creative biz | are you ready to get serious about your handmade business?
karen guntonmeagan visser of MeaganVisser.com has a fantistic five part series for us this week on running a successful creative or handmade business. this is part 1...
Are you one of those people who loves creating & crafting things?
Do you tend to do well at whatever you try & you're sort of a Jack {or Jill} of all trades when it comes to your crafting abilities?
Have you been told by friends that you should sell the things you make & does everyone love getting your handmade goodies as gifts anytime of the year?
If so, have you ever considered selling online & making some money with your talents?
Perhaps you are allready selling your items; have you taken the next steps to really making a go of it as a business?
What’s holding you back?
Is it the fear of putting yourself & your products out there?
Is it that you think there’s too much competition or that your products aren't “good enough”?
Is it a lack of time or is it simply not knowing where to begin?
If you’ve thought about starting an online handmade business, then stick around! Over the course of the next few days, I’m going to take you through
- the basic process of setting up shop & selling online
- how to narrow your focus & options so your business is memorable
- some business basics you need to think about before getting started
- 4 important areas you need to focus on in your shop, not to mention what you should be doing after getting your shop up & running.
And you know what? That's not all! I’m going to be giving you lots of resources for great information that you can look into for starting & running a handmade business & maybe a worksheet or two to help you get all your ideas together.
Sounds great, right? Are you interested? Are you ready to rock your creative business?
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is your business general or specific? For instance do you have a specific point of difference and a specific target audience?
- Have you jumped right into selling? Or have you considered some important starting points such as doing market research, creating a marketing plan, and building a stand out brand?
- Are you focusing on the main areas of your business that will convert browsers into buyers? Do you know what these areas are?
- What are you doing to push your business to the next level? What are your plans for growth? How will you establish yourself as a leader in your niche?
If you are uncertain about your answers for any of these questions then this series is exactly what you need to move forward with your creative business.
BTW…I want to hear from you throughout this series! I want to know your thoughts, questions, & concerns that come up as you read these posts. Think of this as having a wee-bit of one-on-one access with me to get some of your most basic biz questions answered or even just to get some encouragement. So let’s start now!
The next step is for you to answer these questions in the comment section below.
Do you have an online handmade or creative business? Choose:
- "Yes & it's going well"
- "Yes, but I need some help"
- "No, but I'd like to start one"
What is your biggest question/area of concern about selling your items online?
Meagan Visser is a wife, mother, & creative entrepreneur living in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee. She inspires moms to pursue their creative business dreams on her coaching website MeaganVisser.com & she offers fashionable & eco-friendly products for babies & toddlers in her Etsy shop, Baby Swank. Connect with her on Twitter & Facebook!
Reader Comments (13)
Yes, but I need some help.
My biggest issue is 'time'. I know that I should pay someone to do all the things related to by business that I don't have the time to do, but until I build my business to a point where I can financially afford to pay someone to do those things, it's very difficult, near impossible to make that happen! I am fairly certain that this is a common 'problem', or is it?
Yes, but i need some help. My concern is being able to stand out online.
No, I don't have a business yet. I have lots of questions, but the main one is, can I market a broad enough range of products that I won't get bored? As a creative person, I can't stand to churn out 50 of the same product. I'd be just as well off working on an assembly line.
If I may, I have another question. Am I better off with an etsy store or should I have my own stand alone shop online? Etsy seems great, but how do I not get lost in the crowd? Oops that's two questions. I'll stop now. I'm new to your blog (from pinterest), so I'm going to explore a bit now. Have a great day!
Yes, but I need some help.
We've launched a fabulous website with great products but I'm not sure how to get the word out there.
No, but I'd like to start one.
I'd really like to build an income by selling still life prints. One of my biggest concerns/hurdles is how to break through on etsy and actually turn the listings into sales.
Awesome & thanks for all your comments ladies! I can't wait to get to know you a bit more.
@Melissa - You're so right! A lot of people struggle with the time issue & yes, eventually we'd all like to be in a position to hire out certain things. Until that time comes it's important to try to use a schedule or develop routine that works for you throughout the day. I know Karen has some time management posts coming up that could be really helpful to you & you can also find tips on my website as well. You have to find what works for you & your life & stick with it! Good luck...hope to hear more of your thoughts.
@Kristy - That's key when running any business...standing out from your competition. I'd suggest finding & studying your top 3 competitors & instead of focusing on what they do that you want to do, focus on what they aren't doing that you can do. That will set you apart. Once you know that, you can flaunt your stuff baby!
@Deborah - Tomorrow's post is for you Deborah. I'd love to hear your thoughts. As far as starting a shop with an online marketplace vs. your own e-commerce site...I'd suggest the online marketplace for sure...especially as a new business. Either way, you're going to have to battle competition & stand out. If you're in a place that people come to for products like yours - handmade - then you have a much better chance of being found & building your biz than if you were doing it on your own. You'd have to work much harder for exposure. You can always do both if you really want to, but a lot of times the e-commerce site comes after establishing yourself somewhere else.
@Gladys - Marketing will get you out there, but you need to have a few things established first in order to make your marketing effective. 1}Branding or your message 2}Your market/ideal customer 3}Your information. I go into a bit more detail on this in one of the posts this week. Not too much, but I'm always here to answer your questions if you have any more!
@Emma - Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the series! This will be perfect for you!
Yes, but I need some help.
My wesbite could be better, and I need help converting browsers into buyers.
I'm in a very niche area of the handmade market, and its tricky trying to get to my customers.
Yes, but I need some help.
Similar to Kristy - I've started selling online and am slowly but surely gaining a following...
I really like the advice of studying my competitors and will put this into practice.
The thing I'm struggling most with is probably branding and marketing.
I find it difficult to "flaunt" what I make, and am probably under pricing / under valuing my work.
I'm trying lots of different ways to get my name out there (facebook fan page, DeviantArt, and Etsy), but I feel like I'm not making much of an impact (yet!)
Yep, but need help! I struggle with having enough time to dedicate, to feeling like I have to justify to hubby that it is more than a hobby, to marketing with limited (like everyone) budget!
@Kat - It sounds to me like you need to go back over who your ideal customer is. Once you have a good grasp on that...converting browsers into buyers will be less of a task because if you're providing what your customer wants or needs, then they're in the right spot. Plus, you'll get a bit of a refresher on where to find your IC & you'll then know where to focus your marketing efforts at.
@Kit - Let me say that getting clear on your brand has got to be Step 1. This will help you to stay consistent with your message in all of your marketing & it will really draw the right customers to you because they'll know exactly what you're all about.
@Belinda - I totally get what you're saying Belinda. My advice would be to figure out how much time you have to spend on your biz without going overboard & set some work hours...then stick with them. Next, establish some goals for your biz so that you have some direction on what to do during those work hours. As far as your man goes, what normally helps to convince him of something? Proof, as in what people say, money, numbers. If it's that, over time he'll come around when he sees your progress. HTH & good luck!
No, but I'd like to start one". I guess my biggest arear of concern is being able to stand out in an online markeplace like Etsy or Madeit. I currenlty have a Facebook page but would like to expand a bit.
Awesome Nat! Great to have you here!
No, but I'd like to start one. My jewellery is organic, funky each peace a one-of-a-kind. I know there are original people out there who would loooove to wear it, but how do I reach them/find them and sell it to them?