Business or A Hobby Part 3

In the 3rd blog on running your handmade shop as a business as opposed to a hobby, I wanted to talk about how important it is to network at craft fairs, and how to use this information to plan future shows.

When I first began doing shows, I sat behind my table quietly...almost sheepishly, like my creations weren't worthy. Well several shows later, I've learned how much time I wasted at these shows... even though I thought I had a decent show, I missed out on so many opportunities. Opportunities like networking with some of the more experienced sellers, missing chances to sell my services for possible custom work, etc.

In my opinion, networking with other vendors is a huge key to doing a show. Finding out what shows these vendors do every year and more importantly, which shows they do very well at and which shows are over-rated is info worth it's weight in gold (especially the shows that are over-rated!!)

The street teams on Etsy can be very valuable in the show info sharing department. The EtsyNJ team constantly provides show info and I can't stress the importance of being part of a strong team. The info has saved me from having some horrible shows, and steered me to shows I would have never known existed...I currently have stacks of applications on my desk for late summer/autumn and winter shows, along with a semi-full calender of shows I've already been accepted to. I'll turn to my team members for feedback on some of the upcoming shows before mapping out the remainder of my 2009 "show circuit".

A big plus...as soon as you know you've been accepted to shows... create a flyer to let your customers know where they may find you in the future. Not everyone likes to by online yet. Some don't like paying for something they haven't held in their hand, while others don't want to pay for shipping when they can find you at a future show. I have several specific areas where I have a small "following" and I try to let these repeat customers know when I'll be back in the future.

I also make sure to book a few to several shows in these areas throughout the year. If it is a good area, there's no harm in booking a return show 2, 3 4 weeks later. If that's where your business does well, then that's where you need to be! On the other hand, if a show has not lived up to your expectations... well there's no sense in beating a dead horse (or maybe fool me once, shame on you, fool me... I just had to use one of DH cliches...lol)

In my last installment, I also mentioned how finding my niche made my handmade "business" a bit easier on me. While I love creating, sitting at the table, thumbing through a Fire Mountain supply book to purchase beads was always a bit boring. Going to the local craft shop was okay, but also time consuming and it took up so much of my creating time. But turning to something (sea glass) that had been a passion of mine for decades made this venture fun again. And now I have help : )

My hubby is also quite passionate about sea glass. He knows rarities, is very good at evaluating sea glass and he's very good at locating jewelry quality pieces. DH knows what I like to work with, probably knows sea glass values much better than I do and he keeps me fairly well stocked all year long. And that allows me more time to create or take a much needed break from the business when I feel burnt out after several weeks of working, coming home to create and then a long day at shows.

I still select all my silver components, but when it comes to sea glass, DH is my source. Since he shares my passion for sea glass, he has no problem going out on awful weather days to hunt at the beach for some new inventory. He actually looks forward to the possibilities of what might be waiting for him to scoop out of the surf.

Of course, his knowledge is also helpful at my show table. Since eliminating glass bead/semi-precious stone jewelry (which he knew zero about) he can give me long breaks at shows. For the most part, he knows where the sea glass was found and if it's not a local piece, where the piece came from. Creating a niche category has allowed me to spend time with DH at shows and has made him my show partner. He finds the sea glass, drills holes for the few pieces I need drilled and I make the finished product. It works well for both of us.

Our niche jewelry category works in the area we live in. Being near the beach, we have many customers stop at our display to talk sea glass. It is something that people remember from their childhoods, something they want to share with their children and my sea glass jewelry is a way to keep that memory alive.

Of course there are people who see my creations and move onto the next jewelry vendor to buy something, because sea glass means little to them. So in that respect, some people walk away as fast as they came. In the past, that wasn't a problem because I something for everyone with my glass beads jewelry. But focusing on just one medium...sea glass creations... is much easier to me than worrying about what the market is bearing for several types of jewelry.

I've always believed that stagnation is very dangerous selling handmade. I think you always need to create something new, something to catch the eye of your customer. Since I enjoy working with sea glass, I have incorporated some old ideas into some new creations. This new line is still a work-in-progress, but I hope to have a few pictures of my new creations in the next few days.


I hope you have found some useful info in this 3-part blog and to those that have asked me for a couple of suggestions, I hope this has helped. Successful craft shows can be very important to your online sales and your handmade business as a whole. Building a following/repeat customers are what will help you to be successful.

'til next time...

R

Increasing Your Sales- Offline...

This is the follow up to my earlier blog about online sales. This entry will focus on offline selling and promoting both your creations and your online shop/website.

There are so many ways in everyday life to promote your work without being obvious about it. As an example, I make handmade jewelry and specialize in authentic sea glass creations. One of the best ways for me to promote my work, is to wear it!

I don't always have a new piece of jewelry on and I don't wear it every single day (though there's no reason why I can't) but I do try to wear something 4 or 5 days a week and I consciously wear one of my necklaces every time I go out to dinner or a rare night out on the town.

A small disclaimer... I don't like wearing bracelets, but I love making them. I want to portray a positive attitude, so you'll probably never see wearing one of my sea glass bracelets. I do enjoy the earrings and necklaces I create and I actually keep special pieces for myself (and internally argue about some pieces that I list in my shops...because I'd love to keep some of them too!) and those pieces I love wearing in public...not only as advertising, but because wearing these handmade pieces make me happy.

I can not begin to tell the number of times a women or young girl have commented on my sea glass jewelry. It's not very flashy (I prefer very basic designs that do not take away from the sea glass) but it seems that people who enjoy the beach/ocean/sea glass recognize it and approach me to comment on the my jewelry.

Which brings me to my next advertising prop... the business card. Invariably, most of the people who talk with me about the piece of jewelry that I'm wearing, will ask me where I bought it. Sea glass jewelry is not available at WalMart and I've never walked into a jewelry store that carried sea glass jewelry, so women who love sea glass want to know where they can buy some also.

Many seem quite surprised when I tell them I make my own jewelry and even have a few sites where they can buy some for themselves. Some may seem skeptical and have questions (luckily, my husband is also an avid sea glass collector, so even if we are out for a night on the town, we are approachable & willing to answer questions or hear someone's story about the big find) I don't blatantly go out hoping for someone to ask me about my jewelry, but if they do I'm happy to talk with them. After all, you never know where your next customer will come from and I'm sure we've had customers who tell their friends, who tell their friends, and so on....

Self-promoting in this manner is not limited to only jewelry makers. People who make clothes, scarves/hats, etc can also promote their work this way. Try it, I think there will times you are pleasantly surprised at some of the positive comments you receive and at how many business cards you hand out.

The easiest way to make offline sales is by doing craft fairs. A well organized fair can attract hundreds, even thousands of buyers who prefer to buy handmade creations. Obviously, these are the type of customers you want to attract. A craft fair will give you a good idea if your items are "commercial" and also give you an indicator if your pricing is reasonable. Once again, having business cards displayed on your table is important. A customer may not be buying that day, but they may have found something they really liked and want to buy it in the near future.

I have had done many shows that I didn't think were very good, only to make online sales a week or two later to people who live in the surrounding area of the show. Without a business card, they certainly would not have been able to find me online.

Home shows are another great way to sell your creations. I have found that inviting a fellow crafter, one that creates something completely different from you, is a great way to add variety to a home show. Both vendors invite friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc. Serve wine & cheese, a dessert with coffee and make your home show into a small social gathering. You'll be surprised at how many people will make purchases that day and even more purchases in the future!

Wholesale and consignments offer wonderful opportunities to place your creations into brick & mortar stores and shops. The best scenario is to wholesale your items to the store. This requires very little future work on your part as the store now owns the items they bought. If they keep it in a backroom or display it poorly, that's their choice... it's their inventory.

Consignments can be a bit trickier. The store doesn't get paid until one of your items sell, so the store isn't concerned with your items and the way they are displayed. These are factors that a seller needs to consider before consigning. Hammer out all the details before hand... discuss where & how your items will be displayed, who's responsible for theft/damages, return policies, etc. Personally, I like stopping in at the shops I consign to a couple times a month...every week if possible. I go in to clean my jewelry, see what has sold, what isn't selling at all and let the shop owner that I'm more than willing to take out slow moving inventory and replace it with new creations or similar items to those that have sold in the past.

In my opinion, this lets the shop owner/manager know I'm proactive about making sales (which can only benefit them too) and at the same time, it keeps my items prominently displayed. I have never had a problem with a shop owner in the past, but I know I would never allow my items to be shoved into a corner or mixed in with another seller's items. I would just as soon pull my inventory from the shop and move on the the next opportunity. I try to stay away from shops that want a 50/50 split on sales, unless the selling opportunity is too great (which means I can mark-up my work high enough to reach my expected profit margins) Most of the consignment I do is at the 70/30 level, but I have done some 60/40 in the past. Getting the right shop that works best for you and benefits the shop's bottom line is the perfect situation and one where you'll be welcomed for many years to come.

A word to the wise... if you want to do consignment/wholesale, don't show up with your items unannounced and expect to see the owner or manager. Respect their time and schedule an appointment. Leave a business card and maybe briefly tell them why your product can benefit the store. A professional presence is essential. If you give the impression that this is a hobby, they won't be sure if they can count on you (remember their customers come first and they need to be able to service them properly) Present yourself like a small business and you'll find store owners willing to try your business on.

These are just a few ways to promote yourself as an artisan outside of the internet. Cross promoting both offline and online is essential to increasing your sales and building up a customer base. The most important things are to portray yourself and your work professionally and always remember... you never know where your next customer/sales account/next big sale may come from. Treat the person that you think will not buy something as you would the person you swear is going to open their pocketbook. You just NEVER KNOW!!!

'til next time...

R