Hello, handcrafters!
I'm Csilla, and I'm a content creator. I have been creating digital content since 2005 when I've set up my first small handcraft business and designed everything from flyers to a website to advertisements. Of course, nothing could have stopped me then as I wanted to do everything, and I've learned so much about small businesses, but sooner or later, I was exhausted.
Since then, I have managed to overcome all the struggles opened a new webshop and developed a planning and marketing toolkit for a business like yours.
Starting a business, any business, is challenging. It becomes even harder when you sell something you made with your own hands! You probably didn't set out to set up a business, or if you did, you didn't have a clear idea about how that business would look. Instead, you just loved making stuff, and one day you have decided to start and sell your precious things to the broader audience. Maybe you started selling at local art and craft fairs or farmers markets. Perhaps you got into a few local shops, most likely on sale or return.
On top of that, you needed to do social media, marketing, bookkeeping and maybe set up a basic website, right? So now you might feel overwhelmed, exhausted or just discouraged whether it's possible to make a living as a craftsperson or designer-maker. You even got a part-time job just to top up your investment and have a regular cash flow.
The fact is that the business of selling what you make requires you to be flexible and calm, and organised. You need to develop ways, habits and mindset changes to support your business. Unfortunately, so many makers struggle with the business side of things because knowing what to do isn't enough. So, where and how do we start?
I've tried everything and anything (a few times)and experienced and made many mistakes along the way. However, you don't have to, as I will share some of these experiences and tools that you can implement into your own business set-up, no matter what size it is.