TURNING YOUR PASSION INTO YOUR INCOME......
TIPS & THE TRUTH
If you don't know......I own in.cube8r gallery in fortitude valley......have done so for 3 years now (this Saturday!) I've learnt so much about business while running the gallery.....but I still have much more to share...........this was something I wrote for the main website, but I thought I should share it here too!
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If you make things, it comes as no surprise that you’ve
thought to yourself at some point, “I
wonder if I could make some money out of this!?!!”
Have you given your handmade pieces to friends, only to
have them say to you, “you should SELL these in a shop!”
Makes you feel good, doesn’t it!?!!
Have you gone to bed wondering about it…….only to be kept
awake with your brain turning things over!?!!
Do I
need an ABN? How much stuff would I need? What would it cost? How do I even
approach a shop to see if they’d like it?
What
if they don’t like it? What if they
SELLOUT and I have to make more straight away? How do I sell online?
OH
THIS IS ALL TOO HARD………..I’M GOING BACK TO BED!!
I’ve seen it all too often in the gallery – people with a
talent are overwhelmed before they even begin, and so they don’t do it – which is
pretty sad L
SO………………..I recently hosted a night for some passionate
handmadies that had already started with their businesses, but just weren’t
sure how to MASTER the whole ‘handmade living’ process.
With the help of some Brisbane professionals, namely the
devine Jess Van Den from epheriell and the
lovely Liana Kabel, we wrestled some
hot topics, and came out at the end of the evening with a better understanding
of what needs to be done, and where to actually go from here!
Here are some of the highlights from the evening that we’d
like to share with you….
·
Get clarity on
what you want to do exactly, and make sure it’s something that can be
profitable – sit down & think hard, write a list of things you’ll make, and
get feedback through any outlet you can to make sure it’s something that people
want to buy
·
Plan
plan plan – where do you want to be in 5 years? Where do you want to be selling? (as a wholesaler, at markets, online
exclusively, at outlets such as in.cube8r. What does a typical week look for you, have
you included in promotional time, or are you just make, make making?
·
Get
into action – start at the beginning and go from there…………make
your items, approach your retailers, rent out a space, get an online
presence. It’s not going to happen in 24
hours (read closer to 2 years before profits start turning in your favour,) but
start at the beginning and stick to the plan………….make sure you review every few
months to make sure you’re on track…….the targets might move now and then –
make sure you’re still aiming in the right direction
·
Promotion –
whether it’s online, handing out flyers, finding affiliate promoters, paying a
PR company, blogging, facebook, instagram, pinterest, markets, exhibitions –
whatever it is, it’s an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY – people aren’t going to knock on
your door and ask to see your work………..build up your list of followers so you
can share your work with them. Over time
you’ll gather the numbers you need, but it’s a slow & steady kind of pace.
·
Network
– go and visit markets, go to exhibitions, comment on
other peoples blogs, BUY HANDMADE YOURSELF AND SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS, join
craft groups & business entities with similar interests………….do all of these
or just one, but be seen to be involved
·
Be
Unique – what sets you apart from all the other makers out
there? (do a quick google and see how
many others you’re competing against!)
Make sure your style reflects “that thing that you do differently” and
that your customers see your story behind your work too.
·
Keep
at it – it’s a continuous wheel of activity – and no two days
are going to look the same (isn’t that a good thing for us creative souls!?!!)
one day you’re making, the next you’re meeting with a prospective seller, the
one after that you’re blogging about your stuff as well as getting a wholesale
price list printed…..have a well-structured plan, but be flexible –
opportunities arise when you start to work towards your truth!
·
Keep
it professional – remember when you’re online you’re out
there for all to see (and critique & comment on,) so make sure you play
nice!! Spend a bit of time on getting
your photos up to a high standard, have good descriptions, get feedback from
friends, and give your own to others. If
something goes bad, remember to keep your cool and get back on plan………no one
likes to hear people whinging and bad mouthing others – so choose to take the
high road
·
Find
your market – get clarity on this when you can…….find
out who your demographic is and where they shop – look for opportunities to ask
questions of your customers, (through surveys like Survey Monkey or just on blogs, etc.)
·
Remember
you are constantly learning – you will never know everything about handmade, or business – keep learning
every day. Go to courses (BrisStyle hold some great free ones,)
do some online classes, get involved in great business courses like National College of Business as
long as you continue to learn
·
Stay
grounded – after the monotonous tasks comes the
happiness……just remember that it’s not all the good stuff – the hard or boring
stuff is all a part of it – if you don’t do it you really are denying yourself
the very thing you want……..a BUSINESS (warts and all) making money from
something you love doing. We live in a
world that gives us so many opportunities.
Take life by the shirt front and give it a go……………..it’s better than
living with the regret of not trying!
We were also lucky enough to
have Anna-Marie & Belinda from Made
of Australia who spoke at length about their experiences with funding
assistance from local councils. This was
a great insight into the process, and we all learnt about this as a possible
avenue to get our businesses up & running if we needed large amounts of
capital.
We spoke of many different
apps, software programmes & websites, so I’ve listed those that I remember
for you to do some searching in your spare time
www.etsy.com/ - international site for selling
your work – the holy grail of handmade
www.madeit.com.au/ - an Australian version
for people who want to sell online & support Australian handmade at the
same time
www.mailchimp.com/ - Online email
marketing solution to manage contacts, send emails and track results.
www.blogher.com/ - the Web's leading guide to the
hottest news and trends among women in social media.
www.picasa.en.softonic.com/ - Manage, edit and share your
photos with ease.
And finally…..thegoodguide.com.au/2013/03/20/bam-espresso/
- BAM! Espresso in Fortitude Valley. The
coffee house caffeinating people and saving the world one espresso at a time – THANKS MICHAEL FOR BEING THE HOST WITH THE MOST!!!
So that’s it!! A few simple steps that you need to take on
your own before you head off into the business wilderness!! It’s a fun & scary ride…………..but at the
end of the day…………….when you realise that you’re in fact the only one that can
make this happen, you feel empowered & RARING TO GO!!!
Remember that there’s always
others out there ready & willing to help you out, and to be there when you
need reassurance or a guiding hand!!
NOW GET OUT THERE AND MAKE
THINGS HAPPEN!!
