Product Descriptions that Sell: 3 Answers you Must Know
Welcome to part 2 of the Product Descriptions that Sell series! In the first part, I explained the 2 main reasons people buy. If your products and their descriptions don’t appeal to at least one of those two reasons, you’re going to have a hard time making sales. Head over and read that…
Product Descriptions that Sell: The 2 Reasons People Buy
Welcome to the Product Descriptions that Sell series! Please sign up for my newsletter if you would like instant access to the free printable worksheets that go with these articles and include a fill in the blank template you can use: Why a series? Well, product descriptions tend to be overlooked by many makers….
5 Steps to Plan your Week and Organize your Handmade Business
I’ve been a business owner for over a decade now and know the most frustrating days are usually when you feel like you’re going in circles and getting nowhere. You don’t have a plan. You second-guess what you should be working on, get distracted and jump from one thing to another without much direction….
Marketing Mistakes most Handmade Businesses Make
Marketing is essential to small business success but many business owners make these common mistakes. It’s easy to push marketing to the side, figuring the important aspects are to make product and sell it. But the number one question I see on message boards is; why aren’t my sales higher? That’s where marketing comes…
3 Common Mistakes when Selling Handmade Online
When it comes to selling handmade online, It doesn’t matter which marketplace you sign up for, which platform you use to build your website or which social media site you post to, you cannot rely on traffic just rolling in. I really do wish it worked that way though, for your sake and mine….
What to Sell at Craft Shows to Make Money
I’m sure you’re already aware of what to sell at craft shows under the main categories. Typically they are: Accessories Bath & Body Clothing Food Home Decor But you can’t just apply to a craft show with your “accessories” or “bath & body products”. For your application to stand out to organizers and…
How to Know if your Handmade Product will Sell
The hard part is; you’ll never know 100% what people will and won’t buy until you put it out there. But….you can increase your chances of creating a handmade product that sells and save costs along the way by doing research and working off facts, not guesses. Let’s assume you’re in the dream stage of…
What to Work on in Slow Times of a Handmade Business
When I was a visual merchandiser for a large retailer, so slow months after the holiday rush made it hard to get excited about work, but at least I had a boss telling me what to work on and giving me a sense of security. Once I started my handmade business, these times had me…
How to Make a Best-Selling Handmade Product
If you’re struggling to make sales in your
small handmade business, one of my first suggestions is to take a look at your
products. When you have a great product, people brag about it for you, write
good reviews, become repeat customers and if they own a shop, they carry it in
their store. Having a great product also helps take pressure off when it comes
to marketing and selling.
How to Display Jewelry at a Craft Show
Craft Show Display Tricks to Stand Out is one of my more popular craft show display-related articles with over 20,000 people reading it each month (and growing). Through that article, I’ve received many emails and comments from craft show vendors asking for ideas on how they can create an impactful display for their products. “How…
25 Ways to Market your Handmade Business without Saying a Word
Marketing is my least favorite task as a handmade business owner. But it has to be done. As much as I wish I could create all day, the things I create won’t sell if I don’t dedicate just as much time to marketing and selling them. But if you’re like me, and self-promotion doesn’t come…
How Other Craft Fair Vendors can Increase Your Sales
I often looked at other craft show vendors as my competitors. They could potentially take sales away from me. But there’s another perspective you can have that may help you increase your sales at a craft show. Think about how you can work with your fellow vendors to promote each other’s products. Cross-promote with another craft…
10 Times a Vendor should say “No” to a Craft Show Shopper
This article outlines the requests I’ve received from craft show shoppers over the years. They’re ones I wish I hadn’t accommodated (or at least not with some serious thought first). Shoppers don’t head to a craft fair with the intention of insulting the vendor. They’re usually just asking a question they see no harm in…
7 Ways Handmade Businesses Lose Money (when trying to please customers)
At the beginning of every business I’ve started, I’ve bent over backward for my customers. There’s nothing wrong with caring about your customers and their happiness, however, it can’t be at the expense of your profits. These are 7 things small handmade business owners often do, thinking they’re helping them make sales, but they can…
10 Ways for Introverts to Speak Less But Sell More at a Craft Show
Not every introvert is the same, but this article is written from the perspective of an introvert who gets drained from talking and selling for hours. Whether you’re an introvert or not or love speaking or not, creating a display that helps sell is beneficial for everyone. Here are 10 elements to have in place…
How to Use Product Collections to Boost Sales
Imagine you’re heading to a craft fair and are looking for a knitted scarf to go with your new cream winter jacket. You spot two vendors selling knitted goods. One has scarves in a variety of colors, folded in rows on the table. You think you see a couple of colors you might like but…
How to Attract More Shoppers to your Outdoor Market Booth
These are simple ideas and can work regardless of what type of products you’re selling at an outdoor market. It should also only cost you a couple of pennies per customer. What you’ll gain are shoppers who are more enticed to come into your market booth and shop, stick around a little longer and be…
How to Display & Sell Customized Products at a Craft Show
Customized or personalized products are one of the benefits of selling handmade. Selling products that shoppers can put their own touch on isn’t something many big companies offer. If you sell customized products that take longer than a few seconds to customize, you may be wondering how you’d ever make it work at a craft…
10 Ways to Boost your Craft Business’s Sales in Slow Months
Regardless of what type of product you sell, every handmade business experiences a period of slow sales. These tips are here to help whenever that time strikes. You’re not alone if you feel your sales drop as the days get warmer and longer. Consumers are outside enjoying the nice weather and going on family vacations….
Top Product Photography Tips for Handmade Crafts
You’ve heard it before; product photography is important to your handmade craft business. But are you aware of how important? You quickly snap a photo with your camera phone and some decent lighting because it’s more important to get your handmade product posted with an average photo than to not post it at all. Those “quick pics”…