#lessons learned from shipping No. 1: buy a label maker

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All US books have shipped! International ones are in the works; they should all go out by next weekend.

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The Christmas Season has arrived with full force. Shopping can be a little stressful. A call to a psychic at The Psychic Line by Paramount Solutions should be able to help you figure out how to handle the stress the holidays might bring.

The Original Solution Psychics at the Psychic Line by Paramount Solutions also offers GIFT CERTIFICATES. If you want to give someone the gift of insight as the New Year approaches, let us know. We will be glad to send you a specially printed gift certificate to fit your specifications. Call the office at 1-800-966-2294 for details.

The following Sun Sign Gift Guide should be helpful as you prepare for holiday fun.

Aries - Likes to be on the move. Try tickets to a special event - preferably sports. A digital camera might appeal to them. They might like a red cashmere sweater. Gadgets should be a hit. Take them to an Escape Room. Buy them a gift certificate for a Massage to help them relax. A holiday brunch should be appealing.

Taurus - Likes beauty. They also usually like control and would probably enjoy a gift card. If you purchase clothing, make sure it is of high quality. They would probably enjoy an elegant, soft robe or throw to cuddle up in. A dinner at a five-star restaurant would probably be a hit. Remember to keep it classy. If you choose jewelry, make sure it is of high quality.

Gemini - Loves communication. Books are usually a preferred gift - just make sure that they haven’t already read it. They would probably enjoy a really nice pen or pencil set. Really nice stationery should make them happy. They would probably love tickets to a good Comedy Club. Your Gemini would also probably enjoy lightly scented perfumes or citrusy massage oil.

Cancer - Really cares about home and hearth. Purchase them a gift certificate from a high end kitchen store. Cookbooks should go over well. Anything that relates to home entertainment systems will probably make them happy. They also enjoy edibles that are hard to find. Really special coffee with a beautiful mug would generally make them feel special.

Leo - Loves the spotlight. They like to be the big fish. A really flashy watch or big, chunky jewelry might be just the ticket. A really stylish hat to set off their fabulous hair will definitely hold some appeal. Dinner at the hottest new restaurant in town should make them happy - be sure you get the best table in the house.

Virgo - Discerning and health conscious. Exercise equipment, clean eating recipes, or a Barre class membership may work for them. You may find it to be a great idea to buy them high quality closet organizers, an expensive compartmented jewelry box, or a label maker to help them put things in their proper place.

Libra - Loves company. Give them the gift of your time. They love beautiful things and like bling. The way to their heart is usually high quality chocolates, gourmet treats, herbal tea, or a Spa Day (spent together, of course). Make reservations for a Romantic Dinner for the two of you. A soft pair of socks, a snuggly robe and bath salts should also be a hit.

Scorpio - Really enjoys a mystery. Purchase them books about unsolved mysteries. They enjoy a challenge, so buy them rope puzzles to solve. They might enjoy a gift certificate from a Spy Store. A class in self-defense or Karate might catch their interest. They are usually quite sensual, so if you purchase them something - think silk. Silk sheets should make them tingle.

Sagittarius - Loves to explore and learn. They do not like to be tied down. They might like a metal detector.They also will probably enjoy building some sort of intricate model. Perhaps a really cool wooden ship or a remote controlled car would catch their interest. If you want to share an activity, take them on an adventure where they also learn something new. A guided train ride that points out local history may be a great choice.

Capricorn - Discipline, beauty, work. Make sure that you purchase authentic gifts for them. They will not be impressed with counterfeits. Tennis or golf lessons from a really good professional will probably impress them. A gift certificate for a manicure or pedicure at a really good Nail Spa should be appealing. High end grooming supplies will also appeal to Capricorns.

Aquarius - Knowledge and humanity. Focus your gift search on books that benefit mankind. Also, things that provide physical comfort appeal to them. Soft pajamas, essential oils, expensive bath bombs, high quality candles, really good wine, or coffee table books that feature people and animals in exotic places should catch their interest.

Pisces - Spiritual and emotional. They are attracted to water. Perhaps you could take them to a local Aquarium. A day out on the water followed by dinner overlooking a lake or water feature should really appeal to them. Mood rings, crystals, a lava lamp or books about mysticism should also be gifts that they would truly enjoy.

We hope that your Holiday Season is enjoyable. Our tested telephone psychics and experienced Booking Agents look forward to personally wish you the best and thank you for being wonderful.

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Hey - Pat from StarterStory.com here with another interview.Today's interview is with Kan Yamamoto of Kamino Wallet, a brand that sells minimalist paper wallets.Some stats:Product: minimalist paper wallets.Revenue/mo: $1,000Started: May 2018Location: KochiFounders: 1Employees: 0Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?Hi, my name is Kan Yamamoto, and I am the designer of Kamino Wallet.Under this brand, I make minimalist, eco-friendly paper wallets out of washable paper.Washable paper is a kind of material you would find as those labels on the back of your jeans. It is highly durable and even machine washable, which makes it an ideal alternative to leather while maintaining the paper-thin profile.My wallets help you lighten the load on your pocket and the environment, by getting rid of the bulge and the cruelty of the conventional leather wallets.The wrap wallet is my best selling product, and it is the best example of how my products stand out in terms of the design. I apply the art of Origami - the traditional Japanese paper folding technique, to bring the full potential out of the material and make the most minimal wallet ever with maximum utility.I started this project as my side hustle, and since I opened my shop in June 2018, it has grown slowly. Though it is still a tiny business, I enjoy creating useful tools that are loved by many users around the globe.imageWhat's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?I am a self-employed graphic designer who also works as a woodworker/lumberjack. I was born and grew up in Kochi, Japan but moved to Europe and have spent my twenties in Switzerland and Berlin, where I practiced graphic design and the fine arts. After I graduated from the University of Art Berlin in 2011, I returned to Japan to dig deep into my cultural roots and to contribute to the local community.Now I am living in a mountainous village in a suburban area of the city of Kochi. I love living near to nature, and the quality of life here is irreplaceable, but one of the biggest problems in rural areas is that there are no jobs. So I thought the best thing would be to learn how to create small businesses myself. And by doing it, I could be an example for the younger generation to show that it doesn't matter where you live. You could build a global business, however small it is.With my background in art and design, I am a maker by nature, so I naturally looked for ideas for products that I can make myself by hand without much investment. A wallet was my first choice because I genuinely needed it as a consumer but couldn't find the right one that is slim, functional, and eco-friendly on the market.imageimageMy workshop in the village of Tosayama, Kochi, JapanTake us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.I started designing wallets by prototyping with paper, looking for which form and style work best. I wanted it as minimal as possible, in its appearance as well as in environmental impact. After trying various materials, paper, which I always had considered the material for prototypes, turned out to be the best solution for me. It also helped that I had some knowledge and experience with various kinds of papers as a graphic designer.Soon after I finished the design of the first version, I wanted to see if there is a demand at all. So I quickly made a simple landing page to release the design as a free DIY template. And I asked visitors if they would be interested in the production version which will be made out of more durable material.I shared it on Twitter, Reddit, Medium, Instructables, etc., and to my surprise, I immediately got hundreds of downloads. I could build a mailing list of about two hundred in a few months. Some people contacted me to give me their feedback on the usability of the design, and I kept refining the design based on that feedback.imageOne of the first prototypes made out of used Rhodia cover.Describe the process of launching the business.After I realized it could be a business by seeing the demand for the DIY version, I started to prepare for the launch. Finding the right kind of paper that is durable enough for daily use was hard, and in fact, I am still looking for the perfect material. But I eventually found a durable synthetic paper that is good enough for the first product, ordered it in bulk, and started making the actual products.At the time of the launch, I had managed to have a mailing list of about 200 subscribers. Looking back, it is not that big at all, but I think that is enough for a start and assumed that a large number of them would place orders. But I was wrong, dead wrong. I learned a hard lesson that subscribing to a mailing list and paying for a product is a different thing. In the end, only a few out of the list ended up buying my product.I had zero knowledge of e-commerce at the beginning. But I have slowly learned many things by doing it, such as how to build a brand, website copywriting, and the way to optimize my site for conversions. Then I slowly started to gain customers from all around the world, and the designs have also evolved.imageSince launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?What I care about the most is the personal connection with my customers. I always enclose handwritten thank you notes in the packages and respond to questions or feedback as openly as possible. One of my customers once wrote to me"It's great that you are so committed to customer service. These days it's not normal anymore to get this kind of swift, effective and personal service."I also include one or two cards/bookmarks with a discount code printed that are made out of the same material as my wallets to encourage word of mouth. It would make it easier to refer a friend by simply giving a card so that they can touch and feel it.After all, the digitized world we live in is sometimes rough and noisy, so this personal touch is what makes a difference in the long run. I believe being able to offer this kind of service is one of the strengths of being a small maker. And it certainly helps to build trust and retain my customers.imageThank you card that doubles as a bookmark.How are you doing today and what does the future look like?Currently, it makes around $1,000 in sales, of which about $600 is profit. So it is not a typical success story you usually see here. At least it is profitable as my side hustle, and I love doing it.I get about 60-100 visits a day mainly through organic search, Instagram, and Reddit. And my current conversion rate is around 1%, which would explain why it has been slow in sales.I tried google ads for a while but couldn't figure out how to make it work effectively, so I stopped it for now. While I would like to keep the business rather small, it could expand a bit more so acquiring new customers is the biggest struggle at the moment.Regarding the cost and the profit, I try to keep the gross margins before ad-spend around 35-40% for every product. The cost of labor is also around 40%, which I am taking for now, but I would hire someone with it for making my products if it eventually scales in the future.Based on the feedback from my customers, I have been designing new products, including notebook wallet and coin pouch. Also, I am talking with a manufacturer who produces even more eco-friendly material that has more color variations so the products line up will undoubtedly keep growing.It may sound optimistic, but I believe my business has the potential to turn into my full-time business eventually, or even beyond that. It seems more and more people are interested in a simple, eco-friendly lifestyle, and my products would appeal to those audiences once I tuned in the right channels.imageThrough starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?What surprised me the most is that many people on the internet do like to give feedback when I ask them to or when they genuinely love my idea/products. I think I made the right decision to release the DIY version as soon as possible to get feedback and brushed it up. It is still relevant now, and listening to my customers is one of the best tactics I have learned when it comes to product development and marketing.Another thing I am impressed by and thankful about and is how effectively the global postal network works. As I am based in a remote area, the logistics could have been a pain, but in reality, it works like a charm.I can send my products out from a small post office in my village. Usually, within 10-14 days, they will arrive in North America and Europe, where most of my customers are. By the effort of making my products and the packages as slim and lightweight as possible, I could reduce the shipping cost and ultimately afford to offer free shipping worldwide on all orders.What platform/tools do you use for your business?On Reddit, I have learned everything about starting a business, from how to make a landing page to getting feedback on my designs.I used Squarespace to quickly launch the first landing page to publish the DIY version, and then I moved to Shopify lately.And obviously, Grammarly is a must for me as a non-English speaker.It is not about this particular business, but I can't work without Soundcloud, so let me say thank you to them.What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?Design for the Real World by Victor PapanekI always come back to this book whenever I want to make sure if I'm on the right track as a designer/maker. Let me quote one of my favorite lines."Design, if it is to be ecologically responsible and socially responsive, must be revolutionary and radical in the truest sense. It must dedicate itself to nature's principle of least effort, in other words, maximum diversity with minimum inventory or doing the most with the least. That means consuming less, using things longer, and being frugal about recycling materials."Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?All the above being said, I guess I am nowhere near the position to tell anyone how to start/run business. All I can say is that you need to take time to grow the business, so take it easy and don't give it up too soon.Where can we go to learn more?Website: www.kaminowallet.comInstagram: kaminowalletTwitter: kaminowalletIf you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!Liked this text interview? Check out the full interview with photos, tools, books, and other data.For more interviews, check out r/starter_story - I post new stories there daily.Interested in sharing your own story? Send me a PM