Less Information Can Be More: Your Handmade Business
State of Making 2017 Highlights
In you case you missed our The State of Making, I wanted to share a few insights I learned from our guests. This is the second time we've done The State of Making and I learn so much every time-- right along with you guys! OK, so here were my big insights.
Creating a Wholesale Catalogue that Serves your Business and Customer
One of the best things about being part of a community of other professional makers is that there are people who have BEEN THERE and DONE THAT. We are blessed to have members with a wide variety of business experiences here at Academy of Handmade. Veteran maker and wholesaler Amy Chin shares with us today her wholesale wisdom-- born of smarts and trial and error. We hope you learn from how she's navigated the wholesale world.
The 3 Types of Maker Business Failure (with One You're Already a Pro at Overcoming)
One of the hardest things about running your own business is having to deal with failure. It’s isolating and extremely discouraging-- which can create a downward spiral if we’re not careful.
We talk about the three ways I think makers and other creative businesses typically fail-- with two of them stinging the most and one of them that most makers deal with pretty well. Once we know what kind of failure we are experiencing, we can better make a plan to move on (I’m not saying it will be easy, but I’m saying we can!).
Making Collaborations Work For You
If you've ever wanted to breathe new life into your work, expand your audience and push your skills, then doing a collaboration could be amazing for you. BUT, they can also burn you if you don't go in with the right expectations. We are excited to have #ahasmember Kimberly of Lacelit share her recent collaboration and what she learned in the process.
Stopping the Social Media Comparison Game
When you have an online business, it's easy to forget that what you see online is the best, curated or partial version of what's actually happening in someone's business. Yet still we persist in comparing ourselves to others on social media! Today, #ahasmember Amber of Ink & Matter shares how she finally moved on from it and what she does to keep from getting sucked back in.
Adapting Product Lines in Response to Audience Demand
YOU NEED TO TAKE A STEP BACK
If you feel stuck in your business at all, taking a step back, as ironic as it seems can be huge for moving forward. If this post sparks something in you or you recognize what we're describing, take our Maker Business Type Quiz to better understand what's happening in your business.
3 Habits You Can Start Now to Prepare for Growth
One of the things that is hardest to do in business is predict where your business will go next. But if you are wanting to grow your business or even sustain it, planning for it now and implementing systems is key to making sure that growth doesn't crush you or doesn't look like what you wanted (read this blog post about burnout in a successful business). We're delighted to have members Chris & Andy Design share ways to prepare for this growth. You can learn more from Andy, who will be on our State of Making session on shows and booth design!
Surviving a Huge Career Leap
There often comes a time in starting a business when there is a tensions between doing it full time and still feeling you need to keep some element of a day job to be stable. A lot of fear can enter in at this time-- am I good enough to to do this? Will I make enough money? #ahasmember Ashley shares her journey from school teacher to running a full-time sewing business.
Experimenting and adapting your business in a changing market
When you figure out what works in your business, it's such a relief! But frustratingly, the saying is true: What go you here won't get you there. Adapting is hard but necessary. Member and maker Andrea Bruns Vickery shares how she made changes in her product and marketing, but stayed true to herself.
Balancing the Creative Side with Business
Owning your own creative business takes a special person. You're not just pursuing creative passions, but you have to know business strategies that might not always be top of the right-brained mind. You can also find yourself concerned about business and that it can suck time and energy away from what makes your business special-- your creativity. We surveyed a few of our members how they balance this. Here are their responses!
THE ART OF INTRODUCING YOUR WORK TO RETAIL BUYERS
Wholesale is usually where serious maker businesses look to up-level. It also can be fraught with nuance and special knowledge. That's why we love member Lela Barker. She is helping makers wholesale like champs through her program Wholesale Matchmaker (which is open now!). Today she's giving you some of her insider knowledge!
Owning a Business while Going Back to School: One Maker's Story
One thing that always astounds me is how much makers are able to juggle. Some of you might be considering juggling more and going back to school to help you get better at your business. That's what #ahasmember Cristiana of Pebble & Fire decided to do and she is sharing her story!
Finding your First Studio Space
4 Tips for Working with a Graphic Designer for the First Time
In a past life my job was to work alongside graphic designers to make sure they understood what the client wanted and the client understood what was realistic and possible. It gave me great insight into how designers think (I often say, "I speak graphic designer"). And it also allowed me to see how many people did not understand the role or abilities of designers. Which is why I am so glad designer April Matthews is sharing how to work with a graphic designer-- because it will save you time and money (I promise!)