Putting it Together - Selling your Craft Part One

I've been going through a Journey of Discovering who I am and what I need to do to earn a decent living. Should I continue with my online/craft business, which is in the black, but not enough to live on. Should I go back to product design, which earns me a very decent living, but has major problems, or should I just get a meaningless 9-5 job, just to earn money and be satisfied with being a drone with health insurance and food in my mouth.

I've made a lot of discoveries, and I am sure I will make more along the road. I want to share some of them with you, because if you are selling with blinders on, like I was, you need to see the whole picture. If you want to read a long blog and try to catch up, there is a tab over there ---> Four Months

I haven't been posting here lately, because I've been busy with my own business, but I made this blog to share, so share I will. Here is part one of my discovery, because I've learned so much that it needs to be fed to you in parts.

First and foremost, you are not selling your crafts at a High School Bazaar, you are running a business and from today on think of yourself that way. If you do not have that mindset you will not succeed. It doesn't have to be a major corporation, it just has to be a professional business. Run your business as though you are the competition to your product department of your local department store or gift shop. That's who you have to take your customers away from.

Get out your newspaper and your magazines and look at the ads. Does your product look as hot at that? Does your photography look that good? How about your ad copy? Is it descriptive or pedantic or so hot you just have to have it.

I've said this before, but I'll say it again. Photography! Photography! Photography!

I'll be talking to you about Press and Press kits, Wholesale Price sheets and and who to turn to for advice.

Now this week's assignment is to imagine who will use your product. Visualize your customer using it. When you see your customer clearly, think of how you are going to reach them.