Everyone knows that homemade is big business at the moment. As the behavior of large corporations becomes ever-more questionable, up to 93% of us have returned to shopping local. Ding dong, the capitalist culture is dead. Or, at least, it’s taken a few good hits in recent years.
And, many are taking advantage of the trend by attempting to sell homemade wares. While this was never more than a hobby before, it could now be a way to earn serious income. At least, it could be if you go about it the right way. After all, capitalism may be wounded, but customers still operate with high standards. And, you need to be sure you can meet them if you want to take this far. Luckily, we’re going to look at a few of the ways you can do just that.
Shutterstock Licensed Photo – By Chaay_Tee
A professional selling platform
In the past, homemade hobbyists would sell using platforms like Etsy, or stalls at craft fairs. And, there’s nothing wrong with these methods if you want to earn pocket money. They certainly save you having to deal with order forms and difficult codes. With Etsy, these are already in place. The only thing you need to do is develop what’s known as a ‘shop front.’ But, if you want to take things further, you’re going to need to create an individual and professional website. And, that means buying your own domain name and taking the time to work out that HTML after all. This will show potential buyers that your business is serious enough to stand on its own two legs. And, that’s sure to impress more than a third-party site would.
Rustic is not best
Selling rustic items might have worked when craft fairs were as far as it went, but you’ll need to try harder if you want to see success. A crafty fair-goer might not have worried about the evident sewing on your bags, but a serious online customer won’t be as forgiving. Instead, you should work on keeping stitches invisible and meeting shop-quality. Equally, cheap jewelry materials might have served your Etsy days, but things need to improve if you’re planning on taking this far. You might want to reconsider the materials you stock, or even invest in electroplating equipment which can provide a professional finish. While customers are more liable to turn handmade, they might not want the world to know it. So, it’s essential you think about quality.
Increase your production capabilities
If you’re taking this pro, you’ll also want to think about increasing production. You might have been able to keep up alone when you only had a trickle of orders. But, there’s no chance of that when you get a fair few orders a day. In that instance, you’ll want to consider expanding your company to keep on top. One thing’s sure; customers won’t be happy to wait weeks while you alone tackle orders. As such, employing team members could be your only chance at making this work.