Thursday, January 08, 2009

What are you doing to boost business? I'll share & you share to improve all of our sales!

After going quite a while without a sale in my Etsy shop, I was thinking today and in previous days how I could boost my business in such a bad economic year. Since my items are not necessities, but rather decorative, it can be a hard sell during such harsh times. I know that many of my fellow artists and crafters can relate so I wanted to start a little chain of sharing - the sharing of business ideas. I encourage you to post the top things that you are doing this year to improve your business which will hopefully help all of us to improve our businesses as well. You can either post it in the comments below or make your own blog post about it, but please do take a minute to list your top notch ideas and help each other.


Here's what I'll be doing to boost business:
  • I plan to branch out by selling some fiber art supplies as well instructional felting kits. I find that it is much easier to sell supplies than finished items in hard economic times. I guess that supplies are seen more as an investment and necessity than finished decorative items.
  • I am going to start doing freelance graphic design and web design work for reasonable rates. I'd like to focus on offering my design services to artists and crafters. I think it is good to utilize all of my skills to earn a living in such hard times, and I feel that I know where artists and crafters are coming from and will be able to serve their needs best.
  • I will be pursuing more publicity opportunities. I would like to write to online design blogs and sites as well as magazine and book publishers to try to obtain some features. It can result in great free advertising and only takes a little of my time to do.
  • I am going to work on my schedule and organization. I have been sorely lacking in the past year about having a strict work schedule on my days off from teaching. I treat those days as part vacation days and part work days. It would be much more beneficial to me if I took things more seriously when it comes to running my home business.
  • I am not going to get discouraged so easily. I have found lately that every little knock makes me want to just tumble over. It hasn't always been that way, but having a small business feels like an uphill battle with the economy as it is. My focus needs to always be in the present - not worrying about the past or the future, but working hard in the now.

What will you be doing this year to boost business? Please share your ideas...........

6 comments:

  1. Great boosting buinsess ideas. I have started writing business articles for my blog and other sites. You can take a peek if you wish. - CT

    http://www.ctjewelrydesign.blogspot.com

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  2. Shalana, I so agree with you about sharing ideas because what goes around, comes around.

    At this point the main thing that I am doing is renewing items on etsy-I only renew one item as anyone who is interested can link to the whole shop thru that renewal.

    I have also joined several social networks-We Love Etsy, Indiepublic, ACG and Try Handmade in the hopes of getting my stuff out there!!

    I am trying to get on Etsysellers who blog and Indiepublic ring thru ring surf.

    Hopefully some of these ideas will help!

    Louise

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  3. I wrote a blog post that applies to the economy and marketing with our descriptions. I'll be working on it over time in my shop.

    http://studiocherie.blogspot.com/2009/01/peddle-it-like-peterman.html

    The other thing is expanding my pattern offerings. I agree with you that providing supplies and tools is the way to go.

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  4. thanks for the great advice, shalana!

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  5. Great ideas! We'll all get through these tough times,too! Most analysts believe that the small business owner will be the ones who will do the best in this climate.

    Hang in there!

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  6. Good ideas. I like your idea of offering supplies and kits. Does that also broaden your price point so you can find something that will entice an unsure customer to buy? (From there, though, I wish we had a way to upsell on Etsy...)

    This year I'm starting to send out newsletters via snail mail and email. A high-impact marketing class I took a few months ago stressed the importance of connecting regularly with one's regular customer base.

    Cheers!
    -Pam

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