One of the most important aspects when you’re selling anything online is web traffic. Yes, that includes soap. Getting your soap product or your soap shop’s website popping up on Google, Bing, and other search engines is key in order to get more people to see your wares. How can you improve that?

Be sure that you create strong names and titles for your soap that contain certain keywords that people would use in an online search. Try to establish links to your website or soap product in websites that would be visited by your ideal customers. You can also use your social media to display content and link to your products. With a little bit of time and effort, you’ll be able to increase your web traffic, which will increase your sales. For more on this topic, click here:: 4 Ways to Improve Your SEO and Increase Your Traffic

You have some traffic on your soap shop and have made some sales, but they seem sporadic. There are some items that sell really well, while others don’t seem to move. This could be because your soap business needs more focus and cohesion.

Take a look at your inventory. What style or mood are you going for? Gorgeous beauty? Natural, organic soap? Rustic scents? You might be trying to aim for too many demographics. Pick the style that fits you and your ideal customer, the rest should fall into place. For more on craft/soap shop cohesion, click here:: How to Create a Cohesive Shop

It doesn’t make sense. You’re selling a lot of your soap but you’re not moving forward. It’s keeping afloat, but things could be better. If this sounds like you, then you need to rework your craft soap shop’s finances.

Take a look at your prices and see if you can increase profit margins. Be sure to budget in such a way that you account for taxes and deductible expenses. Lastly, kick aside some money to reinvest in your business so you can expand in the future. It’ll be work, but it’ll be worth it. For more on craft shop finances, click here:: Four Lessons for Financial Success

Creating and running an online soap shop is a labor of love. You love making fresh soap for customers and coming up with new ideas for products. You even enjoy the busyness of running your own business, filling out orders, and running your social media. However, too many soap crafters burn out too quickly. You have schedule some time for yourself.

Take some time every day to meditate on your success. Enjoy a good book for 20 minutes. Go out for a run or go to the gym. Business owners have to take care of their employee, so start with you yourself. For more on taking a breath and enjoying success, click here:: Celebrate. Plan. Succeed.

You’ve answered your calling and have decided to make your own soap! This is exciting and you’ve mastered making soap from established recipes. Now you’ve tried to make an original soap of your own design and recipe… and it stinks. Really bad.

Don’t get discouraged! None of the established recipes that you have used to perfection were perfect to begin with. Try again using different amounts of materials or replacing certain scents with others. Experimentation is a part of the fun and making an original soap can put your craft shop on the map. For more on soap experimentation, click here:: If at First You Don’t Succeed, Soap Soap Again!

Have you ever gone into a specialty store and wonder, “Why do they sell that?” For example, years ago Sharper Image, a store best known for top of the line electronics, sold Trump Steaks at their stores. An electronics store sold meat. Doesn’t make sense does it? That’s why Sharper Image stopped selling steaks.

The point is this: don’t sell steak when you sell soap. There are too many craft shops that lose focus and try to sell things that won’t appeal to the customers you bring in. So take a look at your inventory and honestly ask yourself if one customer would feasibly be interested in buying at least one of everything you sell. If your ideal customer you are trying to win over won’t consider it, toss it from your inventory. For more details and tips on how keep your craft shop’s focus, click here:: How to Create a Cohesive Shop

Displaying and selling your soap at local craft fair or flea market can be profitable when done right. It can also be a way to tout your online shop face-to-face and offer samples to potential customers. However, there are a list of must-haves you need to bring before setting up shop.

Make sure you have an eye-catching display, signs, and inventory to show off to passersby. If you get potential sales, be sure you have plenty of change for cash transactions and a way to take credit card payments. Also, be sure you have plenty of drinks and snacks so you don’t have to abandon your post when you’re hungry. With this in mind, your trip to the craft fair will fill your heart and possibly your wallet. For more on what to bring to craft fairs, click here:: What to Bring to a Craft Fair

After talking up and giving samples of your homemade soap, you found a shop owner who wants to meet with you and sell your wares. This is an exciting time and you should feel good about this accomplishment. However, there are some things to consider when having a shop sell your soap.

Well, first don’t confuse “consignment” with “wholesale.” The shop is selling your stuff, not buying it in bulk then selling it for their profit. Be prepared for the shop to received 40-60% of the sale price as a commission. If this bugs you or nothing sells, most agreements will allow you to remove your items from the shop hassle-free. For more details about consignment agreements for crafts, click here:: The Ins and Outs of Consignment

Sometimes life is a chase against time. Many distractions and needs get in the way of making time for your craft shop. What can you do help manage your time more effectively?

It’s important to stand back and look at what your needs are. Make a solid to-do list with realistic goals. The list turns into consistent reminder will help motivate you and organize both your time and your needs. For more on time management, click here:: 3 Easy Steps for Managing Time and Reaching Your Goals

Making a living by running your own online craft shop is a great and valid dream, however there are financial pitfalls one has to avoid. Many crafters don’t see much growth in profit nor in their store’s success, feeling stuck. Worse, many craft shop owners lose money when selling crafts. How can you make your finances work in your favor?

First, analyze your profit margins. Make sure that you are getting what you deserve for the work you are doing by making your prices “reasonable,” not “cheap.” Next, keep a budget of your expenses and put money aside for supplies, postage, and stuff like retirement plans. Lastly, let any extra money you have leftover reinvest in your business by expanding your website or experimenting with new craft items. For a full article on finances for craft shops, click here:: Four Lessons for Financial Success