How to Help your Handmade Business Survive a Crisis
Most handmade businesses are going to see sales slow down as the world deals with this health pandemic. Many people have either lost their main source of income or it’s been significantly reduced, which obviously has an impact on their spending. Everyone is also concerned about what’s coming into their homes. I,…
Free Craft Show Checklist (& Preparation Steps)
This article will help you prepare for a craft show and to provide you with printable checklists full of steps to take to prepare for a craft show, as well as craft show supplies you’ll want to have in your craft show booth. The free craft show checklist download includes: A craft show checklist with…
How to Sell Stock from Canceled Craft Shows
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure here. Many craft shows have been canceled because of the pandemic, which leaves many vendors wondering what they’re going to do with all the stock they prepared….
The #1 Rule All Craft Show Displays Should Follow
I know I share a LOT of rules, tips, ideas, and ways for a craft show display to sell more. And you should definitely experiment with your display to see what increases sales for your business. (I’ve included a list of articles that share ideas for your craft show display and mistakes to avoid…
Craft Trends to Ditch in 2020
UPDATE: Check out Craft Trends for 2021 here You may have already read my CRAFT TREND REPORT FOR 2020 but this is a list of specific products I noticed have trended down. I looked at the trends I pointed out in my 2018 and 2019 craft trend reports and put together a…
How to Promote your Handmade Business
Most handmade businesses aren’t spending enough time on marketing. I understand why. Promotion can be one of the most frustrating aspects of running a business. It requires a lot of effort, and sometimes money, and it can be hard to track results. Generally, the marketing efforts you put in today won’t…
How to Charge Higher Prices for your Handmade Products
A lot of handmade business owners are timid to raise their prices or to even charge a price that ensures they’re covering all costs, AND making a profit. You’ve likely read the typical article explaining how lowering your prices just to make a sale can be detrimental to your business. (In fact, I have one…
Craft Trends for 2020
*UPDATE Click here to see the most current trend list Whether your handmade business follows trends or not, it’s always helpful to be informed and take color/scent/style trend shifts into consideration when designing new products. Don’t confuse your existing Etsy customers or craft show shoppers by offering a trending product that doesn’t…
What is Going on with Etsy?
There’s no doubt about it. Etsy has made updates that have affected shop owners’ sales. It has many people wondering if Etsy is worth it anymore. Pair that with the platform becoming more and more popular, and thus, competitive, and you have some frustrated Etsy sellers. We’ll always be at the mercy of…
Why So Many Handmade Businesses Fail
The statistics that most small businesses fail within the first five years is a scary one. As much as I would love to chalk it up to a “theory” and not actual stats, the truth is, there are a lot of handmade businesses that don’t stand the test of time. Through Made Urban, I am…
Is it Profitable to Sell on Etsy?
Although selling on Etsy is worth it for many small business owners, it must be profitable for your business. Making several sales doesn’t really matter if you’re spending more money than you’re earning back. This article will break down the costs associated with selling on Etsy, Etsy fees, and how to become more profitable selling…
How to Tell if your Craft Business Has Too Many Products
If you’ve been reading my articles for a while, have taken one of my free email courses or have read any of my ebooks, you know I encourage handmade businesses to limit how many products they make and sell. With me constantly preaching about limiting products, it makes sense that one of the most common…
How to Create an Entry-Level Product for your Handmade Business
To get new customers, you must constantly attract new people to your business and products. When a shopper is “new” to your business it means they’re not familiar with your brand or products, which makes them less prepared to buy from you. If you’re looking to buy a new necklace and head to a jewelry…
How to Plan Inventory & Create a Production Schedule
I’ve created a bonus set of worksheets, which you can download for FREE HERE. to accompany THE SUCCESS PLANNER. If you would like all of the worksheets to plan all aspects of your business for the entire year, you can download THE SUCCESS PLANNER here. If you’ve downloaded THE SUCCESS PLANNER you’ll already have some…
How to Find More Customers for your Handmade Business
If you’re currently lacking sales or want to increase sales, you need to find your path to more customers. Sometimes I find it easier to work backward. Determine the end goal (find more customers) and then determine the step that must happen right before you gain a new customer, and then the step before that,…
What to Pin to Pinterest to Sell your Handmade Products
I explained in this article why I think Pinterest is one of the best platforms for handmade businesses. If you haven’t read that article yet, you should have a quick look so you understand how your Pinterest account, boards, and pins can help get you on the first page of Google (and why the…
How to Get Etsy Sales From Pinterest
Pinterest is my absolute favorite social media platform. Not only does it allow your posts to be linked right to your website (can’t say the same about all platforms *ahem Instagram*), but your pins also have the opportunity to be found when people are searching Google. Why do you want to be found…
How to Create a Holiday Collection for your Handmade Business
Launching new product collections is really important for a handmade business. They create buzz and give people a reason to buy. Think about your favorite clothing store. If they simply carried the same products, day after day and week after week, would you feel any sense of urgency to head in and…
Handmade Jewelry Trends (2019)
Jewelry is a popular category in the handmade community and that often means a lot of competition online and at craft shows. If your jewelry brand is fashion-forward and follows the trends, here are a few ideas you may want to incorporate into your holiday collection. There are so many “trends” that come…
Christmas Craft Trends for 2019
This article stems from one of my most popular articles CRAFT TRENDS FOR 2019 as well as HOT ITEMS TO SELL AT CRAFT SHOWS IN 2018. I research and write these articles at the beginning of a new year, which means by the end of the year, trends may have changed, so I thought I…