If you are the creative type that likes to craft and make handmade products to sell, the crafting aspect is often only the tip of the iceberg. Deciding what to make, whom to sell to and the logistics of getting the finished product to the consumer might very well overwhelm you if the entire process is not well planned. In fact the simplest plans to set up your very own handmade product business might turn into a nightmare for the unprepared. Thankfully there are many ways to cut out unnecessary stress and make life easier getting your handcrafted products out there.
In recent years, there's been a big growth in the handmade beauty products and home fragrance sector. Some of the most popular beauty crafting niches for work from home businesses is handmade perfumes, handmade soap, scented candles and mineral cosmetics.
Many of these home based workers and crafters are doing brisk business making high quality, handcrafted goods for an ever increasing customer base. However, even the best handmade beauty products can go unnoticed in the market place if the right marketing plans are put into place.
Following are a few pointers that should help you.
Market Research To Find Out Your Target customers
It is very important to first establish if there is a demand for your products and to know who your buyers would be before making your stock. The market research will also show you what your competitors are selling and what items are popular with customers. By doing this you find out exactly what to make and minimize wastage.
A good example is this, let's say you love the smell of licorice and use that fragrance note when making perfumes for your own use, because you love the scent doesn't mean your customers will. Therefore, it's no use spending a lot of money on supplies to make a product that no one wants to buy.
Create A Website For Your Products
An online store is one of the best avenues to sell your products. You can set up one up for free or next to nothing using one of the many free online shop providers and use Paypal to collect payments. Once this is done you, you can use the next two marketing tips to promote your website and products some more.
How To Promote Your Product On Other People's Blogs
You can contact beauty and handmade product bloggers and ask them to review your goods on their site. You would need to send them a sample of the items and request that the do a write up or video about their opinion of it to their audience and subscribers.
How To Promote Your Product On Forums
Online forums and message boards can be a great place to get people talking about your products and find new customers. Forums are often very popular platforms where product recommendations and reviews are discussed. By joining forums relevant to your craft and business and getting active in discussions you can generate a lot of exposure.
In addition, most forums will allow you to use your business web address as your signature when posting on threads, this translates into more opportunities for people to click through to your website and see your products that for sale.
