Boho Girl

Yeah she is sweet and summery.... She will put warmth on your walls for sure!

Polish Your Business With a New Look

It`s January! A new year, new resolutions and maybe a new look? The smallest changes can breathe new life to your business. From changing the position on a logo on your site, to getting business cards printed in shimmery paper.
Watercolor French Settee Chandelier Business Card by elainebiss


But better than any pre-made business card is having a custom made graphic with your cards. Why? Because if you have ever attended an event where  you were handed at least 2 business cards that look exactly the same, you know what I am talking about!

Moreover if you happen to exchange cards with someone who handed you back your same card, then you have a special appreciation for being original. I invite you to send me a line if you are looking for an unique business card. Whether it be a watercolor illustration to an ink sketch, it could give your business cards a lift.

Sheer Class RED Haute Couture Business Card by elainebiss

Sassy Watercolor Dance Girl retro Cards by elainebiss

Elaine Biss Sweet Watercolor Cupcake Business Card by elainebiss

Why Do I Care About SOPA-Breakfast at Tiffany`s

Last month I transcribed my conversation with Joe Pitts, our local rep, about how internet SOPA laws will affect independent artists.
I also mention how I am "someone who understands what being falsely accused of copyright infringement means today, if SOPA passes, anyone who accuses a site or person of copyright infringement and could have their sites taken down without due process or proof of the actual infringement and be liable for damages."

At the risk of sounding like a whiny baby, here is my story.
In 2008 I created the piece to the right which I call "A Very Stylish Girl". She is fashioned after a fictional character on one of my favorite movies.Guess which?

Paramount, the owner of the copyright of Breakfast at Tiffany`s has claimed copyright infringement on my above mentioned piece and removed it from Zazzle, without due process or proof. Just a claim that they are infringing. They however, have not removed it from Etsy. Why? Etsy`s copyright violation reporting system is much stern, as they would have to sign an affidavit," a statement that the notifier has a good faith belief that the material is not authorized by the intellectual property or copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and a statement made under penalty of perjury that the information provided is accurate and the notifying party is authorized to make the complaint on behalf of the intellectual property or copyright owner."

And because apparently lawyer-ing  is as hard as interpreting for your benefit the law articles on wikipedia, here are my non-lawyer opinions. :)

 If I am in violation, so is Harper`s Bazaar. Did anyone hear of a lawsuit?

And Jennifer Love Hewitt.

 This one actually used Audrey Hepburn`s likeness. But thanks to Etsy`s rules and regulations, she is safe. Nice Invite! Congrats!
The search alone yields thousands of items 'inspired' by the movie. http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?q=breakfast%20at%20tiffanys&view_type=gallery&ship_to=ZZ&min=0&max=0

This one is using copyrighted hello kitty material. Blatantly!

Breakfast at Tiffany's Bridal Shower Invite -This one is using the name Tiffany, and you can`t use that name as it is trademarked. I am not claiming that any of these images are infringing, but based on why mine was removed, these would be too.

SOPA laws being reviewed this week, would actually block sites like etsy, Zazzle or any site selling these or any products big companies "deem" infringing. No judge in our legal system said it, just their over-reacting, quick to draw legal team.

As much as I like Audrey Hepburn, the artwork was not fashioned after her. She looks like me. There have been many Breakfast at Tiffany`s themed parties for little girls, are they infringing on your copyright? Zazzle has been silent and will not comment. I am, as you can image, livid. And since it is not up for discussion on Zazzle or Paramount, you can enjoy my fair use display of said alleged, "illegal" images here.

5 Business Lessons From Tabatha Coffey

She is the best in her field and she makes no qualms about telling you just that. She often comes across as a bitch and hated for her candor. She is all about achieving excellence. Tabatha Coffey is the rescuer of salons headed for ruin in her show Salon Takeover. This show appeals to me so much, that I watch her show solely for the purposes of learning techniques and ideas that I can apply to my own business.

Even thought hair studios and my design studio are certainly two different businesses, the dynamics are the same and applicable to any business model. Tabatha is called when salon owners are overwhelmed by their staff, unnecessary drama and blatant unprofessionalism. I am always taken back by the excuses we business owners come up with to cover our businesses failures and short comings.

Well, Tabatha doesn`t care. But she is there to fix it. Even in cases I thought she couldn`t possibly do it, she somehow pulls it out a hat. Here are 5 of my favorite samples!

1. The Summa Cum Laude Syndrome- I once heard that, to give a man a doctorate, is to do him a disservice. Apparently this is also true with master degrees. The owner of a particular salon felt the need to be condescending and disrespectful to her stylists because they didn`t have a degree. They were workers to her that were dispensable. They often quit because of how awful the owner was. She didn`t care to take in any input and her sense of entitlement was obviously tied to her degree acquired with great honors. Here is a taste of it (http://www.bravotv.com/tabathas-salon-takeover/season-3/videos/staff-assessment) Lesson? Knowledge doesn`t equal intelligence or experience. College only takes you so far, and a bad attitude makes you a candidate to repeat the third grade.
2. How Low Can You Go? Dougie Dollars- Coupons, freebies and discounts are gimmicks businesses use to get new clients, but can you keep clients that way?  Or better yet, can you be taken seriously as a business owner if all you have a is a gimmick? (http://www.hulu.com/watch/202603/tabathas-salon-takeover-dougie-dollars) This one owner would sent letters asking, "Don`t you want your free haircut?" to clients (http://www.bravotv.com/tabathas-salon-takeover/season-3/videos/shredding-letters) Lesson? Begging for business is sad, and giving your services away only sets you up for the poor house and opportunists who are looking for a discount. Not a long lasting business relationship. Know the minimum you are willing to be paid for your services so IF someone deserving of a discount asks for one (I.E. like a long term client), you know you will still be paid for your services.
3. Follow The Leader-When a ship sinking, how much fault can you place on bad sailors when the captain is not very good at giving orders? This particular salon was not only poised to receive wealthy clientele, but to be part of Boston`s Best. Yet their staff misbehaved and disrespected each other so much, their clients seldom returned. Not to mention the owner`s managerial skills lacked discipline, making him a push over. (http://www.bravotv.com/tabathas-salon-takeover/season-3/videos/getting-the-lesson-of-leadership) Lesson? You don`t have to have staff to be a push over. Under-confidence or even seeming "nice" can be perceived as a character flaw making you a target for anyone who needs to get their way. Stand by your guns, commit with confidence to your rules and stipulations so when someone steps over the line, you can take action and not let it sink your business.
4. Keep Your Drama To Yourself-Having a lot going on at home is one thing, but when you go to work suffering from crying spells and making rash decisions, perhaps you need a vacation? Or Tabatha. Either way, one owner cries and accuses her clientele of stealing and lying (http://www.bravotv.com/tabathas-salon-takeover/season-1/candolyns-downtown-los-angeles-ca) and another cries so much, no one pays attention to her. (http://www.bravotv.com/tabathas-salon-takeover/season-3/videos/a-star-is-born) Lesson? God knows the holidays/kids/exs/pregnancies/funerals/divorces/house cleaning/mercury retrogrades all create stress. But crying about it constantly to your staff/clients starts to becoming background noise that easily gets ignored. Take a few days off. Center. Fall in love with your business again and start to work again like Johnson`s Baby Shampoo. Tearless.
5. Five is Not Better Than One-Or two, or three. No matter what you to make everyone happy, there is always someone willing to create the debacle. Or still suffer from the middle child syndrome. In any case, these 5 owners bicker all the time and no one is held accountable for the business going under. (http://www.bravotv.com/tabathas-salon-takeover/season-3/vendome-houston-tx) Lesson? I seldom take commissions that involve more than one business partner, because communications can break down quickly. Delegating one partner the responsibility of relaying information is usually the road I take. However if you find yourself having a business with many owners, delegating responsibility will allow for everyone to take pride in their work. And if the business starts to fail, you will know exactly who did not do their job.