Blogs

Sales Slow Down? Raise Your Prices

Posted by Cynthia Boris

When sales slow, as they often do after the holidays are over, we often revert to the knee-jerk reaction of running a sale to encourage buyers to buy. But that mentality could do you more harm than good in the long run. And let's face it, fast cash is nice, but you should be in this for the longer haul. Let me say here that there are perfectly good reasons to run a sale that have nothing to do with purchasing panic. The best reason is to clear out old inventory that is taking up room on your shelf or in your brain. It could be that you made too many of an item and you're tired of looking at them. Or you made a mistake - that shrimp scented candle seemed like a good idea at the time but now. . .

5 Apps to Help Up Your Instagram Game

Posted by Cynthia Boris

Instagram is the social media channel for both artists and online sellers. So if you’re both of those, it’s even more important that you up your game. Instagram is a visual platform but there’s more to it than just posting beautiful photos of your work. Here are five apps that will help you up your Instagram game, which should, in turn, lead to more followers, more engagement and more sales of your work.

With Love, IndieMade

Posted by Cynthia Boris

February is the month where everyone’s thoughts turn to love, hearts, and candy. Go shopping in almost any physical store and you'll see Valentine signage, gift ideas and red and pink galore. What will online shoppers see when they land on your store? Hopefully, it won't be Christmas messaging and candy canes. Even if you're not selling Valentine specific merchandise, you should be keeping up with the theme of the month. Why? If for no other reason, it lets customers know that you're open for business. Valentines Day signage or promos tells new customers that you recently updated your site and are more likely to be responsive to their orders or questions.

2019 : The Year You Launch Your eCommerce Business

Posted by Cynthia Boris

It’s right there on the top of your list of New Years resolutions: I will finally launch my own store online. For some of you, that means making the leap from Etsy, or eBay or some other platform where you’re currently selling your wares as part of a marketplace, into a space of your own. For others, that means making the leap from crafting for fun, to actually selling what you make. . . to strangers. . . online. Both are daunting in their own ways, but they’re both totally doable. Read on to see our responses, to your most common objections.

5 Holiday ‘Don’ts for the Handmade Seller

Posted by Cynthia Boris

Feeling merry? Maybe not so much? You’re not alone. As much the holidays can be filled with good sales and good cheer, it’s also a time of stress for many entrepreneurs. And if you’re trying to run a handmade or art biz while holding down a full-time job – just stop everything right now, close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Now here’s a list of holiday “don’ts” that can help you get more out of the last few weeks of 2018.

Handmade Sellers: Pausing to Give Thanks During the Busiest Time of the Year

Posted by Cynthia Boris

If you’re a solopreneur, you probably have a love / hate relationship with Thanksgiving week. Many store owners are dealing with a sudden boost in business, which is great, if you can keep up. Creating handmade items, shipping, customer service – the holiday may only be one day but it manages to eat up an enormous amount of time, leaving you struggling to fit a sixty hour work week into 24 hours.

Halloween Tricks and Treats for Handmade Sellers

Posted by Cynthia Boris

Halloween Infographic
Here in America, we love Halloween. We love it so much that as a nation, we’re going to spend nearly $7 billion dollars this year on costumes, candy, parties and décor. The National Retail Federation says that 81% of consumers 18 – 34 will be celebrating the day with half either giving or attending a party. 7 out of 10 will don a costume and 1 out of 5 plan to dress up their pet as well. All of this Halloween hubbub means an increase in Google and social media searches, too as consumers look for new ways to celebrate this old holiday. Why not join in the fun? Here are a few Halloween tricks and treats you can use to scare up some last minute customers for your online business.

Back To School Products Aren't Just for Kids!

Posted by Cynthia Boris

Back to School
Back-to-School time is a time for new clothes, fresh crayons and backpacks that express our latest interest and it doesn't matter if you're 5 or 50! Most of us grew up with the back-to-school routine, so we're programmed to think of school supplies in September like we think about costumes in October. Because of this, every major retailer is rolling out a large supply of traditional back-to-school supplies and lowering prices at the same time. So even if you don't have kids to shop for, it's still a great time to get super deals on school supplies that you can use in your home business. Here are our 5 favorite, must-have items:

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