Putting technology into a quilting business

Being that my business is going so well, I have decided to do a few summer craft shows and fairs this year. With that decision, I also decided to go big and get a new Android Smartphone and a Square card reader so that I could accept credit cards at these venues. So I bought a new phone (on a prepay, yes I did) and ordered the square reader. So of course, never having an Android phone before, I decided to find out what apps I could use to help out my business. Did you know there are quilting apps? Yeah, buddy.

The first one I downloaded was the free app quilting calculator by Robert Kauffman fabrics.  I truly love how easily it calculates the measurements for the yardage of all fabrics, including backing, batting, borders, rectangles, set-in squares and corner triangles. Some of it I haven't had a chance to play with yet, but I know I will use it eventually. Another one I want to try is Quilt Stash Library, a cataloging app that will allow someone to log in all of my fabric and how many yards I have of it. I haven't downloaded it yet because I need at least a week to go through what I have, measure, and enter it all in. So I don't know if I'll ever be able to use this one.

Secondly, I found ways to help me manage my business. Cashbook is my favorite right now. It allows me to enter in what I paid, what I paid for, where I bought it, and take a picture of the receipt. This will help me when I go in to enter things into my Craftybase account. I can also add in mileage (for those local deliveries) and sales. This will all assist me in keeping up with what I spend and what I make!

There are tons of apps out there, and everyone has their favorite! I'm loving my new phone and what I can do with it. I love Google, too. I know some people give them a lot of grief, but they integrate all of their things so that I can move back and forth from phone, to computer, and back again, without having to install a ton of apps or worry about re-entry! All of my contacts and calendars are backed up to my Google account, along with the docs that I have. I believe that Google, along with my Android phone, are going to make running my business more efficient, easier, and accessible! People like to see things, and with these pieces of technology I am able to show them quilts I have made, embroidery patterns we can use, and fabrics I have available. I can also quickly calculate what the costs may be.

As a technology driven (and overly excited about) person, I love what the possibilities are. Even if you're not technologically savvy, find a 6-yr-old and figure it out! It will only help you in the long run. :)