After running a handmade baby clothing and accessories business for several years, I learned a lot on how to make money from my DIYs. Here are 5 steps on how to start a handmade business!
Most of these steps are RESEARCH. I think it's important to spend a lot of time researching your business before jumping into it. You won't regret the time you spend doing this work!
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Researching your product
It's imperative to make your product safe for your customers. There are different labeling laws and different ingredient laws depending on what you're creating. In Canada (where I am), you can find most of these standards here.
Look into how much it's going to cost to make your product and if it's feasible to make a profit from it. Research where you might be able to find wholesale supplies so that you can save some money with bulk orders. Check out how much it'll cost to ship your product and decide if you want to add that into the cost of your product, or make that an extra fee for your customer.
Research your competition
Find out (ballpark) how many people sell a similar product locally or online. Is your product popular? Will you have a lot of competition? Ask yourself how you can make your product stand out from the competition. For example, if you're selling baby blankets and there are a lot of people locally selling the same thing, can you use a unique fabric or design to make yours pop?
Researching your customer
Decide what type of customer might buy your product. What's their age group, gender, yearly income and marital status? What are their values? Determine what your customer's problem might be and how you can solve it. Being able to solve a big problem people have is a great place to be in! For example, is your potential customer eco-conscious but they can't find eco-friendly decor? Maybe your handmade business will provide them with a product that meets this need!
Establish your brand
Branding is an important way to make your company stand out from your competitors and stand out in your customer's mind. Choose a name that stands out and make sure it's not similar to a registered business or trademarked name. After your establish your name, create a fun logo and choose brand colours. You can do this yourself with a program like Canva or hire it out. Grab your social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube etc) and keep it consistent. Look into creating a website, brochure, business cards that you can use to promote your business.
Start selling
After you've done all of your research and established your brand, you're reading to sell! Craft fairs are a great place to start, or consider selling via consignment in a local shop or spa. You can also start selling online immediately via Facebook, Kijiji, Etsy, or your own website using WordPress and Shopify.
Interested in starting a career as an online content creator? Read my story here.
This week's challenge:
Do you make something that you could sell? Tell me if you're going to take one of the steps above to start your own handmade business!
Happy DIYing!
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What do you think?