Resources for Growth of  Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Resources for Growth of  Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• The learning curves and even mistakes in your business development will contribute to your overall knowledge and learning experience in the future.
• Challenges will not last forever. You will develop confidence and resilience each time you rise above them.
• Push yourself out of your comfort zone.
• You don’t have to post on all platforms. Just pick a platform and put out content you enjoy making.
• Keep moving, keep pushing, look for your community and reach out for help.

Handmade Business Advice

• Community over competition. Your connection with other people in your industry will help you progress and get more visibility to your customers.
• When you first start, your "put yourself out there" muscle is small and weak. But the more you do it, the stronger that muscle gets.
• "A rising tide lifts all ships" is especially true in the handmade world. Don't be afraid to collaborate and network with others in your industry. Everyone benefits when you do!
• Find someone to whom you can delegate work so you have time to focus on more important matters.
• Understand that everything in your business can be done by someone else.
• Your goal should be for your to work FOR you instead of you working for your business. <-- Pro tip!
• Find a mentor who will guide you in scaling and systems.
• Look for your community and don't be afraid to reach out for help.

Resources Mentioned

• 2021 At Home Craft & Gift Show <-- Reserve your booth here

Nicole's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Resources for Growth of  Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Small Business Tax Prep Tips For Handmade Products

• Who should be part of your financial team (+ why they're so important!)
• Specific actions to take every month
• Common mistakes to avoid
• The best tools to use for
• Tips to reduce taxes as you become more profitable
• How to take the dread out of tax prep

Tune in now for small business tax prep tips that will make tax time so much easier!

Resources Mentioned

• Join the next Gift Biz Bash - Free!
• Ep 361 - How your business income should impact your personal life
• QuickBooks software
• Genius Scan app (for scanning receipts)

Danielle's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

• First, you don't use up available dollars in a scattered way – wasting money if you will.
• Instead, you spend money in areas that will truly help you grow your handmade business based on where you are in the development and growth cycle.

What's In This Bash Party?

• Free Training on money mistakes commonly made at the different stages of a handmade business. This training builds directly on the training in Bash #1 the 5 Gift Biz Growth Stages. 
• Q&A with Bash attendees
• Showcases - attendees share their upcoming events, unique collaborations, and discount promo codes! << Tune in to grab these deals + get ideas for your own business! 

Resources Mentioned:

• Bash #1 - 5 Gift Biz Growth Stages
• Content for Makers
• Gift Biz Unwrapped Merchandise Shop

Interested in being part of the next Bash Party?

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

I want to thank you for being a listener.

Resources for Growth of  Your Handmade Biz

• 5 Rookie Mistakes Webinar (FREE)
• Start with Confidence
• Networking Ninja
• Content for Makers
• Inspired! Daily Planner
• Makers MBA
• Directory Of Podcast Topics

Connect With Sue

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Selling Crafts At Fairs & Local Markets

• Understand your customers and what their needs are.  Learn how to sell to them properly without being pushy.
• Know basic sales things. It'll change the entire dynamic of how you do things once you start to understand.
• Understand why some products don't sell.  Why isn't it selling? What have you missed? What are you not addressing? What skills can you give to get this product selling?
• Look for the right type of help from people who have actually been in your shoes.
• Learn face-to-face sales. That's what you need to focus on because so much becomes clear about what you're doing, why you're there, and what they want to hear.
• Always consider what your market wants to hear from you. Do your research.
• You don't have to know everything. Delegate tasks so you can prioritize things to grow your business.
• Establish a relationship and ask the right questions.
• Make sure you have a strong niche because that's going to be a big help with your business. It’s something that makes you stand out.

Business Building Insights

• Address problems and issues very quickly. Follow up with solutions and answers.
• You can learn how to do things that are difficult. Be willing to put yourself out there, to fail, and to feel embarrassed. Be open to all those things that go along with learning.
• Look for the right kind of training and guidance when trying to grow your business.
• Move towards what moves you and this will all work out. Believe in yourself and do what you love. Put your heart and soul into it.
• When you do something you love, it just goes exponentially better.
• So much of success comes from just believing in yourself in the first place.
• Embrace failure - over and over. Throwing yourself into the fire is the only way you'll learn.
• You were not made to know everything. Go educate yourself and be willing to outsource.
• Even when you think you've tried everything - you haven't. Look around for new ideas and techniques to try.
• Take a chance on yourself - get help, get training, don't give up.

Resources for Growth of  Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

How To Use Micro-Weirding

• Give people a reason to give you their email. Get that valuable connection through the value of what you offer. Customers want a  personal connection with the person behind the brand.
• Have a pillar of authenticity that’s relevant to your audience.
• Don't always define yourself by price.
• Branding isn't what you tell people.  It's how you change their minds about what you sell.
• Creating a differentiated brand will attract people willing to pay more and give you a competitive advantage. If you don't have a brand you're just a commodity (examples: Starbucks, Apple).
• Communicate to people why you're different and better.
• Find many ways to connect with your audience that are differentiating and meaningful for your sales.
• If you make something many others make, differentiate by going ALL IN on something different and unexpected. It can be whatever you want as long as you're consistent with it. <-- Pro tip! Tune in for the full conversation on this!
• There are so many ways to connect that aren't obvious but can be differentiating and meaningful.
• Whatever your differentiation is, find as many ways to use it as possible. (example: the way you name your sizes or whatever).
• Have one thing that people remember you for. Make the brand experience more meaningful.
• ARE:
  • A - How are you authentically differentiating yourself?
  • R - How is that relevant to your target market?
  • E - How can you execute on that?
  
  
• Dig around on these 3 elements (ask your customers, etc.) to nail them down to identify your brand.
• How do you execute on your differentiation? Look at the entire experience you create. Consider every single touchpoint.
• What can you do beyond product, sale, next?
...

• Part 1 - Makeup Talk to Show Up as Your Best Beautiful Confident Self <-- YOU ARE HERE
• Part 2 - What is Your Brand Story? How to Talk about your Small Business with Confidence

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Surround yourself with people who inspire you to keep going.
• Sometimes you have to make yourself uncomfortable to grow. Stay focused and go for it! It's worth it in the end.
• If you’re uncomfortable being visible online, explore, look for opportunities, take small actions that will get you out there.
• Make connections with people outside your inner circle. Get involved in conversations in Facebook groups that you join (not necessarily related to your business). Let people know what you do and how you do it so you can become known for what you do
• Find alternative ways to reach your people - move your business online, do online courses, etc.

Self-Confidence Tips:

• Do Lives on social media so people can get to know you and you get more comfortable with video.
• Little steps lead to big things. For example, if doing videos feels uncomfortable, ease into it by doing short video clips until you feel more confident. <-- Hot tip!
• Get out of your head and focus on who you are helping, rather than on yourself.
• Don't compare yourself to others. Be yourself and own that.
• Once you have built an audience, you can offer paid classes via Zoom (or similar).
• Even if attendance for your first online course is small, you can repeat the same content over and over as your audience grows.

Pro Makeup Application Tips:

• Start With Skin Care:
  • Skin is the most important step to achieve a flawless face. Your skin needs to be smooth and plumped before you apply makeup.
  • Gently massage your facial moisturizer into your skin to get it ready for makeup. Massage will trigger a collagen boost in your skin and improve the appearance.  <-- Tune in for the full conversation on how to do this and why!
  • Your undereye is the most delicate skin on your face. Touch that area as little and as gently as possible.
  • Know your skin type. Whatever your type, there's a good moisturizer out there for you.
  • If you have oily skin, get an oil-free or...

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Be present. Sometimes we miss opportunities because we look too far ahead and miss the here and now.
• Whatever you dream of doing, don't until 'the time is right.' Make a start now. Otherwise, you’re never going to do it.
• For writers, always end the day knowing what to write the next day. Planning can help you be productive.
• Find someone to bounce ideas off. Talking it out can help you uncover solutions. <-- Lots more tips for writers. Tune in to get them all!
• Don't forget to enjoy life every day. Live in the moment and get the most out of each and every day.
• Do it scared. Don't let fear stop you!
• Listen to the full conversation for more insights about following your dreams!

Resources Mentioned

• Heidi Swain's books on Amazon
• Reminder: the Holiday Vendor Village is open for shopping until 12/31. Some shops are updated with products for the New Year.

Heidi's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• The more you get to know the people you serve, the more you can position your website to meet their needs.
• If you're building an e-commerce business, you must focus on discovering and creating things people want to buy.
• The more you learn, the more you can evolve and the better you'll be able to serve your audience.
• SEO is important because when you do it right, it will consistently bring new people into your world.
• Find ways to make your website the best answer to the questions people are asking.
• By positioning yourself as the answer, you get the clicks.
• Keep your site aligned with what people are searching for.
• Be clear with your product names and descriptions to highlight the benefits they provide.
• Put keywords people are looking for into the places that Google is looking for them.
• Always have a call to action on your site.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CONTACT LINKS

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Brick and mortar is all about the experience. That's what customers can't find online.
• Listen to what your customers say they want. You may discover a way to grow your business by adding in what they request - even if it doesn't seem like your thing, at first.
• If someone reaches out to you about your product, call back even if it seems like a long shot. You never know where opportunities will come from.
• When you have a physical store, every product on every inch of the store needs to pay its way.
• Create a unique brand. People love to hear the story behind your brand.
• Listen to the full conversation to get a ton more biz building insights!

Private Label Products For Small Business

• You can use your own recipes or use published ones to create your own private label products.
• Even existing products manufactured by others can be private labeled as yours, allowing you to focus on just sales and marketing.
• If you sell private labeled products, you must have liability insurance AND your manufacturer(s) must have liability insurance.
• Going to trade shows and meeting your vendors is key. The connections and interactions make all the difference. Don't skip this even if it feels expensive and time-consuming.
• Networking has lead to so many opportunities. Don't neglect your contacts.
• Tune in to the full episode for all of Anne's private label tips!

Anne's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Don't think of your budget as a restriction. Rather it's how you tell your money where to go.
• Money principles give you a guide and a pattern instead of just spending willy nilly.
• Dig dip and find what success is for YOU. Understand why you are in this business. Why are you doing this? Keep going until your why makes you cry. If it doesn't, it's not big enough.
• Money is not directly tied to your why.  It is a tool you use for a specific purpose.
• Give big without spending a penny. Sharing your time and talents to bless other people is a huge way to give.
• Admit to yourself that you need help with money management and be willing to grow.
• Don't be afraid to help in any area of your life. Nobody can be an expert at everything.
• Listen in to get more amazing biz-building insights around money!

7 Specifics Targets For A Positive Money Mindset

• Target 1: Prayerfully plan
• Target 2: Increase your inflow
• Target 3: Optimize your outgo
• Target 4: Demolish it
• Target 5: Cancel credit and grow at the speed of cash
• Target 6: Strategically save
• Target 7: Generously give
• Tune in to the full conversation for details about these targets - plus a ton more money mindset tips!

Resources Mentioned

• Annual Gift Giving Planner
• Financial Peace University
• Born to Win by Zig Ziglar

Johnny's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

• Part 1: Why eBay
• Part 2: Selling on Amazon Handmade
• Part 3: Build the Perfect Shopify Website
• Part 4: Introducing Facebook Shops
• Part 5: Everything You Need To Know To Sell On Etsy <– YOU ARE HERE
• Part 6: Confused About Google My Business?

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Build strong branding to stand out from your competitors and get traffic.
• Make sure that people recognize you as a brand so if people see your post separately, they know it’s from your store.
• Think outside Etsy - leverage email marketing and social media (most shops don't collect emails!) to get repeat customers and drive traffic.
• Everything works together to reach people: quality photos, good product description, and SEO.
• Providing valuable content around what you sell on Etsy is the quickest way to grow your brand and drive more traffic using the power of google (aka SEO).
• Listen to the full episode for a ton more biz building tips!

How To (And Why) Sell On Etsy:

• Etsy offers a more unique, personal experience for both seller and buyer.
• Sell on Etsy and build your brand there first, then extend into the other platforms to develop multiple streams of income.
• Create a memorable shop to build your brand + stand out in a saturated market with...

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• To be a good exhibitor, be open to coaching. Be open to new ideas to be successful.
• The ability to sell is something you learn, just like any other skill.
• How you display will help you sell better.
• Learn how to talk about your work. You can have great products but if you can't show and talk about it the right way, you will struggle to succeed.
• Listen to the full episode to get all the biz insights!

Amy's Art Show Display Ideas

• Reduce the variables to keep the focus on your work:
  • Wear simple, solid-colored clothes.
  • Display a cohesive body of work. Show pieces that relate to each other.
  • Use simple, consistent props that don't take attention away from your pieces.
  
  
• When selling online, good quality images are key. Let your images do the talking for you.
• The title and description are really important online because it's how you communicate about your work.
• Tune in to get even more amazing tips for art displays for shows!

Resources Mentioned

• ArtZipper.com
• Amy's Tips For Artists
• Amdur Art Festivals

Amy's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Resources for Growth of  Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

How to Work Hard & Feel Great About Your Life

Make Self Care Consistent

• Self-care is crucial because if you aren't in a good position to show up for yourself and your business, even systems you do have in place won't work because you're too exhausted to go through them properly.
• Define for yourself what self-care actually means for you. Don't look at what others consider self-care and feel you have to do it that way or it will just put more stress on yourself.
• Reconnect with the things that bring you joy.  Identify what makes you happy? What lights your fire? Then figure out how to bring more of that into your day-to-day life. <-- Listen to the whole discussion to learn how to find what works for you!
• Don't think of self-care as an item on your to-do list. It's about infusing it into your lifestyle.
• Stay consistent with intentional self-care so you are replenishing yourself on a daily basis.
• How to incorporate self-care:
  1. Define what brings you joy
  2. Identify how you can add more of that into your life
  3. Be intentional about making it happen on a regular basis
  4. Know what your love language is and find ways to leverage that to reinforce yourself in your business <-- Listen to the full convo for more on this!
  
  
• Be consistent about taking care of yourself.

Create Efficient Systems

• Automate things as much as possible. Leverage automation to make the systems in your business as efficient as they can be.
• Documentation in any business is your best friend. It will help you scale that business. People you bring to the team will know what their role is and what they’ll be doing. It cuts down training time.
• Automate collecting testimonials or feedback from your clients. It’s also increased social proof you can use out for your marketing,
• Simple automation ideas to get you started:
  1. Order emails such as receipts and follow-ups Hdo not need to be manually done each time. Use your email marketing system to automate these types of emails.
  2. Offboarding a client - instead of writing a handwritten thank you note, use a service like Handwrytten.
  3. Where else can you create systems to automate repetitive tasks to free up your time and brainpower for other things?
  
  
• Celebrate the progress you make and just keep...

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Keep persevering even through the challenges.
• It’s fun to do the impossible. Hardship is part of the process and experiencing the sour helps to appreciate the sweet.
• Believe in your product. Believe in your vision.
• Having a co-founder or other significant sounding board is important throughout your entire business lifecycle.
• There are 3 roles in a business: Hipster, Hacker and Hustler.
• There are a lot of ways to get visibility for your products. Word of mouth, website optimization, affiliate partners and strategic partnerships are a few.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CONTACT LINKS

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Create more innovation to be found in a wider spectrum.
• Innovation and creativity are key as you overcome business challenges. There are lots of different options, we just have to be willing to be creative.
• Create a plan for your business so you end up with what you actually want.
• Figure out if you have an employee mindset. If you do, work on developing a more entrepreneurial mindset.

Build A Healthy Relationship With Money

• Money is really here to support us. Numbers are your friend because they can help support your lifestyle.
• Create a relationship with money according to your desire and goal.
• Take a moment to pause, think, explore your own money habits and figure out what to do next.
• To avoid going into debt:
  • be sustainable and be profitable
  • explore your costs
  • know your value when you put a price on your goods
  • and create some cash savings that will instantly make your business more sustainable
  
  
• It's up to us as the maker to determine what price is good. That makes us sustainable so that we can show up and do it again and again and again.
• Be intentional with how you set your prices. Remember your customer doesn't know what your overhead is. They just want the product. Make sure the price is sustainable so you can keep doing it! <-- Pro tip! 
• Invest for the future of the growth of your business. Make sure you cover your overhead costs PLUS some extra so you can cover unexpected costs and grow in the future.
• Give your dollars a job. Create a business savings account name it so you know what its purpose is. Break it up into multiple accounts if you need to see what it's all for.
• Intentionally pay yourself first and intentionally pay for taxes as money comes in. This creates a smaller bucket for operational costs and provides sustainability so you know whether you can grow or not. <-- Check out the Profit First book for more on this!
• A financial plan is essential for any business. Like for any good adventure, we're going to need some type of road map. Figure out your good, better, best...

Resources for Growth of  Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

How To Run Pinterest Ads

• Pinterest ads can be more direct than Facebook ads, for example, because it's all about behavior instead of general demographics.

Get Started With Pinterest Advertising

• Make sure you have a business Pinterest account. You won't be able to do ads on the account if you don't have that setup.
• For your first try at Pinterest Ads, set up a Brand Awareness campaign and just budget $5-$10 (total) for the campaign. It's a perfect way to get your feet wet.
• Focus on psychographics such as what people search for and what they actively purchase to better target your audience.
• Note that Pinterest's term for traffic is "Consideration." So when you see a "Consideration campaign," that means getting traffic. <-- Pro tip!
• Your budget is entirely up to you and what you're comfortable spending. But if the ads seem to be working well, switch from Brand Awareness to Consideration (aka Traffic) to really see a return on your investment.
• Think of Brand Awareness as Pinterest Ads 101. Once you've figured that out, you want to move to Consideration.

Moving To The Next Level With Pinterest Ads

• Once you're in the consideration section, it will be focused on traffic. Try to get the most data within that first week because that will help tell Pinterest what works best and how to continue your ads from there.
• Tune in to the full conversation to hear how much to spend when you get started with Consideration campaigns and how to scale up or down!
• When you review the analytics of your campaign, focus on the clicks that go through to your content or destination URL rather than other metrics.
• In a Consideration (traffic) campaign, you pay for each click to your site. In a Conversion campaign, you pay for the actual sales you make.
• Your Consideration will help teach Pinterest who you are trying to reach, so you do that first before a Conversion campaign. <-- Don't miss this section - tons of detail about the difference between the two campaigns and how they work together, CRUCIAL to get it right! 

Best Practices For Advertising On Pinterest

• Start with 2 or 3 pin designs and see how they do against each other. Leave everything else the same:
  • The targeting strategy is the same
  • Keywords are the same
  • Everything is the same - but the designs are different.
  
  
• Always test and try different calls to action, different layouts, and different titles on the image to see what resonates the best with the audience you are targeting.
• With targeting, in the beginning, you're going to have three different options. Choose from:
  • reconnect with users - retarget people who have already interacted with your brand
  • find new customers - new targeting, keywords, audience lists,...

How To Host A Craft Show + So Much More

• The evolution of business and finding your sweet spot
• Transitioning from brick & mortar to online business
• Why your budget is so critical
• The importance of a clear niche
• Building credibility with your customers
• The amazing opportunities you can only get from participating in shows
• and so much more!

Tune in now to learn how Gloria evolved her business into something she loves + how to host a craft show of your own!

Resources Mentioned

• Get FREE training and visibility at the next Gift Biz BASH! 
• Gift Biz Unwrapped Merchandise Shop

Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• When you're ready to get help with your business, hire a platform specialist. They'll be able to help you faster than a generalist who does everything (especially when it comes to ads).

How to Use Facebook Ads

• General Facebook Ads Tips:
  • Ad platforms like Facebook and Instagram are constantly evolving and changing. And with ads, it changes weekly. If it’s not your specialty, you’ll miss things.
  • To grow your business, you need to adapt, pivot, and tap into resources. That's when you might decide to pay for ads to scale your business faster and easier.
  • When you want to run ads, Facebook is the platform to use because of the data it has and the ability to niche down in targeting.
  • There is a power in the targeting Facebook offers that no other platform can match.
  • If you don't have a lot of sales, that's not the time to run ads. Running ads will amplify what you’re already doing in your business.
  • Keep marketing organically until you have enough data about your business and products.
  • Before you run ads, you MUST know:
    • The lifetime value of a customer
    • Your average order value
    
    
  
  
• How to Run Facebook Ads:
  • You must have a Facebook business Page (not a personal profile).
  • Create your ads inside the Facebook Business Manager.
  • Do NOT use the Ad Center of your business page. That creates a boosted post instead of a real ad. <-- Pro tip!
  • A boosted post is not an ad.
  • For targeting, you can run the same ad to four different groups. Don’t touch it for two days to see which group performs best. Then shut down the ad to the groups that did not go well.
  • Bright-colored graphics get people to stop scrolling and click on your ad.  <-- Listen in for more on how to create effective ads.
  • Your cost per customer acquisition should be about 30% of your average order value.
  • 3 big mistakes to avoid:
    • Boosting posts instead of running ads
    • Not investing enough money
    • Giving up instead of tweaking for better performance
    
    
  
  
• Tune in to the full conversation to get lots more Facebook ads tips and tricks PLUS get the secret $5 a day ads strategy to build your audience!

Let’s talk about why now is the most opportune time to get moving on your business. If you’re just starting – it’s the moment to flip that switch on. And if you’ve stalled out or pressed pause for whatever reason - it’s time to reignite that forward momentum.

Here are four reasons why you shouldn’t delay. Some of these situations are fleeting and if you don’t take advantage of them they’ll pass you by.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

Start with Confidence Course

Sign up for a Gift Biz BOOST

CONNECT with me here:

Website | Facebook | Instagram

SUBSCRIBE to the podcast:

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PAY IT FORWARD by leaving a rating and review.

I'd love to hear your comments. Tell me how the show has helped you or a specific guest or point that had an impact. You can do that right here.

Thanks for listening!

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

5 Rookie Mistakes Webinar (FREE)

Start with Confidence

Networking Ninja

Content for Makers

Inspired! Daily Planner

Makers MBA

Check out the Merch Shop

Gifts for you or your biz friends that will make the days brighter and add a touch of inspiration and happiness. Enter the shop here.

Join our community of handmade product makers

Gift Biz Breeze is an active and inspiring group of creators at all levels of business development. Ask questions, see what others are working on, and learn new things - it's all there and we're waiting for you to join us!

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

It helps other makers like you find the show and build their businesses too. You can do so right here: Rate This Podcast

The Link Between Your Behaviors & Mental Health

• Details of the immediate hard-stop Renee experienced in her life and how it happened
• The impact that physically losing her voice (and not knowing if she'd ever get it back) had on her entire life
• What she discovered about herself when her life was forced to be put on hold.
• How, little by little, she found her way back and is now living a much richer life all around.
• The crucial connection between our inner voice and outer voice
• And so much more!

Resources Mentioned

• Content for Makers
• Finding Your Voice: Unlock Your Chains And Unleash Your Greatness
• Free 30-minute complimentary consultation with Renee

Renee's Contact Links

Be part of the newest Gift Biz Opportunities!

Join our community of handmade product makers

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Things don't need to be perfectly in place at the start. You just need to begin. Confirm there’s a market and that people will buy and go from there.
• Decide what you need to focus on at any given moment to avoid overwhelm. Just make a choice about what is most important at that moment. Sometimes it's the family, sometimes it's the business, sometimes it's just relaxing.

How to Build a Successful Handmade Business

• Packaging:
  • Your packaging is your first impression on the customer.
  • Remember we eat with our eyes before our tongues. Food packaging needs to look good and keep everything fresh.
  • Put prices right on the package so people don't have to ask. If they don't know the price, some people will just walk away rather than ask.
  
  
• Food Products:
  • If you sell food products, make sure you understand the local cottage food laws and are in compliance.
  • To ship food products nationwide, you'll need to get a commercial kitchen or production facility.
  • Sharing recipes online is a great way to build your business because people love to share recipes and it doesn't feel salesy.
  
  
• Growing Your Handmade Business:
  • Grow your business by reaching out to businesses that might bring your products into their store.
  • Be available online to make purchasing from you convenient.
  • Participate in online shows where people can see your products.  You'll also meet other vendors and build relationships and opportunities.
  • For online shows, don't include everything you make in the booth because it might be overwhelming. Make your product selection smaller and focus on the best sellers. Keep bestsellers front and center.  <-- Pro tip!
  • Increase visibility by sharing videos. Potential customers will get a feel for your personality and get to know you through videos.
  • Get more reach in your business through social media. Share valuable content that’s relevant to your target market.
  
  
• Tune in to the full episode to hear so much more about Cassie's journey from just beginning to building her own private production facility!

Resources Mentioned

• At Home Craft & Gift Show

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

This is a special 12 part-series of Maker to Master: Find What’s Not Working in Your Small Business.

Given that many of us are hunkering down at home these days, I wanted to do something to balance out the pull to watching the news over and over. The best thing we can do right now is stay healthy – mentally and physically. That means being active. Go outside for a walk each day, lift weights, or get on your home bike ... also, how can you use your newfound time to be productive? Wouldn’t it be great to come out of these times stronger in mind, body and business?

Towards that end, here are a few chapters of my book. Listen to all 12 episodes to hear it in its entirety. If you’d like to purchase hard copy, you can do so on Amazon or on my website at Gift Biz Unwrapped.

******************************************

Are you discouraged because your small business isn’t performing as you envisioned?

Do you tell people everything is wonderful when inside your stomach is churning because you know it isn’t true?

This book will help you identify where the holes are in your business and show you exactly how to fix them. You’ll learn from owners just like you who are seeing real success, growing their companies and living their dream.

*Confirm your business is set up correctly to provide the FOUNDATION FOR GROWTH

*Implement pricing strategies that BRING SALES AND MAKE YOU MONEY

*EFFORTLESSLY ATTRACT new customers every day

*BALANCE the making of your product with the running of your business

*Ensure your business STAYS OPEN AND GROWS in the future

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

If you enjoyed this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you automatically get the next episode downloaded right when it becomes available. Also, if you'd like to do me a huge favor, please leave a review. That helps other creators like you find the show and build their businesses too. You can do that right here.

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

Spotify

Be safe, be well and thanks for listening! Sue

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• It's never too late to become the person you might have been. You can get there.
• There's nothing noble about playing small. We've got this limited amount of time here on the planet. We've got the brain waiting to be rewired.
• Focus and get clarity in areas that you may not be looking at. It's about transformation from the inside out.

Secrets From A Law Of Attraction Expert

• Make the law of attraction work with less effort by not being too attached to things you manifest.
• Get your mind in the right place and take action every single day. Step up and be that person who is going to attract those things, and not the person wishing they could have it.
• Be conscious of how you are wired, so you can make different choices.
• We have the ability to create our lives by design.
• Be intentional. Celebrate the discomfort because that’s essential for growth.
• Know why you want to move on from where you are. Understand what you absolutely have to get rid of like your limiting beliefs.
• Your brain can change.  You can learn new things just by taking on any new task.
• Be firm in where your expertise lies. You don't have to be awesome at everything, but own what you're great at.
• As long as you own who you're being in every moment and don't apologize for who you're being in that moment, people will be attracted to you. They’ll be attracted to your authenticity.
• We can choose who we want to be and become it.
• Listen to the whole episode for the full, down-to-earth explanation of how it all works!

Resources Mentioned

• Transformation Personality Type Quiz
• Content for Makers

Bob's Contact Links

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• If you want to grow your brand, you have to be your authentic self.
• Get crystal clear on why you're on Instagram (or any social media platform). It could be to build brand awareness, build community, or drive traffic to your website.
• Stick with one Instagram account so it's so much easier to manage. Because YOU are the brand, not your products. <-- Listen to the full conversation for more detail on this.

Instagram for Beginners

• Remember - Instagram is not a sales platform. It's a connection platform. <-- tune in for the full discussion on this.
• Write your Instagram bio around your ideal audience. It should have three important parts:
  • who you serve
  • what is their main problem
  • and what is your solution
  
  
• Focus on a specific objective or goal for the next 60 to 90 days so your content can be very concrete. Build know like and trust.
• Build brand awareness so you can expand your audience.
• Create content categories (aka post types). Try:
  • lifestyle posts
  • behind the scenes
  • tips and tutorials.
  • show your process (people can relate with you when they see that)
  • use photos of your product as backgrounds behind quotes
  
  
• Map out your content monthly and weekly. Plan and schedule your content a week before so all you need the following week is to engage and be fully present on Instagram. <-- Tune in for details on how to create your schedule!
• Forget what gurus say about how often to post. Do what works for you and feels good.
• Show up on Instagram in a way that feels right and aligned with your business and your brand.
• Start with one feature on Instagram (feed, stories, IGTV, or reels) because if you're not consistent with that, there's no way you're going to be consistent doing all the features on Instagram. Once you feel comfortable and consistent with one thing, then add another.
• Focus on quality followers rather than quantity.
• Pay attention to which post gave you the most reach or engagement...

Announcing The At Home Holiday Craft & Gift Show

Boost Holiday Sales

Visibility & List Building Opportunities

Customers Are Already Signing Up

Show Details

Your Custom Booth Page

• branded header
• logo
• product photos
• videos
• social media
• and website links

Real-Time Interaction With Customers

At-Home Shopping For You & Your Customers

Setup & Sales Support

• Part 1: Why eBay
• Part 2: Selling on Amazon Handmade
• Part 3: Build the Perfect Shopify Website
• Part 4: Introducing Facebook Shops
• Part 5: Everything You Need To Know To Sell On Etsy
• Part 6: Confused About Google My Business?  <– YOU ARE HERE

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Google My Business is meant for local, brick & mortar businesses or those that deliver locally.
• Technically, if you don't have a physical location or deliver locally (shipping doesn't count), you should NOT have a GMB profile (use SEO instead).
• A Google My Business profile gets you more visibility online and allows you to control the information customers see about your business.
• Communicate everything about your business in one place (hours, overview, promotions, contact info + more).
• If you have a brick & mortar business - even if you don't sell online - you need a GMB profile.
• Listen to the full episode for all the amazing biz tips!

Make GMB Work For You

• Think of GMB as an online 'front window.'
• Communicate your customer experience through photos - your products, the inside of your shop, your storefront (just not as the header), etc.
• Update GMB posts regularly with announcements, promotions, specials, etc.
• If your business has multiple locations, set up a GMB listing for each location. But you manage them all through the same dashboard.
• GMB is not a "set it and forget it" thing. Actively manage your listing (say, once a week) so you don’t miss opportunities to communicate with customers.
• Remember Google's goal (to help searchers find what they're looking for) and use your GMB profile to help them achieve it.
• Follow Google's policies. Invest time to understand what Google My Business is and what are the expectations.
...

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

• Part 1: Why eBay  <– YOU ARE HERE
• Part 2: Selling on Amazon Handmade
• Part 3: Build the Perfect Shopify Website
• Part 4: Introducing Facebook Shops
• Part 5: Everything You Need To Know To Sell On Etsy
• Part 6: Confused About Google My Business?

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• You have to put in the work to make things happen.
• eBay does not compete with it's sellers. Everything is focused on supporting sellers.
• Some reasons why you should sell on eBay:  (1) protection to buyers and sellers, (2) scale and reach  (3) easy global shipping
• To boost the visibility of your product, your product photos should have a crisp white background.
• The more detail in your product descriptions, the more opportunity you have for buyers to find those items.
• Consider the Final Value Fee when pricing your products to ensure you are still making money when you sell each product.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CONTACT LINKS

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Building A For-Profit Business With A Social Cause

• If you want to have a cause for your business, there has to be a very strong personal reason why you're choosing that social entity or that social cause.
• When your reasons are personal, your story will resonate with your audience.
• Be vulnerable especially if it's a subject you're passionate about and is going to be a big part of your brand. It's important to be open and transparent about your experience.
• Understand your product is not for everyone. Find your market, niche, and community and focus on that sweet spot.
• It’s impossible to grow the company if everything is made by you. You need people to produce the product. It's still a handmade product, even if it's not YOU making it. <-- Super important to understand this! 
• Get a full picture of who you may be hiring. Have a try-out time to see you you’re a fit. Bring in people who are so eager to learn and open to the whole process.
• The WHY is more important to the business than the product. The messaging of what we represent, what we stand for, and what we do is crucial.
• At least 60-70% of our sales come to us because of our cause.
• The amount we donate is included in our pricing upfront so that it's a clear-cut action.
• Our business plan includes brick & mortar, direct to consumer, and wholesale.
• Hiring can be tough. Referrals from people you trust or other business owners in your area often work out best.
• Make sure your hiring vetting process is tight. Don't skip checking references. Do a testing period before fully hiring.

Resources Mentioned

• Tips & Talk #2 - 4 Time-Saving Strategies To Curate Social Media Pictures
• Content for Makers

Jennifer's Contact Links

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• The universe contains enough for everyone. Don't get discouraged because there's a place for you even in a well populated category.
• Your first thoughts about what your business is going to be will change along the way. Keep going and trust yourself. We all evolve.
• Feedback is what makes your product better. Be open. Listen to the advice of friends and hear what your customers are looking for.
• Take the first step. If you don’t make a move, you won’t have a successful business.
• You can't build a business in a place of desperation.
• Focus on the opportunities all around you. Shift your mindset to the positive. Believe that you can.
• Get in tune with your intuition. Listen and follow it.
• Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Tap into your connections and seek help. It's the way to grow.
• Believe in the abundance of the universe and find ways to make your brand stand out.
• Incorporate easy ways for people to repurchase your product.
• Your brand is everything. Make sure not to dilute it. Let people know what you stand for and stay aligned to that.

CONTACT LINKS

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• No matter what kind of business you have, you are your business. You're the one who will create a product or be the leader in your business. It all starts with you.
• Build a business based on your core values. When you have your core values backing you up, you feel stronger and more courageous.
• Know who you truly are so you can attract people and opportunities that are alike.  Become the magnet for people and things that align with you.
• Surround yourself with people who really light you up and make you feel alive.

How to Stop Holding Yourself Back

• The foundational idea that you must wrap yourself around is that you're perfectly made for your purpose.
• Embrace that you're perfectly made for your purpose and you're perfectly made for your clients. People will be attracted to you and your story.
• It's really all about seeing yourself as worthy and perfect for what you came here to do.
• Look at your ultimate desire, what do you really want in your life for yourself?
• Take it one step at a time. that's how all these changes happen, gradually.
• It’s really about acknowledging where you are now, and asking yourself, what is the best next step? There are things you can do daily that will make you feel better. And when you feel better, you attract better, you're more confident, and you're more courageous. People will notice your energy and you become magnetic for your clients.
• Take inspired action steps and inspired risks.
• How you treat yourself is reflected in all the relationships around you.
• When you feel inspired and empowered in your life, your results will be aligned with who you are.
• No one else can do it like you. There are customers waiting just for you.
• If you don't do the things you really want to do like creating products and being creative, you are actually hurting other people. Because there are people who need and want your products.
• Tune in to the full conversation for so much more on how to create the life and business you want!

Resources Mentioned

• At Home Craft & Gift Show - Coupon code GiftBiz10 (valid for first-timers)
• Ep 304 - Online Craft Shows

Petia's Contact Links

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Don't chase someone else's success. Your business is your own and your path to success will be unique to you.
• Pinterest is a great tool to drive traffic to your website. Remember that it's a visual search engine, not a social network.
• People go to Pinterest to find an idea and then take action on it.
• A big reason to use Pinterest is that when you share your products or creation, it will live there for a really long time. Unlike other platforms where posts are gone in just a few minutes.
• Pinterest provides a great return on your investment of time and effort.
• Make sure you listen to the full episode to get all Kate's insights about Pinterest!

How to Use Pinterest For Your Product-Based Business

• Visitors to your Pinterest profile should be able to understand who you are, what you talk about, and what you sell simply by looking at your profile and boards.
• Use the name you are most known by (your name or your business name) for your Pinterest profile name. That’s what people will search for.
• Start with a minimum of 10 boards with product specific names. Name each board using keywords your customers would use. Hot Tip: The name of the board carries a lot of weight when people are searching!
• Create a description for each board - just 2-3 natural sentences that include the keywords people use for search.
• Think of a Pin as a billboard. It's what you create that leads back to your product or content and should tell a quick story about it, just enough to get people interested. Add a little text on top of the image to help tell the story (i.e., gluten-free or vegan, etc.)
• Write short descriptions for each pin that include keywords. Viewers rarely read them - it's mostly for the algorithm to know what your pin is about. <<-- Insider tip!!
• If you want to use a scheduler, choose one that is an official Pinterest marketing partner.
• Kate shares a TON of tips & information - tune in to the whole conversation to get it all!

Resources Mentioned

• Canva
• Tailwind
• Simple Pin Podcast

Kate's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook...

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

What's In This Bash?

1. Free Training: The Latest Scoop On Hashtags

• What are hashtags?
• Why use them?
• Where to use them?
• What’s the right number of hashtags to use?
• How do I figure out which ones are the best for my biz?
• and more!

2. Q&A about this topic with Bash attendees.

• Did your question get asked and answered? If not, come ask in the Facebook Group.

3. Business Showcases

• Anita Housman - The Hershey Gifting Company
• Brigit Salys - Sunny Stowaways

Listen to this episode to get the lowdown on how to use hashtags for your handmade product business now!

Resources mentioned:

• Inspired! Daily Planner
• Gift Biz Unwrapped Merch Shop

Be part of the newest Gift Biz Opportunities!

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

What's In This Bash?

1. Free Training: Your Own Website vs Etsy - Pros & Cons

• ease of setup
• training materials available
• visibility
• audience make-up
• competition
• business growth potential
• and costs of acquiring a sale.

2. Q&A about this topic with Bash attendees.

• Did your question get asked and answered? If not, come ask it in the Facebook Group.

3. Showcases

• Attendees share new collaborations, upcoming events, and even discount promo codes.< Tune in to grab these deals + get ideas for your own business! 

Listen to this FREE training now to learn how to use features vs benefits for your handmade products - and don't miss the attendee discount codes!

Resources Mentioned:

• Join us at the next BASH! Save your seat here. 
• Content for Makers
• Gift Biz Unwrapped Merchandise Shop

Want to be part of the next BASH Party?

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

• the name of the business
• what products they’d offer
• product validation to ensure they’d have sales
• creating a plan for production and shipping
• plus developing a website and a social media presence.

Lessons For All Of Us From Starting A Business As A Kid

• You don’t need to have a lot of products to offer your customers right away.
• Have people test your products and listen to their feedback to make improvements.
• Planning is the key to getting to your final thing.
• Be very flexible and assign responsibilities to each other.
• Don't be afraid to step up and just try your best. If you have any ideas, just let them out.
• If you want to have a business, don't be afraid to do it. Just do it.
• Never give up even when things start to get hard.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help because it's okay to ask for help. You don't always have to do every single thing on your own.

Resources Mentioned

• Inspired! Daily Planner - save 40% with coupon code SALE for a limited time
• Gift Biz Unwrapped Shop

Paisley and Riley's Contact Links

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Do the work that you love sustainably.
• For you to thrive in business, it's crucial that what you have is unique and has a good story.  Your product should be consistent, compelling, interesting, and exciting.
• Be able to shift to marketing your products on online platforms so you can adapt to different circumstances.
• Make way for a cohesive experience, regardless of whether somebody is interacting with you online or in person.
• Part of being a successful marketer is sticking with the ideas that are already working.
• It's okay to narrow down. Weed out products that are not consistent with what you're really trying to do. That will give the other things room to thrive. <-- Pro Tip!
• Your product is the foundation. If you're trying to be all things to all people, people will be confused. Fewer items always mean more efficiency, fewer costs, and better profit.  Having a line that is focused, powerful, potent, and vibrant is crucial.
• Listen to your customers. What are the things that people rave about?

Selling Handmade Items Wholesale

• The biggest barrier to selling wholesale is when store owners are confused about what you do. Focus and amplify on your bright spots. What do people love about your product? Highlight the things that make people's eyes light up.
• You're NOT ready to go wholesale if:
  • You do not have a product or a line (yet) that can compete nationwide. If your product is not unique compared to someone else doing a similar thing, you're not ready.<-- Tune in for the full discussion on what this means and how to differentiate yourself.
  • Your packaging and photography are not beautiful and professional.
  • You can't offer wholesale pricing at 50% or less than your retail price
  • Everything you're doing now is working personally, energetically, and financially. If you love your business as it is - don't change it!
  
  
• If you grow with independent brick-and-mortar shops, you grow one by one. It allows you to grow in more incremental ways. It allows you to more organically scale up your production process.
• With any order you get from a marketplace, make sure you build an actual human relationship with the store owner.
• Wholesale is a slow and steady long-term growth.

Resources Mentioned

• Inspired! Daily Planner- 40% off for a limited time with code SALE

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Are you charging the right prices and are they nudging customers to buy? Are your brand’s nuances sending the right signals to your customer’s brain?

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Make it easy for customers to find what they want or they will get overwhelmed and go somewhere else.
• Everything about your business should be relatable to your ideal customers right down to your logos, colors, and fonts.
• Build positive experiences for your customers. Surprise and Delight moments can erase bad experiences.
• Think of your Brand as a memory - a collection of the experiences people have with you.
• Extend beyond that negative point so that at the end people are happier with their overall experience with you even if something that was a little bit bad happened.

How To Get Customers To Buy

• Guide people to go in the right direction in the way you present information. It's called 'choice architecture.'
• Choice is all about context. And the way it is presented makes a difference.
• How you present something should be worded or framed in a way that resonates with your specific ideal customers.
• The subconscious brain is very literal and will take big font equals big price. That goes together with small font equals small price.
• Keep product titles simple and clear. If you use adjectives, keep it short and snappy.
• Use images that demonstrate experiences in product descriptions and promotions so people can imagine how it will feel.
• Think about what you want buyers to feel and use words that convey that feeling in your descriptions.  <-- Pro tip! Watch Food Network shows and listen to how they describe a dish when they try it for great examples of how to do this.
• 99% of anything our brains do is done on a subconscious level. When you do videos or post images showcasing your products, share the sensory emotions you experience to activate a mirror experience in the brains of your viewers. <-- Listen in for exactly how this works!
• Tune in for lots more fascinating tips about how to use the way our brains work to get more sales!

Resources Mentioned

• Melina's Book - What Your Customer Wants And Can't Tell You

Melina's Contact Links

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Take advantage of new technologies to increase visibility as they become available. That's when the algorithms are really favorable.
• Show up where people are spending their time. Embrace stories as part of your strategy.
• Engage people in order to create relationships. Take someone from a casual viewer to a loyal customer.
• Using live video allows people to create an emotional connection with you. Then, when you meet in person, it's like you've known each other for years instead of meeting a stranger.
• People want to connect, understand who you are, connect with you, and feel like you have something in common.
• Showing who you are in your unique way is a powerful relationship builder.
• Going live is authentic and appeals to people in a whole different way.
• The more people see you, get to know you, feel like you're in their network - the more you are building your business and your brand.
• Tune in to get all the biz building insights!

Powerful Holiday Social Media Ideas You Can Do NOW

• Use Your Analytics: dive into your insights and analytics so you can post strategically for more visibility:
  • when should you reach out to people?
  • what's the best time to post content?
  • where your people are hanging out?
  • what time are they there?
  • Tune in for the detailed conversation on this!
  
  
• Focus On What The Algorithms Favor: Look at the platforms where your audience is and identify what tools and opportunities are feeding the algorithm. What are they giving preference to right now? That's what you can leverage to maximize your reach and get in front of people.
  • The best content options *right now* are:
    • Live streaming on Facebook & Instagram
    • Stories - leverage all the new stickers
    • Instagram Reels - Big opportunity right now. Watch other peoples' reels to learn what they're about.
    • Listen in for all the specific tips on each of these!
    
    
  • Use DMs BUT focus on building relationships, not trying to sell.
  • Before you go live, let people know when and what value you’re going to offer.
  • Utilize hashtags and tags to expand your reach and get your content shared.
  
  
• Setup Instagram & Facebook...

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

The key to super charge your productivity lies in one simple 5-letter word.

L-I-S-T-S!

I bet you’ve heard the term Operating Procedures. In essence, each Operating Procedure is a list of documented activities to perform any function within your business. They are particularly beneficial if a task is repetitive. That way you don’t have to remember all the steps and in what order. Just follow the list.

Imagine how useful it can be when you bring on employees. They can follow the same system you’ve already created. Easy and a great way to minimize errors too!

Mentioned in this show is the FREE VIDEO training on productivity that is part of the Inspired! Daily Planner process. You can apply this to any planner you currently use or even start with a blank journal!

CONNECT with me here:

Website | Facebook | Instagram

SUBSCRIBE to the podcast:

Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify

PAY IT FORWARD by leaving a rating and review.

I'd love to hear your comments. Tell me how the show has helped you or a specific guest or point that had an impact. You can do that right here.

Thanks for listening!

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

5 Rookie Mistakes Webinar (FREE)

Start with Confidence

Networking Ninja

Content for Makers

Inspired! Daily Planner

Makers MBA

Check out the Merch Shop

Gifts for you or your biz friends that will make the days brighter and add a touch of inspiration and happiness. Enter the shop here.

Join our community of handmade product makers

Gift Biz Breeze is an active and inspiring group of creators at all levels of business development. Ask questions, see what others are working on, and learn new things - it's all there and we're waiting for you to join us!

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

It helps other makers like you find the show and build their businesses too. You can do so right here: Rate This Podcast

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Tips From Craft Show Pros

• The value in just starting and going from there.

• What you can learn about being a vendor by visiting craft shows as a shopper

• How to really know if a show was a success for you or not.

• Being flexible and why you need to watch trends to stay relevant.

• How to make connections with your customers.

• Which is more important? The big grand thing that you do well or the little daily tasks?

• How to get your big break.

• The key to keeping your products high quality.

• And so much more!

Tune in now to get tons of valuable tips from craft show pros that you can use for your handmade product business!

Resources Mentioned

• GBU Topic Directory

Grant & Jennifer's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Look for moments where you can pause and see the extraordinary.
• Stay present to the work you love. Don’t get so consumed that you forget why you started your business in the first place.
• Continue to evolve and pivot based on the work you enjoy in addition to what your clients are asking for.
• Break things down into 90-Day Projects so the work actually gets done to move your business forward.
• See things from a personality perspective. In this way you'll understand who you naturally are and where you're most likely to go off track.
• Richness in life comes when we are challenged to be a better version of ourselves.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CONTACT LINKS

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Strengthening Your Financial Mindset

• Get really clear on the pricing of your products. Your hourly rate isn't just about making the product. It's also the materials and all the work you do to make, market, and sell the product.
• Do not underprice yourself. Put the right price tag on your time.
• If it feels weird to make money from something you love doing, remember - isn't that the point?
• Understand your money journey. Ditch the scarcity mindset. Develop your worth around money. Be confident to raise your rate.
• Be conscious and strategic in making your business impact your personal life.
• Understand your numbers. Create projections and analyze your numbers. Have strategic ways to allocate money to increase profitability and revenue. Figure out how to pay yourself a consistent salary. <-- Tune in for more on this important topic!
• Part of knowing your numbers is knowing your tax numbers. Know exactly how much you need to set aside for taxes.
• Have a spreadsheet to input your revenue and your expenses. That would make it easy to see how much you have for profit. Revenue minus expenses equal your profit.
• You need to be the CFO of your personal life, not just your business.
• Understand your money goals and how your money will be used.
• Have six different bank accounts for personal and for business. One of those is your tax account. Every month based on the profitability of your company, set aside that money right away into your tax business account.

5 Different Areas To Create Long-Term Goals

1. Pay down debt
2. Create bigger savings
3. Generosity
4. Investment
5. Lifestyle improvement.

5 Reasons We Avoid Numbers

1. "Not a numbers person"
...

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

Get Free Coaching thru a Gift Biz Boost!

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Be part of the newest Gift Biz Opportunity!

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Don't be afraid to try new things and technologies. Be creative to expand your reach.
• Learn to ask a lot of questions. Pay attention to changes and trends in your industry.
• Unique products lead to great reorders because customers can only find it in your store.
• Build a website to showcase your products and allow people to buy from you directly.
• Use downtime to educate yourself on how to reach out to individual buyers and how to market your product in different ways.
• Direct people to your products in subtle ways without being too salesy.
• Interact with people genuinely on social media. Be friendly and genuinely comment on other accounts.
• Everybody has hard times in business. Don't give up and be open to new opportunities.
• Leverage vendor networks - for instance, vendors often know where to find things you need or how to do things you want to learn.
• Tune in to get more biz building insights!

How To Sell On Pinterest

• Create landing pages for products to educate and engage visitors with a free gift.
  • Display lifestyle photos and videos of how the products are used, show options, etc.
  • Direct pins to the landing page instead of the shop page.
  • Offer a free downloadable (such as an ebook) to capture emails even if they don't buy right away.
  • Focus on the lifestyle elements rather than the product itself so it doesn't feel salesy.
  • Listen to the full episode for all the details on this strategy!
  
  
• Plan ahead for Pinterest. Create seasonal photos and resources early so you're ready when it's time to pin.

Resources Mentioned

• Ep 281 - How to Use Pinterest For Your Product Business With Kate Ahl
• Tailwind Pinterest Scheduling Tool

Catherine's Contact Links

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Do the brave thing. When you default to always doing the thing that's a little bit braver, you're going to get results faster.
• Build up your "brave" muscle by using it regularly. Start small and just get a little braver each time.

Get Started Guide For Your Email Marketing Process

• Email marketing has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to get sales. Make sure to show up to your list.
• To choose a system for email marketing, the biggest thing is to see which one works for your brain and your price level. <--Tune in for all of Kate's tips on this.
  • Mailerlite has a good free starter plan
  • Convertkit is built more for creatives
  
  
• Add your own email to your email list and practice sending emails even if you don't have anyone else on there yet.
• Create some incentives for people who want to get on your email list. Give people a reason to give you their email address.  <--Get all Kate's tips on this in the audio!
• Write a Welcome email for new subscribers and automate it so it goes out on autopilot whenever someone signs up.
• Show up at least twice a month so people remember who you are and what you sell. It can be something really casual.
• Talk about what your people want to hear about in your emails.
• Think of your customers as best friends who love what you make just as much as you do. When you talk to them like a friend, everything starts opening up.
• People WANT to be part of your special club.
• Ask questions. Not everyone will reply back but it's a good way to build that personal relationship with your fans.
• Include photos in your emails - especially behind the scenes of what you do.
• Try a magazine-style newsletter. The top half of your newsletter is going to be those interesting bits where the relationship is built. And the bottom is where you can share things for sale.
• Include your social media content in your email.
• Don't have giant blocks of text in emails - because nobody reads that.  If there are certain keywords you want to draw attention to, make them bold so your followers see them.
• Pro Tip --> Don't freak out about your open rate (provided by your email provider) because a lot of mobile email opens do not register. Tune in for the full explanation.
• Remember - it's a privilege to be on your email list!

Resources Mentioned

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Create and nurture connections that will nourish you as a person and as a business. When things go sideways, you can support each other in a variety of ways.
• Develop your courage to reach out and nurture relationships.
• Use 3 pillars to become more visible: <-- listen in for the full explanation!
  • collaborations and alliances
  • speaking and events
  • and media
  
  
• Build relationships with people who speak to the same audience that you speak to, but do something different from what you do.
• Create valuable experiences for your connections and have your products available as a takeaway at the end.  <-- Tune in for examples!
• See if you can get into the newsletters of the companies that normally put on events and conferences. Or articles in local newspapers and magazines. <-- Tune in for pro tips!
• Tell the story of how you do things. No one has traveled the same path you have. Lean into your story to distinguish yourself from others.
• Remember there are people out there looking for you. You are the answer to someone's prayers and they'll be grateful to find you. So raise your voice so they can find you!
• Make sure to tune in to the full episode to get all the specific tips & tricks!

Resources Mentioned

• ConnectFest Challenge

Amanda's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Starting a business is about being fearless.
• Take a business concept, work with it and then grow it.
• You'll never reach a point that you know everything. One place to seek ideas and suggestions is from your team.
• With the evolution of commerce, power and control are going to move closer to the consumer.
• The customer connection is about the story behind your business and your product.
• There's great value when, no matter how large the company gets, each employee has each other’s back in fulfilling the overall goal - regardless of their areas of expertise.

CONTACT LINKS

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

The StartUp Story Of Little Rebels

• How MJ came up with the idea for Little Rebels dolls
• The initial vision and how it developed over time
• First steps in the creation process
• One crucial element of your product that you must optimize
• How it's possible to create a business even when you don't know how to do everything
• MJ's best tips for new business owners
• and so much more you can learn from!

Tune in to this fascinating conversation to discover how to go from clever idea to successful business! 

Resources Mentioned

• GBU Merch Shop

Marjorie's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Be part of the newest Gift Biz Opportunity!

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Word Of Mouth At Scale With Influencer Marketing

• What Influencer Marketing is all about
• How this type of marketing is different from other marketing techniques
• Finding the right influencers to work with for your business
• How many influencers should you partner with?
• A simple 6 step process to get started
• Plus lots more ideas to start scaling word of mouth through influencer marketing

Tune in now to hear all the tips & tricks and start scaling your word of mouth through influencer marketing!

Resources Mentioned

• Ep 137 - 5 Steps To Merry & Bright Holiday Sales

Yash's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Opening A Retail Shop

• Why it's okay NOT to know everything before you start.
• What to look for in a location for your business.
• The advantages of retail vs. online shopping.
• How to capture the customers’ interest.
• Why it's so important to be present at the store.
• The secret to knowing what your customers want.
• Building a team.
• Plus so much more!

Tune in now to hear how Yes! You Can Be Successful Opening a Retail Shop Today!

Jessie's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Take those next steps. Keep figuring out what the next thing is because eventually, it will all work.
• Do the show, record the results, and analyze what worked and what didn’t work.
• Naturally sharing with friends and family what you’re up to opens opportunities for business.
• Validate that your product will sell before you build a business around it.
• The display is important because people want to experience touching your products.
• Have a range of price points so people will have options for what they are comfortable buying.
• Having high-priced things positions you as an expert in your field.
• Have multiple avenues to build relationships with people.

How To Find A Profitable Niche

• Create products that are different and unique so you are top of mind.
• Focus your efforts on things that you love doing. Love what you do and make people happy.
• Get ideas from your customers. Listen to what products they want.
• At every show, write down notes about what sells to who and why, what you learned from speaking to your customers, etc.
• Try different ways to sell - in person, at shows, online, via Zoom, and so on, and see what works best for you. You may find your niche in an unexpected place.
• Be flexible - you never know where your next best-selling product or favorite customer will come from!
• Tune in now to get all the signs to look for your profitable niche!

Resources Mentioned

• Content for Makers

Gail's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Don't just guess - validate if there’s a market for your product.
• Never stop educating yourself. Things change and you have lots to learn no matter what industry you’re in.
• Plan resources ahead so you can take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves.
• Adapt to changes for your business to continue to grow.
• Networking can be a major influence on your business growth. Get to be known as a valuable resource so others refer you. <-- Tune in for tons more networking tips!
• Build real relationships, get to know people, create a personal connection, and discover how you can help them.

Tips For Building A Business You Love

• Fire customers who make you feel bad or treat your employees badly. Don't wait until the stress makes you want to quit entirely.
• Watch for signs that a customer will never be happy so you can end the relationship before it goes on too long.
• Always stay professional, polite, and kind, even in difficult conversations.
• Business isn't always easy. Don't give up when things get hard. Change is just around the corner.
• Over time you may feel stagnated as a business owner. Make a plan to change and grow to reinvigorate yourself and your business.
• Stay flexible. Change your mindset to learn new things and challenge yourself.
• Listen to the full episode for more insights on building a business you love!

Joyce's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Email Marketing Strategies  To Increase Sales

• How to grow your email list.
• 4 communication flows you should have in place.
• Where to find ideas for email content.
• What to do after your email is sent.
• How to map out a 6 or 12-month email calendar.
• The key to client retention.
• How to get people to sign up for your list.
• What to do before every campaign.
• And yes - even more.

Listen to this full conversation to get email marketing strategies that increase sales so you can get started right away!

 Resources Mentioned

• GBU Topic Directory
• Inspired! Daily Planner

Laura & Adam's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

👉 Are you spending a lot of time on social media tasks because you’re clear on specifically what it can do for your business? 👉 Or are you doing it because everyone else is?

What's In This Bash Party?

• LEARN how social media fits into your handmade product business promotional plan and what to post based on your stage of business.
• HEAR Q&A on this training with Bash attendees
• DISCOVER attendees share their upcoming events, unique collaborations, and discount promo codes! << Tune in to grab these deals + get ideas for your own business! 

Resources Mentioned:

• Bash #1 - 5 Gift Biz Growth Stages
• Content for Makers
• Merchandise Shop

Join Me At The NextBash Party!

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Business Building Insights

• If you don't start your engine with why, you won't get anywhere. When you start with understanding your reason behind your mission, everything else will follow.
• When a business idea comes to mind, think about whether the product can be made affordably and sell at a price that gives you a solid profit margin.
• Always be open to changes and improvements throughout your business. Think of how this can apply to your product design, production and packaging.
• Focus groups are important as you consider the pricing of your product.
• You may feel you have a great product, but make sure there's a market for it through testing and feedback before moving forward with your plan.
• Demonstrating your product at a craft or trade show helps people understand its value and use.
• Be tangle-free. Get rid of the fears, doubts, self-limiting beliefs and all the stuff that keeps you from being your authentic self.

Resources Mentioned

Contact Links

Join our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Resources for Growth of  Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• When someone you don't know has a powerful response to your product, that's a great validation there’s a market for your product.
• Create connections with potential clients by getting them to experience your product. Putting your product in front of them will do a lot of the selling.
• Research as much as you can during product development so you can come up with effective strategies to scale your business.  There will be investments to produce the quality of the product you are aiming for.
• Find a way to stand out in your industry. Understand where your product fits in your niche and differentiate to create a unique product.

How To Sell Corporate Gifts To Companies

• Don't send your logo-marked products to potential customers you have no relationship with. There's not much motivation for them to keep it.
• Once you do have a relationship, your logo products will be more welcome. Make sure you're in the right place of the customer journey or are already connected. <-- Pro tip! 
• Events like trade shows are the perfect place for promotional logo products such as pens.
• Guide your clients on the best ways to use or present your products.
• For the gifting industry, It is important that your product arrives in amazing condition since it represents the brand of your client. The whole experience should be exciting for customers.
• Deliver joy across the country. The goal of your product is to make a person’s day and connect with them.
• Share value-based content on social media that your customers can use in their own business
• Tune in to hear how Noms went from a small farmers market seller to a nationwide corporate gift powerhouse!  Tons of amazing tips you can learn about building your own business

Chelsea's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Storytelling Tips From A Published Author

• When it comes to writing and storytelling, make it personal.
• Let people know about the inspiration behind a product that makes it authentic. That will resonate with your audience.
• Don't ignore the senses. If you've got something that smells good or feels good, that's something you really want to highlight.
• Add those little details that make things all the more appealing and inviting.
• Inspiration can come from anywhere.
• Scribble ideas that come to mind that are going to work in different settings.

Resources Mentioned

• Underneath the Christmas Tree by Heidi Swain
• ep 297 Experience a Holiday Story and Peek into the Life of Bestselling Author Heidi Swain
• ep 349 Integrating Our Love of Stories into Your Brand with Chloë Thomas

Heidi's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

There’s a lot of information circling about COVID-19. We’re hearing about how to stay healthy, that we have to stay at home, all the things. In this show we'll be covering your rights and responsibilities both as an employer and an employee.

You may be getting information from your local chamber or small business administration in your community. Yet, even if you have access to this information, you haven’t necessarily had the chance to ask questions. So I’m doing that for you. You’ll hear the important things you need to know on the financial side of this pandemic along with easy and understandable direction of what to do to take advantage of the help being offered.

Brad deBeaubien is a management-side labor and employment lawyer with Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick. His practice focuses on representing employers in a wide variety of state and federal employment law matters, including: wage and hour litigation, discrimination and retaliation actions, restrictive covenant and trade secret claims, and other employment-related disputes. 

Brad also routinely assists clients in developing and updating employment policies, employee handbooks, employment and independent contractor agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, and severance agreements.

Drawing on his experience as a teacher prior to law school, Brad often speaks to Tampa Bay area school students about personal finance and budgeting through the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Credit Abuse Resistance Education program.

Finally, Brad and his wife enjoy sharing their love of music and reading with their two young daughters.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

COVID-19 Resources for the Creative Community

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Details

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Application Form

Chamber of Commerce Emergency Loans Guide

CONTACT LINKS

Website

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Become a Member of Gift Biz Breeze

If you found value in this podcast, make sure to subscribe so you automatically get the next episode downloaded for your convenience. Also, if you'd like to do me a huge favor, please leave a review. That helps other creators like you find the show and build their businesses too.

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

Spotify

Thank so much! Sue

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." ~ Maya Angelou

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Focus on the why behind the reason somebody is having your product.
• The best marketing strategy for any product-based business is word-of-mouth and referrals.
• Your business should provide the solution for your customers’ problems.
• Think bigger and have a vision of where your business should be in the next years. <-- Tune in for the full conversation on this!
• Photography is really important in the e-commerce space. That could be the actual product shot, the actual product shot, or ways how to use the product.
• Pick one social media platform and be an expert in that platform. Maximize the sales of that channel. Go where your target audience is.

Emotional Branding For Small Business

• What is a brand: the emotional resonance your product and business provides to your customer.
• Be the voice of your customer. Create a brand that is centered around your target audience.
• Shift from a product mindset to a brand mindset. When you're building your business, build the brand first because branding is why people buy from you. Marketing is how people find you.
• Personalize your brand. Provide good customer service and respond to people on time to let people know you're present.
• Think about your customer.  Who do you want to truly serve? How are you solving the problem they currently have?
• Create messaging that people can connect with. That messaging of emotional connection is what will lead them to buy. Create a community that is magnetized by your messaging.
• List three adjectives

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• The world and therefore your business is constantly evolving. This means you have to reinvent yourself at times to adjust.
• During times of change, things can be unconventional. But there is always a way to thrive in your business.
• Find new avenues to attract potential clients. Be in touch through emails and Facebook posts.
• If you’re in retail, take your online presence one step further. Virtual fashion shows offer a personal touch and builds a relationship with those customers who can't come into your store.
• Start small and just do it.
• For Adrian's Boutique, Show and Sell is a fun way to be unique.
• Form your own group and collaborate with other store owners.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CONTACT LINKS

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community

Resources for Growth of  Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Don’t doubt yourself. Show up and do it even if you don’t feel like you’re ready. You matter and you need to believe that you deserve to be there.

Amazon Handmade vs. Etsy

• Amazon Handmade is sort of like an Etsy inside of Amazon.
• For Amazon Handmade, you must be the designer, maker, or involved in the production of the product. You can't just be a reseller.
• If your products are manufactured in a factory, it will not be considered handmade by Amazon.
• You can't sell the same product on both sides of Amazon (regular seller vs handmade)  - you have to choose.
• Amazon's search is easier for Handmade than Etsy search. And looking at comments is more straightforward on Amazon, as well.
• Shoppers can search for your location, specific features about what you do, learn about you as the creator.
• To sell a variety of things, Etsy is the place to be. On Amazon, if you get good reviews, you can sell a lot of the same thing (or with a few variations).
• Don't restrict yourself to one or the other - if you're on Etsy, be on Amazon Handmade, too.
• You must complete an application to become an Amazon Handmade seller. Recommend that you set yourself up with an LLC so your business is a separate entity from you. <-- Pro tip! Tune in for more details on the application process.

Dos for selling on Amazon Handmade:

• • Do think of a product that has a market and how you can get reviews to rank and have people see your product. Reviews are critical on Amazon. <--Listen to the full conversation for more on this.
  • Do test multiple items to see which one will succeed - then focus single-mindedly on that one.
  • Do advertise on Amazon to get in front of people and keep your product moving.
  • Do use words in your title that people use to search for your item.
  • Do add inserts in the shipment to share other things that you sell.
  • Do make sure your flagship product is always in stock because if you go out of stock, your ranking will fall. <-- Pro Tip!
  • Do use Amazon lives to promote your products and build a following.
  • Do offer free informational downloads on your website that support their purchase (be careful not to incentivize reviews) so you can

Resources for Growth of  Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

Resources for Growth of  Your Handmade Biz

Check out the Merch Shop

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Work on your own business just as hard as you would work for someone else.
• Overcome your fears as they can cripple the growth of your business. Don't be afraid to succeed.
• You have control of everything that you do.
• Do things in order and in a way that will help your business and not hinder it.
• Make sure your product is priced correctly and you're giving people a great product so they will come back and want again.
• Think about and plan for what you will need when your business starts to grow before you are actually there. <-- Pro tip! Tune in for more on this topic.

Networking-Mentorship-Publicity Tips

• Network in your community more than anything. When you are out there people get to recognize you.
• Get comfortable being around people to share your story. Don't allow yourself to hide behind social media and not show your face.
• Don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help from someone who has been where you are.
• Consider using LinkedIn. It can be a great place to build connections for your business.
• Look for opportunities to be interviewed for TV or radio. It takes longer to set up your booth for a show than it does to be interviewed!
• Always bring a small gift or examples of your product to interviews.

Resources Mentioned

• Tips & Talk Ep 34 - Your Role in the Global Shipping Crisis
• Inspired! Daily Planner - save 40% off with code SALE for a limited time!

Lisa's Contact Links

The Role Of Your Website In Your Handmade Product Business

• Your overall approach to marketing + 6 different channels you can use
• The true purpose of your website
• How your website is your HQ and all the roles it can fill
• The sections and content your site should have
• What your website can and can't do for you
• Two strategies for attracting people to your site
• and (of course), more!

Tune into this special episode with Sue to discover the true role of your website and start making it really work for you!

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• GBU Topics Directory
• Content for Makers
• Inspired! Daily Planner
• Start with Confidence

Join our community of handmade product makers

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

You'll regret it if you don't get started now. All three of these things grow richer over time. So the longer you wait, the farther behind you'll be. Plus you're losing valuable assets your business can use to grow!

In this world of instant gratification, we've been conditioned to put things off ... because they can be obtained easily when you want them. It's not the case with what I'll be telling you today.

Consider yourself warned!

CONNECT with me here:

Website | Facebook | Instagram

SUBSCRIBE to the podcast:

Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify

PAY IT FORWARD by leaving a rating and review.

I'd love to hear your comments. Tell me how the show has helped you or a specific guest or point that had an impact. You can do that right here.

Thanks for listening!

Resources for Growth of Your Handmade Biz

5 Rookie Mistakes Webinar (FREE)

Start with Confidence

Networking Ninja

Content for Makers

Inspired! Daily Planner

Makers MBA

Check out the Merch Shop

Gifts for you or your biz friends that will make the days brighter and add a touch of inspiration and happiness. Enter the shop here.

Join our community of handmade product makers

Gift Biz Breeze is an active and inspiring group of creators at all levels of business development. Ask questions, see what others are working on, and learn new things - it's all there and we're waiting for you to join us!

Finally, would you please leave a review? Thanks!

It helps other makers like you find the show and build their businesses too. You can do so right here: Rate This Podcast

Why Be A Guest On A Podcast?

• How podcast guesting benefits you and your business
• Finding & selecting the right podcasts to be a guest on
• How to prepare for your guest appearance
• Tips & tricks for being a great guest
• What you can expect from guesting
• Why you should be a podcast guest before your starting your own show
• and so much more!

Tune in now to learn all about being a guest on a podcast in this fascinating episode!

Resources Mentioned

• GBU Podcast Topics Directory (free)
• Content for Makers
• Gift Biz Unwrapped Merch Shop

Noemi and Gabor's Contact Links

Join Our FREE Gift Biz Breeze Facebook Community