Lisa Anderson Shaffer's blog

The holidays are a great time for indie business owners to take stock of what we are thankful for. Giving during the holidays by donating to charity is a great way to make customers feel good about their purchases. Whether it is with a local or international charity, there are many fun and thoughtful ways to include giving as part of your holiday sales.

Indie design house LOFT 1513 offers a well-curated collection of sustainable apparel and one-of-a-kind fashion. Recently relocated to a new, larger home, the store emphasizes reuse and creativity in everything from its displays to its unique custom garments.

Blakely Bass, owner of Resident Apparel Gallery (RAG), has been supporting local indie businesses since 2002. Boasting designs from more than 120 San Francisco artists each month, RAG is keeping art and design alive.

Looking for art and crafts that are made in San Francisco? Banana Republic and SFMade, the non-profit dedicated to supporting local manufacturing and a sustainable economy, have teamed up for the second time to showcase San Francisco crafts.

Can a craft business owner with a serious aversion to math master the inventory management and financial tools of Stitch Labs? Craft correspondent Lisa Anderson Shaffer tries out this all-in-one application for her own craft business.

Stitch Labs offers craft business owners all the tools you need to track inventory in one simple program. Craft business owners can manage contacts, all their sales, product inventory, invoices, expenses, and even shipping labels all in one place. Even selling in stores becomes easy with downloadable line sheets in one easy click. Amazing!

Marketing for Artists: Lightbox SF and Shana Astrachan Team Up with TechShop for DIY Marketing Class

Last month I participated in the 3rd Annual Renegade Craft

December 2011 marked the 3rd Annual Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Market in San Francisco.  Third times a charm indeed!  This year's Market was a huge success and boasted crowds over 15,000 for the weekend.

Friday December 3 & 4  marked the 5th annual Bazaar Bizarre Holiday Craft Show.  Crafters from all over the Bay Area and beyond set up shop at the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center to display their rocking wares for the weekend.  Bazaar Bizarre was more than just