Any Business Owners Here? I Just Need To Vent About My Mine.

a reply to: igloo

You will need a barcode for each type of earring that you sell on Amazon. They are cheap. I use Nationwide Barcode.

I urge you to purchase barcodes and set up an Amazon Seller account and list your items there. Amazon gets WAY more traffic than Etsy and you WILL make sales if you can set up a halfway decent product page. Amazon pays every other week.

Disclosure: eBay since 2003, Etsy since 2013 (over 2,000 sales), Amazon Seller since 2014.

For promotion, use Instagram.

For a website use Volusion or BigCommerce. I prefer Volusion, BigCommerce is also okay. You do NOT need to hire anyone to set up Volusion or BigCommerce stores, I PROMISE YOU that you can do this on your own.

I sold my business a few years ago, as soon as it was valuable, because the hours were so long and emotionally consuming.
It was not an online business, but there were some things I learned in it about interacting socially.

Mainly- you have to be a hardass. Being "nice" with your suppliers and contractors can quickly get you ignored or even ripped off. I had to be intransigent in my demands, and keep after them- I'd call each day and demand to know where they are in the work. I would double check details and throw a fit if any small detail wasn't being respected. It was amazing to me how many tried to rip me off at first. I even had ones that would approach me as a "weak female" speak to me patronizingly and one even suggested he deal with my husband instead of me (my husband had nothing to do with the business and has a job of his own).

I struggled with this at first because of my deeply ingrained habit of trying to be nice, and worrying about others thinking I am a bitch. I was lucky enough to have some male friends who were also business owners and could sort of coach me, telling me I had to be hard. I was surprised to find that I didn't get the kind of reactions I expected- that I would be disliked, avoided, and no one would want to work with me. On the contrary! I gained respect, and they actually seemed to like me more. (which seemed weird).

I can't give any advice on the website building area, (except many people I know are using Facebook in this way and are finding it super effective), but I can just put my two cents in to say- dare to be a bitch. Be a pest, be a nitpicker, threaten to sue.... at some point you need to make your place in that world.

originally posted by: igloo
Sorry I bailed for a bit... my son broke up with his girlfriend and I've been trying to console her... ah the joys of youth, not.

Anyhow with all the great suggestions I am starting to feel less hopeless and more that I was missing some important avenues to take.

It sure is hard having to diversify to the point of being good at manufacturing, photography, web building, social media networking over many platforms, and promoting but I am resigned to the fact it is necessary.

on all things technical, your a mom and you have a son.. never forget that they are great with computers and can be a fun and free resource from time to time if you get stuck!

I didn't learn how to use computers in school, they existed when I was in high school but they were only shown to kids who excelled in math and had the potential to learn programming back then.. I was not one of those kids.. so I never did more than once see a computer before I left school..

yet in the short time between my graduating high school, and my son starting kindergarten, my son was learning how to use a computer in his kindergarten class. He is also the one who taught me everything I know today about computers - simply because he thought I needed to know. (weird huh? ..lol)

but for me that is how it worked. He will always be above my pay grade where computers are concerned I think - and even yet today if I get stuck with something I can pick up the phone and he will walk me through a problem if I need him to.

So if you need - do this on your own, learn what you need, but let your son teach you what you need also.. my bet is that he will be able to help you whenever you get stuck.

It sounds as if what you lack is an understanding of modern marketing techniques/sales and an overall lack of confidence in your own ability to sell your product strongly.

Are you happier making the product than selling it if so I may have an interesting suggestion.

Without knowing what margins you are working with I do not know if it's viable.

Another member mentioned utilising a younger person when it comes to sales, I have done something similar recently. I was struggling to do everything from manufacturing through marketing and sales so I have done a deal with a young friend of the family, she is in her early 20's and currently unemployed.

I basically told her to go out in whatever way she chose and get me some sales, all commission and entirely up to her how, when and how often she does it with 20% gross commision.

The younger generation still have that drive and ambition that can get knocked out of you as you grow older and will go at it like a steam train.

This could also work well if you are looking at approaching shops/tattoo parlours ect as it looks like you are sending in a rep as opposed to bieng a small time one man band.

If approching shops make sure you not only have a good selection of products but also a printed portfolio you can leave with them to look over and scope with customers, also tell them that you only want to have one retail outlet in every area and will promote them as your retailer in that area online which can in turn lead to additional business and advertising for there existing business.

Do not be afraid to be proud of the individuality and quality of your product and remember that just because it may be a shop you should hold the upper hand, you should aim to make them want your product as opposed to you wanting them to be nice enough to buy it from you.

I hope this helps, Mrsnonspecific has a degree in marketing so I will ask her to have a look at the thread when she has time for some more input.

a reply to: igloo

This is something you probably don't want to hear but it's a reality that many small craft producers face.

There are design predators everywhere!!! Expect your designs to get knocked off as soon as you enter into the marketplace in a professional manner.

When I came out with a fresh line for the wholesale markets; I knew that I only had a limited time before my best designs would be stolen and manufactured in the orient. So when you are able; blitz the market hard and heavy. I calculated that you only get 1 year before the predators overtake the smaller biz as soon as you become visible.

I hope that your item and niche market doesn't fall in to this category, but in the metal and stone area, it's a fact of life.

originally posted by: nonspecific
It sounds as if what you lack is an understanding of modern marketing techniques/sales and an overall lack of confidence in your own ability to sell your product strongly.

Are you happier making the product than selling it if so I may have an interesting suggestion.

Without knowing what margins you are working with I do not know if it's viable.

Another member mentioned utilising a younger person when it comes to sales, I have done something similar recently. I was struggling to do everything from manufacturing through marketing and sales so I have done a deal with a young friend of the family, she is in her early 20's and currently unemployed.

I basically told her to go out in whatever way she chose and get me some sales, all commission and entirely up to her how, when and how often she does it with 20% gross commision.

The younger generation still have that drive and ambition that can get knocked out of you as you grow older and will go at it like a steam train.

This could also work well if you are looking at approaching shops/tattoo parlours ect as it looks like you are sending in a rep as opposed to bieng a small time one man band.

If approching shops make sure you not only have a good selection of products but also a printed portfolio you can leave with them to look over and scope with customers, also tell them that you only want to have one retail outlet in every area and will promote them as your retailer in that area online which can in turn lead to additional business and advertising for there existing business.

Do not be afraid to be proud of the individuality and quality of your product and remember that just because it may be a shop you should hold the upper hand, you should aim to make them want your product as opposed to you wanting them to be nice enough to buy it from you.

I hope this helps, Mrsnonspecific has a degree in marketing so I will ask her to have a look at the thread when she has time for some more input.

Nonspecific, you quite completely summed it up in terms of selling... the modern way I find chaotic because they're are so many platforms one must learn and use well. I have a son who is a genius at promotion but is only 15 so I may have a job for him in time, lol. Also in terms of time I am utterly swamped with the regular creative part of the business and yes, I love making the jewelry. Marketing not so much. I may look into having someone else promote as if things got rolling the profit margin is there.

And Opinionated... I will ask my kids about computer stuff. I just never thought of it. I wasn't exposed to computers til my early twenties and it seems like my orientation to them is that of a second language whereas the kids seem fluent.

Bluesma I know what you mean about being tough... some of my suppliers send properly packaged, good quality stuff then suddenly it changes. A small minority though.

Ameilia, will try Amazon for sure.. I was under the illusion it was only for mass produced stuff not handcrafted since I have never shopped on it but its very different than I thought.

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: igloo

This is something you probably don't want to hear but it's a reality that many small craft producers face.

There are design predators everywhere!!! Expect your designs to get knocked off as soon as you enter into the marketplace in a professional manner.

When I came out with a fresh line for the wholesale markets; I knew that I only had a limited time before my best designs would be stolen and manufactured in the orient. So when you are able; blitz the market hard and heavy. I calculated that you only get 1 year before the predators overtake the smaller biz as soon as you become visible.

I hope that your item and niche market doesn't fall in to this category, but in the metal and stone area, it's a fact of life.

I had suspected this to happen and if I get a short run out of it well that's ok. Perhaps if I manage to build a clientele I should just buy the copies and sell them, profit with no fuss.