It seems logical that for the success of an online store with handmade goods, first of all, good design and advertising are needed. But here a few problems arise: where to get the money to promote and create even the smallest online store with its products? And more: what if the money is still found, and after the investment, the online store will burn out?
Here are some useful tips from Etsy, a large website where every artist and designer can open their own store and sell handmade goods around the world.
Many entrepreneurs working in the field of creativity, creation and sale of their own works face the described problems. To cope with them, you can make a business plan and gradually implement it. But how to do it?
Ask yourself a few questions:
How much money do I want to earn per month?
How am I going to do this?
How many hours a week will I devote to my business?
Which sites will I use to sell my product?
What opportunities does selling my products open up for me?
How can I advertise my products?
Is there an opportunity to exchange for my products?
Do I need a special blog for my store?
How will my business cards be designed and what will be the logo?
You can use these questions as a baseline if you feel stuck or don't even know where to start. When you answer them, there will probably be other tasks related to the specifics of your activity.
Write at least 10 questions, but remember that you don't have to answer them right now. Just some of them will give food for further thought about your case.
When you set yourself a big goal for a month, start setting small ones. For example, in the future you want to receive about $1,500 or more per month from your business, but at the same time you understand that this is impossible now.
Set yourself a real goal and calculate how many goods you will need to make and sell in a month to get the planned amount. Estimate how many hours you can devote to work, and see if you can do everything you need for the desired income.
Keep in mind that other work, fatigue after it, small children and other factors can put an end to your grandiose plans, so try to really assess your capabilities. So the plans acquire clearer contours.
On sites such as Handmadeology, Handmade Success and Oh My! Handmade Goodness, you can view new items and explore the latest trends in the world of handmade. You get inspiration and interesting ideas from other artists and at the same time post your products.
You can use your loved ones for advertising: ask them to post a link to your products on social networks. Do not hesitate, maybe one of your friends and acquaintances will become the first buyer.
If you have your own blog, you can regularly post news about your business there, and if not, invite bloggers to post information about your products. These can be lessons and workshops, sales or just a presentation of products. Believe me, bloggers love it when they are offered ideas, and often publish this for free.
This is a great way of cross-advertising, the so-called virtual barter. A blogger helps you promote your product by writing a post or posting your logo, and you help him promote the blog by sharing a link to a post on social networks and on other sites where you present your products.
If you need a great design for an online store and at the same time you have familiar designers, you can offer them an honest exchange for your product or big discounts on it. So you will kill two birds with one stone: you will sell the goods and get a stylish design, and not a blunder from a beginner from high school.
It may be easier to create your own logo yourself, even if you don't know anything about design. Just choose a beautiful font and add a picture of your best product. You can add the resulting image to business cards and websites where you place products. You can change it at any time when you have enough funds for professional logo development.
When your business plan is ready, hang it in a prominent place, preferably where you create your masterpieces. This will support you and help you when you have no strength and desire to do something. Let the first point in your plan be "Why am I doing all this?" By re-reading your motives, whether it's money, self-realization or something else, you will get an excellent motivation to continue working.
You can even start a journal in which your fears, expectations, plans and real results will be recorded. In moments of decadent mood, re-read your magazine, remember all the ups and downs and really evaluate your capabilities.
And the last tip: there are many books that can help aspiring entrepreneurs selling handmade goods. For example, "Muse, where are your wings?", in which the artist talks about problems and their solutions during the launch of her art business.
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