When it comes to a small craft business, the best place to sell your handmade products is at craft shows and fairs. But I will discuss some overlooked ways you can sell handmade items. A good marketing plan for a business would typically include advertising in various places, such as the local newspaper or radio station. But it’s a bit different with a craft business.
Because of your business’s nature, advertising like this probably won’t help you sell your wares. You shouldn’t spend the money unless it’s on an occasional classified ad, and I wouldn’t suggest that.
There are many opportunities for you to market your product at little or no expense. There are all types of buyers out there who are interested in buying crafts.
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING OVERLOOKED BUT LUCRATIVE MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES:
Home Parties Or Private Showings
These are well-suited to crafters who want to sell their work on weekends or weeknights. The “Feel Free to Come Anytime All Afternoon and Bring a Friend” approach is irresistible.
Think about sending attention-getting invitations to friends, family, and acquaintances on fluorescent paper, providing information sheets that entice attendees to host parties in the future, and packaging products in seasonally decorated gift boxes or bags.
Holiday House Boutiques
Holiday house boutiques involving special craft shows ordinarily offered twice a year (Christmas and spring) offer opportunities for those who want to work part-time.
Thousands of people are drawn to these types of boutiques, which are held in all kinds of locations, from school gymnasiums to historic houses.
Catalogs
Last year American shoppers spent more than $1.5 billion on mail-order merchandise from catalogs. We buy more products by mail than consumers in any other country. As one might expect, crafts are big sellers in this arena.
Approach a catalog buyer whose products are in a similar category or type as yours. Be prepared to pay for your supplies and labor up-front, and show that you can meet the demand for catalog sales.
Online Stores
Hundreds of thousands of people are online shopping every day. Don’t miss out on their business. This is where a website or blog comes in extremely handy! Be sure they can find you by registering with Google Keywords and telling everyone you know about your website and products.
School
Think about where your child attends school. Will they let you put your product in the teacher’s lounge with an order sheet? It never hurts to ask. Teachers are notorious for loving hand-crafted items. This can be a wonderful place to make a considerable amount of money, and all you have to do is provide the product!
Work
Surely you know someone who works. Ask your husband, mother, best friend, sister, and brother if their place of employment would be willing to have your crafts displayed in their employee lounge. Like having them at school, many people who have careers have little time to shop for the crafts they love. Bring it to them!
If you have a product that fits a particular business niche, concentrate on those places. Do you make adorable cell phone holders? Talk to the storefront for your cell phone company and ask if you can place a small table in their showroom. Figure out where your product will fit and try to put it in front of the customer’s eye.
Small Shops
Do you live in a high tourist area? Do they have many “touristy” type shops and boutiques that attract travelers? Ask if you can give them a portion of sales in exchange for a showcase for your product.
Tourists are much more eager to part with their money while on vacation. There’s no reason why their money shouldn’t come to you!
Hospital Gift Shops
These venues are incredibly profitable if you have a craft that would fit the hospital’s niche. These include baby gifts, get-well gifts, and baskets filled with items like magazines, crossword puzzles, and ways to pass the time.
Don’t Forget To Encourage Repeat Business
Make sure to attach a business card or tag with your business name, a way to contact you, and where to follow you on social to every single item you produce. Some people will throw them away and never look at them, but others will keep that card and possibly be repeat customers.
While selling through a second-hand retailer can help boost sales, it can take away from the customer relation-building opportunity. You may have to think outside the box to create that connection with your customers.
Check out PACKAGE YOUR PRODUCTS TO MAKE YOUR CUSTOMERS FEEL APPRECIATED for great tips on how to package your products.
Want to know if you are ready to turn your craft hobby into a craft business? I’ve created a free checklist of the 5 Things to Have Before Starting A Craft Business so you can turn your hobby into a craft business. I created this checklist because I often see DIY Crafter and Handmade Crafters struggling with knowing how to get started as a business. If you can relate to this, my 5 Things To Have Before Starting A Craft Business is explicitly designed to help you know exactly what it takes to start a handmade business and get to do what you love, crafting. So if you’d like to take advantage of this free download.
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- Launch Your Dream Business – This 5-day course helps you set up your business correctly and gets you started building your dream business.
- Make Your Business Soar – A Premium online course that guides you on the step-by-step journey of how to market your business..
