Tips & Talk 56 – At What Point Do You Turn Pro?
At what point in your business do you turn from a hobbyist to a pro? And why does this even matter? In today’s show I give an example of a maker’s journey, at what point they become a specialist (or pro) and most importantly, what actions to take to incorporate this into your business for added visibility and sales.
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Transcript
Hi there.
Speaker:It's Sue.
Speaker:And thanks for joining me for tips and talk day.
Speaker:These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and
Speaker:things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small business.
Speaker:If you'd like to submit a topic,
Speaker:DME, over on Instagram at gift biz unwrapped,
Speaker:It's a dark and dreary Saturday afternoon,
Speaker:and you have an idea.
Speaker:You have scissors and a ball of string in the kitchen
Speaker:drawer. You have a bunch of half burned pillar candles in
Speaker:all sorts of colors.
Speaker:There are Mason jars in the basement from last year's canning.
Speaker:And of course,
Speaker:pots and pans in the kitchen,
Speaker:you decide I'm going to try my hand at candle making.
Speaker:So you pull up a YouTube video,
Speaker:follow the step-by-step directions,
Speaker:substituting equipment and ingredients with what you have on hand.
Speaker:And while you've made a candle,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:it needs some time to set for awhile and the color
Speaker:isn't that great.
Speaker:Since you remelted and combined wax colors that you had on
Speaker:hand. Yes,
Speaker:it's a little chunky and you don't know yet if it'll
Speaker:burn or smell like anything,
Speaker:but you did it.
Speaker:And the process was fun.
Speaker:You tested your innovation and creativity,
Speaker:a wonderful activity for a Saturday afternoon.
Speaker:Can you now call yourself a candle maker?
Speaker:I guess you can.
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:you made a candle,
Speaker:right? Having patients,
Speaker:you wait a while to light your candle.
Speaker:Clearly the string didn't work.
Speaker:The flame burnt down.
Speaker:As soon as it touched the wax,
Speaker:your experiment didn't produce what you expected,
Speaker:but it was fun.
Speaker:And you want to try again,
Speaker:but not with your nice double boiler and this time with
Speaker:the right ingredients.
Speaker:So you plan for round two,
Speaker:purchasing candle,
Speaker:wax, a couple of essential oils,
Speaker:real candle wicks this time.
Speaker:And you begin again,
Speaker:some of the steps are easy now because you've done it
Speaker:once before.
Speaker:And you've learned that you need to position the WIC as
Speaker:the wax cools.
Speaker:So it doesn't flop over to the side,
Speaker:like the last time,
Speaker:yay. Your results are so much better.
Speaker:And your candle actually burns.
Speaker:Are you now a candle maker As time goes on you
Speaker:perfect. Your candle,
Speaker:making skills,
Speaker:test out and decide on the product elements you like best
Speaker:which wicks,
Speaker:which type of wax and you've experimented with all sorts of
Speaker:containers that you now know are called vessels in the industry.
Speaker:You've also learned about sinkholes sent loads and burn rates.
Speaker:You've even added some creative elements to your candles with dried
Speaker:rose pedals from your garden.
Speaker:And even some dried herbs,
Speaker:your candles are looking and smelling pretty fabulous.
Speaker:If you don't say so yourself,
Speaker:and you're now giving them away as gifts to friends and
Speaker:family, whether you call yourself a candle maker yet or not,
Speaker:your becoming known as one in your personal circle,
Speaker:your passion for your candle making grows.
Speaker:You never knew how rewarding it would be.
Speaker:When people comment on your candle gifts,
Speaker:they praise you for their quality and beautiful scent.
Speaker:Some like them best because of the artistry you've added.
Speaker:Unlike others,
Speaker:they've seen on the shelves at local big brand stores,
Speaker:and they want you to make more of them and they'll
Speaker:pay you to do so.
Speaker:In fact,
Speaker:they say,
Speaker:I bet other people would want your candles too.
Speaker:Have you ever thought of selling them?
Speaker:You're taken aback,
Speaker:selling them well,
Speaker:yes. The idea had occurred to you,
Speaker:but only as a far-fetched dream,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:others have turned their handmade products into a business,
Speaker:but you have no training in that area in response to
Speaker:how much you would charge.
Speaker:If someone wanted to buy your candle,
Speaker:you pull a price out of the air.
Speaker:If you charge for the candles,
Speaker:your friend requested at all,
Speaker:and then it happens again.
Speaker:Others ask for your candles too.
Speaker:Are you a candle maker?
Speaker:Now at this point,
Speaker:it's pretty obvious that yes you are.
Speaker:And the idea of making money from this seems more realistic
Speaker:given that you decide to give it a go,
Speaker:you choose a name for your business.
Speaker:Sign up for a small church,
Speaker:Bazaar and prepare for the event.
Speaker:Yes, the nerves and anxiety kick in.
Speaker:But with your friends support,
Speaker:you do it anyway.
Speaker:Your table display is kind of mediocre compared to some of
Speaker:the others,
Speaker:but you pick up some tips.
Speaker:It's exciting to make sales.
Speaker:And once again,
Speaker:see positive reaction to your candles.
Speaker:Maybe I can do this business thing you think to yourself,
Speaker:you begin to truly believe it.
Speaker:As time goes on,
Speaker:you attend larger shows.
Speaker:You adjust your pricing.
Speaker:So your sales will actually be profitable.
Speaker:Your cousin builds you a website and your businesses growing.
Speaker:There are definitely bumps in the road.
Speaker:Sales look really great for awhile.
Speaker:Then some months they get slower.
Speaker:You have to learn how to make sales on Etsy because
Speaker:you found that business doesn't come to you just by being
Speaker:online. And then there's the whole social media drama.
Speaker:But you're slowly finding your way.
Speaker:Now at this point,
Speaker:your not only a candle maker,
Speaker:but your turning pro you've put in the time,
Speaker:effort and financial investment to get your products to the level
Speaker:that they are.
Speaker:Now, you've experimented with techniques,
Speaker:special equipment,
Speaker:and along the way,
Speaker:added your own techniques to produce the product now available for
Speaker:sale today.
Speaker:The truth is you were a candle maker from that very
Speaker:first candle.
Speaker:And along the way,
Speaker:probably without even recognizing it,
Speaker:you turned pro the pro part is what makes you an
Speaker:expert in your industry.
Speaker:And yes,
Speaker:I am calling you an expert,
Speaker:the story of your candle making journey from that first Saturday
Speaker:afternoon, through your trials and challenges and successes to where you
Speaker:are today is what separates you and your special candles from
Speaker:all others.
Speaker:The thing is,
Speaker:you need to tell this story,
Speaker:how will anyone else know?
Speaker:I want you to re-listen to this podcast,
Speaker:as an example,
Speaker:and write down your origin story,
Speaker:the one that's true for you and your product,
Speaker:and then add it to your about me page.
Speaker:Do a blog article,
Speaker:sharing your journey include funny mishaps from your experimentation on social
Speaker:media or in your emails.
Speaker:All of these things demonstrate your investment in your craft and
Speaker:your commitment to the quality and individuality of the products that
Speaker:you offer today.
Speaker:Your authentic story,
Speaker:it's powerful,
Speaker:brings credibility and honesty to your brand trust in you as
Speaker:the artist and reinforces your position as an expert,
Speaker:a specialist and a pro That's a wrap.
Speaker:I'm a get to the point kind of girl.
Speaker:And this is what you can expect from these quick midweek
Speaker:sessions. Now it's your turn go out and fulfill that dream
Speaker:of yours.
Speaker:Share your handmade products with us.
Speaker:We want them,