Hello crochet family! Are you excited about starting your own handmade crochet business yet? I know the work that goes into starting a small business is overwhelming and it seems there is so much to learn. The research that I've done for you should alleviate some of the confusion and get you ready to take on the world as a new small business owner.
It is essential that you get started with the right tools for your small business, so today I am going to give you an idea of what business tools will assist you in the day to day tasks of running a hand made crochet business. Along with the tools of the trade, which I will go into next week, you also need marketing tools, business tools and possibly educational tools. These things can make your life easier and your business run smoother. Chances are, you're starting this business either alone or with your partner, so it is essential that you have all the resources necessary to ensure the smooth operation of your handmade crochet business.
Business tools are necessary for anyone starting a business, and if you are like me when I began my journey into e-commerce it was so confusing. What do I need? Which applications have free plans? I had so many questions. Fortunately for you I have done a little research to give you an advantage when choosing the right software for your small business. For starters, you'll need to know where you're going to sell your crochet items, which is a topic that we discussed in the second week of my mini master class. Once you have chosen a home for your handmade crochet crafts it is time to look at the various options for software that is offered to small businesses at a reasonable price and some of them are free.
Website and Blog Creation:
WordPress:
If you plan on starting your own website or a blog, which are useful tools to market your business, a website builder like WordPress is perfect for the beginner and veteran alike. It is the best platform for publishing a traditional blog or a website because not only can you build your blog on WordPress, you can let them host it for you and the best part is, it is absolutely free.
If you want to explore a host outside of WordPress, hosting providers like SiteGround or CloudWays come with one click WordPress installs, making it very simple to get your site up and running. Another great choice is Bluehost that over 2 million bloggers and website owners trust with their brand.
Accounting:
QuickBooks:
Rated # 1 and best-selling small business financial software, QuickBooks will help you keep track of your expenses, invoices and billing for your business. When set up right, QuickBooks is a great option because it is accessible to any device, making it convenient to use wherever you are, including shows and festivals where most handmade crochet small business owners find themselves every weekend. QuickBooks also has a try it free for 30 day's plan, making this a risk-free way to explore this option.
Advertising:
Google AdWords:
This is as simple as using your Google account to advertise on Google by selecting keywords and locations.You only pay when someone clicks on your ad.
Google Ad sense:
You can set up a free account where you can place ads that are relevant to your content. This is a great way to monetize your blog.
Pinterest:
Pinterest is a visual discovery engine for finding ideas like recipes, home and style inspiration and more, which makes it a great place for free advertising your handmade crochet crafts. Do this by creating boards that contain relevant content and posting beautiful pins (or ideas) about your content and linking your pin back to your website, blog or marketplace listing. This is called driving traffick and is a great way to get your products in front of the right audience. The Pinterest algorithm it's helpful in doing this if you are using keyword rich titles and descriptions in your pins. You may find it surprising to know that 98% of Pinterest users have actually tried the ideas that they find on Pinterest, making this a brilliant choice for advertising.
Email and Newsletter Marketing:
- Sites like GetResponse, Klaviyo, and MailChimp all help you create and send beautiful email newsletters. Using these tools you can create emails, marketing automation sign up forms and even landing pages.
Marketing Tools Design:
- Canva:
Canva is a free to use online graphic design tool.This multimedia platform is loaded with different design functions and features that allow you to create visual content and graphics, presentations, advertising materials, and social media content for your handmade crochet business. They have thousands of templates that allow the novice designer to create beautiful content.
Payment Processing and Shopping Carts:
If you have decided to list your handmade crochet crafts solely on a marketplace, then this is not an option that you will have to worry about. However, if you plan to host your products on your own website and to sell at shows and festivals, you will need payment processing and shopping cart options.
- Paypal:
A simple way to accept credit card payments online.
- Square:
Accept credit card payments at craft shows and consumer events for a flat rate of 2.75% per swipe and nothing upfront.
Education:
The Small Business courses offered through Coursera cover essential topics in entrepreneurship, management, marketing, and finance. These free courses will strengthen your skills to effectively launch, manage, and grow your business in today's competitive market.
Get Help:
- Freelancer contracting
Another way to get all of the many tasks done that it takes to efficiently run your crochet business, is by utilizing freelance sites like Upwork and Fiverr to find capable freelance staff. It's an inexpensive way to take some of the pressure off of yourself and free up time to focus on producing inventory. You never have to pay until you actually hire someone and both Fiverr and Upwork have payment protection that protects you and the freelancer.
There are many options online for software that will help you run your business efficiently and most offer a free plan or free trial that allows you to try it out before you commit. It may take trial and error to find the right combination of software for your business but it's important to find the right solutions to efficiently run your small business.
Check out our website, littleluvinstitches.net and our Etsy shop LittleLuvinStitches to see what our small business has to offer. We love what we do and want you to enjoy the art of crochet as much as we do. If you have never crocheted before, Plushie Luv In a Box is a mystery plushie box that comes with its own video tutorial and live support to get you started on your own crochet journey. Given the time to develop your crochet skills, your first lesson could be the start that led you to become the owner of your own crochet business one day!
By signing up for our newsletter, I will send you thlink and password to a video tutorial where I will teach you six basic stitches to give you a head start on your crochet journey. The best way to learn is to jump right in! See you there!
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