Help a Girl Out!
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As a small business owner I have been encouraged and blessed by other small business owners, particularly in the handmade industry, who have offered advice and guidance along the way. This post is a small way I can pay it forward!
I stumbled into business unintentionally. I just had fun making things. I quickly realized that if I could sell some of those things then I could have MORE fun making MORE things. That still pretty much sums up my strategy! But it also means that I am sorely lacking in business knowledge. It’s SO helpful when someone who is further along comes alongside you and points you in the right direction. For me, my friend Marci (Circle of Life Photography) was the first person who was genuinely excited about my business potential. Even before I opened an Etsy shop she was advising me that I should do so. Back then she was just starting her photography business and she even did a little bit of product photography for me which made my items look so great! Another friend showed me the ropes of Etsy. Another gave me suggestions for craft shows to sign up for. I limped along for a few years this way. I’d do an event and meet someone which would lead to another opportunity. Then someone would see my work in a shop and that would lead to another opportunity. And so on and so on.
Debbie Serdy of “My Aunt Debbie” fame was one of my first Encouragers, and she continues to be so, through at least 3 different retail ventures! Our styles may differ but we share a love of vintage and all things handmade. The best advice that Debbie gave me is this: “You are not your customer.” Learning that was truly a lightbulb moment for me. I’ve repeated it like a mantra over the years to keep me on track.
I’ve been in so many different shops over the years, from downtown Lancaster to Ephrata, Lititz, Elizabethtown, Hershey, Carlisle, Harrisburg and more! Businesses have come and gone but I’m still kicking! The first juried show, Forty Elephants: A Vintage and Handmade Market (formerly Lancaster Flea and Craft Market) was a milestone for me as a “Creative.” I was “accepted” among the really great talents in South Central PA! It was scary at first to put in the applications (and pay the higher fees!) but I’m so grateful to the organizers who gave me a chance and boosted my self confidence immensely!
The best business decision I ever made was applying for a mentor through S.C.O.R.E. I was matched up with Cathy and she is just fabulous! We’ve been meeting together for a year and a half now. The first thing that endeared Cathy to me is that she didn’t laugh in my face when I told her my goal for my business. She just got to work, teaching me the steps I need to take to reach that goal. When I start to get distracted from my mission she gently reminds me of my goals and asks whether that particular idea du jour is part of the plan.
For anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of the behind the scenes, I share these tidbits. My website is built with Squarespace. It’s working well for me, though I don’t have anything to compare to. Marci also helped me get started in designing the website. “Drag and Drop” tools are not quite so intuitive as they sound! But after a two hour tutorial I knew enough to begin. I started without an ecommerce feature because I thought I’d direct sales through Etsy. But I soon learned that having my own website is preferable. It was very easy to add that feature without having to change my template. For 10 years I’ve been keeping my accounting on GoDaddy. It started as a free service, but after a year or two it switched to a paid platform. It was so handy I didn’t want to lose it, so I pay for it. I link my Etsy shop, PayPal, and my website transactions to my accounting so they automatically get uploaded. I recently started to use Buffer, a program that schedules my social media posts. I use the free version and it mostly does what I want it to do. I’m trying to learn MailChimp so I can start email marketing, but I need a tutorial to get me going. Yes, I could watch YouTube videos but that’s so boring. YouTube videos have been very valuable in this journey, but nothing replaces the help of a friend!
Occasionally I get asked for advice and I give it gladly! We weren’t meant to find our path alone; I’m happy to share what I know. I’ve reached out to other Creatives over the years. Some of them answer my questions and some ignore me. That’s another reason that S.C.O.R.E. has been so helpful—you can ask questions of other business owners or professionals and everyone is in the same boat. No one is trying to steal any trade secrets. If you are just starting out, I applaud you! Congratulations on taking the first step to pursue your passion! Let me know if I can lend a helping hand!