Tips & Talk 1 – Are You Making this HUGE Startup Mistake?

Well, hi there.

I see that you've made it over here to the new

tips and talk portion of the podcast.

These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and

things that I'm observing in the world of handmade product,

small businesses let's get right to it.

One huge mistake that I continue to see with handmade creators

who are turning what's always been a hobby into a business.

So they've decided to jump the fence if you will,

and monetize something that they make.

Here's what happens when this mistake occurs.

First off,

very few sales start coming in at all.

And that's the main reason they're doing it right,

is to sell something.

And even if there are sales that are coming in,

there's no traction,

that's getting established.

You know what?

The dream is,

you have somebody who's not a family or a friend start

buying products from you.

So you're validating that your products have a market that people

want them,

but then you need traction.

You need someone to buy again from you or tell someone

else about you so that you can grow your business.

And when this mistake occurs,

that traction never happens.

The other thing that is a situation with this big mistake

is there's a lot of confusion around who you are as

a business owner,

what your product is.

You've just not really set a stake in the ground.

So there's not an opportunity or a potential for anybody to

talk about you.

So now that I have kept you in suspense for long

enough, the huge mistake that I see is not claiming a

core product to start out with kind of like being the

woman of all trades for everything,

and to illustrate the point and to make it a little

clearer. Let's say you are an attendee at a craft show,

okay? So you're not exhibiting,

but you're just going into a craft show and you're going

around and you're looking at all these different booths and you

go from booth to booth and you go to one table

and on that table are side full of candles.

And then there's a side that has knitted coasters maybe.

And then another side that has like water color designed greeting

cards. What does that business stand for?

What is it?

How would you describe that business?

The maker is the artist of all of it,

but what would you say it's too varied.

There are too many different products that they're representing.

So they're like a master of everything,

but an expert at none.

And this is a real problem with handmade creators because let's

face it.

You know,

if you are a creator first off,

you're a very special breed.

Only half of the population has that creative edge to them.

But then for you to go on and make products and

then decide to sell you're in a very unique group.

But the problem is what do you sell?

You make so many things you,

so you paint,

the original theory would be well,

I'm going to do all of them because that way I've

opened up my opportunities to more people.

If people don't want the watercolor breeding cards,

then maybe they'll want the handmade knitted coasters,

or then they may want the candles.

So I'll have all of them.

No, no,

no, no,

no. This is the mistake.

And it's a mistake.

Why it's a mistake because you are then representing yourself out

to the community as an expert at none of them.

So if you are thinking about monetizing a handmade product,

please do not make this mistake.

Please don't select all the products that you make and put

them out on that table.

Let's go back to the craft show.

I was just telling you about,

you looked at that one table and you saw all those

products and maybe you bought something that was awesome.

But then you go to the next one table down and

on the,

at the next table down,

there is a woman who is also the maker,

but on her table are knitted baby booties and knitted,

winter, scarves,

and mittens.

And she has all different types of stitching.

So there's all different types of applications that are included in

all these products,

of course,

different colors and all of that.

What is her specialty and what is she an expert in

obviously knitted products.

So she starting to build a name for herself and to

become known as somebody who is an expert with knitted products.

And this is what you want to get to.

You want to get to the point where people,

when they say your name,

they say,

Oh yes,

she makes the most beautiful baby booties.

I bought some for one of my friends and she loved

them. And I'm going back the next time.

There's a craft show.

Cause I saw a really cool hat that I love from

her. And then you're able to go on and say who

the name of the artist is and what the company is,

et cetera,

but much more difficult to go back to that first booth

and recommend them because,

Oh yeah,

it's the company that has will.

They have a bunch of different things,

water, watercolor cards.

Cause some crocheting,

see there's no expertise there.

So that is the biggest mistake.

So if you're starting your business,

it's against what you're feeling like you should do.

I know because you're thinking I want to offer everything.

That's my most potential for sales.

When really the most potential you have for sales is if

you niche down,

we're all hearing the word now,

right? That's like a key term that everyone talks about.

Find your niche,

niche down.

It's a key word because that's exactly what you should be

doing is niching down because then you find the perfect customers

who will buy your perfect product and you are recognized as

the specialist.

And when you do this,

what will happen is you will be talked about you'll gain

traction because people who've liked and bought what you had will

come back to you.

You'll get repeat customers and then you'll build your business.

Now, does that mean long-term that you're strapped in and all

you could sell is knitted scarves.

No. And let me give you an example,

Sonia paws,

she's known for her artwork that has this theme of pop

art for years.

This is all she did once she narrowed in everything that

she made was along the same thing.

So not only was she an artist,

but she had a certain style to her art.

Now she sold coasters,

water bottles,

framed art,

key chains.

If you're out on the West coast,

you'll see her art in lots of the airports.

As she grew and built her business,

she was in business for years.

Then another love came about for her and totally different,

totally different realm than her art.

That new love of hers was jalapeno peppers.

And so now she has a whole line it's called Sonia's

sweet and spicy jalapeno peppers that she now also market.

So it's another brand of hers,

I guess what's happened because she was such a specialist.

So well known,

built a following around her pop art.

She had a ready-made audience that many of them followed her

into her new venture.

So now she's doing two different things,

her new venture of her sweet and spicy jalapeno peppers.

Very delicious,

by the way,

I just have to add that in.

So always start with that core product.

As your business focus,

start with one thing,

become the specialist and the expert and known about one thing.

And then you can move forward from there.

That's a wrap.

I'm a get to the point kind of girl.

And this is what you can expect from these quick midweek

sessions. Now it's your turn go out and fulfill that dream

of yours.

Share your handmade products with us.