Every new craft business needs help to get started in the right direction. Articles in this category provide expert guidance for handmade product sellers.
Excited about starting your business? You may have “entrepreneurial fever” according to Michael Gerber. In his bestselling book, “The E-Myth” he likens the enthusiasm new business owners start out with to a fever that may keep one from seeing things clearly. In case that sounds like your current state, the following checklist for starting a […]
Checklist for Starting a Business Read More »
My productivity function was up last year. Despite, or more likely because of the pandemic, my online business grew. Etsy sales were up. More people joined my Facebook group. Face-to-face business returned slightly, too, until Omicron. I squeezed into a crafts show Thanksgiving weekend where people were out in droves “revenge spending.” (Revenge against the
Productivity Hacks for Handmade Product Sellers Read More »
Wondering if Etsy offsite ads are worth it before you turn them on for your listings? It doesn’t help that Etsy sellers report wildly different experiences. Unfortunately, you can’t get a useful answer without testing ads for your Etsy shop. And you can run a test that limits your risk. Do a trial run. Turn
Are Etsy Offsite Ads Worth It? Read More »
What is a Business License? As a seller, you may be asking “do I need a business license to sell online?” First of all, let’s define what is a business license. It’s a legal document allowing you the right to run a business in your city or county. It can serve as evidence that you
Do I Need a Business License to Sell Online? Read More »
Great photos convert online shoppers into buyers. The six types of product images that can help your sales: 1. Product-only images with white background for online store listings (required when selling on Amazon). Etsy images don’t have to have a white background, but studies show they improve online sales. 2. How-it’s-made images. Pictures of you
Love these How-to Photo Editing Tips Read More »
Excerpt from Start a Creative Recycling Side Hustle by James Dillehay Over two billion people use Facebook. They spend an average of thirty-five minutes each day on the site and almost eighty percent of shoppers in the US have found products to buy while on Facebook. Once you have a personal profile set up on
Selling on Facebook Best Practices Read More »
You can definitely scale a small business on Etsy. There are several moving parts to consider. To simplify it, the first step is gaining confidence about two things: Know your profit margins. Just guessing can kill your dream quickly. Figure out your costs—all of them! Materials, labor (what you pay yourself and what you pay
How Do You Scale Your Etsy Business? Read More »
Quora question answer: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-way-to-drive-up-sales-on-Etsy/answer/James-Dillehay As with any problem, you have to know what’s wrong with your Etsy store before you can fix it. Otherwise, it’s like prescribing medicine without knowing the symptoms. You probably need more than one way to boost your sales. The following is the approach I would take. If you have an
What is the best way to drive up sales on Etsy? Read More »
Below is my answer to a question on Quora: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-biggest-things-I-need-to-do-to-be-successful-on-ETSY/answer/James-Dillehay Before you set up an Etsy shop, decide what kinds of things you will sell. Use a research tool like eRank – Grow your Etsy business or Marmalead to find popular categories on Etsy. Pick a niche you will enjoy working in. Another place to look is EtsyRank under
The Biggest Things to Do to Be Successful with an Etsy Store in 2021 Read More »
People love stories. The best presenters and marketers agree that stories captivate your audience and keep them engaged. Whenever or wherever you sell crafts, consider adding a card or description with your story to each piece. Your story has the potential to pull heartstrings. Mass-manufactured things rarely connect us to actual people behind the products.
Add Stories to Increase Your Craft Sales Read More »
We tend to think that getting coverage by a newspaper, magazine or TV show is out of our reach. It seems like most of the news that grabs our attention is some kind of crisis or the latest celebrity couple breaking up. However, there is a whole other area of publicity appearing in the feature
Is it worth the effort to seek publicity for your craft business? Read More »
Where to sell products you make? There are many places offline and online when you are looking at where to sell products you’ve produced. This article lists many types of face-to-face events for selling your art, craft or photography. You may already be aware of popular events like: Art shows Fine craft shows Country craft
Where to Sell Products You Make Read More »
