One Spark Client Interview: Old Maid Cat Lady #20158

Old Maid Cat Lady has been a long time client at the FSBDC. The owner Lynn Thompson, has an amazing website and seeks to take her line of offerings to the next level via One Spark. We caught up to her at the Landing.

Describe your creator idea.

My project is way beyond the idea phase; I've been operating this online department store for cats and cat lovers for the past four years! It goes beyond a normal e-commerce site in that it's also a resource for cat owners. Cats are often misunderstood, so I try to help people understand feline needs and how to provide for them so they can live more harmoniously together. The project I'm presenting for One Spark is to get funding for expansion of my team by two people: one to help with operations work, and the other to focus solely on SEO. That should free me up to do more marketing and outreach.

Why one spark?

I knew last year that I needed to do a project for One Spark, but was not sure exactly how to make it apply to my business. The impact of this event, and its potential to raise awareness of OldMaidCatLady.com were just too much to resist. So I attended last year to get ideas, read through the material about how to become a Creator, and figured out a way to present a project that would fit within their parameters and still give me something I needed.

How is One Spark going so far?

Traffic was slow the first few days where I'm located, which is a bit out of the main traffic flow. But the crowds picked up a lot on Day 4. Lots more people stopped by and not only voted for me, but took one of my brochures and said they'd be checking out my site. So it should lead to increased sales for me.

What is next after One Spark?

I spoke with a guy who said they're holding an event soon to match up Creators with investors, and I'll look into that. The leader of my peer-to-peer mentoring group also told me she wants to put me in touch with some venture capitalists she knows who may be a good fit. I have taken this retail site as far as I can by myself, so my team definitely needs to expand, and it's not even making enough now to pay my bills, so an injection of capital is definitely needed. Until that comes, I'll continue doing as much as I can alone, continually tweaking and improving the site, processing and following up on orders.

Location: The Landing, 2nd floor #20158

Lynn Maria Thompson
Author - Speaker - Editor
President, Thompson Writing & Editing, Inc.

Proprietor, OldMaidCatLady.com

Neptune Beach, Florida
www.thompsonwriting.com

www.oldmaidcatlady.com

Phone (904) 242-0054
Cell (904) 955-2367
Fax (904) 458-8021
E-mail lynn@thompsonwriting.com

Follow me on Twitter @gatorlynn and @OldMaidCatLady

How To Win One Spark Workshop Tomorrow: We Are Jazzed!

The vibes are amazing at our office and this 2.0 version of One Spark will be a quantum leap over last year. We live in a world that advances itself so quickly and One Spark is no different. There were a lot of lessons learned by all last year and it will be FAR more competitive in 2014.

On our front,we had a team on site last year and we have a very god perspective going into this year's event. Our e-manual titled "How to Win One Spark" is ready for Creators attending, and the PowerPoint is locked in.  There are so many ways to gain exposure and win dollars! You should be Jacksonville proud because this event is going worldwide. 

Join us Thursday, March 27th as we take you through the best practices learned from our observations last year. Not only will we lay out step by step ideas, but we will have Kristen Keen from Rethreaded on board as a guest to answer any questions you may have. Yes, we have last years winner coming to help you out.

Enough! Register now or walk up!  Register here. or call 620-2476.

One Spark App. and Voter Registration Now Available!

Yes, we recommend you do this now. You have to have the app to vote! If you are a creator, get the word out to anyone you know who may come to the event. Download it yourself and then share it!

Here is the One Spark App. You must download this on your phone to vote...https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/one-spark/id630800549?ls=1&mt=8

ALSO...

Here is how you register as a voter. Remember, you have three steps to take to vote this year:
1. Download the One Spark App.
2. Register on the One Spark site as a voter.
3. Check in at a voting site when you get to One Spark. YOU WILL HAVE TO SHOW I.D.

If you are a Creator you see how important it is to reach your audience and communicate this. Our workshop at UNF on March 27th will cover all of this!

You can send people to this blog as it will have up to date information and tips to help you and your audience: www.onesparkviafsbdc.blogspot.com

How to Register to Vote & Contribute

You must be registered and checked in at the festival before you can vote or contribute. Even if you registered and voted in 2013, you must still check-in at the festival in order to vote and contribute.
REGISTER: Set up your account at any time online at beonespark.com/participate-voter, or in-person during the festival at a Voting & Information Kiosk (valid photo ID required).

CHECK IN: From April 9, at 11 AM EST through April 13, at 3 PM EST, check in within event boundaries to validate your account. Use your smartphone (One Spark App or Mobile Site) or check in at a Voting & Information Kiosk.

Once you’ve registered and checked in at the festival, you can vote or contribute 4 different ways.

Smartphone (Vote and Contribute)

1. Download the One Spark App or access via your mobile browser at beonespark.com. Sign into your registered account.
2. Search for Creators by entry number, Creator name, Project name or Venue location.
3. Click the “Vote for Project” button.
4. Click the “Contribute” button and enter your contribution amount.

Text Message (Vote Only)

1. Ensure that you have registered for a One Spark account and checked-in first. You can visit a voting kiosk to register and check-in if you do not have a smartphone or access to a computer.
2. Locate a Creator’s Entry Number in a One Spark 2014 Event Guide or at the Creator’s display.
3. Text the Creator’s Entry Number to +1 904-647-2955. Text messaging fees may apply.

Voting & Information Kiosk

1. Visit one of our 11 Voting & Information Kiosks.
2. Present a valid photo ID* to kiosk volunteers to register for an account and confirm your identity.
3. Use a kiosk computer to sign in to your account.
4. Search for Creators by Entry Number, Creator Name, Project Name or by Venue.
5. Click the “Vote for Project” button or click the “Contribute” button and enter/submit your contribution amount.

Web

1. Visit BeOneSpark.com
2. Sign in to your account.
3. Search for Creators by Entry Number, Creator Name, or Venue location.
4. Click the “Vote for Project” button.
5. Click the “Contribute” button and enter your contribution amount.