Tips And Tricks For Keeping Your Craft Business Alive During Tough Times
There’s no doubt that the last 18 months have been a challenge for business. First we had supply chain issues in the Far East. And then since March 2020, we’ve had rolling lockdowns and restrictions on business.
Keeping any outfit running under conditions like these is difficult. But for crafters like us, it’s been just as challenging. Nobody is immune.
In this post, therefore, we take a look at some of the ways you can keep your business afloat until the good times return. Hopefully, it won’t be long.
Rethink Your Product Line-up
When you run a craft business, it’s all too easy to create the goods that you love to make. But every so often, it is worth casting a critical eye over your lineup and asking yourself whether it is really what your customers want.
Making something that people really want is notoriously hard. But once you hit on the right formula, you’ll find that your sales expand dramatically. There’s a massive market for craft goods, but they have to do the things that customers want them to do.
Don’t Post Negative Comments About Customers
You might hate certain customers – that’s only natural in business. But posting about how much you dislike them on public forums online is a bad idea. And it can turn off other potential customers looking to buy from you. If you have to vent, do so in private with somebody you trust. And don’t mention any names. Keep it all anonymous.
Be Kind To Yourself
Being kind to yourself is one of the most critical aspects of business. It’s how you transform your job from something you dread into something genuinely enjoyable.
If you’ve been injured at work and it was somebody else’s fault, don’t just accept it, speak to a professional. Once you find an excellent personal injury law firm, you may be able to get compensation that could help you financially if you’re going through a challenging time.
Be Open To Change
Just because something always worked in the past, doesn’t mean that it necessarily will in the future. A product line might succeed for a while. But then times change, and it’s no longer what consumers are looking for.
If you’re passionate about your crafting career, direct your passion towards the growth of your business and providing what customers want. Don’t stick rigidly to another. Always be prepared to experiment.
Build A Mailing List
Customers who’ve bought from you before are the most likely to want to buy from you again. However, you’ll sometimes need to remind them that you exist.
The best way to do this is to capture their emails whenever you make a sale and then send them marketing emails on your latest offers. Try to keep your correspondence interesting so they’ll always want to open your mail.
Don’t Compete On Price
Lastly, try to avoid price competition. Instead, look for ways that you can make your products utterly unique, like nothing else on the market, so that you can charge a premium.
