Craft Business One Year Milestone: Lessons Learned

So,  after getting through my 1st year in business as a Crafter, here are a few short lessons I have learned and am sharing with you:

If something hits, stick with it.  Once I started to gain momentum in a specific area of my craft and I found people who actually appreciated it enough to spend their hard earned dollars, I continued to fine tune and repeat it again and again.

Listen to the voice within. If there is nothing burning inside about a personal creation or design, chances are others may not desire it either. On the other hand, if you feel strongly about your work, there is probably something within it that may just need minor tweaks and adjustments.

Appreciate Your Customers, Always. No matter how talented we may think we are, creative, etc., people can choose to purchase from anyone / entity that they desire. They do not have to give us their business, and for that, they deserve the utmost respect and appreciation.  I strive to find new ways to excel in this area because it is very important.

Excellence Goes A Long Way. Regardless to how simple or intricate one’s style of work may be, it is important to present it in a way that is quality and shows a great deal of effort. Having high standards for my self often keeps my customers satisfied with their items once they have received them. It should be evident that care and pride goes into each product that is made. Sloppiness is a sure way to turn people off and damage a business’  reputation.

Better to try and make a mistake, than to do nothing at all.  Had I never started posting my products online, I never would have gotten exposure, feedback, support and experience to go to the next level. There comes a point when it is just time to end the procrastination and launch–period. This also applies to new ideas for your business that you have been wanting to try. If you have the time and resources, try it. It’s the only way to know if it will work  for sure.

As I think of more things, I will be certain to do another update, so be sure to follow this blog.

As always, thanks for checking out my post 🙂

CJ

http://www.theliftjewelryshop.com

http://www.theliftjewelryshop.etsy.com