It’s tempting to make the things you love making all day but there are things that need to be done to market and sell. Generating revenue. Yup, that makes you a business owner.

If you aren’t sure how to go from being a hobbyist to a business owner I’ve got a few steps you can take to get started.

Image Source

1. Narrow your focus. Many of us who have been around for a while have interests and skills that would allow us to own any number of businesses. The problem is that if you try to be an accountant, floral designer, candle maker, interior designer… well, there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Pick an area and focus on it.

I hear you telling your computer screen that there are just SO MANY things you like to do!! But do this. Decide on a focus and work your buns off for 1 year on it. Just one year. At the end of the year you might find other hobbies to work into your business or ways you can branch out. But giving yourself solid focus for one year will keep you from spinning your wheels while you try to do it all.

Sometimes we get so bogged down in the idea that if we pick one area to focus on we will be stuck doing it the rest of our lives but that simply isn’t true. You can change things up down the road but you have to narrow your focus in order to get your business off the ground.

2. Brand yourself. Even though you are making and selling handmade doodads your customers will eventually want to know more about YOU. The creator of their favorite doodads. In some ways you and your handmade goodies are seen as ONE. Use this to your advantage. Post photos of you doing what you do behind the scenes, post personal tidbits about your life on your blog or Facebook fan page. Promote yourself along with your products and somewhere down the road you may turn that into another stream of income.

3. Toot your own horn. It’s difficult for most of us to do our own marketing. We often think that we will come off as braggarts. But if we are proud of what we do and confident in what we are making it’s OK to brag.  It’s not about driving through neighborhoods with a megaphone day and night. It’s about using your natural personality to share what you have to offer. Share, share, and share some more.

4. Invest in you. Be sure to include professional enrichment or education in your budget. It may seem hard to think of hiring a coach or mentor but it’s something you need to do to grow and maintain your business. It’s an investment in you (that knowledge will stay with you no matter what business you own) and your business.

5. Embrace and keep up with technology. Not only are new technologies being developed at a rapid rate but the ones that are around now are changing almost daily. Marketing isn’t what it used to be. Stay on top of new technologies and changes in the ones you already use. The more you get behind on the technologies offered for your particular niche the harder it will be to catch up. So don’t dilly-dally.

6. Develop systems and routines. Have I said that a million times yet? Systems and routines will keep you organized and functioning at a higher level with minimal thought. If you know you always make the doodads on Monday, paint the doodads on Tuesday and package them on Wednesday you don’t even have to think about what you  need to do for the day. It’s automatic.

7. Stop calling yourself a crafter. There is nothing wrong with being a crafter it’s just that the minute you start making things with the intention of selling you are a business owner. Maximize your feelings and stature as a business owner. If you want people to hand you their credit card be wary of calling yourself a crafter.

So there you have it. If you’ve been a hobbyist for a while now and you’ve been THINKING of turning it into a business you’ve got some steps you can take to get off the sofa and start making some money.

Do you have a creative business? Can you remember when you went from hobbyist to business owner? We’d love to hear your story in the comments below.

Share and Enjoy

Congratulations to Bethany! She told us that this is her favorite charity, “Donorschoose.org – It’s great to see the photos of the kids after they get the supplies you help pay for.” Thanks so much for sharing Bethany and we hope you enjoy your prize!

Keep on the lookout for more giveaways to come!

Share and Enjoy

There are always tools that can help you figure out what time management method works best for you. In fact, we even have a free printable spreadsheet that you can even use. Really though, the best way to help yourself figure out an effective time management strategy is to ask yourself the important questions and be honest. How much time (in between work, home, family, etc) can you honestly devote to your business? What’s the most effective way for you to keep track of your to-do lists and schedules? What times of day are you most productive? After answering yourself honestly, it’s time to come up with a plan. A real plan for you that you know you can stick to.

Luckily, the team at Etsy put together a little worksheet to help each of us figure just what kind of time management plan we need. I thought it was really helpful at assessing the weak spots in focusing my time.

You can check out the article and download the free time management worksheet on their blog!

What time management plans work best for you?

Share and Enjoy

Image Source

Maybe it’s time to get out of our bubble and offer our goods to new customers. But how do we find those customers?

Here is a list of other places you might find  customers:

Do you sell items of a religious or spiritual nature? Don’t forget to look at churches for new customers. Candles, banners, candle holders, alters, alter coverings, baskets and more. Start with your own church or the church of a friend to reach this market. Don’t forget to include religious stores in your search for new customers in this niche.

The college crowd. Universities or colleges may offer art/craft fairs sponsored by a student association. The university or student association will usually take a cut of the sales from these shows. Check the websites of local colleges and universities to find out more information.

Ask around or search the internet for shows that you’ve not attended. Either scope them out for future bookings or take the leap and get a space. If you don’t have to travel far and already have inventory on hand it might be worth your while even if you only make new contacts.

Ask a friend if she may be willing to host a trunk show in her home to introduce you to her friends and family. Offer an incentive if one of the attendees will also offer a trunk show in her home.

Your own downtown shops may offer opportunities to find new customers.

• Check with shops that sell gourmet food items and/or gift baskets. You may be able to include some of your items in the gift baskets or as an “add on” to other purchases.
• Small maternity boutiques may be a great place to offer your newborn or mommy themed items.
• Local museums may offer sale floor space to local artisans.
• Galleries
• Coffee shops
• Large campgrounds may offer customers to those who create with natural items or with a nature theme.
• Beauty shops or day spas might be places to offer your jewelry or accessory lines
• Gift shops at local marinas, hospitals, and airports might be worth a try.
• Check with your local year-round Christmas shop to sell your goods that have a winter or winter holiday look including wreaths, candles, table coverings and more
• Farmers markets are popping up in towns all across America and many don’t charge (or only charge a small amount) for a space.  Check with the organizer to see if the goods you create will fit in at the local market.

Even though selling your handmade items may be going well in the usual places, maybe it’s time to get out and talk to different people and open up local markets to your handmade goods. Besides, you may just make some new friends!

 What places on this list can you try to sell your crafts?

Share and Enjoy

The trick here is your sales pitch. While many stores may be willing to to take on some items for a trial, most stores will take some convincing – a sales pitch if you will. It’s a risk for them to invest in your items, especially if they are unfamiliar with your work. Unfortunately, handmade items have to be sold at a higher price point in most retail stores and if the shop you have targeted is trying to keep prices low, your items might just not fit into their price range. I worked in a small woman’s boutique for 3 years and this was our biggest issue with sellers who wanted us to carry their handmade items.

So how do you prepare yourself for the big sell? I’m no shop owner, but I did find this blog post written by three small boutique owners with actual brick and mortar shops in Austin, Texas. I thought it was pretty helpful and really well organized in what you should prepare yourself for. It talks about being prepared for the 4 P’s before you even think about pitching your items to a shop – Person, Place, Product, Prices.

I’ll definitely consider these tips before going to pitch to some of the stores in my neighborhood  Check out the article for yourself on The Burlap Bag and see if you can pick up some helpful hints too!

Have you had successes in selling your items in a shop? Share your stories in the comments below!

Share and Enjoy

Days of work, work and more work may be wearing you down.

There is no one to talk to.

The whole business rests on your shoulders.

Here are a few ways to recharge your battery and help you stay in love with working from  home on your own creative business.

1. Find a professional organization for support. There are organizations for all sorts of hobbies, interests and professions – find a group that will help you make the connections and get the support you need.

2. Find a mentor or be a mentor. You’ve heard it a hundred times. The best way to help yourself is to help someone else.

3. Find a balance between your work life and your personal life. Try these articles on for size: The Art of Working from Home,  and The Work/Life Balance and Being Organized.

4. Volunteer. Like mentoring, volunteering can provide encouragement as well as a social outlet. Besides, you never know what contacts you might make while you are making positive changes in the world.

5. Find a hobby. Often times creative business owners turn their hobbies into businesses and then they have no distractions. Take up golf, hiking or any other hobby and take your mind off your creative business a while. You might be surprised at the creative energy and/or relaxation that comes from it.

6. Take a class or two. Becoming a beginner at something forces your brain to think differently. Learning new skills will help you to feel more confident and give you new perspective on your work/life.

7. Find a person who understands and can appreciate what you are dealing with. Finding someone you can pour your heart out to (and listen to her pour her heart out in return) can go a long way toward relieving stress. Having a confidant that really “gets it” can make you feel so much better about some of the work you do or the decisions you have to make.

8. Stay positive. It isn’t always easy to keep your mind in a good place but it will make a world of difference. When you feel that you are having “one of those days” take time to make a list of all you are grateful for and treat  yourself with extra tender care.

9. Take a day off. If you can’t manage a day then take a couple of hours to plant some plants, take a walk, plan a grown up “play date” or just take yourself out for a cup of coffee. Even grown ups need a time out now and again.

10. Do a search for “work from home success stories” or “small business success stories” and while you read about how other people have succeeded in small business keep in mind that YOU can do it too!

Remember, you started this creative business to have freedom and to do what you love to do. Make sure that you do what you need to do to take care of yourself and keep your spirits up so that the burden of owning your own business doesn’t get the best of you.

And if it does get the best of you today, it’s OK. Tomorrow is a new day and you can start fresh!

Do you have any other tips to boost morale?

By: Vicki O’Dell, The Creative Goddess

For more tips, hints, and tricks sign up for our free weekly newsletter!

Share and Enjoy

Sometimes a slump occurs without a warning or a reason.

One thing creative business owners need to realize is that slumps happen. (Yes, you SHOULD put that on a poster or T-shirt and wear as needed!)

A slump is a normal part of business. It doesn’t mean that it’s the end of your business. It’s not time to panic but you don’t want to just curl up in a corner until it goes away either.

Determine the cause – Did you recently change your promotion strategy? Is there a new competitor in town? Has there been a change in your niche or local market?

It is easier to come up with a solution to fix your slump if you can determine the cause. If the above causes have occurred you can come up with strategies to correct the problem.

However, there is often no known reason for a slump and you can chalk it up to a normal part of doing business.

The best way to combat a normal business slump is to act quickly to create other forms of income to replace what is being lost during the slump.

Image Source

Here are four things you can try to get your creative business through the slump.

1. Create a discount or coupon to drive sales. You need to make sure you know how much it costs you to create your inventory items so that you aren’t losing even more money by offering too deep of a discount. Having a email list or a social media following will really help to drive traffic to your online store if you choose to offer a discount.

2. Touch base with past customers (did you collect emails at the last craft show you did?) and offer them free shipping, a BOGO offer or other incentive to purchase from you again. Do you make handbags? Offering a free eyeglass case for sunglasses or a handmade key fob with a new purchase can entice satisfied customers from the past to step up to the checkout again.

3. Increase media exposure. Look to blogs and blogging friends for some advertising. Promote promotions, sales and discounts on every social media platform you belong to. Ask a blogging friend to write a review of your products.

4. Do you a have a new product idea but you’ve delayed production? Now may be the time to pull a rabbit out of the hat and offer an item or two for a limited time only or as a new product launch. What’s more exciting than seeing new items from some of your favorite companies?

One thing you will want to NOT do during the slump is to concentrate on the bottom line obsessively. It will only make you crazy or depressed and it doesn’t do anything to get your business through the slump. Stay positive and active while knowing that slumps are a normal part of business and it won’t last forever.

Keep in mind that a business slump could turn out to be a good thing. The steps you take to get out of the slump may actually work so well that you add it in as a regular part of your business.

How have you worked through slumps in the past?

By: Vicki O’Dell, The Creative Goddess

Craving more crafty business knowledge? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter!

Share and Enjoy

1. Pair up with a non-competitive business. Do you do graphic design, create brochures or offer other desktop publishing services? Maybe you can pair up with a print shop to share advertising costs in a local ad or a mail campaign.

2. Share childcare with another WAHM. Every work at home mom needs an hour or two each week to really push through a project without interruption. Swapping some childcare with another mom can give you the time you need without paying for the childcare.

3. Barter some of your goods and services for goods and services you may need. If you need a gift basket for a gift or promotion you may be able to approach someone who creates baskets as their business and trade product from your inventory for the gift basket you need. Or find some other home based business that offers services you need and propose a trade. They may just say, “YES”.

4. Don’t forget to ask for referrals. If you’ve just finished a job and the customer seems happy be sure to ask for referrals. Better than any advertising or mass mail campaign personal referrals are a great money saving way to get more work. Depending on your business you may also be able to offer a small discount for referrals.

5. Do your market research. Be sure to do your research prior to launching a new project. Who are your customers? Do they need what you are selling? How much are the willing to pay? Doing research before sinking money into supplies and tools for a new line of product can save hundreds or thousands of dollars.

6. Do your research before buying office equipment. Look for the lowest prices on furnishing and tools. Find a company that offers a low price guarantee (if you find the same item cheaper elsewhere they will match/refund the difference). Do your research online for electronics. My favorite site to visit prior to purchasing an electronic device is cnet.com. You will find reviews for all sorts of equipment there. Also check amazon.com for customer reviews. The more knowledge you have about a product prior to purchase the happier you will be.

7. Buy used equipment for new ventures. If you are thinking you’d like to sell screen printed T-shirts check around for used tools and equipment to start you out. This way you get a feel for whether the new venture will really work without investing in brand new machines and tools. Then if the whole thing doesn’t work for you for one reason or another you can re-sell the item you just purchased for close to the same price you paid.

8. Print your own. If you have a brochure or letterhead that needs to be printed but you don’t need very many it may be cheaper to print your own. If you print small batches regularly it may be cheaper even if you need to spend a little money to buy a printer. Double sided printed materials at office supply stores can cost 50 cents a page. Than may not sound like much for your first 10 or 20 pieces but if you will need hundreds of pieces over time it can really add up.

9. Send postcards rather than brochures or letters. Postcards can be printed from  your home office and are cheaper on postage than an envelope. The added bonus here is that postcards take no effort on the part of the recipient to read so your mailing will be more likely to be seen.

10. Plan ahead.  There is nothing like waiting until the last minute and having to ship out an item overnight or express to wake you up to how much those services can cost. Plan ahead and pay your bills on time. Late fees can quickly eat at your profits. When traveling for business book ahead for the best rates. Planning ahead can not only save you money but a lot of frazzled nerves that come with trying to get important things done at the last minute.

What tips do you have to share that might help your fellow business owners save money?

By: Vicki O’Dell, The Creative Goddess

Want more creative business tips? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter!

Share and Enjoy

Let me ask you this. What is the difference between you and a writer?

Does a writer go to college to learn how to write? Some do but plenty don’t.

Does a writer have a published book? Well, if that is the case you are leaving out a lot of very talented people. There are plenty of people who write well, and are widely read, but don’t have a book.

The difference between you and a writer is…. WRITING.

Really. You say you are a writer and you write.

You are going to have to call yourself a writer. There is magic in saying, “I’m a writer”.

Here is what will happen when you start calling yourself a writer.

1. You’ll feel more confident.  When someone asks you what you do for a living you say, “I’m a writer”. And you’ll FEEL it. You won’t just say it. And this confidence will lead to more writing. Paid writing. Articles. Online and in print. You’ll work at it. You’ll get better and feel even more confident.

2. It makes you work. Calling yourself a writer is akin to calling yourself out. You are a writer? Oh yeah, prove it. Do it. If you walk around saying you are a writer you are going to want to write and prove that you do write. You will find yourself writing without even forcing yourself to sit down and write. You’ll be writing in your head when you aren’t even near a computer. Writing will become a part of your day.

3.  Other people will believe you are a writer too. You call yourself a writer, you begin to behave like a writer and the people around you start seeing your confidence and they believe you are a writer. And having other people believe you are a writer goes back to boosting your confidence and helping you own that WRITER title.

Let’s get back to the blogging part now.

If you enjoy writing, have something to say and want to spend your time writing a blog, that is all that really matters. You don’t need an English degree or even a college degree of any kind. There are plenty of online resources to help you learn the technical aspects of writing if you need a little polish. But really, just start writing. No one may read your first few months of blogging but that’s OK. Use it as a time to find your voice, figure out what topics interest you and how often you can fit writing into your daily schedule.

If you feel that writing will help your creative business by sharing your processes, behind the scenes or other information your fans and patrons have been asking for then do it. If you have a lot to say, then write. Just do it.

Add the title of WRITER to your list of many accomplishments!

Would you consider yourself a writer?

By: Vicki O’Dell, The Creative Goddess

Don’t miss out on any Creative Income updates and sign up for our free weekly newsletter!

Share and Enjoy

Here’s the thing. It’s kind of a crap shoot – a crap shoot that can cost you time and money and involves lots of research and experimentation.

Here are some tips that can help you know how much to charge for shipping the next time you get ready to list an item.

Buy a scale. Buy a digital scale that measures pounds as well as ounces and weigh each items with the packaging prior to listing. If you sell many of the same items you won’t have to weigh every time but just the first few times to get an idea of what shipping a package of lace costs.

Use a shipping calculator. You can use the postage calculator provided by the US Postal Service for packages shipped via the USPS to determine shipping costs.  When calculating shipping (not knowing where the buyer will have me ship the item) I always use a zip code as far away from home as possible. I live in Ohio and I always enter 90210 as the destination zip code. (Hey, don’t judge… it’s an easy one to remember). Remember to weigh the item with all of the wrapping and packaging that it will be shipped with in order to get the most accurate pricing.

International Pricing. To determine international pricing using the USPS use the link above and select the country you are shipping to in the very top drop down box. Follow the instructions to determine shipping costs. Be sure to ALWAYS include a customs form on the outside and an invoice with pricing and the mailing address of your recipient INSIDE the package. This way if your package is inspected by customs officials they have proof of the price of the goods included. Otherwise they may estimate the value of the goods in the package, and they usually estimate on the high end, causing more expenses for your customers.

Stock up on supplies. Not only is it inconvenient to find out that you are out of shipping supplies as you are packaging up an order but it will cost you time (to run to the store) and money (extra gas money) to run out and buy supplies. Check your stock every Friday to be sure you have plenty of shipping items on hand for the next week. You can probably pick them up over the weekend while you are running errands saving gas AND time.

Find cheap supplies. Speaking of supplies, did you know that you can order some supplies from the US Postal Service for free Mailing and Shipping Supplies  AND they may deliver them right to your door? Also, do your research and know what a #4 padded envelope usually costs you so that when you see some at a discount location you’ll know whether it’s really a good deal or not. Don’t forget to check local dollar stores and sales after the holidays for shipping supplies like tape, tissue paper and more.

Offer flat rate shipping. If you can, try offering flat rate shipping. It’s easier when you sell smaller items. Offer a flat rate, such as $7 for multiple items. This allows shoppers to purchase multiple items from you knowing that their max shipping cost will only be $7.

Consider charging a handling charge. If you sell high end, high quality items and you package them as if they were special gifts for each and every customer your customers won’t mind paying a small handling charge. You don’t have to announce that you are charging a handling charge just tack a small amount onto your shipping fees.

Insurance. Be sure to insure items that are one of a kind and not easily replaced. Even if you end up paying for the insurance fee yourself be sure to add insurance to items that would cost you a lot to replace.

Offer a refund. Don’t be afraid to offer a refund if you have miscalculated and charged too much in shipping. Your customer will ALWAYS appreciate a refund.

Shipping gets easier if you sell the same items over and over again. It’s when you sell a wide variety of items that it can get a little tricky. Try using the recommendations above and see if you can come out ahead in the shipping game.

How do you normally calculate shipping for your online sales?

By: Vicki O’Dell, The Creative Goddess

Don’t miss out on any Creative Income updates and sign up for our free weekly newsletter!

Share and Enjoy