Just a Few Business Tips I Have Learned Along the Way

Six years ago I was in a craft store buying a little bit of fabric to make a gift for someone and happened to strike up a conversation with the lady at the fabric cutting desk about what I was doing with it. Within 15 minutes she had mentioned her daughter selling and succeeding on Etsy and that started the ball rolling in my brain about the possibility of my starting my own business. I wasn't too secure enough to think I would be able to sell what I make, since all I had ever done with it is give my artwork out as a gift, but I decided to take the jump and much to my surprise, I have been pretty successful and love what I do even more than I did in the beginning!

Do I have a magic formula for success in this arena? No... sorry, I don't...so don't be too disappointed that I have no great revelations on how to have a successful business in 3 easy steps. What I can share with you is just a few basic observations that I think are absolute musts if you want to go in this direction with whatever it is you wish to sell...so here goes, Debbie's self
learned business tips that may or may not help you...

1. Sell something somebody wants

Yes, I know you are thinking , "Well everybody should want a crocheted nose warmer with a pom pom ball on the end... Or a rubber baby buggy bumper, or my handmade purple snow cone cup holder...right?"
Maybe, but my first tip is to think twice before you jump in and sell something you think every would want to buy and ask yourself how different will you stand out, and how crowded is the market with such things? If what you have in mind to sell is unique, or really useful, practical in some way, and not a saturated market, you may have something there!

2. Expect to work at it a loooooooooooong time and not expect overnight success. Yes, it would be wonderful to set up your shop, list everything and be swamped with people who have handfuls of cash, (or their credit card or PayPal account), begging for your items and listen to the merry sound of flowing cash coming in to your bank account at a rapid pace, but that seldom happens...really seldom. You have to take time to learn what you are doing, find customers who want what you have to sell, find people who have money to buy, and take time to learn what to do and what not to do in order for your business to build up. And unfortunately, that does take time, there is no easy route, and even the best of businesses have periods of feeling like they perhaps may have fallen off the face of the earth and no one knows where to find them...But expect that to feel like that sometimes and also expect that it could easily pick up again and in the meantime keep working at it.

(Kind of like a snail climbing a mountain-slow, steady, hard, and takes time to reach the top...sometimes a long. long time!)

3.Finally, I will add just one more tip, (and there may be a few more coming in the future), but I have learned that when you start a business, be the owner of it and take responsibility for it. Don't ask other people what you should charge for your doojiemaflopper...do the research and figure it out on your own. Look at the others out there, see what the going rate seems to be, and then look at what it costs you to make, the time involved to make it, and all the other expenses that will go into it. Don't "not charge" for something because you think your item will then be too expensive. Don't assume people won't pay you what you need to make a profit. The right customers always will, and if you aren't making a profit, there really is no point in being in business..so keep that in mind when deciding on prices.

And there you have it folks, my three business tips I have learned and wish to pass on to you. I hope they help, more to come in the days ahead!

General Stonewall Jackson Civil War General- Found at Uneek Doll Designs

Business Tips Round 2

What are some things an artist can do during times when the sales well is dry, or crickets are chirping?

Some of the things I do that I have found to be useful are probably not new to all, but I find them to be of benefit and always seem to pay great dividends when I keep at them:

1. Don't complain..I know, it is hard not to. And when things aren't going to well it is easy to get on the gripe wagon
and think of whose fault it is that one is not selling hand over fist...okay, maybe not even a pinkie over fist. The economy gets blamed, the seasons , the lack of supplies, the lack of money to promote, the website one sells on, the internet SEO, even Great Aunt Ethel on your mother's cousin side can get the blame- but the truth is it could be any or none of those. The bottom line is complaining does little to help and using the slow time more positively is a way better choice!

2. Try upping the promoting during slow times, and try some new venues you haven't done before- Yes, I know, everyone uses Twitter, Facebook, and their blog to promote if they have one. That's good, but there are plenty of unusual ways to get people to know about your shop if you look around. A good start might be to google things like, "art wanted" or magazines that cater to your type of art work. (Magazines often hold contests and you could possibly enter what you do in them. You never know what could happen!) Blogs that center around jewelry, or parenting if you sell child related items can be a good place to try. Never miss a chance to hand out your business card. Keep a supply stashed with you so when the subject comes up of what you do, you can whisk out a card. It will happen, trust me! Always be on the alert for that opportunity that will let people know what you do. (Just don't make a pest of yourself, use good manners and judgement!)

3. Write down new ideas - During slow times one's creativity can get sluggish due to lack of inspiration. After all, what is more inspiring than to have people clammering to buy your art work? But when that slow time comes, it is a good time to go idea hunting for some fresh thoughts and ideas and begin working on them. You will be glad you did when things pick up and you have less time to go scouting around for something to create next. I keep a thick spiral notebook and keep it busy with scribbles. It keeps me busy and full of ideas to interject freshness in my art work!

4. Finally, try cleaning your work space...That is a biggie for me. You should see my floor during a work binge. Scraps of fabric and thread everywhere and piles of fabric stacked everywhere that I used but haven't yet placed back...scissors hidden beneath thread spools, trim and doodads needing to be placed back in drawers. I find when things are slowed down, it really aids my productivity to make everything back to neat organization. Clears drawers that stack are my best friend and the more I have the better. I am not a neat nick so to speak, but I detest my room being in a mess for long- and slow times give me that chance to regroup and make things better for the big pick up that is sure to come sooner or later!

Those are my tips for round 2 - I hope that they help you and increase your productivity in your creating business!