A Conversation with Lizbeth Darwin

Last Updated on Tuesday, 08 September 2009 02:57 Written by Rhed Rhode Tuesday, 25 August 2009 21:25

Owner of “Skins by Liz”

Rhed Rhode: So tell me a little bit about your business here in Second Life®.
Lizbeth Darwin: Well, I started with Sunset Designs with my best friend and Shapes by Liz was something I did in my spare time, Shapes really started taking off so I turned my focus on that.

I think I started Shapes by Liz the same way many Shape sellers do. Making their own shapes then having people respond and feeling like maybe something is lacking in that market. For me at the time it was smaller more realistically sized avatars.

Rhed Rhode: How long did it take you to get everything up and running?
Lizbeth Darwin: About a month, I was approached by Jaqueline Mehring from the Oxymoron sim. She liked my work and offered me a spot across from Graves and that is where my business began to take off. Being asked to be on that sim was huge for me. I have been a graves fan for a long time so it was an honor.

Rhed Rhode: What do you think was your biggest challenge getting your business off the ground?
Lizbeth Darwin: Marketing was and is the biggest challenge.

Rhed Rhode: I completely understand.
Lizbeth Darwin: SL™ is a large competitive market and shapes are a difficult business as everyone has the tools to do their own.

Rhed Rhode: How much overhead do you think you started out with?
Lizbeth Darwin: Actually very little; upload fees of textures and location are really the key costs when starting although as you go on there are skins and hair since you really can’t shoot the same look repeatedly.

Rhed Rhode: Ah yes, I can see where that would start to add up. LOL. It's always the people that are expensive. LOL. What do you think has influenced your business the most?
Lizbeth Darwin: For me the fashion industry and my friends. Like most, we shop and update constantly. One of my best friends, Druiel, is a huge inspiration for me. His look changes almost weekly and his creativity often sparks mine.

Rhed Rhode: That's so great; it's always tough to find a good muse.
Lizbeth Darwin: He also gives my shapes the once over. He has a very critical eye and I can count on him to say something sucks! Supportive friends are important and the honest ones are invaluable.

Rhed Rhode: And do you feel now that your business is what you thought it would be?
Lizbeth Darwin: Oh it’s more than I ever thought it could be. At first, I never really marketed it. I still don’t put the effort in that I should I suppose, but my customers are happy and refer new business. I have joined with two friends to open our own 1/4 sim. Swampwater Market was a large project for me as I built a lot of it myself. The three main stores there are my builds. Swampwater Market is the name of the location on the Oxygen sim. It is the home of the main stores of two other small businesses; BlackFrost and VooDoo Baby.

Rhed Rhode: Very nice, that can be very useful with revenue :)
Lizbeth Darwin: Very much so, it has been crucial using the three main stores to help each other; we can share space, share traffic, and share customers. It has been a successful move.

Rhed Rhode: I think that's wise, have you found that people in SL are eager to help or more aloof?
Lizbeth Darwin: They have been very helpful. It’s not your normal market place. It’s very stylized and a comfortable place and many tend to hang awhile and look around which we love of course!

Rhed Rhode: That's awesome, pretty rare to want to hang out in a store. LOL
Lizbeth Darwin: LOL, yes, but it’s very serene; whimsical meets Louisiana swamps. The easier on the eyes it is, the more people just want to be there.

Rhed Rhode: And what do you feel has been the best thing about owning your own business in SL?
Lizbeth Darwin: I’m a creative type. In RL and SL. So, probably creating things and that is what has kept me in the game for so long. Had I never learned how to create in SL, I think I would have moved on.

Rhed Rhode: Very nice, I can completely relate, you can do anything in SL.  What do you feel has been the most challenging part about running a business?
Lizbeth Darwin: Hmm, maybe balancing business and fun. Creating is fun for me but I often can be sucked in and neglect all the silly entertaining parts that I also love about SL, like shopping or goofing off with friends.

Rhed Rhode: What advice would you give to new business owners in SL?
Lizbeth Darwin: Keep at it and do it for the love. None of it happens over night. Also, I would say keep honing your skills, you have to be able to keep up or you will be lost in the market.

Rhed Rhode: I think those are pretty wise words, any words of warning? LOL
Lizbeth Darwin: Maybe ask yourself why you are getting into business. If it is to make money... run! LOL

Rhed Rhode: That's very sage advice! Lizbeth, thank you so much for your time, it was a pleasure chatting with you, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions :)
Lizbeth Darwin: Thank you I appreciate being asked. I was happy to. Come check out the Market it’s a fun place to be.

Lizbeth Darwin is the owner of Shapes by Liz; she creates custom shapes for avatars and has been in business for a long time here in SL. Her shop “Shapes by Liz” is located in Oxygen, and can be found at:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Oxygen/76/190/22