i am so excited to jump into this! i hope you will follow along and glean something from all of this information.
in contemplating where to start with all of your fabulous questions, i knew i had to start at the beginning. so, here goes:
i know.
(gulp.)
those of you who already have a shop and have been working hard to be as successful as possible, this might be a hard thing to do. however, i can’t tell you how many people go full force into the wrong thing. so, before we go any further, it’s time for some tough questions.
what are you good at?
what do other people think you are good at?
what do you get compliments on?
what comes easily to you?
what can you do that is different from everyone else?
are you still with me? hang in there…
you may notice that those questions above are a little bit “other-oriented.” what do other people think you are good at. what do other people compliment you on. what do you do different from other people. the fact of the matter is – you might think you are an amazing belly dancer. but if no one else thinks you’re an amazing belly dancer? you might be a littttttle bit delusional. while in most circumstances it is perfectly ok to think you have strengths that the world may not recognize, (i’m all for a good healthy sense of self-esteem!) that all changes when you want the world to be your customer!! you must be cognizant of what your customer wants.
i tell you a story. (yes, say it with an accent.)
back in 2009 when i found myself in a tiny little house in utah with a husband in school, an 18 month old, a newborn, and no money — i racked my brain for the options that were open to me. i knew leaving the babies behind to go out and work wasn’t an option. not only was it totally against my own instincts, financially it just didn’t make sense — paying someone else to watch my kids so i could go out and make a couple dollars an hour after the cost of that daycare. all the while there was a little voice in the back of my mind hinting at starting a handmade business. but oh, how i ignored it! after trying to find anything i could do from home, finally i gave ear to that little voice.
for years and years, one friend of mine had told me that i needed to sell my creations. i loved to give her handmade gifts and every time without fail she would say, “you HAVE to figure out a way to go into business!” and i would blush and shyly tell her she was too nice and who-would-ever-pay-money-for-that nonsense and quiet her supportive praise. but when i was really in a bind and didn’t know how we were going to pay rent the next month, that voice came back to me. i remembered that she thought i was good at ____________.
so i ask you again, what do other people think you are good at? what would they pay you money for?
here’s the thing. the handmade world is getting more and more saturated by the minute. i don’t want you to think of this as discouraging or negative in any way, but i really really really want you to be happy and successful and over the moon excited about what you are doing! it is really hard to get to that point if your product a) doesn’t resonate with buyers b) doesn’t stand out in a crowd or c) isn’t original.
now, believe you me – i LIVE in an over-saturated market. i promise you, i KNOW that there are one million billion rosette makers in this community. when i started, that wasn’t the case. and i worked hard to create a unique technique, a reinvented product, and a constant brand. and that is why i can still be in business even though there are sooooo many others out there like me.
so, let’s say you make…. pillows. and your shop is called “shmillows” (i know, i’m a genius.)
what makes your shmillow pillows different from the many other pillows i might find on etsy or big cartel or anywhere else? is it the fabrics? the style? the shape? how will i know it is a shmillow pillow and not a willow pillow or any other brand?
your product must stand out.
i will say that again.
YOUR PRODUCT MUST STAND OUT.
it must be recognizable. it must be unique. if i can’t tell that you made it, why would i buy yours over any of the others i might find online?
so, now you may be asking- “how do i know when i’ve found THE product? the one that is the perfect fit for me? the one that will fly off the shelves?”
i’ll tell you!
it will sell.
and it will sell again. and again. and again.
i get asked if i started out selling rosies or how they became my signature. i actually started with a whoooole shop full of random things. but when i got a good response from the rosies, i made more. and when they kept selling, i kept improving the product, thinking of different ways to present it, and working until one day i made my first modern pearl necklace. it felt like magic. it was something i had never seen, it was something i was excited about, and it was something that instantly resonated with buyers. that was almost 2 years ago, and it is still by FAR my best selling product. and so i continue to tweak it, add variation in color and size, and give the people what they want ;)
lastly, does your shop present a cohesive brand?
for the longest time i had no idea how to introduce other products back into my shop that weren’t a rosette in some way shape or form. i had a hard time wrapping my mind around how to make it work. then i had a stroke of inspiration while watching project runway. (see…. reality tv is good for something!) i remember the judges praising one of the finalist’s saying that each of the looks in their collection looked like they belonged to the same girl. and suddenly it hit me– that is how i can add to my shop in a way that makes sense! would the girl who wears rosies also wear __________. seeing as i make what i love to wear, it became really easy to answer that question. if something i make fits in with my style/wardrobe/lifestyle, then it will go into the shop. easy as that!
now, if you’re still reading, you deserve a cookie. for reals. i realize that i may have asked you to answer a lot of difficult questions, but this is the ONLY place to start if you are serious about seeing results in your handmade business. you MUST be honest with yourself and do yourself a favor in finding the product that will stop you from pounding your head against the wall. you will not get different results if you keep doing the same thing, so it’s time to focus your energy, put your best foot forward, and streamline your business so you are poised for success.
ready, set, go!
remember, if you have other questions for me, feel free to leave them in the comments or email me! info@allorahandmade.com.
I think this is great!! I really do believe that if you’re going to start a handmade business you have to ask yourself these questions! Today was a rough day for me regarding the business. But tomorrow is going to be a better day. After all if something isn’t hard, it must not be worth it. I’m looking forward to this series.
Thanks for sharing your story!
Yes! hang in there Alissa – i know you can do this!
okay. I re-opened a shop and got a really great response from my products from other etsy shop owners, bloggers and even my Facebook page right away, but no sales. I wonder if I don’t have enough, or if my product is just not something people want to pay for? I would love feedback/ suggestions on pricing! Pricing artwork is tough business. My shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/smallbirdstudio
Thank you for this! came at perfect timing!!
Xo fran
fran! love your product. love your pricing. i marked you as a favorite and plan on purchasing a few of your items. ♥ ♥
Thank you so much April!! :)
Franchesca, your products are beautiful! The price point looks right to me, but have you compared to other shops? Are your search terms relevant? have you tried searching etsy with keywords that might describe your product and seen where your shop ends up in the lineup? i searched instagram quickly and see that it is pretty relevant, but searching “subway art” or “quotes” –i never found yours! One of the hardest things about etsy is that you are lined up right next to your competition. Because of this, you have to make sure that you are using keywords as much as possible in your descriptions so that your shop is super relevant and comes up within the first page or two OR you have to be willing to find other ways to direct customers to your shop (i.e. advertising on blogs, giveaways, etc.) Hope this helps!!
Oh thank you so much for the tips! I will look into the search keywords correctly! And maybe try a few more advertising/ giveaway strategies :)
Looking forward to rest of the series! xoxo
yep — i think the main difference with etsy + big cartel is that with etsy you could be neighbors with competition, and that can be a tough/long battle.
jess has given some great advice here…!
that is so true!!! Maybe time to start thinking of making the switch. thanks so much ladies!! XO
definitely something to think about! if you do switch, come up with a plan to be able to drive traffic to your shop. a budget for ads, giveaways, etc. i found that i could take all the money i spent on etsy fees and use it to advertise. my money was so much more useful that way!
Same here!!
Love it ! Thank you for keeping me inspired to move towards my goal in craft to make it happen. I gotta listen to the voice in my head telling do it ;)
yes! listen to the voices in your head! well, most of them ;)
thanks so much for sharing all your knowledge on a home business. i love your product and your post was inspiring.
thanks Bonnie!!
This is such sound advice! Before really working on my newest line I did a lot of research to make sure I wasn’t breaking in to a crowded market. Luckily there was nothing like what I wanted to make out there so I just went for it. It is something I love doing regardless of how many I sell but I would like for it to be successful so I am praying for that part. I think some (most) people jump into a handmade business and make something similar to something someone else makes and thinks they will just bounce right in with the ones who have been doing this for ages. But it doesn’t (and never will) work that way. If I have a choice between a newbie and a recognized brand, I’m going to pick the recognized brand unless the newbie has something special and unique about they way they are doing whatever it is. Okay – enough rambling!
Oh – and where’s my cookie?? ;)
yes, yes, and yes! all great points Skye! it kind of drives me nuts when people hop into the market with completely unoriginal ideas and expect to succeed. we need to strive for creativity to thrive in a creative business!!
and you’re cookie is right here… come on over!
overnight success doesn’t start on day 1, it starts on day X (but happens that night).
the secret is knowing how to get to day X :)
great great answers Jess! it made me realize….I never make anything to sell that I wouldn’t wear myself or decorate my home with and that is what my customers like…my style…so it works. sometimes I make something and someone else thinks it is cute…but if I won’t wear it, decorate with it, or love it myself…it goes in a discard pile. hard to do sometimes…but so important to your cohesive/branding answer!!
can’t wait for more. nice nice job.
muah! muah! makes it easier to decide what to sell right? do i love it? then i’ll sell it!
This is a great post and I am really excited for this series. I think your questions are great and if you wanted to answer those questions for my shop, that would be even better. :) Since I haven’t sold anything yet, I just don’t feel like I have enough feedback to answer some of those questions. My husband tells me he likes my products, but he is a boy and doesn’t he have to say that no matter what?
Jennifer- you are the only one who can answer those questions!! that is the hard part!! if you haven’t sold anything, stay tuned because you will definitely want to consider how to get customers to your shop. hang in there!
I will definitely stay tuned. I’m so excited to hear what else you have to say. You are so generous and encouraging. I really appreciate you being willing to share from your experience.
Wow. Thanks so much for this post. At this current time my Etsy shop is EMPTY. Why? Because I couldn’t answer those questions for myself. I know what my audience is and what they are willing to pay for but I am just not quite sure how to make it different from those other million billion others out there like you said. Thanks so much for this series I cannot wait to read the next one!
take your time Lauren! it will come, and it will feel right! Hang in there!!
Jessica, you are very selfless to share your wisdom. Thanks so much!
Such, such, such good advice! I have asked myself most of these questions. Even though they are tough, they are important. I am really slimming down my designs and working on a cohesive look. It is something I struggle with , but something that I know is important for the future of my business. Thanks for this fantastic post, jessica!!
thank YOU gina! you will not regret slimming down and refocusing! it will allow you to showcase your best products and continue to improve upon them!
. . . and this is why you are so awesome. Like Fran (hey girl;) I too get such great responses from people. And I have literally almost jumped the Etsy ship because of how frustrated I am with selling there. But for me (I sell artwork that celebrates life, pregnancy and motherhood) ~ I think has to really resonate with someone. You can take a peek here ~ http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeyondWordsDesigns?ref=pr_shop
I am specific. I am killing myself with branding and feel like I am doing lots of things to bring in a customer that loves my work, but can’t afford originals. I began doing archival prints, offering magnets (new this week) and trying to brainstorm ways of connecting with the right audience. But then I start to wonder, if I am even targeting the right audience if I am on Etsy in the first place.
Isn’t a big part of the hand made community how long you hang in there and craft yourself, your product, your shop. I keep thinking that ‘one day’ I will start to see that momentum pick up. At least I cross my fingers it will.
etsy is so tough. you really have to count on someone looking so specifically for your niche and then hope that they pick you when lined up next to all of your competition. don’t wait for ‘one day,’ work for it. what can you do to bring customers to your shop? i would definitely recommend looking into how you can get featured on or advertise with sites that focus on pregnancy and motherhood. go to where your customers will be instead of hoping they will find you! best of luck!!
Jess- this is so great!!! Those are tough questions. Ones I have been struggling with. I spent a lot of money on a we’d site nd design a few years back- just as etsy was becoming popular. Now I struggle with do I continue the online or just do etsy???
Hmm…. tough decisions. Really, both are valuable, but you may want to consider where most of your sales are coming from. If most come from etsy and that is easiest for you, I wouldn’t necessarily hang on to the site just because you spent a lot of money on it. It has served you well, right? But if you get regular customers coming to both, and it is not too much of a hassle for you to keep them both up, then i don’t see a problem having two. Again, it has to WORK for you though, if it isn’t working, something needs to change, right? All the best!!
GREAT but often difficult questions to ask yourself! I am in the process of staring a blog relaunch so this is perfect timing!
Yay! good luck with the relaunch!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this post. It’s so nice when busy shop owners stop to truly help one another….inspiring. I find it the most difficult trying to have a cohesive shop. I think my aesthetic comes through, but I do struggle. I especially paid attention to the part about others. That is the crux of why we do this…..to sell to others. Thank you soo much again! Angie
You are so welcome Angie! Cohesion is tough, but keeping your customer in mind is soooo important! Best of luck!
umm how embarrassing is this?!
I totally paused in reading this to go grab a cookie.
YES!!! you win!!!!
Hi, I’m loving your Q&A sessions. I have another for you – how did you pick your name Allora Handmade? Finding a name that is catchy is so hard!
First off thank you for posting your story, thoughts, advice, etc. I go through blogs that have become businesses for inspiration and guidance, and have found yours to be truly helpful. As you started your business, I have several products that I love and want to produce. However, being that I still have a full time job I would like to limit it to one or two products. I would love to repurpose furniture, starting off small with end tables and moving to dressers. I would also like to do hair accessories, specifically decorative bobbie pins or flowers. The reason being is that I have a love for old repurposed furniture that looks like art rather than something you put clothes in, and then I love having a little bit of flare with accessories. However, they are two totally different ideas. So my question is how would I determine which one would be best? Can I do both? Thanks again!
xoxo
Natalie
just catching up on this now… I thought you were going to ANSWER all our questions… not ASK us such hard ones!! :) Thanks, though!!