I was reading Seth Godin this morning and he made the following statement: “We’ve been culturally brainwashed to believe that the factory approach (average products for average people, compliance, focus on speed and cost) is the one and only way. It’s not.” And that phrase, average products for average people, stopped me in my tracks. [...]
If you do a lot of retail shows, then you’ve probably learned by now that accepting credit cards is a great way to boost your sales. As less and less people carry cash in favor of debit or check cards, you’ll find customers appreciate the convenience of being able to shop their local craft fair [...]
When you’re just starting out wanting to sell the products you make, Etsy is an obvious first choice. It’s low cost, low risk, and it lets you test the waters of the marketplace. Add to that a growing legion of fans and a built in sense of community and there are plenty of reasons to [...]
One of the themes that has come up this week is that accelerated growth requires money. Whether it’s hiring a web designer, tackling a trade show, or simply buying materials for a new collection, everything has it’s cost. So how do you finance growth? Well, you could borrow money from friends and family, dip into [...]
Wow, I can’t believe we’re already five days into April! Now is the time when many of you are busy preparing for the start of the outdoor craft show season, or perhaps finishing prep for a May trade show. (Or maybe, like me, you’re starting to think about your product line for one of the [...]
I just finished reading Seth Godin‘s new book, Linchpin*. In Linchpin, Godin argues that the secret to succeeding in today’s economy is not to become a replaceable cog, but to be indispensable. If you build a business based solely on providing the cheapest products, all you’ll find yourself doing is racing to the bottom. And [...]
I’m putting the finishes touches on my first ebook, a guide to wholesale and trade shows, so today I thought I’d share another excerpt. While I am adamantly against artificially low prices, there may still be cases where you need to consider lowering your prices to be competitive (or find ways to maximize your profits [...]
Pricing may be one of the biggest challenges facing makers today. Not only is the act of determining price difficult in and of itself, makers must also deal with market pressures outside our control that effect price. I mentioned in a previous post that Etsy recently posted a link to one of my cozy/cuffs on [...]
Megan Auman is a designer, maker, educator, and entrepreneur who has built a multi-faceted business around her passion for great design and sustainable business. Her eponymous jewelry line is sold in stores across the US and online. In 2009, Megan founded Crafting an MBA to help designers and makers develop their business skills. In 2011, the site name was changed to Designing an MBA.
Learn more about Designing an MBA.
