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One of the most important issues is cash flow when first starting out in a business. Craft shows provide an excellent opportunity to increase cash flow. Whatever you make can be put back into the business to make more stock and therefore the possibility of increased sales.
Always listen to your customers, they know what they like. When you create you will have more success if you make the items your customers are looking for. Also you will have created a bond between you and your customers. Time and again they will visit a show just to see you and your new .Â
People who visit craft shows are looking for something special and also like to meet with the artist. Be open and friendly making your customers feel happy. A happy customer is a repeat customer!
When you get tired of the hectic life and traveling the next step is decide whether you prefer a retail store or a wholesale business. The business is a very competitive market. To stay ahead of the competition you have to focus on fresh new products and ideas. You have to create your own niche, something special that no one else has thought of. This can be harder than you thought; your competition is also working hard toward that ''million dollar idea". You have to stay focused and experiment with different techniques and ideas. Continuing with what works and revising what didn't.
One way to stay ahead in the race is to provide great customer service. Make sure orders go out complete and on time. Deal with questions and comments with a smile trying to make sure that every customer is a repeat customer. The best referral is from a happy customer.
After years in the basement working hard with blinders on, we are now trying to work smart.   Online marketing is the business of choice for many people who want to work for themselves. They want to do what they want, when they want to do it. And the best part is you can do it wherever you want. You can be in your garage or your basement or living by the sea; it absolutely doesn't matter! What does matter is to make money your website has to be found by the right people.
Whether you are blogging and collecting money from affiliate marketing or actually have a product to sell makes no difference, your website must attract the right target market. Online marketing is not any different than marketing 101, just more complicated! Instead of marketing a product you are now marketing your website. Is doesn't matter if you make the best product in the world if no one can find it!Â
When we made our first website a few years ago, we sat down with a website designer and he made the website just how we wanted it. We were busy with our wholesale handmade jewelry business and didn't focus on the website, it was just there. We had invested money not time to understand how to make the website work for us. It was like printing business cards before you know what you are going to sell, pointless!
In the last six months we have devoted a great deal of time to learn about internet marketing and to develop our website. It takes a lot of time, but research is the key to success. Knowing your target market and creating a marketing strategy are very important. This is not an overnight process; it takes time to find out what works and doesn't work. It is a work in progress; every day we learn something new and try to apply it to our situation.
Six months ago you couldn't find our website unless you typed in our URL.  Now we are in the top ten for several of our keyword phrases and seeing improvement every day for the more competitive phrases.  Every day we get inquiries about our handmade jewelry and unique gifts. The world is slowly opening up to our website and the future is looking fabulous!