There are a whole LOT of things you CAN do at the beginning of the month, but if you’re a solopreneur running a craft business, Etsy shop, or selling at craft shows, you likely have more tasks than you do time. So let’s keep things simple, and focus on 3 important tasks that will set…

Math. Woof. If you’re anything like me, you prefer to ignore the number side of your business and just hope for the best.  But if you’re also like me and want nothing more than to build a successful business, you can’t ignore your numbers.  There’s much more to building a financially sound business than what’s…

You know those roundup articles that ask dozens of successful business owners what their best piece of advice for other business owners would be? I find they’re often offering generic advice I’ve heard over and over.  Like: “show up and hustle”, “don’t take no for an answer”, “surround yourself with people who are smarter than…

When I was new to the entrepreneurial world and starting my first few businesses, I followed a lot of common advice that may work for some, but didn’t work for me. These 5 things aren’t necessarily bad for a business. But it took me several years to realize they were bad for my business, and…

Digital products are often very profitable to sell online because you can create one digital product and sell it over and over to multiple customers. You may incur marketing and selling costs, but your production costs are zero (unless you make updates to the product). Some digital products are more popular than others and I’ve…

This is a really easy and quick way to get ideas for new products, and get a general idea for what types of products are popular on Google (which typically means they’re popular on other platforms such as Etsy). Follow the 5 steps below to come up with a list of new product ideas to…

Most Etsy shops get their beginnings when a crafter makes a product for friends and/or family, decides they should try selling it, and then discover Etsy. The maker creates listings on Etsy and waits for sales to start coming in. This route leaves most makers disappointed when it’s months later and they have few to…

Whether you sell your handmade goods through Etsy or craft shows, you should plan ahead and use common gift-giving holidays, such as Mother’s Day, to your advantage. Help shoppers find the perfect gift for their mom (or mother figure) and make it easy for them. Here are 7 ideas to get you started.   1…

When I started selling at craft shows, I added anything I could make to my table in hopes of selling to more shoppers. Did my pajama bottoms help me sell to people who weren’t interested in a handbag? Yes. But did pajamas help me: build a handbag brand increase the perceived value of my handbags…

The easiest (and most efficient AND profitable) way to boost your revenue is to sell more to the shoppers you’re already attracting. To do that, you need to think about your customers’ journey with you. Imagining your customer and what they’re thinking, wondering, and wanting, before, during, and after buying from you ensures your shop…

If I could go back in time, there’s a lot of advice I would give myself about starting and running a business. Some of the most important information isn’t about steps to take, but rather, setting expectations. Business success relies heavily on being mentally prepared for what’s ahead. These are 10 things I think every…