FEATURES

The Handmade Business Reimagined

By Royce Amy Morales

As a conscious, dedicated body-mindspirit indie business, undoubtedly your mission-driven direction is clear. Yet, you’re hesitant to jump in to add handmade products to your inventory mix. Maybe you’re concerned about not getting enough merchandise from a small production source. Or, you may fear that makers won’t be businesslike to work with, or their quality won’t be consistent, licensing regulations or hygiene requirements won’t be met, or you’re simply afraid that you won’t receive your order on time. And, you just might be thinking ‘selling handmade is more trouble than it’s worth.’

If you find yourself feeling some of these apprehensions, brought on by either hearsay or personal experience, hopefully the following words will inspire you to reconsider your decision.

TO BEGIN WITH…

Let’s start with some inarguable reasons that carrying handmade is good: It’s innovative, unique and will never be carried in chain stores. Selling handmade helps keep money circulating in your local community as well as the nation. Although the contribution of a single small business to the gross domestic product is minuscule, together it’s responsible for almost half of the private nonfarm gross.

Handmade creations are inherently healthier for the environment, consuming far less energy than mass-produced items to make and typically utilizing safer, more eco-friendly materials.

Most importantly: Selling handmade can boost your shop’s bottom line since customers appreciate owning one-of-a-kind items. Not enough? It’s seriously good karma to pay it forward by supporting other small businesses and the customers wanting to support yours!

FACTS & OPINIONS

It’s not considered a hobby! There are mixed stories about the state of American manufacturing, some claiming it’s dead or close to dying and some saying it’s alive and well. Neither of those opinions account for the growth in the number of people making products with their hands and selling them as a business.

Handmade artisans no longer see what they do as just a fun pastime. Rather, the vast majority are approaching it as a serious livelihood venture with the goal of selling at a profit and building a sustainable business. Treat them like you would any professional vendor, but you may need to school them about business practices, in particular, yours.

Uniqueness

Generally speaking, an indie shop with one or even two locations can’t compete against chain store prices, nor should you try. Your goal is offering a high-quality, distinctive, unique, innovative and stylish selection of products. In other words, nothing that your customers could find at a big chain store.

Customer Demand

Whether they know it or not, more customers are buying handmade. Your job is to let them know how important it is to support independent artisans and American handmade. As more stores choose inventory that’s almost exclusively imports, the American economy struggles. No one wants that.

Variety

Handmade entrepreneurs sell a myriad of products including jewelry, bath and body lines, candles, perfume, pottery, paper products, artwork, furniture, tabletop outdoor accessories, and more.

Commitment

Generally, artisans are committed to creating from a place that goes beyond just being profitable. They chose this direction because there’s a strong inner pull insisting that they do so, it feels important and meaningful to them.

Think Locally and Globally

Handmade creators act locally, providing an ecological benefit with products delivered from shorter distances rather than from across an ocean. Often, handmade means making things in a garage or a home studio as opposed to a factory, which saves oodles of energy.

Availability

Makers may sell things at farmer’s markets or craft shows, but some have expanded to wholesale trade shows and/or often offer wholesale option on their websites. They might also sell on other handmade sites., If any of that is a problem for you, continue your maker search.

HOW & WHERE TO START

Here are some suggestions to help get you started carrying handmade:

Finding Products

Go to gift shows and visit the sections highlighting handmade. The best part is talking directly to the makers, connecting with their story. Sometimes they’ll even produce things uniquely for your shop upon request. Plus, check out wholesale handmade shows and websites focusing on items made specifically for retail shops.

Explore local farmer’s markets, local craft shows and open studios. A local vendor just might jump at the chance of being represented in a “real shop.”

Start small. If you’re nervous about jumping in feet first, take it one step at a time. Talk to a handmade soap vendor at your farmer’s market and order a couple of dozen to see how they sell. Or, add some handmade jewelry into your product mix; throw in a new line of hand-poured candles you discovered at a gift show. Not much to lose; tons to gain.

Boast

Just like anything else you bring in that’s new, reaching customers is the key. Post pictures on social media; display with signs in your window; frame a bio or story and hang it nearby. Stories sell, so talk to anyone stopping to look.

Handle Concerns

If you’re worried that a handmade vendor is going to underprice you on their own website, talk about that right from the start. Explain that doing so won’t serve either of you, and that you’ll drop them immediately if they do.

Pricing

Since you’ll be placing a retail-sized order, make sure they understand your pricing strategy. Explain having to keystone merchandise in order to make a profit, that your online purchases have shipping expenses, and the price for comparable items. Be ready to teach Retail 101.

Competition

Make sure they completely understand the importance of not selling to nearby competitors. Depending on your locale, give them a specific distance to not sell to.

Delivery

Explain the importance of timely delivery. Are they able to fulfill large orders? Unlike larger suppliers, you may need to provide a deposit if they don’t have the supplies to fulfill quantities.

Promotional Material

Get a well-written, one-page biography or artist statement to include with each sale and/or to post near their work. Spread the word! If you’re comfortable doing this, let them know you may not be the only one who would want to carry their work. Be a resource to help them find other shops or trade shows that could help them expand. Forming a few strong retail partnerships is best for them (and you) in the long run.

Before They Walk In

In order to help a handmade vendor before they even set foot in your shop, have an informative page on your website (or information to email) explaining how to go about pitching products. Here are some things to emphasize:

a. Research First. Have them visit (if possible) and look around the shop to make sure they also feel it’s a good fit for their product.

They can start by checking online to avoid a wasted trip.

b. Read the Mission Statement. Each shop has a unique direction, theme, demographic or commitment. You and they should make sure these products jive.

c. Contact Information. Let them know who to contact and when.

Invite them to call to set up an appointment (unless you’re okay with drop-ins to prescreen). If not, emphasize they should never just drop in unless to scope out the shop first. If emailing first is okay, explain what you want in it, i.e. professional photos, contact information, a brochure if they have one, etc.

d. Be Businesslike. Explain the importance of being on time, keeping the appointment to 15 minutes (or longer if you can), and being prepared to confidently talk about their products. Think of it as a job interview. e. Samples. Retailers make decisions by viewing, touching, smelling, and even trying out products. They need to see how things fit with the rest of their inventory in terms of pricing, selection, shelving, and store aesthetics. Artists should bring merchandise packaged and tagged so you can get a clear picture of how it will look in the store.

f. Line Sheet. This is a one-page brochure with small pictures, titles, descriptions, and wholesale pricing. Artists should bring this along with an order form with contact information to leave with the buyer.

g. Artist’s bio. Ask them to create a well-written, professional biography or artist statement to give customers and/or to display near their product. Offer editing help if needed.

h Pricing. Independent artisans tend to overvalue their work or not understand that a doubled wholesale price might price it out of the market. Having a clear understanding of what it costs to make their product and confidence about what their time is worth is important. If they’re used to selling directly, they may think they will be losing out by dropping to a wholesale price, but assure them that the opportunity to sell in bulk, without having to do anything but create, should counter any perceived losses.

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1-800-THE-MOON www.Llewellyn.com i. Consign. If you’re uncertain as to whether their product will do well, or what they’re selling is a big-ticket item, offer to do consignment. Make sure they understand and agree to the terms, signing an agreement that explains payment and shop responsibility details. Consignment can be made sweeter by offering a 60/40 split, but don’t go higher than that.

j. Timeliness. Make sure they’re able to provide the amount of inventory needed at the time needed. Emphasize that store orders cannot be late or incomplete.

k. Presentation. They should have an effective logo, consistent branding, and professional tagging. Retailers want stocking and displaying to be fast and smooth. If the items are pre-packaged, make sure it’s beautiful.

l. Promotion. Encourage them to do their part in promoting their products by luring people to the store, both on their website as well as social media.

m. Exclusivity. Get an agreement from them to not sell to stores within a certain distance for as long as the items are being sold in your shop.

n. Don’t Give Up. Remind them that if your shop isn’t the right one, there are plenty of others that might be perfect.

CHANGE IS GOOD

Hopefully, you now feel more confident about carrying handmade. After all, Etsy sure couldn’t be wrong! As an indie shop owner, your role is to be ahead of the curve, leading the way for the rest of the world. Even if customers don’t know it yet, they will buy handmade from you, but make sure to give them what they want!

Royce Amy Morales is the founder of Perfect Life Awakening. Morales is also a transpersonal development speaker and author of Know: A spiritual wake-up call. Royce was an independent retailer for two decades in Redondo Beach, CA. To know more about the author, visit her page at www.perfectlifeawakening.com.

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Business&Marketing

5 Ways to Attract Customers & Make Sales During a Pandemic By Megy Karydes

How does a small and independent retailer sell garlic bulbs during a global pandemic? Instagram is one tool. How does another let her customers know she’s available to curate gifts without customers needing to leave their house? Facebook. How does another introduce a new apparel line? Email newsletter. As a customer, I’ve bought from each of these retailers thanks to the tools they’ve used to communicate their offerings and availability. (Yes, in fact I did rush to City Grange in Chicago after I saw their Instagram post with their garlic bulbs!)

The reality is, the global pandemic has wreaked havoc on our lives. But it’s also reminded many retailers and wholesalers why they entered this line of business and what matters: connecting with each other.

So how can we get customers excited about shopping with us? The key is meeting customers where they’re at and that means realizing some may not be comfortable coming in-store to shop while others really want to leave their house and enjoy some retail therapy time. Here are a few ways to make all of your customers feel welcome, safe, and excited to support their favorite retailers:

Use Your Windows

People are out walking and if your shop gets healthy foot traffic, continue to update your window displays and make sure passersby know how they can shop. It’s still a billboard for your business! Even if your shop is closed, instead of a sign that reads “Sorry, we’re closed due to COVID-19,” post one that shares how customers can shop. For example, “Sorry, our shop is closed due to COVID-19, but we’re adding new items on our website daily and can ship or arrange touchless curbside pick-up!” At a minimum, provide modified business hours, safety precautions and ways customers can reach you.

Offer a One-of-a-Kind Experience

For those who want to support your business but are uncomfortable visiting your shop, work with them. Some retailers are using technology like Zoom or FaceTime to “walk” their customers through the store to see new items.

Others are allowing customers to email or message them with things they’d like to see and the retailers are pulling those items to “show” them online at a designated time. In other cases, retailers are acting as personal shoppers. For example, let’s say a customer wants to send a gift to a child’s teacher and wants to spend $25. The customer lets the retailer know her budget and the recipient’s details and the retailer takes care of shipping the item.

Fearless Cooking, a kitchen accessories boutique in Chicago that also offers cooking classes (now virtually), calls it their Gift Concierge Service. To help explain this service, the owner added this detail on her website: “When the quarantine began, we were so lucky to have customers who supported us by asking us to put together gifts for loved ones. Now, we are making that service official with our Fearless Gift Concierge Service! Just answer a few questions by clicking below and we’ll put together the perfect gift. No additional charge.” Brilliant. To be fair, many retailers were already doing this pre-pandemic but it’s definitely increased in availability and many customers are choosing this option since it allows them to still send gifts to friends while supporting their local businesses.

Maximize Your Social and Digital Media

Again, meet your customers where they are. If they’re on Facebook, feature Facebook Live sessions daily and focus on a certain theme of items. If they’re on Instagram, post Stories or update your account with new items.

Don’t forget your email list! If there was a time to use that list to your advantage, it’s now. It’s hard to believe a business doesn’t have a website these days but if you don’t, this would be the time to invest in one. More people are shopping online, so why not allow them to shop with you?

In-store Shopping Experiences

Many customers still want to shop in person and if you’re offering that option, remind customers of what that experience might look like. If you require masks while in the store, make sure that’s clear before customers walk through your door. To help minimize traffic at any given time, some retailers are offering customers the option of reserving a shopping time. Fearless Cooking created a calendar on Calendly.com that allows customers to reserve an in-store shopping experience in 30-minute increments.

Stay Upbeat!

Customers come to us because we’re meeting a need. Stay focused on your customers now and be flexible. They’ll appreciate it and keep coming back, now and later.

Megy Karydes is a Chicago-based writer currently working on a book on behalf of a client that wants to use it sell and promote their organization. Visit her website at www.megykarydes.com.

Recovering from the Invisible Disaster – Part 2

By Jacki Smith

When the Shock Starts to Wear Off Present Day

Iemotionally and mentally put the calendar on pause this year. I have been waiting for the news that COVID-19 has been contained and we are free to go about our business in the normal manner. Logically, I know that is not happening anytime soon, but I realized emotionally I was waiting on this news, keeping me mentally in May or June. How can the summer possibly have gone by that fast, all while I am struggling to make sense of the new rules in dealing with the world! After many therapy sessions this summer, I learned that this is my way of dealing with trauma. I pressed an emotional pause, creating a layer of denial, while still moving forward with what needs to be done in my day-to-day. Add to that many of the other post-disaster/ trauma symptoms and I have been living two lives at the same time. The one in denial of this disaster and the other that has dug in and takes care of business.

As the shock wears off, the adrenaline dissipates, and the constant stress becomes normal, I am left with the reality that I have to learn to co-exist with COVID-19 in our world. I am facing the PTSD of the initial shut down and finding new ways to manage. The American Psychiatric Association lists the common reaction in adults after a disaster I am working through most of them.

• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep • Sadness, depression, hyperactivity, irritability, or anger • Having no feelings at all or feeling numb • A lack of energy or feeling exhausted all the time • Lack of appetite or, the opposite, eating all the time • Trouble concentrating or feeling confused • Social isolation, reduced or restricted activities • Thinking no one else is having the same reactions as you • Headaches, stomachaches, or other body pains • Misusing alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or prescription medications to cope

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It is helpful to know that I am not alone in this struggle. Reaching out to my colleagues, girlfriends, family, has been a balm to my stress. Watching these conversations, we seem to be asking the same thing over and over again, “How do we co-exist with this pandemic while finding any semblance of stability?” The sand of knowledge about this pandemic is shifty and the conspiracies around it are sinkholes that make stability a rare commodity these days.

A Decision Must be Made If Not Now When?

When I was a baby witch and fledgling entrepreneur, there was a statement that made sense, yet at the same time, I couldn’t grasp. “Be the source of what you seek.” To me it sounded like writing checks you couldn’t cash, yet I understood that if you wanted a change in your environment, you have to invite it in through your thoughts, words, and deeds. When I am in crisis, I come back to the message of “Be the Source of what you seek,” and look for ways I am either blocking the change I desire or ignoring the actions I can take to make it happen. During the reopening of our store, I had become the source of stability. If I didn’t seek that out, mimic that behavior and act as if, I would not have been able to see that I wasn’t the only source of stability at our business. My business partner/sister was my rock, my fulfillment manager held us together, and my customer care manager kept all our customers calm. We were a team working in concert by muscle memory alone. Together we created the seed for stability, then had to decide what to do with it – shrink for protection or thrive and grow. “Empowered Belief” is our contribution to the world and we either believe in our ability to represent this or we need a new “why?” for being in business. As the leader of the merry band of magic makers, I needed to start making magic. I had to become empowered in co-existing with COVID-19 and empower myself and my team in the belief that we can actually thrive during this time of stress. Terror and empowerment is a freight train of magic and I was going to use it to become the source. Beginning with our commitment to a living wage for all entry level employees, I lead our team on a few scary, emotion-filled decisions:

1 – Raise everyone’s wages 2 – Add more staff to lighten the load while we are coping with stress 3 – Start each conversation with compassion 4 – NO new projects

I have almost three decades of emotional history of living month to month with our financial business health. Almost three decades of barely making it and managing one financial crisis after another. This is normal stuff for small businesses, and I wanted to change that paradigm for our company. I decided to lead my team out of that mental habit and into a new, prosperous idea. If not now when? Seriously, the year 2020 had been a game of 52 pickup and the cards are scattered all over the globe. The ramification of these decisions could have huge consequences. If it all goes wrong, what am I to do then? If it all goes wrong… I start over!

We are starting over right now, and I decided we can start over as many times as it takes to get it right. Years of bootstrapping has taught me how to survive and I am not stopping now. I am walking into these big decisions with my eyes wide open and experience in my back pocket. I know we can be facing financial loss, through a higher payroll, loss of sales, and being emotionally drained by finding compassion for the needs of my staff and customers.

Empowered belief reminds me to look for all the potentials and to make a plan to explore them. Anticipating the worst-case scenarios put me in a prepared emotional state, but one thing I forgot to do was to prepare for success.

To Succeed or Not Succeed

I think one of the biggest triggers of failure is success. Seriously, when you start to succeed you start to feel like the job is done, now you can coast. The opposite is true. When you start to succeed, then the really hard work begins. The adrenaline of starting a plan, making big decisions, and overcoming a massive trauma starts to wear off, leaving nothing but the grunt

work to keep it going. When you fail, you get a pause and a recovery moment. Success doesn’t allow for a pause or it quickly turns into failure.

Being the source is usually a game changer and wow did it work here! The day we decided to create the $15 an hour plan, our sales skyrocketed. So much so, the plan to hire more people to lighten the load became – hire more people because we need more candles! Going from no production for 10 weeks, light production for three and then ZOOM, record-setting sales, was a scary amount of success. How do we increase production in a small space where we need to keep our team six feet apart? How do we ship triple the amount of products in a space that needs to be taken up by production expansion? How do we get new staff trained and up to speed? My stable team was up to their eyeballs in orders, trying to hold onto the little sanity they had, and everyone was about to break for a new reason – success.

Pendulum swings are hard to manage. There is no recovery or ramp-up time. You are just in it. This is when math becomes my best friend to calculate what is possible. Since I am the source, what resources can we make miracles with? Which of my empowered, magical candles do I need to light for these solutions? “All of them” was my first inclination, but we sold those, so I went for a Blessed Herbal Problem Solving. I thought my magic was a sad frizzle when no configuration of current capacity caught us up to our orders in less than 24 months. There are good problems, but I still wasn’t sleeping.

My Problem-Solving candle was working, just in a different way than I anticipated. It took us to a new building, doubled the size of where we were and was only two blocks away from our previous location. My empowered belief looked at the possibilities, did the math and showed us how to make the jump. We had to make the move, it was a no-brainer. Now I had a brand new stressor – moving a thriving business without losing a day of production . . . while in a pandemic. This is the stress of success and I am already at my wits end. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg said, “You can’t have it all, all at once... Over my lifespan, I think I have had it all. But in different periods of time, things were rough.” • Clearing out my closets.

When I try to do everything at once, the • If I indulge, I wait for the best stuff. first thing to go is my emotional health, • Sister zoom calls. yet good emotional health is what gets me through these tough moments. With having Light of Hope to Become Exactly the common reactions to a disaster like not Who You Need sleeping and disassociating time passage, my emotional health must take a starring role in Who I have evolved into over the past six my daily routine. Powering through is no months is exactly who I need today. I am longer a viable recovery tactic. Focusing on My Emotional Recovery In my daily planner I jot down my emotional state every day. Looking back six months, I have been on a rollercoaster; gratitude, more vulnerable in my conversations, more open with my needs and more willing to listen and support. I am slower in my reactions and more conservative in my risks. I protect my mind from clutter and conspiracy. I am more passionate about equality and humane actions and I love more fiercely. “ ” We are starting over right now, and I decided we can start over as many times as it takes to get it right. survivor guilt, excitement, fear, joy, grief. I am taking my turn at carrying the light

Loneliness, isolation, and abandonment feel- of hope for humanity. I see a lighter, more ings are in full force as I stay masked, distant, compassionate time in our future and keep and home. Zoom fatigue is real, coupled with reminding myself and everyone around me decision fatigue and societal fears. If you are that there is more love within our world feeling this too, I am hugging you right now than hate. Love is quieter, so I will boost because this has sucked. the voice of this every opportunity I can.

Mental Health America’s article, “Coping This story does not have an end, neither with Disaster” nailed it with helpful tips to does yours. In honor of the notorious RBG aid in your emotional recovery: I wish for you all to remember one more quote from her, “So often in life, things • Talk about it. that you regard as an impediment turn • Spend time with friends and family. out to be great, good fortune.” We each • Take care of yourself. have the ability to turn any adversity into • Limit exposure to images of the disaster. opportunity. I wish every moment of pain • Find time for activities you enjoy. is a precursor to immense joy. • Take one thing at a time. • Do something positive. • Avoid drugs and excessive drinking. Jacki Smith is the founder, witch and Enchant• Ask for help when you need it. ress at Coventry Creations. Jacki’s bestselling Blessed Herbal Candles started the intentional

I personally added: candle industry almost 30 years ago. Check out her brand of magic in Coventry Magic with • Dedicated quiet time every day. Herbs, Oils and Candles or visit her site, www. coventrycreations.com. • Intermittent fasting. • Safe dedicated Hugging friend.

MeetMyStore Read the stories of some of the best indie stores in America

By Sean Ruck

CULTURE SPOT

www.culturespot.com 930 Newark Avenue, Suite T402 Jersey City, NJ 07306 201-706-3270

Om Mani Spinning Tibetan Mantra Ring. Image by Culture Spot

Tree of Life Optical Illusion Pendant. Image by Culture Spot

Chip Tolaney is a designer by trade originally. He worked in graphic design in the early 2000s and by the end of the decade, he began designing more products himself. Starting with wall décor, pillows and accessories using his artwork, he made the transition into jewelry design three or four years later. Regardless of the medium he used or type of product he created, he says one thing stayed consistent, “Everything has to be symbolic, meaningful or inspirational,” he says. So Tolaney’s jewelry tends to be inspirational, or includes meaningful symbols or represents something bigger. Retailing Insight spoke to him to learn more about his background and about his online wholesale business Culture Spot.

Retailing Insight: You said you started as a designer was that a path inspired by someone in your family?

Chip Tolaney: Almost everyone in my family is a doctor except for me, so there’s no family inspiration there. It was something I’ve been into since I was a kid. I’ve never called myself an artist, because I feel it’s a very loaded term, but I did get involved from the beginning in school competitions and things like that. Designing products like t-shirts for example, even in middle school and high school I did that a lot.

RI: What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting your business?

CT: Initially, when I did the home décor section, it was right after the 2008 crash and the home category was one of the markets that suffered the most. So our start was very bumpy in terms of the timing and nature of products. To be able to finally adjust our offerings to something we were comfortable with and which had a market need was where jewelry came along.