After many years of pursuing a professional career in the arts I have both failed, succeeded and learned many things along the way. Not only about running a small business but about myself as well. There are things that I wish I knew when I started and things I would have done differently had I known better. I also hope that I can pass them on to those who may be in the early stages of running a small business or who feel stuck where you are.
1. HOW TO SAY 'NO'
I am starting with this because it truly is the most important. I used to think that every opportunity was a good opportunity and that if something presented itself I had to say yes in order to gain exposure or make a sale. I have now come to realize that when it comes to building a business I have to do things that are right for me and will contribute to my long-term goals. When I was saying yes all the time, I was spreading myself too thin, the quality of my work suffered, and I lost money as a result.
This goes for all of those ideas floating around in your head too, learning how to edit them and let go will make all the difference in the world. Even if they are good ideas, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will contribute to your long-term goals or the future success of your brand. Take the time to examine them and ask the right questions before committing to something that may not be right for you.
2. HOW TO HEAR 'NO'
Hearing 'no' when it comes to your work can hurt and it can be incredibly discouraging. As an artist, you will hear no more times than you hear yes. It’s tough out there and there are a lot of other talented people looking for the same opportunities. Having a thick skin is essential and will be the difference between enduring and picking yourself up and trying again or deciding to quit. Use the no’s as inspiration and look at your work objectively to figure out why the answer was no or why they weren’t the right fit for you.
3. It’s not only about the sale.
As artists who are determined to make a living through our work, we need to sell what we crate in order to make that happen but if we are only ever concerned about the sale we loose the ability to be truly creative. We need to see opportunities to show our work as what is known as ‘social proof’ and ways of building trust with your public. This is especially true in the early stages of starting a creative business. When participating in an event or a market, it is important not to expect your pieces to fly off the table and objectively listen to feedback. There are many different types of events out there and it is going to take some trial and error for you figure out which ones are best for you.
Remember that the first few years are for finding your voice, perfecting your techniques, creating a network, proving yourself, and building a positive reputation in your industry. You will likely have to try several different things and travel various paths before you find the one that is right for you.
4. IT'S OK TO TAKE A BREAK
This is so important. I used to feel guilty about taking a day off since there is always so much that needs to be done when you’re doing it all on your own. But taking a day or two to rest, relax and do something unrelated to your craft or business is probably the most effective thing you can do. You will be surprised by how inspired you are when you come back after some time away.
5. GET YOUR PRICING RIGHT.
This very well may be the most difficult part of selling handcrafted products. . Pricing your products correctly is essentially going to be what makes or breaks your business.
In the beginning, I was just happy that people wanted to buy what I make and I was basically willing to give it away at any price they felt it was worth. What I learned is that if they don't want to pay the price I am asking, then my work is not for them. Just because someone else doesn't value what I do doesn't mean it's not worth the price I am asking for it. You have to be willing to let those people walk away. Over time you will build your confidence and become more comfortable with pricing your work. It is also ok to explain to people why your work costs what it does. Just because it is out of their budget doesn’t mean it is out of everyone’s budget. This is an incredibly liberating and powerful feeling.
Make sure you have a formula where you are doing actual calculations to come up with your prices. This is not guess work, these should be actual numbers. There are many pricing formulas out there and there is no right way to price your work. You need to find the formula that is right for you.
It’s very important to understand the term perceived value when it comes to pricing your work, Remember that as a handmade business you cannot compete with mass produced products. If we attempt to price our work in competition with cheap goods, then our public will believe that our products are in fact, cheap and not very well made.
When our products don’t sell we automatically jump to the conclusion that it’s because our prices are too high, however, many times it’s the exact opposite. It could very well be because they are not priced high enough. Quality and value are equated with cost. People come to artisans because they are looking for value and quality, and they are also looking for something original and unique that they can’t find anywhere else.
6. I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE HARD, BUT I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE THIS HARD
Yes, really. People will think your life is easy. Some of the things I hear on a daily basis while running my shop are; “You’re so lucky, you get to make things all day long.” And “OMG, You’re living the dream! I would love to be able to do this” Just because I'm doing something that I love doesn't mean it's easy. Until I was actually in it, I didn't know how hard it would be. I never expected it to be easy, but I had no idea it was going to be this hard.
Whoever said, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” obviously never ran a small business as an independent artist. Of course, I love what I do but I have never worked harder in my life. And even with all the joy and reward that comes with it, it has to be your first priority, you have to feed it and change it and give it every ounce of love and attention that you have. You will have to sacrifice things that were once important to you and make compromises you never even thought of. But it’s all worth it.
Success does not happen overnight but we must trust that everything happens for a reason and that we are on the path that is meant for us. Nothing about this is a streamlined process, there are many bumps in the road, there are hills to climb and valleys to navigate and nothing happens overnight but if you want to bad enough, you can do it!
7. NOT EVERYONE WILL BELIEVE IN YOU
What is most important is that you believe in yourself. Even people closest to you will sometimes have a hard time supporting you and believing in you. They may tell you that you will never be successful or that your idea will never work but if you truly believe in what you are doing then you have to let that go and you have to be willing to fight for it, even with the people that you love the most. What you do need to do is find supporters, they are out there and they come in many forms and when you find them, hold onto them because they are essential. Never underestimate the power of finding a community of like-minded people who are building their business or who already have. There is no better support than that.
8. TRUST YOURSELF AND FIND YOUR OWN UNIQUE VOICE.
A few years ago I decided that I wanted to learn the lost wax casting technique to make metal jewelry. It was something I wanted to try for a while and I’m glad I did because I learned something incredibly important; I am a polymer clay artist and I'm actually pretty good at it. It is my material, it is what I love and what I have spent many years perfecting. Of course, it’s always fun to try new things but knowing who you are and what makes you unique is priceless. Find that thing that you love and are truly passionate about and be the best that you can be at it and keep working at it and keep improving your skills. I realized that there is still so much that I haven’t perfected with this material and that is where I want to focus my attention. It’s also ok to say that you are good at something too!
9. HOW TO ASK FOR HELP
As much as I would like to think that I have super powers, the fact is that I can't do it alone. You have to let go of that idea especially when you begin to grow. It’s ok to ask for help, it’s ok to let other people work on your actual craft. This terrified me the first time I let another set of hand works on my jewelry but it gave me so much more freedom and I was able to produce much more work and I actually felt more relaxed and less stressed! It doesn’t make it any less yours or any less authentic if you have people who help you with aspects of your business.
