Blogs

How Do You Measure Success : Growing Your Handmade Business in 2017

Posted by Cynthia Boris

Woman with Flowers
As soon as you make the decision to start selling your handmade goods online, it’s all about that first sale. It’s a huge thrill knowing someone wants what you made, and the money is nice, too. But sales are like potato chips – you can’t have just one, you need another and then another. And if you don’t get as many as you hoped in the time frame you imagined, it’s easy to get discouraged. In one week you go from feeling like a successful entrepreneur to feeling like a total failure. That’s one, tough roller coaster ride. Obviously, you want to sell what you make but to survive the long haul, you need to open yourself up to other measures of success.

Grow Your Handmade Business in 2017

Posted by Cynthia Boris

Dream Business
There’s something about a fresh, new year that inspires us all to step up and dream big. If you already have an Indiemade store, then you’ve already accomplished the “step up” part. Now, it’s time for the “dream big”. Whether you’re looking for your first individual sale or your first wholesale purchase order, we’re here to help. To get you on the right road, we’ve gathered together this list of links to previously published content that can help you achieve your goals big or small.

Yes Virginia, It Is Okay to Take a Break During the Holidays

Posted by Cynthia Boris

Relaxed
When you run a small business taking time off can be especially scary. If, on top of your Indiemade business, you also have a family to care for and / or another job , taking time off can be downright terrifying. We tell ourselves that the fear comes out of our work ethic or possibly the fear of losing our jobs (or customers) if we’re not constantly taking care of business. But deep down, what we’re really afraid of is not being needed or missed.

How to Sell Your Handmade Goods on Instagram (Social Media 101)

Posted by Cynthia Boris

Instagram is a great social media channel for promoting your work but it has one, big drawback – you can’t put live links in your posts. If someone sees your piece and wants to buy it, they have to navigate to your profile page, click to visit your store, then locate the specific piece they say on Instagram. With each click and page load, your chances of losing the customers grows and grows. So why not sell them while you have them, right on that very same Instagram post? The “how” is going to sound kind of hinky and off-putting, but 1,000’s of Instagrammers are using it every day to buy and sell clothing, shoes and books. Why shouldn’t they be using it to buy your handmade goods, too!

Giving Thanks for Handmade

Posted by Cynthia Boris

Vintage Thanksgiving
Today, we don’t seem to mind being a carbon copy – in fact, we seem to relish it. Carrying the same designer bag as a celebrity means you’re on trend. Having the same, brand new iPhone means you’re in the know and giving your kids the same toys as every other kid in their class makes you a good parent. It’s weird how we’ve come to covet sameness. Happily, this isn’t true for all of us. Some people enjoy being different. Some people covet the unusual and thrive on having a one-of-a-kind item that no one else has. These are the heritors of handmade. They’re people who truly appreciate the lost art of handwork be it jewelry or clothing or toys, bathsoaps, carved ducks or dog leashes. These people are willing to spend a little more in order to buy something with fingerprints.

How to Make the Most of CyberMonday

Posted by Cynthia Boris

Holiday Shopping
Commercials for Small Business Saturday are all over the TV and the Black Friday buzz has begun in earnest. What comes after that? CyberMonday! This very special shopping holiday has been going on for more than ten years – can you believe it? The term was coined by a writer who used it in the title of a press release for Shop.org and now it’s as common a term as Black Friday. Last year, consumers went online and spent 3 billion dollars in that single day. This total beat the previous year by 16% and there’s every reason to believe that this year will beat last year’s total, as well. Want a piece of that 3 billion dollar pie? Start preparing now for CyberMonday.

It’s Time to Gear Up for Small Business Saturday!

Posted by Cynthia Boris

Small Business Saturday
Halloween is over and we’ve officially cut the ribbon on the start of the 2016 Holiday Shopping Season. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be talking about things you can do to help your handmade business reach new heights starting with a primer on two of the hottest days for online sellers: Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. This year, Small Business Saturday falls on November 26. That’s the day after Black Friday, which is so appropriate. After shoppers are done scouring the major chains for deals, they can turn their attention to the mom and pop shops in their area. If you have your own brick and mortar store or a booth in marketplace, this day was made for you. But there are also plenty of ways online only shops can take advantage of this highly publicized event.

IndieMade Inspiration: Valerie William of Wearhardware

Posted by Cynthia Boris

Wearhardware
When most people go to the hardware store, they see everything they need to repaint a wall, fix a broken table or build a deck for the backyard. When Valerie goes to the hardware store, she sees dangling earrings, exotic bracelets and elegant necklaces. Once in her expert hands, mundane washers and L brackets become works of wearable art. It's time to chat with Valerie William of Wearhardware.

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