Hello Chandler Guildmember,
In this issue...
* Happy New Year! Reflections on 2003 and looking forward
* Quick Polls: Congress Timing and 2003 Holiday Sales
* Hot Topics on the Guild Web Site
* Peripherally Speaking: Sohodojo Developments
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= Happy New Year! Reflections on 2003 and looking forward
=
We hope everyone has had a happy and healthy holiday, and that you are
looking forward to a Happy and Healthy New Year. Things have been a bit
quite on the Chandler Guild web site, in our SIGS, and at the Table of
Twelve. We've been on a hiatus while we all focused on the opportunity of
the busiest season for candlemaking and selling. With this busy season
behind us, this is a good time to reflect on the year ending and to
speculate on the year ahead.
Without a doubt this was a banner year for The Chandler Guild. Despite
some growing pains and tough economic times for key Guild members, we
accomplished one really important thing... The Chandler Guild was born and
is growing! Its moved from an interesting idea in a handful of folks' minds
to a Real Thing in the hearts and minds of many! Congratulations to everyone
who helped to make this happen.
In 2003 we got our web site going, and folks starting communicating and
sharing ideas -- both about how to best make and sell soybean wax candles,
and about what they hoped the Chandler Guild could become as an organization
to help them in their craft and business.
Despite some domino affects of the weak economy, Soyawax Mike Richards
was able to pull together the Soyawax Warehouse Partners program. A number
of enterprising and committed Guild members are participating in, and
thereby helping to strengthen, our soybean wax supply chain. Thanks to these
folks, we now have affordable and readily available supplies of wax for
Guild members. Congratulations and thank you to Mike and all the Warehouse
Partners.
Through the communication channel of the web site, our community
accomplished its biggest achievement for 2003; the First Continental
Congress held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa! In addition to helping to gel the
community, the Congress resulted in our electing the Table of Twelve
steering committee, and we formed a number of special interest groups
(SIGs).
All told, these are fantastic accomplishments and everyone should be
pleased and proud of the progress we've made.
But we've got a long way to go. As we each take time to reflect on the
year passing and resolve to charge forward into the New Year, take some time
to think about The Chandler Guild. The strength of the Guild is no greater
than the trust and collective energy of each Guild member in the community.
We have a lot of interesting and important work to do in 2004 to take The
Chandler Guild to its next stage of evolution. What the Guild is and will
become is all up to you.
Happy New Year and Happy Chandlerling!
==================================
= Quick Polls: Congress Timing and 2003 Holiday Sales
=
One lesson we learned this past year is that the timing of our annual
Congress is critical. No sooner had we gotten home and settled from the
Congress and the busy pre-holiday candle making and selling season was upon
us. Since everything done on behalf of the Guild is a voluntary effort, this
meant that the Table of Twelve and our SIGs languished as we put our time
and thoughts into our craft and our businesses.
To avoid this conflict of time and energy in 2004 and beyond, we're
thinking that it would be better to schedule our annual Congress in late
Spring or early Summer. What do you think? Please vote on our latest poll as
we try to target the best calendar window in which to schedule the coming
and future Congresses. What's best for you:
http://chandlerguild.com/node.php?id=291
How did this year's Holiday Sales season treat you? While many in the
government and on Wall Street bang the drum of the 'jobless recovery', we're
not so certain that these folks aren't just wishful thinking.
One thing going for us though is that soybean wax candles are cool and
make great, affordable gifts. We may be able to sustain and grow sales
despite the overall state of the economy.
So how was this buying season for you? We'd like to hear how sales went
for you in our informal straw poll:
http://chandlerguild.com/node.php?id=286
So far it looks like folks generally had strong to excellent results for
the 2003 holiday sales season.
=================================
= Hot Topics on the Guild Web Site
=
If you haven't dropped by the Chandler Guild web site lately, here are
just a few of the things you've been missing:
* Chandler Guild Soy Wax Candles In El Salvador
http://chandlerguild.com/node.php?id=287
* Member Brevity Airy reports "I've Got Beans!!!"
http://chandlerguild.com/node.php?id=271
* Member Jen is seeking input on a smelly problem...
http://chandlerguild.com/node.php?id=289
* Sara and Scott report "Blowout Specials section added to website"
http://chandlerguild.com/node.php?id=279
* Members Bob, Carol, and Evelyn are looking for marketing software
http://chandlerguild.com/node.php?id=277
Remember, when you visit the Chandler Guild web site, be sure to log on
with your user name and password. Even if you don't intend to contribute a
story, diary entry, or comment, logging on provides a number of navigation
enhancements that will help you to find new content posted since your last
visit. Also, if you are logged on, you will find that you will be more
likely to make a quick comment, post a diary entry, or vote on moderating
content contributions.
==================================
= Peripherally Speaking: Sohodojo Developments
=
As many of you know, Sohodojo and Soyawax are organizational co-sponsors
of The Chandler Guild. Sohodojo is an independent, non-profit R&D lab
supporting solo and family-based entrepreneurs in rural and distressed urban
communities. Sohodojo is working to help make The Chandler Guild a shining
example of a new business model that will be appropriate for folks to use
for self-employment in our target communities.
Over the last few weeks we have been working to strengthen Sohodojo's
Advisory Board. We are very pleased to announce that two international
experts in regional economic development have accepted seats on our Board.
The following press releases explain why we are excited to have Richard
Florida and Stuart Rosenfeld on our Board:
http://sohodojo.com/press/richard-florida-sohodojo-advisory-board.pdf
http://sohodojo.com/press/stuart-rosenfeld-sohodojo-advisory-board.pdf
During 2004, we'll be challenging Richard, Stuart and other influential
business and economic development thinkers to help our community to envision
and evolve The Chandler Guild.
The Chandler Guild is an innovative microenterprise and small business
network. Chandlering is an ideal example of what cluster business expert
Stuart Rosenfeld calls a Creative Enterprise, that is, a solo practitioner
or small business built on the creativity and craft of the owner/operator.
Rosenfeld calls a network of creative enterprises a Creative Enterprise
Cluster. The Chandler Guild members in Iowa, and the Guild overall are good
examples of Creative Enterprise Clusters. To learn more about Creative
Enterprises and Creative Enterprise Clusters, see this article:
http://sohodojo.com/mt-creative-enterprise-cluster.html
Does your state have a Creative Enterprise Cluster like Montana and
Iowa? Are you an active part of it? If so, we'd like to know more. Please
feel free to write Sohodojo Jim and Timlynn at mailto:hosts@sohodojo.com.
In closing... Do you have any news or views you'd like to share with the
Chandler Guild community? We'd love to hear from you. Visit the Chandler
Guild web site, log on, and contribute away. Communication is good for you!
Happy New Year and Happy Chandlering,
--Sohodojo Jim-- and --Soyawax Mike--
for The Chandler Guild
http://chandlerguild.com
P.S. You will find an archive copy of this and previous Chandler
Guildmember Mail List Announcements here:
http://www.chandlerguild.com/module.php?mod=forum&tid=20