Many small business owners think a brand, or branding, is reserved for big corporations with recognizable logos. That building a brand is too expensive or complicated for a small handmade business. It can be expensive and complicated. However, this article will explain a simple way to look at your brand and how you can start…

When sending emails to your subscribers, you can (and should) send two types of emails: Promotional (asking the reader for something, i.e. to buy) Non-promotional (offering the reader something, i.e. valuable information) Your newsletter needs a healthy balance of promotional and non-promotional emails so your subscribers feel they’re getting value and aren’t simply being asked…

There are two types of emails you can send to your newsletter list: Promotional Non-Promotional An easy way to think of promotional vs. non-promotional emails is: >> Promotional focuses on asking the reader for something >> Non-promotional focuses on offering the reader something Your newsletter needs a healthy balance of promotional and non-promotional emails so…

Tania owns a business called Geometric Illusion Ceramics . She reached out to me after reading my article: How to Develop a Product Line Using the 3 – 5 Strategy She knew she needed to reign in her product line but didn’t know how to get started. Tania agreed to let me use her Etsy shop…

The sales channel you focus on will determine the marketing channels and methods you use. Online marketing channels and methods are more effective in driving traffic to a website or online marketplace than a flyer will be, since the flyer reaches people when they’re not at a computer or ready to online shop. Who you’re…

Whether you’re starting a jewelry business, scrunchie business, candle business, or any other type of crafty business, the basic steps are the same.  This article shares the essential steps to starting a craft business and is a simple quick-start guide.  Each step shares a brief explanation and then links to articles to help you dive…

Whether you’ve been selling the same item for years or your product is still in the planning stages, it’s important to be continuously looking for ways to improve and stand out from the crowd at craft shows or on Etsy. This is where a niche can be helpful. The more you can narrow your product…

USP stands for unique selling position. In simple terms, it tells shoppers who your product is for, what makes it different and why they should purchase from you. There are different ways to develop a unique selling position but the formula I like to follow is: Niche Market + Niche Product + Benefit = USP…

Starting a jewelry business without a target market in mind is sort of like planning a trip without knowing where you’re going, who you’re going with, how you’re going to get there, etc.  >> You must know the exact location you want a plane to land if you’re going to plan a trip. >> You…

You’re in business to sell your products to people, right? So it makes sense that you should know who those people are and make your products for them. Who you make products for is your target market. Your target market should be the first thing you define when starting a business.    Where most businesses…

Aside from getting set up legally, choosing your target market is the first step every business should take…even before deciding on a product to sell.  However, that’s not how most handmade businesses start. Most owners start with a product they’ve made (and friends and family have told them they should sell), then they go looking for…

Everybody likes candles. So if you make candles, everyone is your potential customer, right? Definitely not. That mentality is the quickest way to build a candle business that fails.  As Marie Forleo says: If you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one. Being too broad or general with your target market (or not having…

In my last article, How your Creativity is Killing Sales, I mentioned using a 3 – 5 guideline when creating your products, which helps ensure you’re not offering too much selection. Sticking to this 3 – 5 strategy also helps ensure your product line stays cohesive. This article is a detailed explanation of that strategy,…