5 Odd Display Tricks I Always Use
When I was making Christmas dinner for the first time, I had a lot of questions for my mom. I asked how much poultry seasoning she puts in the dressing and she said: “I don’t know…until it smells like dressing”. It’s an odd way to determine how much seasoning to use, but it works. If…
How To Use Repetition in a Craft Show Display
Repetition is important in all aspects of your business. It creates consistency and familiarity your customers can rely on. Repetition is equally important in visual design and should be used in your craft show display. Imagine a living room with white walls and grey furniture. If you place one red pillow on the couch, it…
8 Reasons No One Cares About Your Business (& how to fix it)
There are a lot of things that need to be right to get shoppers to buy. But what if you can’t even get shoppers? You’re marketing your products but no one is paying attention. People aren’t even stopping to like, comment, or share your social media posts, browse the products on your craft show table,…
Keywords that Bring the Most Traffic to Etsy (2023)
There are many people who have never heard of Etsy. Hundreds of thousands of people discover Etsy each month when they type keywords into Google and a page on Etsy shows up as a result. Below are just some of the handmade products people are viewing on Etsy, after a Google search. If you create…
6 Simple Ways to Improve a Craft Show Display
To share the lessons in this article, I’ve replicated a craft show display I saw online that I thought could use some improvement, and have explained what I would change and how. Does the “before” display work? Yes. Could it use some improvement? Also, yes. I chose this display to replicate because it illustrates the…
Craft Trends to Ditch in 2023
I create this list by going through last year’s trends and looking at search volumes, as well as competition. I do use a tool that tells me the search volume a keyword has, as well as how competitive the term is. It’s not an exact science, however, I am basing my trend predictions…
Where to Sell Handmade Online 2024 (Besides Etsy)
Starting a craft business is relatively easy and low-cost. Once you make a product, you need a way to sell it. And although there are hundreds of options to choose from, it’s important to find a sales channel that’s a fit for your products, your brand, and for you. No matter which sales channel you…
5 Steps to Create a Product Collection that Sells
I worked as a regional merchandiser for a major retailer and loved it when they sent the upcoming season’s lookbook that shared the new product collections. It was for employees’ eyes only and explained the inspiration behind each product collection. Their collections were always named after a popular movie, phrase, song, type of person, etc. For…
Farmers’ Market Vendor Checklist
Farmers’ markets require a lot of work to prepare for. Chances are, you’ll be tired the morning of the event and have a lot of thoughts running through your head (what if I don’t sell anything? Do I have enough stock? I wonder if it’s going to rain?). A checklist is extremely handy…
10 Tips to Successfully Sell at a Farmers’ Market
Farmers’ markets are a great way to test a business or product idea and gather consumer feedback. But it can be difficult to be profitable when selling at a farmers’ market, due to the overhead costs. This article will explain the steps you must take to sell at your first farmers’ market, outline…
5 Ways you’re Losing Money at Craft Shows
If you’ve sold your handmade products at a craft show, you know how much work goes into preparing for the event. It’s incredibly disappointing when you sell less than you were expecting. But it’s even worse when you lose money because of the craft show. This article outlines the not-so-obvious ways…
How To Quickly Create a Plan for your Business (to make money)
I love the start of a new year and setting new goals. Each January, I put a lot of time into goal-setting and creating a detailed plan. If you want to follow the detailed system I use, check out The Success Planner. For a quick and easy plan, you can follow the steps in this…
How to Increase Traffic to your Etsy Shop (in 2024)
To make sales through your online store, you first need traffic. Most of us have found out the hard way that you can’t set up a website or Etsy shop, list a few products, and automatically have Google or Etsy bring shoppers to you. When people do set up an Etsy shop, wait for shoppers,…
5 Things Every Craft Show Display Should Include
There are many directions you can go in with your craft show display. And there really isn’t a right or wrong way to display your products; different techniques work for different businesses. What’s most important is that your display helps you make sales. If your display doesn’t: >> grab shoppers’ attention and get them to…
3 Things Advanced Craft Show Displays Communicate
There are craft show tables that simply display products, and there are those that go above and beyond. They create a full experience for shoppers. As a shopper, you feel like you’re shopping with a legit business; you’re not just browsing a crafter’s creations. Everything feels polished and thoughtful. I think of these craft show…
How To Instantly Make your Craft Show Display Look More Professional
When I sold at my first craft fair, I didn’t put much thought into my stock. If I thought someone might buy it, I made it. >> I didn’t consider if the fabrics I chose would look good next to each other or help tell a story. >> I didn’t choose which products to make…
The Biggest Mistake Craft Show Vendors Make (with their display)
With more than a decade of setting up, shopping, and reviewing craft show displays, I’ve learned from many mistakes. The biggest mistake I see vendors make with their craft show display is: Displaying everything they make. Your craft show display should not be treated as a stock room. A craft show…
How to Make Money AND Create What you Love
Oftentimes, what we love to create is not synonymous with what makes us money. You can find a balance between making money and making what you love. But there’s a way to do it so you stay profitable. This article shares ideas on how you can build a successful business and…
How To Uncover Best Business Practices for your Small Business
When sales aren’t going the way you want them to go, you start researching “all the things”. There are endless directions you could take your business in and a hundred different tasks you could work on. But there’s a blueprint, right in front of you, that will help guide you in the…
7 Essential Things To Do Before Opening an Etsy Shop (& 5 to ignore)
Opening an Etsy shop allows you to test a business or product idea without investing too much time or money. But the only way to properly test an idea is to give it a fighting chance. If you simply list a few items on Etsy and wait for shoppers to come to you,…