic formula or secret trick. Successful people are successful because they just do. They make it happen. It [...]
You might have noticed a little (ok, big) change on the site today. Crafting an MBA has a new name, and a new URL. Crafting an MBA is now Designing an MBA. I’m sure many of you are wondering why the name change. First, let me assure you that the primary content on this site [...]
One of the great promises of the new age of digital entrepreneurs is that you can run your business from anywhere. Location independence is the mantra of the day! It’s even a selling point for Etsy. Because Etsy allows you to connect with buyers from across the globe, it doesn’t matter where you live. But [...]
I bought my first iPhone in 2007. At the time, my primary revenue streams were craft shows and Etsy. I bought an iPhone so I could keep track of the second while I was away at the first. I never met Steve Jobs, yet the impact he had on my life and business cannot be [...]
I’m currently in St. Paul for BlogHer Handmade and The Creative Connection. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel with three lovely ladies – Tara, Anne, and Alicia. Our topic was Craft + Money: Intermediate to Advanced Techniques for Monetization, and you can check out the live blog transcript here. We had [...]
I spent most of the last day and a half bailing out from nearly five inches of water filling my basement, which also happens to be where my office and studio are. I’m not sharing this to get sympathy, or even as an excuse for not blogging. Rather, I want this to be a cautionary [...]
I’m out of town this week at New York Gift. If you’re at the show, I’d love to meet you! I’m in Accent on Design, booth #3973. (Or tweet @meganauman to connect.) How would your mindset about your business change if you HAD to make a living from your business? While at BlogHer, I [...]
One of the cool parts about writing this blog is that I sometimes get invited to events at major craft institutions, both new and old. Last week, it was a party at Etsy. And some of you may recall that in February, I was invited to speak to the American Craft Council board. While I’m [...]
Megan Auman is a designer, maker, educator, and entrepreneur who has built a multi-faceted business around her passion for great design and sustainable business. Her eponymous jewelry line is sold in stores across the US and online. In 2009, Megan founded Crafting an MBA to help designers and makers develop their business skills. In 2011, the site name was changed to Designing an MBA.
Learn more about Designing an MBA.
