6 Small Business Best Practices that are Commonly Ignored
You know those roundup articles that ask dozens of successful business owners what their best piece of advice for other business owners would be? I find they’re often offering generic advice I’ve heard over and over. Like: “show up and hustle”, “don’t take no for an answer”, “surround yourself with people who are smarter than…
5 Things I Regret Doing as a New Business Owner
When I was new to the entrepreneurial world and starting my first few businesses, I followed a lot of common advice that may work for some, but didn’t work for me. These 5 things aren’t necessarily bad for a business. But it took me several years to realize they were bad for my business, and…
How To Attract More Shoppers (at craft shows or online)
Before you can make a sale, you must first catch a shopper’s attention. If a shopper doesn’t notice your craft show booth or Etsy listing, or they do but aren’t drawn to it, you won’t have an opportunity to sell. You can’t build a display or create a listing that appeals to everyone. So you…
The Best Digital Products to Sell on Etsy (2023)
Digital products are often very profitable to sell online because you can create one digital product and sell it over and over to multiple customers. You may incur marketing and selling costs, but your production costs are zero (unless you make updates to the product). Some digital products are more popular than others and I’ve…
How To Create a Sales-Boosting Theme for your Handmade Business
A piece of advice I often share is to refine your product line. Most handmade businesses I see are trying to offer too much selection. But I understand a lot of people don’t want to scale back. So if you insist on offering several different types of products, consider carrying a theme throughout them. …
How To Find Popular Products to Make & Sell
This is a really easy and quick way to get ideas for new products, and get a general idea for what types of products are popular on Google (which typically means they’re popular on other platforms such as Etsy). Follow the 5 steps below to come up with a list of new product ideas to…
7 Types of Craft Shows to Avoid
Not all of these points are red flags telling you not to sell at a particular craft show. However, they may be signs to proceed with caution. Craft shows can be labor intensive and come with several expenses. So you want to be sure a craft show is the right fit for you and your…
10 Costs of Selling at Craft Fairs
When I started selling at craft shows, I would count my money at the end of the event, compare that total to my booth fee, and if I made more money than my booth fee, I considered the event a success. But there are so many other costs to doing craft shows. Many vendors don’t…
10 Cons to Selling at Craft Shows (& how to avoid them)
For a blog that’s all about selling at craft shows, this article may seem out of place. But too many people sign up for craft shows, full of hope, and walk away with their dreams crushed, vowing never to sell at another craft show. I don’t want you to lose money at craft shows, or…
7 Types of Products to Avoid Selling at Craft Shows
One of my most popular articles details the types of products that sell best at craft shows; you can read that here: What Sells Best at a Craft Show? This article explores the other side: Types of products that don’t tend to sell well, or that can actually harm the sales of best-selling products. I’ve created…
10 Types of Products to Avoid Listing on Etsy
Most Etsy shops get their beginnings when a crafter makes a product for friends and/or family, decides they should try selling it, and then discover Etsy. The maker creates listings on Etsy and waits for sales to start coming in. This route leaves most makers disappointed when it’s months later and they have few to…
Cheap & Versatile Craft Show Display Rack
Chances are, you’ve seen backdrop frames made from PVC of copper pipes and connector pieces. I wanted to play around with this structure to see if there were different ways it could be used, aside from a backdrop. I created a tabletop version of the PVC frame and below are a few ways it can…
7 Simple Ways to Boost Mother’s Day Sales
Whether you sell your handmade goods through Etsy or craft shows, you should plan ahead and use common gift-giving holidays, such as Mother’s Day, to your advantage. Help shoppers find the perfect gift for their mom (or mother figure) and make it easy for them. Here are 7 ideas to get you started. 1…
How To Sell More to Each Customer (w/ a Ladder System)
When I started selling at craft shows, I added anything I could make to my table in hopes of selling to more shoppers. Did my pajama bottoms help me sell to people who weren’t interested in a handbag? Yes. But did pajamas help me: build a handbag brand increase the perceived value of my handbags…
How to Double Sales with a Customer-Centric Plan
The easiest (and most efficient AND profitable) way to boost your revenue is to sell more to the shoppers you’re already attracting. To do that, you need to think about your customers’ journey with you. Imagining your customer and what they’re thinking, wondering, and wanting, before, during, and after buying from you ensures your shop…
5 Elements that get Craft Show Shoppers to Stop at a Table
Unless you’re selling at a very small craft show, you’ll never get 100% of shoppers to stop at your table. Your products are not for everyone, nor should they be. However, some craft show vendors do a great job of grabbing the attention of more shoppers and drawing them in (giving them more opportunities to…
How To Make Craft Show Selling Less Awkward
Imagine walking into a store and a sales associate stays within two feet of you the entire time. Most people prefer space while they shop. It takes the pressure off and lets them be with their thoughts as they consider a purchase. But most craft show booths don’t allow for space. You may have as…
10 Harsh Truths About Starting a Handmade Business
If I could go back in time, there’s a lot of advice I would give myself about starting and running a business. Some of the most important information isn’t about steps to take, but rather, setting expectations. Business success relies heavily on being mentally prepared for what’s ahead. These are 10 things I think every…
5 Odd Display Tricks I Always Use
When I was making Christmas dinner for the first time, I had a lot of questions for my mom. I asked how much poultry seasoning she puts in the dressing and she said: “I don’t know…until it smells like dressing”. It’s an odd way to determine how much seasoning to use, but it works. If…
How To Use Repetition in a Craft Show Display
Repetition is important in all aspects of your business. It creates consistency and familiarity your customers can rely on. Repetition is equally important in visual design and should be used in your craft show display. Imagine a living room with white walls and grey furniture. If you place one red pillow on the couch, it…