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Well, hi there.

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I see that you've made it over here to the new

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tips and talk portion of the podcast.

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These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and

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things that I'm observing in the world of handmade product,

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small businesses let's get right to it.

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One huge mistake that I continue to see with handmade creators

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who are turning what's always been a hobby into a business.

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So they've decided to jump the fence if you will,

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and monetize something that they make.

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Here's what happens when this mistake occurs.

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First off,

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very few sales start coming in at all.

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And that's the main reason they're doing it right,

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is to sell something.

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And even if there are sales that are coming in,

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there's no traction,

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that's getting established.

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You know what?

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The dream is,

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you have somebody who's not a family or a friend start

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buying products from you.

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So you're validating that your products have a market that people

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want them,

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but then you need traction.

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You need someone to buy again from you or tell someone

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else about you so that you can grow your business.

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And when this mistake occurs,

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that traction never happens.

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The other thing that is a situation with this big mistake

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is there's a lot of confusion around who you are as

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a business owner,

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what your product is.

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You've just not really set a stake in the ground.

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So there's not an opportunity or a potential for anybody to

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talk about you.

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So now that I have kept you in suspense for long

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enough, the huge mistake that I see is not claiming a

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core product to start out with kind of like being the

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woman of all trades for everything,

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and to illustrate the point and to make it a little

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clearer. Let's say you are an attendee at a craft show,

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okay? So you're not exhibiting,

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but you're just going into a craft show and you're going

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around and you're looking at all these different booths and you

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go from booth to booth and you go to one table

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and on that table are side full of candles.

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And then there's a side that has knitted coasters maybe.

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And then another side that has like water color designed greeting

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cards. What does that business stand for?

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What is it?

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How would you describe that business?

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The maker is the artist of all of it,

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but what would you say it's too varied.

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There are too many different products that they're representing.

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So they're like a master of everything,

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but an expert at none.

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And this is a real problem with handmade creators because let's

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face it.

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You know,

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if you are a creator first off,

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you're a very special breed.

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Only half of the population has that creative edge to them.

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But then for you to go on and make products and

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then decide to sell you're in a very unique group.

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But the problem is what do you sell?

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You make so many things you,

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so you paint,

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the original theory would be well,

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I'm going to do all of them because that way I've

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opened up my opportunities to more people.

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If people don't want the watercolor breeding cards,

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then maybe they'll want the handmade knitted coasters,

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or then they may want the candles.

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So I'll have all of them.

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No, no,

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no, no,

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no. This is the mistake.

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And it's a mistake.

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Why it's a mistake because you are then representing yourself out

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to the community as an expert at none of them.

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So if you are thinking about monetizing a handmade product,

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please do not make this mistake.

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Please don't select all the products that you make and put

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them out on that table.

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Let's go back to the craft show.

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I was just telling you about,

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you looked at that one table and you saw all those

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products and maybe you bought something that was awesome.

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But then you go to the next one table down and

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on the,

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at the next table down,

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there is a woman who is also the maker,

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but on her table are knitted baby booties and knitted,

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winter, scarves,

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and mittens.

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And she has all different types of stitching.

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So there's all different types of applications that are included in

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all these products,

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of course,

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different colors and all of that.

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What is her specialty and what is she an expert in

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obviously knitted products.

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So she starting to build a name for herself and to

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become known as somebody who is an expert with knitted products.

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And this is what you want to get to.

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You want to get to the point where people,

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when they say your name,

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they say,

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Oh yes,

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she makes the most beautiful baby booties.

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I bought some for one of my friends and she loved

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them. And I'm going back the next time.

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There's a craft show.

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Cause I saw a really cool hat that I love from

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her. And then you're able to go on and say who

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the name of the artist is and what the company is,

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et cetera,

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but much more difficult to go back to that first booth

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and recommend them because,

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Oh yeah,

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it's the company that has will.

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They have a bunch of different things,

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water, watercolor cards.

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Cause some crocheting,

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see there's no expertise there.

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So that is the biggest mistake.

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So if you're starting your business,

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it's against what you're feeling like you should do.

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I know because you're thinking I want to offer everything.

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That's my most potential for sales.

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When really the most potential you have for sales is if

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you niche down,

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we're all hearing the word now,

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right? That's like a key term that everyone talks about.

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Find your niche,

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niche down.

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It's a key word because that's exactly what you should be

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doing is niching down because then you find the perfect customers

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who will buy your perfect product and you are recognized as

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the specialist.

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And when you do this,

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what will happen is you will be talked about you'll gain

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traction because people who've liked and bought what you had will

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come back to you.

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You'll get repeat customers and then you'll build your business.

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Now, does that mean long-term that you're strapped in and all

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you could sell is knitted scarves.

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No. And let me give you an example,

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Sonia paws,

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she's known for her artwork that has this theme of pop

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art for years.

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This is all she did once she narrowed in everything that

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she made was along the same thing.

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So not only was she an artist,

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but she had a certain style to her art.

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Now she sold coasters,

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water bottles,

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framed art,

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key chains.

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If you're out on the West coast,

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you'll see her art in lots of the airports.

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As she grew and built her business,

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she was in business for years.

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Then another love came about for her and totally different,

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totally different realm than her art.

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That new love of hers was jalapeno peppers.

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And so now she has a whole line it's called Sonia's

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sweet and spicy jalapeno peppers that she now also market.

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So it's another brand of hers,

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I guess what's happened because she was such a specialist.

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So well known,

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built a following around her pop art.

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She had a ready-made audience that many of them followed her

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into her new venture.

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So now she's doing two different things,

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her new venture of her sweet and spicy jalapeno peppers.

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Very delicious,

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by the way,

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I just have to add that in.

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So always start with that core product.

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As your business focus,

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start with one thing,

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become the specialist and the expert and known about one thing.

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And then you can move forward from there.

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That's a wrap.

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I'm a get to the point kind of girl.

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And this is what you can expect from these quick midweek

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sessions. Now it's your turn go out and fulfill that dream

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of yours.

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Share your handmade products with us.

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We love and want them.