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Hi there.

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It's Sue.

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And thanks for joining me for tips and talk day.

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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 small business.

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If you'd like to submit a topic,

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DME over on Instagram at gift biz unwrapped,

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before we get into the show today,

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I want to make sure that you know about the newest

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thing happening over here.

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It's called the gift biz bash a zoom party that turns

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into a podcast episode.

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Several weeks later,

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the party consists of a short training with Q and a,

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from yours truly.

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And then an opportunity for you to give a shout out

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about your business.

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You can tell us about a promotion you currently have going

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on or share a collaboration that you're considering so that you

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can find a perfect partner for the event.

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A little bit of learning and visibility for your business.

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What could be better?

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There is a catch though spots are limited to keep the

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party to about 45 minutes or so.

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That means you should grab your spot right away.

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It's totally free to make sure you're included.

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Why not do that right now?

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Pause this episode,

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go to gift biz,

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unwrapped.com forward slash bash to sign up and then come back

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and listen to the show.

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I'll see you at the bash.

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It's easy to start a business.

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What's hard is to stay in business.

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There are a variety of reasons why businesses fail at such

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a high rate.

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And of course,

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nobody takes actions intentionally that will set them back.

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But that's exactly what's happening to most business startups in the

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end, their initial actions never gave them a fair chance of

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survival, right?

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From the start we're going to get into what these things

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are. As they relate specifically to handmade product businesses.

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Today, let me say right here,

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though, that this is going to be an uplifting and enlightening

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message. I promise.

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And if you're thinking of starting your business right now,

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this will give you direction on the first actions to take

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and hopefully catch you in time.

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Before you go too deep into doing what I say are

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the wrong things.

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And if you're listening today and already are doing some of

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the things I'm going to describe,

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it's okay.

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It's never too late to self-correct.

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Okay. Let's go back to the beginning.

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When someone has the idea of starting a business,

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what's the first course of action.

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They do things to establish a business based on what they've

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observed as a consumer,

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the forward facing things that make up a business.

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It's intuitively natural.

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For example,

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as a first step to decide what you're going to name

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the business,

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then they usually build an inventory of product and begin trying

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to sell.

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And there is no reason to think about a different approach,

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except that you're now listening to what I have to say

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about this.

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These are the first actions taken because these other things,

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you know,

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and see about a business from an outsider perspective.

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When you first learn about a business,

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you hear their name,

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perhaps you see their logo,

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take a look at the products that they offer,

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things like that,

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right? Yet there is a critical step that should be taken

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before doing any of these things before you start your own

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business, it's missed because people just don't know.

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And it's this most important first step that when not taken

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leads to many,

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many handmade product businesses,

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closing down as a business coach,

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I'm highly tuned into this startup problem.

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I can see from afar,

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the crushing of a dream and the switch from excited anticipation

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of what will be with a new business to admission of

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defeat. When this initial step isn't taken,

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it's heartbreaking but preventable.

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The missing step that most people never take is to validate

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that there's a market for their product.

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Meaning you have identified and proven that a group of people

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are willing and eager to pay money in exchange for getting

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what you make.

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When you're able to prove through experience,

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that people will buy your creations,

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that when it's time to start your business,

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for real,

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there are a variety of ways to do this validation,

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but essentially what you're doing is getting your products in front

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of would be customers and observing their reactions.

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What products do they ask questions about,

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pick up sample or buy?

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What colors sense sizes are their favorites?

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Is there something missing in your lineup that has asked for

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over and over again?

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There are so many things that you can learn about your

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products and their receptivity through observation and conversation.

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Also, if you're trying to decide between two different products as

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the base for your business,

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which one is getting the most attention,

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that will be your answer.

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And no,

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you don't want to be starting a company around all the

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things that you can make,

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like painted signs,

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essential oils,

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and knitted beanies.

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You want to be known for just one.

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And if you need any better example about this statement,

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refer to shark tank.

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What do people do?

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Who pitch on that show?

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One, just one product,

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a deeper conversation about this could be for another tips and

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talk episode,

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bottom line,

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before you do anything else,

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even naming your business,

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validate your product first,

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make sure you have an audience of people who will buy

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your products before you spend time and money going any further.

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And if you'd like some help with product validation,

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go to the start with confidence program that you can find

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on the gift biz,

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unwrapped website or@giftbizonrapt.com

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forward slash start with confidence.

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This gives you step-by-step direction,

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including ways to conduct validation tests and what to do.

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If nobody's buying,

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it's not the end,

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if that happens.

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And aren't you glad you found out early on,

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there are ways to work off that information and get to

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a product that will sell it's.

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At that point,

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you truly get moving with your business.

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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 want them,

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and they bring us both so much happiness.