17/05/2013

Getting Started #Folksy

Are you just starting out? New to online selling? Or maybe not be doing it for very long?
Then hopefully this will help YOU!!

Now I`m not an expert by any stretch of the imagination but I DO know what it`s like from experience.
Picture this. A lightbulb moment...
SHOP NAME 1 SHOP NAME 2

I had an idea, sure that no one else had ever thought of it. I could sell online!! All the crocheting I was doing would have a purpose. Yay!!
So I start a shop after doing a bit of research into various sites available at the time. I settled on Folksy. I found the forums and it was the best move I could have made. Here was a lot of people who had been where I was as well as many right where I was.
Crafter`s are wonderful people, I`ve always found, who are always willing to help and answer questions and I can tell you, I asked a lot.
I had never been on Facebook in my life but was advised I should.
Never even looked at Twitter or had any desire to do so but opened a twitter account on advice. Then came this blog, also on advice.
Now these three things were a very important part of my business development had I but known it at the time.
They all help you to get seen in the wider world of the internet. Yes, it takes time to build and yes it will take a lot of hours of work but in the long run it will be worthwhile.
All that time is an investment in your business and if you are serious about making it work then you will find that time from somewhere.
At first it can be overwhelming trying to learn so much. It is easier I would think to do it one at a time rather than go out an do all three as I did. It meant that two of them got left by the wayside and only looked at occasionally until I learnt to manage my time a bit better. More on those tomorrow.


I had a great original idea
but it wasn`t enough, I fear.
So I learnt and learnt some more
so weary I wondered what it was for.
I wanted to craft, it was my path in life
but I didn`t want or need all the strife.
The internet though is a vast place
a fact of life we have to face.

Some advice from other sellers.
From Jacqueline of JAustenJewelleryDesign
My main tip would be to have courage and faith in yourself and the items you make. You know how good they are, you just need to be able to show others the same! I can always remember my first sale in public, being really nervous. Once I started talking to people about my designs, what inspired me, how I made the pieces and the stones they were made of, I grew more confident and I got my first sale. Yay! Someone – other than family thought my jewellery was worth paying for and giving as a gift. That is a real boost and very encouraging.
SHOP NAME 1

From Edwina of Handmade by Edwina
If you are going to sell on line at a market place like Folksy or other – make sure you comply with everything they require. Check out the competition – see what others are selling that are similar to your items. Get involved with Forums and consider how you are going to promote your shop, ask for advice and follow through. Finally, have the confidence in either case – craft fairs or selling on-line not to UNDER PRICE your items. If they are well made, good quality, unique and of a high standard then set a price that is reasonable, but which reflects the individuality of the item (this is something I still struggle with after all the years I have been trying to sell!!)
SHOP NAME 1 SHOP NAME 2


It can be quite hard to start with and very discouraging when the sales don`t happen. But if you can talk to other crafter`s it makes it easier because they are either going through the same thing or have been there too. And of course when you have sales whether it`s the 1st, the 50th or the 100th that wonderful feeling never goes away. The excitement, euphoria and sheer joy, that someone likes your work enough to buy it. Now you`ve begun, what next?
Come back tomorrow to find out.
Thank you for visiting. If you have advice to share please do in the comments. If you enjoyed this post please share it with others. Thank you.

3 comments:

  1. Excellent post, Linda. Thanks for including my tips, and journal and purse. I hope this really helps someone just starting out.

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  2. Great post, if only I had seen posts such as this when I first started...

    Linda

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  3. Thank you Edwina for you advice and letting me use it.
    Thank you Linda. If it ony helps a couple it will be great. The others
    over the weekend should help with other things for those
    who have bern going a while and want to do more promotionally.

    ReplyDelete