Thinking about starting your own handmade business?

So you’ve got an amazing talent, be that Sewing, Knitting, Crochet or Crafting and you are thinking about taking it one step further.

Your friends and family are telling you to start selling! But where do you start?

Well, having had a small handmade business myself, I am here to help with some of the basics…

First you need a name…

Look into finding something unique to you and your product range. Something catchy is always great too.

My name being Lucy, I decided on Lulu’s Bunting, something short, sweet and memorable will help with brand exposure, especially on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Your business name should be unforgettable, you want to make sure that your business socials are only a few clicks away!

Set up on Socials

If you haven’t already, think about setting up on socials like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Building brand recognition and gaining a loyal customer base will help you on your way to being a successful business owner.

Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest are great marketing tools too. Take the time to research how these platforms can benefit your business.

Where can you sell your products?

You’ve decided on your product range, business name and you know you want to start selling on a marketplace platform, but where? What platform is best for you and your products?

Speaking from personal experience, Etsy was a great option for me.

With reasonable fees and an amazing built in audience of 35 million active buyers, selling products online couldn’t be easier. Setting up an Etsy account can be done in less than 30 minutes and adding listings to your shop is a walk in the park.

Learn how to sell on Etsy here  https://www.etsy.com/uk/sell?ref=ftr

So what happens next?

You’ve took the plunge. You have your Etsy shop ready to go and items ready to sell. Here are some tips I learnt along the way;

• Make sure your item titles and descriptions are clear, precise and accurate. Include as much information as you can about your products.

• Include keywords in your products titles. Research your product market, what is selling best? For example, instead of writing ‘Pink Bunting’ you could add ‘Pink Nursery Decor Bunting’

• Take bright and uncluttered product photos. Natural light is great when taking flat-lay images. Include props relevant to your products too. Cactus Bunting? Why not include a mini Cactus Plant.

• When pricing your items, include the time it takes to make your products. Don’t forget to factor in specifics that may easily be forgotten. Your time is important and should be accounted for when pricing your products. 

• Don’t base your product pricing on what ‘you’ would pay. Customers are willing to pay a good price for products they like. Take into consideration the time and effort spent creating your products and remember you aren’t a big company with manufacturing machines, your products are made by hand! Customers who aren’t willing to pay a fair and reasonable price aren’t the type of customers you want.

• Collect as many reviews as you can. Don’t be scared of asking customers to review your products - A nice message will probably be appreciated by the customer.

• Personality sells! Inject as much personality into your business as you can. You are the face and brains behind your business, let your customers get to know you.

What have you got to loose?

If you have been thinking about starting a little business for a while now, this is the push you need to just START!

What have you got to loose?

"A dream becomes a goal when action is taken towards it's achievement"