11 Things To Do If You’re Considering Quitting Your Handmade Business
I’ve been there. Sitting in your studio, staring at the collection of things you’ve made with zero pending orders in your email box, checking that they’re listed properly because how could you have not gotten any sales in weeks?
When owning a business, the feeling of overwhelm is very normal. Even contemplating quitting sometimes is totally normal. When you have a handmade business, where the product you’re selling is a physical thing you created, it can start to feel like a reflection of you as a person and that can feel downright unbearable.
It's also normal to feel stuck. When we get stuck in a sales or creation rut, it can feel like things will never change and sometimes, you're right... things don't change unless things change. (I know, it's a little woo-y but bare with me.)
Sometimes instead of quitting altogether, we just need to change some things. Sometimes in a small way, sometimes in a big way. So here are 11 things to do first if you’re considering quitting your handmade business…
(By the way, did you know the number 11 means “it is time to find your true calling in life”? Appropriate number I think, for this conversation.)
1) Re-visit your “why”
Why did you start this business in the first place? Was it just to have fun? (If so, no need to quit!) Was it for a higher purpose? If so, is there another way you could serve it? Was it to make money for something? If so, is there another way you could make money? If you decide you want to keep going, then keep reading…
2) Make your business more fun
Remember when you first started your business and you were cloud nine designing your logo, picking your brand colors, deciding what design to do next? Go back to that place. Whether you need to take a drive, blast some music, meditate, journal, go for a long walk, or take a week(end) off, do something to bring you up out of the “trench” you might feel that you’re in. When any business is struggling, it takes a toll on the business owner. When a business is struggling and the business owner is the one physically making the product being sold, it can affect their psyche even more and they can begin to think that if their art isn’t selling, it must be because there is something about them that isn’t good enough. This isn’t true. Put yourself in a state of mind where you can make your business fun again and it might just be the step you need to change everything.
3) Try to get more personal
How much are you interacting with people? Are you engaging with people on social media with comments and DM’s instead of just liking photos? Are you writing back when someone leaves an admiring comment instead of just liking it? Are you answering comments with a follow up question? Are you e-mailing online customers personally to thank them for their order? One thing people love about small businesses is that they’re supporting a person and their family, not just a large corporation. Be a person. Be personable. Be human and maybe you don’t get a sale with the person you’re talking to but they might refer you to your next one (or five).
4) Build new bridges
You don’t have to succeed in your business on your own. There are lots of content creators out there always looking for new things to write and post about. Do some digging and see if there is someone you could collaborate with. If you’re a painting artist, see if there’s an interior designer you could collaborate with. If you’re a ceramic artist who makes drink and serveware, see if there’s a lifestyle or entertainment blogger you could work with. If you’re a jewelry artist, see if there’s a fashion influencer you could have recommend your work as an affiliate. Get creative and think of who would LOVE to talk about your work.
5) Assess the demand for what you make
Are you making something that a lot of people want? Is there something else you could make that might sell better? In business, the end game is to make money. If making something that maybe isn’t your favorite thing in the world to make but it makes you money while you get to work on what you really want to.
6) Assess the supply for what you make
Are there a lot of other people making the same thing you make? If so, can you make yours slightly different? If this the case, market the heck out of how you make your artistic product differently. If there are so many people making the same thing, is there a chance you can use your skills to make something else?
7) Check-in with your mindset
Do you wake up in morning with a pep in your step thinking, “alright! who am I going to sell to today?!” Or do you slowly roll out of bed thinking, “ugh, why bother, no one wants what I make anyway”? If you have a scarcity mindset, customers can feel it. They can sense it like a funky smell around the house that maybe they can’t exactly pinpoint what tipped them off, but they know something is off and it will make them shy away. If you have an abundance mindset (which, believe me, I know is hard to do when you haven’t had a sale in days, weeks, or months, but some of the other items on this list should help get you there), people get drawn to you like moths to a flame. Everyone wants a part of that positive, glowing energy that sparks inspiration in the soul… and you could be just the person to give it to them.
8) Start local - markets, pop-ups, retail
Have you tried selling local, either at in-person markets or pop-ups or perhaps through a local retail store? If not, start paying attention to places you could ask to sell your handmade work. Even coffee shops could be a great place for small paintings, ceramic mugs or plates, sun-catchers, or jewelry if it fits within their brand’s aesthetic. Plus, a lot of smaller towns (especially ones with a lot of tourists) love to be able to say they’re supporting local artists. Do you make something that could be used in a wedding? Reach out to local wedding planners and see if you could partner up. Before you quit, make sure you’ve left no stone unturned in your surrounding area.
9) Re-evaluate your automated emails
Time to get technical. For starters, if you’re ready to quit and you haven’t even started an email list, do that first. (The Artisan Coaching Studio has several resources for this including lead magnet ideas, what to send to your new subscribers, and a full mastermind replay for how to put it all together.) If you already have an email list, even if its only a dozen people, re-evaluate the emails you’re sending to them. Next, take a look at the format of the emails you’re sending. Are they visually intriguing? Are you subject lines enticing? Give them a re-vamp, start sending them content on a consistent basis, and see if your sales don’t start to shift.
10) Re-visit your pricing
You might be surprised to hear this but low prices might be turning people away. Yes, you read that right. LOW prices might be what’s harming your business. Many artists, in the beginning, think, “I don’t want people to think I’m over-charging so I’ll make the price low enough that they’ll want to buy.” This is a big mistake. People buying handcrafted things, the good ones, know that they’ll cost a little more because of the detail and quality materials that goes into them. When people who spend money all the time see something that’s priced low, they immediately think, “what’s wrong with it?” Lots of artists have limiting beliefs when it comes to pricing so don’t necessarily base your pricing on what other charge. Find a number that makes sense to you, ALWAYS make sure you sell so you get a profit, and know you will live up to it.
11) Get an outside perspective
Finally, if you’ve tried everything else and it’s getting you no-where… get the opinion of someone on the outside looking in. It’s impossible for humans to not have blind spots. Think about how easy it is to give others advice vs. really looking at our own situations. The other person might say, “oh my gosh, I can’t believe I didn’t think of it that way,” and you’re thinking, “it was so obvious.” If you’re truly passionate about your business, getting someone else’s help and perspective is critical before throwing in the towel. Whether it’s a one-time meeting or ongoing feedback (which I highly recommend), find a friend, family member, or coach today.
Need more help with growing your art sales online as a woman artist? Join the Artisan Coaching Studio where I offer mini-courses, templates, downloads, and live coaching three times a month! It is my mission to help women artists stand out and make a successful business with their artistic abilities. Come join us in the studio!
