Handmade Success

A digital art business is a viable option to leverage the advancements in technology.

In the current scenario, the digitization of art museums and online auctions is a norm.

Thus, the future of becoming a digital artist entrepreneur seems promising.

Of course, as an artist, you can debut on Instagram. But to pivot your art skills to form a stable business, you need some strategy in the picture.

If you are looking forward to making money as a digital artist. Then, please read further to know how to go about doing it.

How To Start A Successful Digital Art Business

What Defines a Digital Art Business?

Art created through digital technology takes the form of digital art. Digital art could be virtual or its elements could transfer to a physical form as well.

A computer is a basic gadget to create digital art. Though with the advancements in technology there are newer gadgets to create art.

Creating digital art to sell digital/physical products makes a digital art business.

What Types of Art Businesses You Can Digitize?

The short answer to the above question is – ALL.

Yes, all kinds of art can have a digital version. But to provide you with a myriad of possibilities, some of them are as listed below:

1. Backgrounds
2. Book covers and templates
3. Calendars
4. Cards
5. Clip art
6. Designs and patterns for embroidery, sewing, crochet, knitting, laser cutting, etc.
7. Fonts
8. Journals and diaries
9. Paper
10. Photography
11. Planners, organizers, and trackers
12. Portraits, drawings, and illustrations
13. Prints
14. Stamps
15. Stickers
16. Templates
17. Vector Art
18. Videos
19. Washi Tapes
20. Zine

 

The above list is from the actual digital art selling on Etsy. So, if you are a newbie on Etsy. Then, you can start your handmade business by picking up one of the categories above.

The above list includes a few examples of niches in the handmade digital art business. You can expand it further to include almost every kind of handmade art and craft.

Furthermore, the above list is ever-evolving. Thus, with time, other forms of digital art will include in it.

How to Monetize Digital Art?

If you have picked up one or a few kinds of digital arts to sell in your handmade craft shop. You can upload your digital artwork on your Etsy store. But the severe competition on the platform limits your selling potential. Also, if your Etsy shop has closed down. Then, you might face a difficult time in making your digital art business a success.

Hence, the next challenge is to figure out a strategy to sell them. 

I have been able to double up my earnings from digital art in 6 months by following the exact process as below:

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this article through routing via the links in this post. Then, I may end up receiving a certain monetary percentage from the sale. Though the one who purchases through the link does not end up paying anything extra apart from the mentioned MRP on the product. Full disclosures on the Affiliate Page.

     1.     Learn How to Create Digital Art

This is a no brainer. But because of this logic, I delayed my plans to start a digital art business.

Though I wish I had known that professional designing skills are not mandatory.

It is great if you are a fabulous multimedia designer. But if like me you also lack designing skills. Then, you can hire designers from Fiverr or Upwork. Also, you can buy design bundles from websites like Creative Market.

But you will see positive results in developing design skills. I confess that I cannot operate sophisticated design softwares like Adobe and CorelDraw. But I can use Canva and Picmonkey to my advantage.

A little search on the internet will help you explore the options to create all kinds of digital art. But if you plan to make Planners and Organizers as I do. Then, you must consider enrolling in Suzi’s course Printables by Number. That course also teaches creating coloring books and nursery art.  Moreover, it also teaches how to come up with funnels to sell digital products.  Hence, it is a course worth investing in. 

I owe this course for teaching me how to create and sell printable planners. That is how my income increased after implementing the strategies in this course.

If you are a pro digital artist. Then, you can skip this step.

     2.     Create a Shop to Start a Digital Art Business

Your designs/ products must have an address where your audience can view and buy.

A digital shop serves that process well.

It houses the products and becomes an accelerator in monetization.

Thus, a digital shop is a must for setting up a digital art business. There are several options for the same. Some of them are as follows:

1. Gumroad – This is what I am using to host my printables. You can use my invitation link to open your account for free.
2. E-junkie – It is an economical option to start a minimal store for 5$/ month.
3. Send Owl – You can upgrade to this option to sell upsells at a low monthly cost.
4. Shopify – It is the most popular e-commerce storefront that increases conversions. It comes with tons of features through integrations with various apps. But it can get expensive if you are a beginner crafter.
5. ThriveCart – I intend to switch to this one since it has tons of options for upsells and order bumps. Also, its one-time payment for a lifetime plan seems impressive.

     3.     Bring Traffic to Your Store

Traffic is the most needed aspect of selling digital art. At times, even the established artists struggle to bring eyeballs to their online stores. Hence, for a newbie, the challenges are prominent.  

So, if you wish to know how to make money as an artist online. Then, you ought to understand how to bring traffic to your digital shop.

This topic needs a separate post. But to summarize the concept, there are three possible ways to generate a stream of traffic. They are:

• SEO Optimized Content
• Social Media
• Advertising

You can dive into one or more of the above as per your levels of understanding of the concepts.

I use all the 3 to bring in new visitors to my store. But amongst all, working on an SEO craft blog brings in the best results.

A well-maintained blog helps sell from any or all of your stores. That way, it can even help you to begin selling digital art on Etsy along with a stand-alone store.

 

Conclusion

If selling digital art is anywhere in your art business plan. Then, it makes sense to explore the options beyond selling clipart on Etsy. 

The field is vast and has several options for monetization.

Operation costs of running a Fine art business increase because of high shipping costs. That is why adding digital products to the portfolio helps in bringing quick wins.

Hence, if you are looking forward to turning your hobby into a business, this article is for you.

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Did you ever stumble upon the concept of email marketing for artists?

If yes. Then, you would know about the various benefits it brings.

If not, then you must read further to know about it.

What is Email Marketing For Artists?

It is the use of emails to engage and sell art to patrons. Most of the time, it involves updating the subscribers about the latest products. Furthermore, it facilitates offering digital art forms to download. Plus, it can also communicate about upcoming events and exhibitions through newsletters.

Email marketing is an effective means for an artist to retain and grow their audience.

Why Artists Should Do Email Marketing

1.     Point of Contact With Audience

Emails work as a direct point of contact with the audience. That means you can start communicating with them the moment they land on your contact list.

Consider your email list like a tribe of like-minded people. That means there is a strong connection with your subscribers. 

This to and fro flow of information is the biggest advantage of email marketing. It enables building strong connections around your handmade business niche. 

You can have personalized conversations with every person on your list. This leads to a strong network that facilitates fulfilling business goals.

2.     Effective and Everlasting Marketing Activity

Every digital marketing guru talks about the high ROI for email marketing. It makes sense to listen to them and learn from their experience. Though until you direct your focus on making email a priority. You will not understand the difference that it brings to your handmade business.

Instagram for artists works well to build a following. But in comparison to social media marketing, the sense of recall is higher with mail. An email subscriber would be more interested in your craft than a social media follower.  Thus, staying in touch with your email list proves fruitful in the long run.

Moreover, email marketing is not subjected to algorithm changes like social media. Therefore, email marketing has fewer changes to adapt to, unlike social media. 

3.     Helps Sell Affiliate Products for Wholesome Earnings

In the initial days of starting an artist journey, it is difficult to sell your artwork. There is a lot that goes into updating the target audience about your craft.

In those times, you can make money as an artist by doing affiliate marketing. 

It makes sense to sell products that complement your artwork. That way you help your audience to have a wholesome experience of your art.

With email marketing, it is easy to sell products to your subscribers on autopilot. The welcome sequences keep introducing products to every new person on your list. This further leads to sales that bring passive revenue to make a living. 

Selling affiliate products is a huge benefit of email marketing for creative makers. 

Some of the examples of affiliate marketing through emails for artists are:

1. If you make handmade soaps, you can sell loofahs and soap making tools.
2. If you make handmade jewelry, you can do an affiliate marketing of jewelry boxes.  
3. Or if you make money through woodworking projects. Then, you can mail your audience about buying chainsaw or other handyman tools. 

How Artists Can Make Use Of Emails For Selling

1.     Offer A Lead Magnet a.k.a Freebie Digital Art

If you receive my newsletters, then chances are that you subscribed to my list via a freebie.

In technical terms, the content that makes a viewer provide their consent to stay in touch is a lead magnet. In the popular culture of digital marketing, Freebie is the term used for the lead magnet.

A freebie is one of the best ways to test an email marketing strategy. There are different ways to figure out freebies for email marketing. But if you are precise about what artwork you will sell. Then, the freebie that acts as a precursor to selling that artwork works the best. Hence, a digital version of art/sculpture works as a good lead magnet.

You must have noticed a lot of free lead magnets for various articles on this website. A visual flow of the email marketing strategy for artists is the freebie for this article. 

2.     Share Your Craft Through Newsletters

The process of creating art interests the readers. Therefore, if you share with them how you go about making your crafts, it enthralls them.

Sending periodic newsletters is a great way to achieve that connection. 

An artist’s work consists of several processes with unique elements. Letting your readers know about them is a great way to include them in your craft.

Being active in communicating with your readers through your work creates strong bonds. Furthermore, these bonds lead your audience to buy your artwork. In a best-case scenario, a few artists are even able to presell their art through email marketing.

3.     Promote Your Exhibitions/ Shows

As of writing this post, the pandemic is on. Thus, in the current scenario craft shows and exhibitions are out of scope.

But the good part is that selling through online art blogs and stores is at an all-time high. Irrespective of whether you are seeking success through art exhibitions or through websites. You always have the option to promote to those who are a part of your email list.

This comes as a major advantage since one e-invite works for a large group of people.

What Are the Best Email Provider for Artists

To put email marketing for artists into action, you need email marketing software.

There are a few options that are free up to a certain number of email subscribers. But those free ones have a limit on full-blown features vis-a-vis the paid ones. 

The best email marketing providers come with an upfront cost. But that cost gets adjusted with the revenue you make due to their advanced features. 

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this article through routing via the links in this post. Then, I may end up receiving a certain monetary percentage from the sale. Though the one who purchases through the link does not end up paying anything extra apart from the mentioned MRP on the product. Full disclosures on the Affiliate Page.

I have used a few of them for this website. My experience is as follows:

1.     Mailchimp

I started email marketing with a Mailchimp account since it is free for up to 2000 subscribers. Their policies do not allow affiliate marketing. Thus, I looked for Mailchimp alternatives for facilitating monetization. 

2.     MailerLite

It is free for the first 1000 subscribers. I could never use them since they did not approve of my website.

3.     Convertkit 

I used their freemium account when they had some promotions. I liked them, but their cost hurts my profit margins. So, I made a switch from them as well.

4.     Aweber

They allow selling affiliates, unlike the competition. But their automation features are basic. Thus, I did not continue beyond their one-month freemium service.

5.     GetResponse

This is my current and most favorite email marketing service provider. Its review deserves a separate post. But in brevity, its distinguishing features are its :

• Automation options
• Ease of facilitating affiliate marketing, and
• Low cost

Conclusion

If as an artist you find yourself struggling with questions such as:

“How Do I Market Myself As An Artist”                        

“How Do I Get My Art Noticed”

Then, investing in email marketing is one of the best solutions.

It not only helps you put your latest creations in front of your audience. But it also helps you make money as an artist.

There are several ways to use email marketing to your advantage. But to do the same, you cannot rely on free email providers. Switching to a robust service with good deliverability helps you automate the process. 

Before you end up wasting resources on other expensive tactics to sell your handmade art. Do try your hands at email marketing to enjoy long term fruitful benefits.

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Did the meager sales on Etsy of your handmade business ideas make you rethink your business plan? 

Or did you start your craft business without planning? No matter what you did before, you can still start afresh to improve your business. 

Knowing what you are selling and knowing who you are selling to brings clarity in business. 

Chances are that you might be going wrong in any of the above factors. You can improve on them to better align your products with your targeted customers. 

If you wish to know more about exploring creative handmade businesses. Then, you can read further —–>

7 Remarkable Handmade Business Ideas That You Need to Know

The popular things to make and sell fall under a few major categories. You can consider these categories as WHY and your craft as HOW to fulfill the needs of the market.  The alphabetical list of those categories are:

Broad Categories of Handmade Products List 

1. Art and Memorabilia
2. Baby Collection
3. Beauty and Grooming
4. Celebration and Party
5. Clothing and Shoes
6. Craft Supplies and Tools
7. Gardening and Outdoors
8. Home, Kitchen, and Living
9. Jewelry and Accessories
10. Pets Collection
11. Prints and Stationery
12. Sports 
13. Toys and Games
14. Vintage
15. Wedding Collection
16. Holiday and Seasonal Events 

The above mentioned categories include most of the handmade business ideas. But if you are looking for specific ones which you can start with minimal investments. Then, you should know about —–>

7 Home Business Ideas With Low Startup Costs

 

1.     Paper Crafts 

Paper is one of the most inexpensive materials to start a craft business. It brings in myriad opportunities to generate art. 

The most popular handmade business to start with paper are as follows: 

• Quilling
• Papier Mache
• Origami
• Lanterns
• Cards
• Recycled Book Art
• Notebooks and Organizers
• Paintings
• Creative Handmade Paper

Also, most of the papercrafts are lightweight. Thus, packaging and shipping paper art is easy and economical.

Most of us know how to play with paper. But it is easy to upgrade skills with experience and the resources available online.

2.     Fiber Art

If you got the knack to deal with a crochet hook or knitting needles. Then, you can start selling crafts made with threads and fiber online.

The tools to create fiber art do not cost much. But you need to have enough finesse to bring beauty to your creations. But the low priced materials do not imply low selling costs for makers. A few Etsy sellers make multiple figures business by selling chunky yarn blankets. Though the best part is that those oversized blankets do not require needles. You can knot them with your bare hands. 

There are various options for fiber art handmade business. A few of the options are:

• Create and Sell Macrame Art
• Embroidered Art Projects
• Crochet Crafts
• Knitting Crafts
• Rugs Making
• Lace Making
• String Art

You can start creating and selling friendship bracelets and hoop earrings anytime.

3.     Small Woodworking Crafts 

Woodworking is one of the most popular hobbies among men worldwide. Though a lot of women also make money woodworking. 

Projects like furniture and musical instruments can get both bulky and complicated. That is why not all wood projects count as business ideas with low investment.  

But there are several ones that you can create for a few dollars but sell for almost 10 times the cost. Most of them involve the use of wood slices. 

You can invest in buying slices in bulk to create several projects.

4.     Recycled Crafts 

This category of crafts involves products made from discarded materials. That makes it obvious that these crafts are low on investment. 

The market exists for recycled crafts from almost every discarded material. Wine barrels, pop tabs, bottles, obsolete gadgets, and even old clothes find use. 

If you are a creative person buzzing with handmade business ideas. Then, you have limitless options to create recycled crafts. Plus, since the cost of raw materials is almost nil. Hence, you will end up with the most successful small business ideas.  

5.     Bath and Body Products

Creating artisan toiletries is one of my favorite handmade business ideas. Handmade soaps, bath bombs, and scrubs are easy to make. A basic bar of soap requires a carrier oil and lye.

But you can create several variations by learning how to balance different oils with lye. 

The beauty of this handmade business is that you can start at home. Then, as your business grows, you can switch to professional premises. But to increase your profit margins, you must stick to a niche. Else your brand will fade away amongst the competition.

6.     Candles

Much like the soaps, candle making is a low investment handmade startup.

There is a huge scope in selling natural hand-poured soy and beeswax candles. Moreover, there are various options to customize with fragrances and swag art.

The tools and equipment are a one-time investment cost. Though the base wax is an ongoing cost. You can reduce the costs by buying the wax, dyes, and wicks in bulk.

7.     Paintings, Sketches, Mandalas

Drawings and paintings are the common universal ways of creating and selling art. There is always a demand for sketches, caricatures, wall art, mandalas, and pop-up art.

Furthermore, customization brings in a lot more revenue if you start getting customers. 

For selling hand-drawn art, colors, time, and skillsets are the most important element. 

The more you engross in your craft, the better will be the results. 

Once you develop yourself as an artist brand. You can jumpstart your creative business that is not expensive on the pocket. 

Conclusion

Today is the best time to put your handmade business ideas to work. There is no dearth of handmade marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon Handmade. Thus, the opportunities for sale and showcasing your work are also many.

If you are clear about what you would like to sell. Then, the next obvious step is to start investing in a craft blog to push sales. Else, you can select a niche and start testing the markets with low investment projects.

The list of 7 projects in this article will help you monetize your creative passion in an informed way.

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Do you own a successful soap making business? Then, do you know what is your soap business profit margin. If not, then, what is it that one thing that makes it a success? 

Does your business bring in enough money to cover your bills? Or it brings way more than that? 

Is it that you get repeat orders from loyal customers? Or your stores run out of products? 

Do you know how much profits you make per bar of soap? Are you happy with the profits or would you want to make more profits in your handmade business? 

If you keep asking these questions. Then, you should read further.

 

How to Make More Profits in a Soap Business

Calculating the soap business profit margin is an important aspect of understanding profits. That is why you should know —–>

How to Calculate the Soap Business Profit Margin

Profit is the difference between revenue and expense. This difference lets you know how much money you made. But it does not help you know how good that profit is. Meaning it does not tell you if you can sustain your business. 

To determine if your handmade business is on the road to success, you need to know the profit margin. 

Profit margin refers to the amount you make per dollar sales. If you sell more than one product. Then, the profit margin indicates how much you make in your entire sales portfolio. 

Hence, it is important to go beyond profit to know your soap business profit margin. The more the profit margin, the more money you have at your disposal. The profit margin helps you know how successful your business will be in the long run. 

The simple calculation for the same is as follows: 

Profit Margin = Revenue – Costs/ Revenue *100 

In the above formula, you should include all your costs. So, it can have the cost of equipment that is a one-time purchase along with the regular materials cost. 

For example, if your costs for a batch of soaps are as follows: 

1. Carrier oils – 200 $ 

2. Essential oils – 100$ 

3. Packaging, Labelling, and Shipping – 100$ 

4. *Utensils – 500$ 

5. Revenue – 1000$ 

Then, we can calculate the Profit Margin as follows: 

[1000 – (200+100+100+500/100)]/1000*100 = 59.50% 

* Since it is a one-time cost, it is divided by 100. It is an assumption that the utensils will last to make 100 batches of soap.

That means for every 1$ spent, you are earning almost 60 cents. Then, by all means, these numbers show a healthy business.

As a handmade business owner, your soap business profit margin should keep increasing. Therefore, it is essential to know —–>

How to Increase Profits in a Soap Business

 

  1.     Reduce the Cost of Soap Making Supplies

This one is the universal rule of business to increase the profit margin. But you have to practice it with caution.

Reducing the cost of supplies can hurt the quality of the final product. Therefore, instead of using cheap supplies, you should buy them in bulk. That way you will be able to reduce the cost of raw materials without compromising the quality.

But to execute this you must know your sales figures. It is important to know your current sales figures so that you can —–>

2.     Increase Your Sales Volume

To increase your sales volume, it is important to know what your current average sales are.

If you know your average sales volume per month. Then, you can identify what factors contribute to it. That way you will be able to do more sales by increasing the factors that increase sales.

For instance, during fall, pumpkin spice soaps could see an upsurge.  Or charcoal soaps may form the bulk of sales every month. Both of these sales trends can give valuable data on customer shopping preferences.

If you can pinpoint trends from your sales data. Then, you can use it to boost your sales. 

3.     Improve Your Soap Distribution Business

Shipping and logistics form a significant cost in the business. That is why it is necessary to keep them low to increase the soap business profit margin.

Because we are living in a pandemic era, in-store purchases are an all-time low. Hence, shipping the products via postal services is the new normal.

Hence, to save costs, the soap business should strive for the cheapest shipping rates. A lot of it depends on where you live and where your customer lives as well as the weight/volume of your soaps. For the same, you can use services like Pirate Ship to bring down your shipping expenses. 

4.     Reduce Your Marketing Expenses

Marketing is the necessary evil that no business can do without. Irrespective of the stage that a business is in, it has to invest in marketing. 

Print/TV/billboard ads are beyond beginner handmade business entrepreneurs. But they can promote craft business with digital marketing which is low in expense. Furthermore, digital alternatives deliver marketing goals despite being cheaper than the traditional ones.

5.     Diversify Into Appropriate Extensions

Once you know what ticks with your customers. Then, it is easy to funnel them into similar products that pique their interests.

Meaning if you know that unicorn-themed soaps sell the best. Then, instead of coming up with a new theme of soaps. You can rather introduce other unicorn based bath and body products. So, the options could be bath bombs, scrubs, or lotions with a unicorn theme.

This way you get to dive deeper into your handmade business niche. This in turn increases your chances to make more sales. Thus, more the chances of better profit margins.

 

How to Make a Good Profit Margin in Soap Manufacturing from the Beginning?

 

  1.     Start With a Solid Business Plan

If your business cannot talk numbers. Then, trust me you will never be confident about its profitability.

Sales and expenses determine how much money you bring to the table.

One of the best ways to have a sustainable creative business is to come with a handmade business plan.

A plan lets you visualize how to achieve financial goals with your handmade products. Though a business plan may seem daunting for the novice creative entrepreneur. But it is fine to determine and track only the basics in the initial stages. 

Average product price, expenses, and time to break even are some of the crucial figures in the plan.

2.     Understand the Niche That You Are Selling To

Every successful handmade business upscales by staying true to its niche. In simple terms, a niche refers to the branding that you have built for your enterprise.

The branding helps the audience understand what your business is all about. If you can communicate to your audience what you do as a business. Then, the next step of expanding becomes much easier.

If you are doubtful about your handmade business niche. Then, sit back and think who would be your ideal customer. From there you will get answers to most of your questions.

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this article through routing via the links in this post. Then, I may end up receiving a certain monetary percentage from the sale. Though the one who purchases through the link does not end up paying anything extra apart from the mentioned MRP on the product. Full disclosures on the Affiliate Page.

 

3.     Build and Serve a Loyal Fan Base

If you have experience in running a business. Then, you would agree with the fact that it is much easier to serve existing clients than to find new ones.

Thus, it is important to stay connected with customers. For the same, newsletters work the best. They are a cost-effective means to update about your new product line and offers.

Moreover, unlike social media, newsletter services are not subjected to algorithm changes. That means there is not a constant learning curve that will keep you away from your business. Rather, with time it will become one of the best marketing channels for your business.

Conclusion

If you intend to start a soap making business. Then, you must grow and nurture it.

Growth requires a sustainable healthy soap business profit margin.

That means an increase in your profit margins should be an ongoing activity.

Selling more soaps and keeping expenses to a minimum ensures good profitability. But apart from that, you should also invest in appropriate marketing channels. That is how all the cumulative efforts bring in holistic gains.

Do you own an artisan soap making business? What do you do to maintain healthy profits?

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If you have been struggling to sell your crafts. Then, I am sure someone must have told you to define your handmade business niche. 

Narrowing your handmade business to a limited variety is niching down.

The most common knowledge is to have a vast number of products in your portfolio. If you are also from the same school of thought that you must read further.

Know Why You Need to Know Your Handmade Business Niche

The 7 reasons below will prompt you to find your niche to focus on.

 1.     To Stand Out from the Competition.

What do you know about Lush cosmetics? Of course, they are a pioneering name in handmade cosmetics. But they are best known for packaging-free handmade cosmetics. That is why their products are popular with zero wasters.

Or what do you associate IKEA with? Ready to assemble furniture, accessories, and appliances for DIY enthusiasts.

It is not that there are no other handmade skincare brands like Lush. Or IKEA is the only go-to place for home decor furniture.

But the fact is that both the brands have established an identity for themselves through a niche. Lush is a zero wastage bath and body niche within the handmade cosmetics category. While IKEA is a build it yourself niche within the category of home decor.

Demarcating your brand from the competition is the biggest reason to niche down.

2.     To Dominate the Search Engine Queries.

I will find it unbelievable if you tell me that you do not sell online. At the time of writing this article, the world has entered the post-pandemic era. Hence, there is no more excuse left to not sell your crafts online.

If you already have an Etsy shop or sell through your website or any e-commerce medium. Then, I am sure you must have heard about the term SEO.

SEO is a fancy term for the art and science of writing content so that it ranks on search engines. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and Google tops online queries.

That is why SEO studies lean towards getting found through Google.

If you sell a lot of unrelated crafts, then the more efforts it takes to sell them all under one roof. That is because good SEO demands being thorough on one topic.

So instead of selling handmade soaps of all kinds. You can niche down to handmade soaps made with goat’s milk. Or your niche could be handmade soaps for people with dry skin.

3.     To Create and Recreate With Consistency.

Ever noticed that when you work on a single task each day. Then, you end up getting better at it.

This is common with any task that you do. That is because the mind gets wired to produce consistent results with repetition.

The same principle applies to the theory of working on a handmade business niche. The more niche you get, the more you get better in creating products in that niche.

4.     To Get Branded for One or a Few Main Products.

If you stick to a niche in your handmade business. Then, you may develop a reputation for that niche.

That way your target audience thinks about you instead of a store that sells all stuff handmade.

Niching down increases the recall value in the minds of the customer.

5.     To Reduce Turnaround Time and Cost to Create Products.

Creating products with consistency also leads to reducing the production time frame.

That means the operational cycle reduces.

Moreover, when you niche down, you end up creating one kind of item. That means you can buy your raw materials in bulk which leads to further savings in costs.

6.     To Understand the Target Audience To Create Appropriate Upsells.

One of the advantages of niching down a handmade business is getting closer to your audience.

When the audience begins to repeat their purchases. Then they tend to share their experiences with you.

Getting to know the issues or challenges of customers is the best way to expand your business. You can then use that feedback to come up with better products or upsell offers.

7.     To Get More Sales.

It is an accepted fact that when you get good at a craft and keep serving your audience, you get more sales.

Sales are the main reason you should stick to your handmade business niche.

It is best to pick up a niche before you start your handmade business. But even if you have come a long way in your craft store. Then, also you can niche down by narrowing your singular focus.

Once you have understood why to have a handmade business niche. Then, comes —–>

How to Find a Profitable Niche

The following 3 methods help in finding what niche can work for you. You should consider all the 3 to pick up one niche.

1.     Understand Your Creative Inclinations

You can never excel in a project if you lack the creative inclination towards it.

So, the best way to find niche crafts to sell is through following your artistic calling.

In most of the cases, you would know what skills you love. Else, you can pick up a hobby and then turn it into a business.

2.     Figure Out Profitable Craft Ideas

Every piece of craft has a buyer if you believe in the beauty of handmade arts. That means you can sell any kind of handmade item from anywhere in this world.

Also, there exists another school of thought to operate a successful handmade business. That one is about jumpstarting profits by selling handmade crafts that sell the most.

You can guess what handmade items would sell the best. Most of us can name keychains, fridge magnets, and purses bought from travels.

But to know what is the most selling product online, you have to research. For the same, you can scrape off data from popular e-commerce sites like Etsy and Amazon Handmade. The sales figures for most sold items give you a path to follow when you are starting fresh.

3.     Look for Trends

Between what you create best and what sells best, there is a factor that influences niches. The seasonal trends affect the entire handmade business. For instance, the color of the year, significant events, memes, and popular culture.

Following and acting upon trends is a smart way to uplift sales in any niche. You can even base your entire handmade business on trends.

A few recent trends that rocked the world are the pandemic, #BLM, and fidget spinners.

List of Niche Markets

You can come up with niche ideas list by taking a cue from the below:

1. Donkey Milk Bath and Body Products
2. Map Artwork
3. Fork Artwork
4. Molecule Jewelry
5. Lego Artwork
6. Reclaimed Wine Barrel Stave Crafts
7. Gifts for Zero Wasters
8. Handmade Skincare for Sensitive Skin
9. Handmade Constellation Inspired Jewelry
10. Tribal Artwork
11. Octopus Themed Crafts
12. Customized Cutting Boards
13. Bar Furniture for Small Places
14. Classic Books Inspired Artwork
15. Handmade Bags Made from Newspaper
16. Beer Bottle Cap Accessories
17. Pop Tab Art
18. Upcycled Dictionary Art
19. Amigurumi Art
20. Urban Planting Handmade Products
21. Cancer Gift Boxes

All the above listed niche products exist. There are actual handmade businesses that are successful in all these niches.

You can pick one amongst these or search one that best fits your preferences. There are several niches that you can select. Do take into account production/logistics costs, competition, and time involved.

After niche selection, next comes —–>

What to Do After Figuring Out Your Handmade Business Niche

Once you know what niche will work the best for you. After that, the next task is to scale up. For that, you should take care of the following activities.

 1.     Work on a Handmade Business Plan

Finding and sticking to your handmade business niche is solving one part of the puzzle. The next challenge is to serve and scale in the selected niche.

You cannot expect to earn a fortune by creating what you think will sell the best.

The foundation of a successful handmade business lies in understanding the consumers.

Understanding consumers requires an in-depth study of the entire ecosystem. That includes knowing your competitors and their pricing as well.

The sooner you figure out how quick you can break-even. The sooner you will be able to rake in profits.

2.     Work on The Blog to Reach More Audience

The traffic on your website is equivalent to people checking out your booth at a craft store. That means you ought to increase your online footfall.

Depending upon how well versed you are with the online world. You can make use of blogging and paid advertisements to bring people to your store.

Blogging is the fundamental basis of traffic building. So, even if you plan to depend on paid marketing, you ought to have a self-hosted blog.

A well-maintained search engine optimized (SEO) blog goes a long way in reaching the user base. This website would be nothing without me posting informative content.

3.     Improve Your Conversions

Optimizing conversions is tough. You need to have some experience in selling crafts online to improve conversion.

When you figure out what platform and what keywords work the best for you. Then, the task of optimizing becomes easier.

The best way to excel in your handmade business niche is to start selling at every platform. Then, from there, you can move to the best ones that bring recurring revenue.

My experience tells me that selling from your blog is the best way to build a successful craft business.

Conclusion

Every creative maker looks for small profitable business ideas to jumpstart their career.

The secret to finding one seems like hitting the jackpot. But if you follow the steps outlined in this article. Then, you will be able to select the niche that fits your creative pursuits and earns you moolah as well.

When armed with a robust business plan, every handmade business niche can flourish. Though, the only mandate is to pick up the niche that works well for you.

 

 

 

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Are you toying ideas on how to start selling crafts online? 

Then, you are on the path to turning your passions into a profitable business. 

Even if you do not intend to create crafts fulltime. Then, to run it as a profitable hobby, you must be selling crafts that make the most money. Else you will end up losing out on money and time. 

Though making the crafts that are in demand is one portion of solving the maze. The other is to build your business on strong fundamentals. There is more to posting all your creations on Etsy and waiting for the sales to happen. 

If you wish to create a successful e-commerce business selling handmade crafts. Then, you can read further to know how. 

 

Know How to Make Money by Selling Crafts Online Easily

 

1.     Know Your Niche

This is the most important aspect of selling crafts. If you do not know your niche, you cannot scale up your handmade business. 

That is the key reason I stress about it in my handmade business planner. 

Though no matter how much one lays stress on niching down. It does get difficult to define your niche. I get that because I still struggle with it. 

That is why in my business plan worksheet, the first activity is about defining the business. 

Till you do not get crystal clear on who you serve. There will not be much you can do about setting up a craft business. 

A simple exercise that helps to niche down is – to think about one specific person you can serve for a lifetime. 

2.     Invest in Branding

Nobody buys a me-too product. If the packaging, labeling, and the perception of your product do not signify an emotion. Then, chances are that it will not sell much. That is the reason successful handmade brands narrate a story.

If you have identified a niche for your business. Then, branding becomes much easier.

That means if you identify yourself as a natural hair care brand. Then, you should use all nature-based ingredients in your products. Plus, your packaging and labeling should create minimal wastage. Hence, all aspects of your business must align with each other.

3.     Learn SEO

The year is 2020 and you cannot ignore Search Engine Optimization. 

If you happen to find a drop in your Etsy sales. Then, chances are that you have not updated your tags and descriptions. Or in a worst-case scenario, you never used the right keywords in your Etsy listings. 

Taming the search algorithms to include your products in the search results is an art. The topic is wide and requires an in-depth study. But at the same time, it is simple and logical to understand. You can refer to my previous articles on SEO if you are new to the subject. 

If you are keen to know how to start selling crafts online, then understanding SEO is a must.  

4.     Click Beautiful Pictures and Helpful Videos

This one is a no brainer. But still, makers commit this grave mistake of not putting enough pictures. Or at times putting pictures that do not give a clear visual representation of the products. 

It is mandatory to put up high-quality images of the product to give a virtual tour of your shop. 

Even if you are selling crafts as a hobby, make sure you provide images of your products from all angles. This will lead to engagement in your shop. Thus, that increases the probability of a sale. 

You can enroll in a beginner’s course on product photography to take better pictures. From there you can advance to videos that document your creation and usage.

5.     Drive Traffic to Your Store

A simple equation of online sales is —-> the more the traffic, the more the likelihood of sales.

This concept is relevant in the offline brick and mortar store and craft shows as well. But in particular, for the e-commerce stores, the traffic is the backbone of the business. That is because, in the online world, the majority of the audience does not drift to a new store. Rather, they arrive at a store through an algorithm. The algorithm could be of a search engine or social media.  

That means unlike the real world, the chances of an audience discovering a new shop are rare. So, it is of utmost importance to develop a solid traffic building strategy for your store. Irrespective of whether you sell at marketplaces like Etsy or in your store, traffic is a must.

Traffic building strategies require a blog post on their own. But if you build and maintain your self hosted craft blog. Then, the entire process of scaling traffic to a handmade business becomes doable.

6.     Increase Your Inventory

Do you recall a moment when you bought the only product a shop was selling?

I don’t. I cannot even think of a shop that only sold 1 thing. Nobody in business does that. 

The same rule applies to create handmade crafts for sale.  You have to put a substantial amount of crafts up for sale. Not only the size of your inventory provides options for the customers. But the more the items, the more the chances of scaling up your SEO efforts.

There is no magic number to the number of products you should have in your online craft store. But as a rule of thumb, you should start with a minimum of 10. With time you should scale it up. 

Most of the top sellers on Etsy have more than 200 items in their shop.

7.     Retain Customers With CRM

Some rules of the offline business apply to online ones as well. One of them is retaining customers to increase brand loyalty. 

It is much easier to get your second sale from a happy customer than it is to look for several new customers. That means one should develop strong ties with first-time customers. 

To make those ties meaningful, you should know how to make your customers feel special. A well functioning Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System helps with that.

You can store their shopping preferences in a CRM to help create special products for them.

 

List of Stores for Selling Crafts Online

 

There are several options to sell crafts online. Some of them let you sell crafts online for free up to certain limits. Though some require upfront money to start. 

Irrespective of their charges, all of them are worth giving a try. I have used most of them and then settled down with Gumroad and Thrivecart. 

Below is a list of some of the popular stores to sell crafts online. Though the list can get bigger depending upon your experiences. 

1. Etsy
2. Amazon Handmade
3. Folksy
4. BigCartel
5. Ecwid
6. GumRoad
7. WooCommerce
8. Samcart
9. ThriveCart
10. Shopify
11. Paypal

 

Conclusion

 

Most of the companies are struggling to cope up with the hiccups caused due to the global pandemic.  The situation raises workspace insecurities and the further prospects seem doomed. 

Thus, this is the best time to start selling crafts from home. You can start testing your creations through family and friends. From there free craft fair events and the ones with nominal charges can be the next step.   

Once you are confident of your craft. Then, the obvious step is to sell crafts online to serve a global audience. 

If you have never sold online before. Or you have never gone beyond a few sales on Etsy. Then, this is the article you need to read to figure out how to start selling crafts online.

The article lays out the core essentials that you need to make your handmade business a success.

If there is some step left out that you think is beneficial. Then, do let us know in the comments. 

 

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