Starting a business is exciting - you get to create amazing handmade products, create connections with others in the community and maybe turn your passion into a full-time gig.
Running a business isn’t just about selling products and making money but, also about the journey you go on.
In some ways, running a business is a little like therapy. It gives you the space to express yourself, but it also exposes the fears, the habits, the mindsets that show up along the way.
You can learn all the latest strategies to get more views and sales, but the truth is the biggest challenges will be how you navigate the journey.
So let’s dive into the things I learned along the way, but didn't know when I started.
Just Because You Put It Online, Doesn’t Mean People Will Buy
I see it time and time again. You list a product online, and week or a month later ask, “Why are my products not selling??”
Sometimes we think that if we put something online, people are gonna see it and it’s gonna sell. And sell fast.
Spoiler alert: That’s not how it normally works.
Today, there are so many ways to sell online. But the problem is we’re all so overwhelmed with so much information! We’re bombard on a daily (or minute to minute) basis from our smartphones, watches, TV and just being out and about in the world.
That means just because you posted about your product once, doesn’t mean people will see it, much less buy it.
This means you need to:
- Market your work: Don’t just post it online, promote it! Get your work in front of the right customers.
- Keep talking about it: People often times need to see something multiple times before making a purchase so don’t think talking about a product once is enough.
- Connect with your audience: Talk about the value your work brings to your customer. Focus on what they’re looking for.
Lesson: Showing up once isn’t going to cut it. Keep showing up and remind your customers of who you are and the value your products have to offer them.
Failure Isn’t Bad - It’s Feedback
People don’t really like “failing” at something. We often think it’s a bad thing that something didn’t go the way we wanted it to.
Will everything you list online be a best seller? No. But that doesn’t mean your work isn’t good or valuable.
I don’t really think about “failure” when I’m doing things. Everything I do is a test or an experiment. I take action. I put something out in the world and then wait to see what happens.
Every product you launch, every social media post, every newsletter you send out - it’s all a test. If something doesn’t go the way you thought, well you did it, right? Now adjust based on the results.
- If a product doesn’t get many sales, it's good that it's getting sales, but you may need to work more on your marketing.
- If you didn't get any social media likes on your recent post, but you got views, that means your post is getting seen! Remember that likes are just an added bonus.
- If a newsletter you sent out had a low open rate, you know some people opened it (yay!), and now you can think better subject lines to get more people open your next newsletter.
The first time I launched a product and it didn’t sell, it was disappointed especially after all the effort I put in. But over time, I realized that sales doesn’t = success. Sales is just one data point.
With each product I listed during my Etsy seller days or now with my product photography business, I focus on the bigger picture like views, engagement, click through rates and see what I can improve next time.
You’re never going to get everything “right” in business, or in life for that matter. But you won’t figure things out unless you take action. It’s about putting something out there, learning and making adjustments.
Lesson: There’s no such thing as failure. Experiment often because the more you do, the more you will learn and improve.
You Will Change In Ways You Never Expected
A lot of people assume that running a business is about making money, setting your own schedule, all while doing something you love.
And while it can be all those things, it also changes you on a much deeper level.
- If you feel insecure about money, pricing you work or sending a custom quote will surface all those feelings. You’ll either undervalue yourself or learn to charge your worth.
- If you struggle with change and uncertainty, the economy, algorithm changes and dips in sales will challenge you. You decide whether you give up or adjust and keep going.
- If you’re a perfectionist, you’ll struggle with listing your products, posting to social media and everything else that you do. It will either hold you back or you'll get comfortable with not being “perfect” and move forward anyway.
Even after running an Etsy business and now a product photography business, the same lessons show up all the time.
Is this video a good idea?
Should I send this email?
Should I charge this?
There’s always going be uncertainty and fear underneath it all. While that doesn’t go away, how I deal with it is what's changed and thankfully, I’ve gotten better at it.
Lesson: Learning skills isn’t going to be the hard part. It’ll be working through the self-doubt, uncertainty and inner dialogue that will always come up. Learning to believe in yourself and take action even when it’s hard will be the real work.
Having A Job Isn’t A Failure
There's this common assumption that if you start a craft business, the goal is to quit your corporate job and go full-time.
But not everyone has that goal or dream.
The need or desire to have a steady paycheck doesn’t mean that you've failed or that you're not passionate about your business.
When closed my Etsy shop, I felt like I failed. Then when I returned to work this past year, I thought I failed again. But after I stopped having meltdowns (yes it happened several times), I realized that wasn't true.
Looking back, I've realized that I've accomplished so much. I'm really proud of myself for everything I've done, including the many times I've stepped out of my comfort zone.
And even though I've returned to a job, at this point in time, having a regular paycheck lessens the stress a bit and gives me the freedom to work towards my long term financial goals and my business.
The truth is, things in life change.
Priorities change, our goals change and we have to figure out how to adapt along the way. Something we may have wanted when we started may not ring true a year or several years down the line.
While closing my Etsy shop was disappointing, it gave me the opportunity to transition into product photography coaching and serve and support the handmade community on a larger scale.
But it's not just me going back to work. We've started to see more and more entrepreneurs and small business owners share they've gone back to work a corporate job.
There are a million reasons why someone would stay at a job while running their craft business, but if anything, it provides the financial security that many people desire.
Lesson: Full-time business ownership isn’t everyone’s dream and that’s ok. Our lives and needs change. It’s about building a life and a business that works for you.
Final Thoughts
Running a business isn't just about sales - it's about growth. Growth not just in your business, but how you grow on a personal level.
It's about finding a way to keep moving forward even when self-doubt, fear and uncertainty shows up. It's about not measuring your success on how many sales you make, but all the things you learn along the way.
As your business evolves, so will you.
And if this path has felt hard, that’s a good sign. It means you're growing and finding ways to move forward even when you don't know how things will turn out.
Growth is uncomfortable but soon, you'll look back and see all that you’ve accomplished along the way.
And that my friend, is a reward no amount of sales can buy.