Your Niche is What You Make of It
Continued search for the elusive "Perfect" product.
Continuing on last Monday’s discussion “Finding Your Niche”, I cannot stress enough the importance of being happy with what you make (or sell). How you present yourself to your prospective audience is reflective of your work ethic. If you don’t love your work and its processes …and learn to live with its variables, it will not survive for long.
Working from home is now a full-time job that runs parallel with our private lives, criss-crossing several times each day. Combining your skills with your personality while staying flexible is paramount. You should truly believe in your plan and visualize yourself doing it but also consider optional ways of getting it done. It must mesh with how you want to live your daily life.
Organization is an essential skill. In my opinion, the ability to organize thoughts is primary in creating a healthy online presence. Time management would come second. Wood bins, workspaces and tool placements will tend to arrange themselves. The good thing is that you set the rules. Your schedule can be set up according to your own guidelines, to suit your own lifestyle. You are free to work at 3:00am and nap at 1:00pm if that is what you need to do.
Focus becomes an evolving process of organizing your priorities. I tend to focus on the hardest task at hand first, especially when using power tools, but always have concurrent “tracks” running in the background, solving problems and working things out that need to be done. The brain tends to sort itself, even without you consciously being aware of it, but one step always seems to leads to a dozen more. When things seem overwhelming, I find something mundane (like sanding, cleaning or mowing the lawn) to occupy my “present” brain, while my “future” brain works things out.
Flexibility grows your business. Keeping an open mind on trends and where your business wants to go is the long term objective. Mistakes are how we learn. Some things are just not viable, yet. You will have to live with your choices ONLY until YOU change them.
Going with What You Know
If you have a love of doing a particular craft, collecting treasures, sports activities, music, cooking (eating) or whatever… you have already found a niche that is likely enjoyed by thousands of other people. Expand that niche by searching out like-minded groups. Research how others are finding their happiness in that niche. Ask yourself what you can contribute to the calling.
Comments on a group post or an inquiry from a potential client can trigger an idea that can make your direction take a 180. A simple request message on Etsy led to my best-selling (and growing) chopsticks run. Read and consider remarks and criticisms with a positive eye. You can always discard them afterwards if you deem them unhelpful or irrelevant.
Be original! I am aware that there is nothing new, but you really should create in a way that puts your slant on an idea. Do not just copy another’s work. Do it differently.
Do Not use others’ copyrighted property without permission. This way lies strife (and lawyers).
Reselling
If you do not have a craft or product of your own, reselling is a respectable and legitimate avenue to explore and pursue. If you have some working capital, there are countless ways to be an entrepreneur with merchandise bought wholesale.
In putting together your ideas for your shop, look for unique items that have little or no competition on the venues you choose. On Etsy, jewelry is probably the hardest to be competitive with.
Be sure to understand your venue’s TOS (Terms of Service) to make sure you will not be in violation and shut down after investing your money and time.
Many artists and craftspeople are poor at promoting their works. So, you can visit local fairs and mall shows to find people doing extraordinary work and compile a stable of creators to represent in a collective online shop. This may be the way to go, as long as you are transparent with your intentions.
Crafters and artisans are historically paranoid and possessive of their work, so make sure that you let them know what your responsibilities will be and what is expected of them. It works best when you purchase their completed works outright and handle photography, listings and shipping yourself. Always be sure to credit the artist in your listings. Etsy requires this and allows you to add “Members” to your “About” page. To be successful you should be striving for a 60 - 70% profit margin, so if you are buying their work outright, you should be paying no more than a third of what you expect to retail them for. The artist should be made aware of this up front.
If you are enjoying my writings and wish to buy me a coffee in appreciation, I like it hot and black.
If you have a good eye and have grown up collecting one thing or another, antiques and collectibles are another worthwhile route to explore. Specializing in an area will make you an expert (over time) that buyers will trust. Just like having a booth at an antique mall, rotating stock and promoting new acquisitions will keep your shop fresh and collectors coming back. I love exploring the retro and vintage shops on Etsy.
Drop-Shipping merchandise is another path, but your profits will be much lower and the companies that you work with must be thoroughly vetted for quality, reliable production times and shipping practices because your name and shop’s reputation will be on the line.
Going Forward
Regardless of where your path leads, curate your online presence with clear and attractive photos and clear descriptions and sizes.
Don’t forget your “About” page, FAQs and “Shop Policies”. People want to know who they are buying from.
Use as many photos as allowed. Believe in your work and/or products. It is hard to be enthusiastic in your selling if you don’t love it. If you are reselling used “vintage” items, be proactive and show any flaws as well as mention them in the text of your descriptions. Collectors tend to be a picky lot and don’t like unmentioned scuff marks when they open their package.
Finally… Don’t be afraid of devices! Computer “coding” is no longer a requirement to have an online shop. WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) platforms are standard on most venues for individuals to write and share good looking listings to sell your wares. Good looking photos are possible with the phones we carry around everyday.
Good luck with your business building!
Peace in Wood ~ Scott
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