Category Archives: Craft & Soap Business

The Blessings of the Self-Employed Craft Shop Owner

Thanksgiving occurred yesterday and it is during this time of year when Americans stop for a moment of reflection. What are you thankful for this year? For people who are able to make living sell soaps or other crafts, there is plenty to be thankful for.

First, there is the obvious: using your creativity as means to make money. There are fortunate few that are able to do what they love for a living. Second, is having total control over your health and schedule. Being your own boss means making your own hours which means you can make better personal decisions. If you want, you can have a healthy lunch at home, taking as much time as you need, rather than trying to wolf down a vending machine snack. Also, making your own hours means that you are able to make time with friends and friends, solidifying those relationships. While running an online craft business independently has its hassles, there is certainly a lot that one can appreciate from it. For more on thankfulness, click here:: The Gift of Self-Employment

Great Causes Can Create Great Business for Your Craft & Soap Shop

You’re running your craft shop and feel the need to give back some how. There’s a charity or a cause that you’d like to help support, so why not lend a hand? There are a number of reasons to incorporate certain causes or charities to your craft or soap shop.

Adding a link to your favorite charity or cause onto your online shop’s page gives the customers a window into your personality and what you care about. You’ll find that many within your customer base may have similar passions. If you’d like, it’d be good to create a product or soap and state that proceeds from the sale will go to that particular charity. It’ll help out the cause and probably increase profits in the process. All of this can not only help out your cause and make a few extra sales, but also creates a community around your business that will create a recurring consumer base. For more on social good within your craft/soap business, click here:: 8 Tips to Incorporate Social Good Into Your Business

If Craft Selling Makes You Uncomfortable, Ask Yourself This…

While selling your soaps and crafts online is a good way to make sales, there is still money to be made in face-to-face encounters at a market or craft expo. However, while you do want to profit from your work, the salesman aspect might stick in your craw. Even the word “sales” can bring up images of sleazy men in leisure suits trying to sucker a person into a Pinto.

If this image turns you off from face-to-face sells, then look at it from a different perspective. Ask yourself, “If this person buys my item, will their life improve?” Also ask, “Once this interaction with this person is over, will the world be a better place than when you began?” If the answer to both is “yes,” then there is nothing to be concerned about. You’re giving a good product to good people. There’s nothing shady or shameful in doing that. For more on this perspective, click here:: When You’re Selling, Always Ask Yourself These 2 Questions

Want Better Soap Sales? Get Personal

It can be tough to sell soap and crafts out there at the market or craft expo. Getting a good spot, creating a welcoming atmosphere can help, but there is one thing that can help generate the most sales. That one thing is you.

You don’t have to change who you are, but take a good look at yourself and judge how you might appear to others. Dressing up a little bit can show customers that you are putting on an effort. Make sure that you greet each customer and make eye contact. You don’t have to put on a show, but engaging with customers as they enter lets them know they are acknowledged and you’re there to help them if they need it. Lastly, pay attention to your customer. Ignore the phone calls, leave your book at home. If you appear not to care whether or not you make a sale, the customer won’t care about your product. Keeping these things in mind will hopefully create a great customer base for your soaps and other crafts. For a full article on this topic, click here:: 3 Simple Ways to Be a Better Salesperson

From DIY to Thriving Business

Are you the type of craft person who has all your ideas piled up on their desk, strewn about on the floor, and tacked to the wall (or ceiling) around them? Or are you the type of person who has everything neatly organized by category in neat little boxes in the corner of your craft room?

I’m going to raise my hand and say I have a bit of the first in me, though I would much rather see all of the second in my craft room.

Let me make an argument for organization today. Organization and categorization are two very important ideas, especially if you want to take your crafting from hobby to business.

Why are they so important? The difference between your hobby and your business are one of time and precision. Your hobby you do in your spare time. Your business you work at, daily, in order to grow and thrive.

Your hobby you do when the moment, the thought, strikes you. Your business you set about with intentionality, working daily on the various aspects or threads of it, so you can weave together a collective whole and present it to a customer.

For this hobby to become a business you surely will need organization and categorization. There is no if, when, or but about it.

Read today’s article about becoming a bit more organized in the intentionality of your crafting, and continue to press on in the development of your business.

Read the full article here: My Antique Drawer Craft Storage System

Alright, Stop! Collaborate and Listen!

That’s right…Vanilla Ice knew what he was talking about…

Crafting and creating is a great outlet for stress and energy. It is wonderful to see people utilize this outlet for a healthy lifestyle and a positive outlook.

Such positivity is oftentimes shared, or desired to be shared, with those around you. As you spend time at craft shows or online at various art and craft websites, I’m sure you have come across other artisans who not only share you same fervor for all things “glue-gun-glueable,” but who also share a positive outlook on life.

What’s the natural step in this? Oftentimes people desire to meld their great ideas together and work on a new project that will be equally times thrilling and hopefully lucrative.

But when this happens a new level of crafting may come into play…what was once fun, vibrant, and enjoyable can suddenly turn stressful and even worrisome?

Why? Well, with that collaborative effort comes…well, collaboration. Collaboration with another person can be hard. We all have our own ideas as to how something should be done, and we oftentimes want to utilize those ideas for what we believe is the common good. But if we’re not careful, we may end up pushing those ideas upon somebody a little more forcefully than we should.

What we need for a great collaboration is a spirit of mutuality and respect. Think about this…when you come to the table to discuss your collaboration, don’t come to be heard but rather to hear.

Need some more suggestions on collaboration? We have them right here in today’s article. Take a look.

Read the full article here: How to pull off a stress-free collaboration

Better Than a Business Card

What’s that you say? What could be better than a business card? How about a personalized paperclip to go with that business card?

When you pass out your business card to people at trade shows, it’s really just another card that goes into their hand, perhaps their wallet, but most likely out the door soon after.

However, if you attach that card with a personalized paper clip to either a business brochure or the receipt, you are giving people a visual anchor to remember you by.

Think about it, visualize it, and read the article.

Read the full article here: Decorative Paper Clips

How to Heighten Your Craft Business’ Holiday Cheer

The busiest season in retail has begun and this is the perfect opportunity to market your soaps, your handmade clothing, art, and other crafts for the holiday rush. Making small changes to your usual selling strategy might help fill Santa’s sack with a little bit extra money than usual.

First, remember that your customers might not be buying for themselves, so imagine who your customers might be buying for. Check your inventory and maybe re-write the product description to include people who would like this product as a gift (example: “cute blanket for your friend’s new baby”). Next, cross-promote and collaborate with other online shops. Sending an email to your customer list with recommendations for another shop as your collaborator does with his or hers will hopefully gain more customers for the both of you. It might not hurt to offer free shipping either, especially for large orders. Following some or all of these tips might help give you an even happier holiday season. For a full article on this topic, click here:: 3 Business Boosting Tips for the Upcoming Holidays

Knowing Yourself = Knowing How to Get Your Best Work

The typical jobs are 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. on weekdays, but as a creative entrepreneur those might not be the times or the number of hours where you’ll be at your best. Too many times we forget that a) making your craft project, soap, or jewelry requires you being in a good space and b) you are in charge of yourself. Knowing how your process works can not only make sure your products are the highest quality, but also allows fresh ideas to flow for more items in the future.

So how do you know what conditions allow you to make your best work? Well, a good first step is to monitor your mood and energy during various conditions throughout the day. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Are you more productive when you are isolated and quiet or when there is hustle and noise around you? Do you need to take frequent breaks or get into a “zone” where you feel that any interruption kills your momentum? Address these questions and you’ll find out the best schedule for yourself and become a better creator because of it. For more a more detailed article on this subject, click here:: Discover How You Work Best

Tips for Craft Vendors to Make the Most Impact

You have stocked up on your personally made soaps, jewelry, clothing, or other crafts and are ready to display them for the masses. This may seem daunting and can sometimes create anxiety for crafters, especially for the first time. However, there are some tips out there that can help give you a great, profitable experience as a vendor.

Put your creativity to good use; put up a display and a storefront in your vendor space. It’ll catch the eye more than just a splayed out table. Be approachable and smile at people who stop by at the booth. It might seem weird and uncomfortable at first, but if you approach with positivity, it’s likely other people will be positive back to you. Lastly, you might want to give in-booth demonstrations or work on a current project as you are selling your wares. This gives potential customers an idea and an appreciation of how these crafts are made. These tips should give you a good start for the next craft fair or expo. Read a full article on this topic here:: Little Known Ways to Sell More at Market