Although I’ve
already started writing my blog a while earlier and opened my online shop about
one and a half year ago, this past year has been my first successful year as an
indie biz owner. Not only my sales have increased, but I also made a lot of new
contacts and learned a lot, either due to my own experiences, or by getting
advice from other bloggers and by exchanging thoughts.
So here are
some of the things I learned last year which has been a really special year
with regard to the development of my little business.
some of the things I learned last year which has been a really special year
with regard to the development of my little business.
1. Everything takes time, so be patient
Don’t
become nervous when you don’t sell well in the beginning! Although it’s good to
think big and to have goals, don’t forget that everyone has to start small and
everything has to be developed and carefully thought over. Don’t expect to immediately
sell tons of items and to get lots of new blog followers, better be patient and
make small steps – everything good takes some time! You’ll see that the more
you work on your products, the better they will become, the more you try out,
the more interesting your style will be. When I started sewing (with a machine –
I’ve already sewn by hand for some years) two years ago, my sewing skills were
a total mess! :) The seams were not straight at all and I didn’t have any clue
of my sewing machine’s functions. Until
now, I haven’t visited any sewing lesson, I only taught sewing myself by trying
out everything I wanted to and I got useful advice from friends and since I have worked in
a fabric store, I often witness my colleague’s sewing lessons while I’m selling
fabric and therefore, I get to know a lot of new sewing techniques, too. What I
want to make clear with telling you this is that you should take it easy and
accept that you will need some patience in order to develop your skills and
talents and that it can take some time until you’re successful with what you’re
doing, so don’t feel discouraged when you aren’t honored and admired
immediately!
become nervous when you don’t sell well in the beginning! Although it’s good to
think big and to have goals, don’t forget that everyone has to start small and
everything has to be developed and carefully thought over. Don’t expect to immediately
sell tons of items and to get lots of new blog followers, better be patient and
make small steps – everything good takes some time! You’ll see that the more
you work on your products, the better they will become, the more you try out,
the more interesting your style will be. When I started sewing (with a machine –
I’ve already sewn by hand for some years) two years ago, my sewing skills were
a total mess! :) The seams were not straight at all and I didn’t have any clue
of my sewing machine’s functions. Until
now, I haven’t visited any sewing lesson, I only taught sewing myself by trying
out everything I wanted to and I got useful advice from friends and since I have worked in
a fabric store, I often witness my colleague’s sewing lessons while I’m selling
fabric and therefore, I get to know a lot of new sewing techniques, too. What I
want to make clear with telling you this is that you should take it easy and
accept that you will need some patience in order to develop your skills and
talents and that it can take some time until you’re successful with what you’re
doing, so don’t feel discouraged when you aren’t honored and admired
immediately!
2. Go with trends you can identify with
Of course,
one of the most important things when running an indie biz is finding your own
style and being unique, but nevertheless, I think it can still be interesting
and worthwhile going with trends you like and can identify with. This way, you
attract lots of new customers, you probably work on a project you usually
wouldn’t have worked on and maybe you can also increase your sales by including
items which are part of a current trend – but only as long as you can identify
with the trend and feel comfortable with it, because it has to be authentic and
fit your style and concept. As an example, I still love the latest moustache
trend and although I haven’t invented this trend myself, I decided to create
some products with a mouchtache and these items were in great demand and I sold
a lot. What is most important when going with trends is not to copy a product,
but to use the trend for yourself and to get inspired.
one of the most important things when running an indie biz is finding your own
style and being unique, but nevertheless, I think it can still be interesting
and worthwhile going with trends you like and can identify with. This way, you
attract lots of new customers, you probably work on a project you usually
wouldn’t have worked on and maybe you can also increase your sales by including
items which are part of a current trend – but only as long as you can identify
with the trend and feel comfortable with it, because it has to be authentic and
fit your style and concept. As an example, I still love the latest moustache
trend and although I haven’t invented this trend myself, I decided to create
some products with a mouchtache and these items were in great demand and I sold
a lot. What is most important when going with trends is not to copy a product,
but to use the trend for yourself and to get inspired.
3. Try out different techniques,
working methods and materials
working methods and materials
It’s always
good to enlarge one’s personal horizon, also with regard to creativity and
inspiration. If you try out different techniques, you will learn more and will
see that you have skills about which you haven’t known before. What is more,
apart from discovering hidden talents, you can also get to know about working
methods you haven’t thought they could fit your style and maybe this offers
completely new perspectives for future products and the usage of new materials.
This way, not only your personal horizon will enlarge, but also your range of
products will widen and this could make your brand more attractive to potential
customers.
good to enlarge one’s personal horizon, also with regard to creativity and
inspiration. If you try out different techniques, you will learn more and will
see that you have skills about which you haven’t known before. What is more,
apart from discovering hidden talents, you can also get to know about working
methods you haven’t thought they could fit your style and maybe this offers
completely new perspectives for future products and the usage of new materials.
This way, not only your personal horizon will enlarge, but also your range of
products will widen and this could make your brand more attractive to potential
customers.
4. Develop your own, unique style
Find out
what you like, make drafts, sketches, always take notes of your ideas, think
about color schemes and carefully look
at other designer’s items and style in order to find out what you find
appealing and what not. I think there are so many interesting and unique
artists, bloggers, indie biz owners and so on and thus, it’s even more
important to be recognized, to have a style which is unique and which reflects
one’s own creativity and taste.
what you like, make drafts, sketches, always take notes of your ideas, think
about color schemes and carefully look
at other designer’s items and style in order to find out what you find
appealing and what not. I think there are so many interesting and unique
artists, bloggers, indie biz owners and so on and thus, it’s even more
important to be recognized, to have a style which is unique and which reflects
one’s own creativity and taste.
5. Become familiar with the legal
aspects of running a small business
aspects of running a small business
In order to
avoid legal conflicts, it’s important to be weel-informed about the legal
aspects of running a small business in the country you’re living in. You
normally have to register your business and depending on your businesses’
income, you will have to pay certain taxes and have to do some office work and
accountancy to avoid legal conflicts.
avoid legal conflicts, it’s important to be weel-informed about the legal
aspects of running a small business in the country you’re living in. You
normally have to register your business and depending on your businesses’
income, you will have to pay certain taxes and have to do some office work and
accountancy to avoid legal conflicts.
6. Don’t be afraid to set new trends
you believe in
you believe in
When you
try out something new, you will probably see that you like a product you
normally wouldn’t have thought of, but then, don’t be afraid to set a new trend
and to introduce a new product others wouldn’t have expected from you. Do what
you like, produce what feels good to you and always listen to your heart when
you’re making decisions.
try out something new, you will probably see that you like a product you
normally wouldn’t have thought of, but then, don’t be afraid to set a new trend
and to introduce a new product others wouldn’t have expected from you. Do what
you like, produce what feels good to you and always listen to your heart when
you’re making decisions.
7. Find out which of your products are
most successful
most successful
In order to
find out which products are most appealing and successful, you can either simply
use your online shop’s statistics, or you can sell at markets to see the
customer’s reactions yourself. To successfully sell your handmade items, you
shouldn’t be afraid to reproduce items that sell well and maybe think about how
to further develop these items.
find out which products are most appealing and successful, you can either simply
use your online shop’s statistics, or you can sell at markets to see the
customer’s reactions yourself. To successfully sell your handmade items, you
shouldn’t be afraid to reproduce items that sell well and maybe think about how
to further develop these items.
8. It is all about community, not about
competition
competition
Don’t see
fellow indie biz owners as competition, but see them as parts of a huge
community everybody can learn from. To me, it’s really important to make new
contacts, to talk to other bloggers and indie biz owners and to exchange
thoughts and experiences. What is more,
guest blogging as only one form of communication is a really great form of
supporting other creative people, to get to know each other and to learn more
about different projects, style and techniques. Not to forget, it’s even more
fun to get to know other bloggers in person. :)
fellow indie biz owners as competition, but see them as parts of a huge
community everybody can learn from. To me, it’s really important to make new
contacts, to talk to other bloggers and indie biz owners and to exchange
thoughts and experiences. What is more,
guest blogging as only one form of communication is a really great form of
supporting other creative people, to get to know each other and to learn more
about different projects, style and techniques. Not to forget, it’s even more
fun to get to know other bloggers in person. :)
9. Enlarge your creative horizon all
the time
the time
Enlarging
one’s own creative horizon all the time may sometimes seem a little bit
difficult, but nowadays it’s pretty simple to gain new knowledge (mostly for
free) nearly everywhere. Getting to know new things in not only really
important in order to stay inspired, but also to develop new ideas and to
further develop your skills, knowledge and style and to be creatively
fulfilled. I often browse the Internet, read a lot of inspiring blogs, and
spend much time on Pinterest to get to know about latest trends and to discover
new possibilities. Moreover, because I’m working in a fabric store, I see the
prettiest fabrics and patterns nearly every day and this extremely inspires me
to work on a new sewing project. When I see pretty fabric, I automatically
think about what I could do with it and I imagine the product I could turn the
piece of fabric into. :) Furthermore, another way to enlarge your creative
horizon is to wander through the city, to have a look at people, what they are
wearing and to look at city art and visit different stores. I often go to art
supplies stores and when looking at all the different tools and materials, I
get tons of ideas concerning what to make with them. In addition, in the course
of the last few months, I bought several books with various sewing patterns and
therefore, I can widen my product’s range a lot. Finally, not to forget that
there are millions of sewing tutorials and DIY ideas on the Internet, so it’s
really difficult not to learn something new. :)
one’s own creative horizon all the time may sometimes seem a little bit
difficult, but nowadays it’s pretty simple to gain new knowledge (mostly for
free) nearly everywhere. Getting to know new things in not only really
important in order to stay inspired, but also to develop new ideas and to
further develop your skills, knowledge and style and to be creatively
fulfilled. I often browse the Internet, read a lot of inspiring blogs, and
spend much time on Pinterest to get to know about latest trends and to discover
new possibilities. Moreover, because I’m working in a fabric store, I see the
prettiest fabrics and patterns nearly every day and this extremely inspires me
to work on a new sewing project. When I see pretty fabric, I automatically
think about what I could do with it and I imagine the product I could turn the
piece of fabric into. :) Furthermore, another way to enlarge your creative
horizon is to wander through the city, to have a look at people, what they are
wearing and to look at city art and visit different stores. I often go to art
supplies stores and when looking at all the different tools and materials, I
get tons of ideas concerning what to make with them. In addition, in the course
of the last few months, I bought several books with various sewing patterns and
therefore, I can widen my product’s range a lot. Finally, not to forget that
there are millions of sewing tutorials and DIY ideas on the Internet, so it’s
really difficult not to learn something new. :)
10. Find ways to stay inspired
My ways to
stay inspired are really similar to the methods of enlarging my horizon: I
spend a lot of time on the Internet to get to know the endless possibility of practicing
creativity and I read books and look at fabrics to get new ideas. What is more,
I make lots of notes and sketches so that I don’t forget a good idea I once
had. It’s completely normal to feel creatively burnt out from time to time, I
then spend some days with doing nothing creative at all and then, after
completely switching off my desire for doing something productive, my
creativity comes back by itself. As an example, the second half of 2011 I’ve
been working really hard, I planned moving to a new home, I thought about the
apartment’s interior and décor, I worked on Christmas presents, prepared my
online shop for Christmas trade and I even prepared for selling my items at a
market. The time just after Christmas, I felt as if somebody had sucked out all
of my creativity, inspiration and motivation and after a few days of just
hanging around and doing nothing productive at all, I felt the urgent desire to
sew something and to be productive. What I want to make clear is that you need
to listen you your heart and that you shouldn’t force yourself to be creative;
find your personal ways to stay inspired, but don’t forget to reward yourself with a break! :)
stay inspired are really similar to the methods of enlarging my horizon: I
spend a lot of time on the Internet to get to know the endless possibility of practicing
creativity and I read books and look at fabrics to get new ideas. What is more,
I make lots of notes and sketches so that I don’t forget a good idea I once
had. It’s completely normal to feel creatively burnt out from time to time, I
then spend some days with doing nothing creative at all and then, after
completely switching off my desire for doing something productive, my
creativity comes back by itself. As an example, the second half of 2011 I’ve
been working really hard, I planned moving to a new home, I thought about the
apartment’s interior and décor, I worked on Christmas presents, prepared my
online shop for Christmas trade and I even prepared for selling my items at a
market. The time just after Christmas, I felt as if somebody had sucked out all
of my creativity, inspiration and motivation and after a few days of just
hanging around and doing nothing productive at all, I felt the urgent desire to
sew something and to be productive. What I want to make clear is that you need
to listen you your heart and that you shouldn’t force yourself to be creative;
find your personal ways to stay inspired, but don’t forget to reward yourself with a break! :)
As you can
see, I’ve learned a lot during the past few months and I hope that some of my
experiences and thoughts will help you! :) Feel free to let me know in the
comment section below what your most important experiences as a blogger or
indie biz owner are. :)
see, I’ve learned a lot during the past few months and I hope that some of my
experiences and thoughts will help you! :) Feel free to let me know in the
comment section below what your most important experiences as a blogger or
indie biz owner are. :)
Thank you
for reading,
for reading,
Lu
You've got nice room there and the dress, wow! Agree on point number 10. Always aware of your surroundings for an inspiration!
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu deinem erfolgreichen Jahr. ;)
Ich hoffe das nächste wird genauso gut für dich. Mach weiter so!
<3
Hallo Lu!
Ich drücke Dir ganz feste die Daumen, dass es bei Dir jetzt immer weiter steil bergauf geht! Du kommst so sympathisch rüber, dass ich Dir den Erfolg einfach nur aus vollem Herzen gönne!
Und ein klitzeklitzekleines Bisschen bin ich schon neidisch darauf, dass Du so wahnsinnig kreativ bist! Das wäre ich auch gerne! Aber mehr als Schals stricken und Hosenbeine umnähen habe ich einfach nicht drauf. ;-)
Ganz liebe Grüße,
Birdie
This was really great to read and thank you for this :) With my shop I am starting to get new ideas together which are more me. My shop hasn't been going great recently but like you said, it takes time :) x
Danke für die tollen Tipps, liebe Lu! Kann ich gut gebrauchen, ich denke ja auch (schon länger) darüber nach, einen dawanda-shop zu eröffnen. Das rechtliche Drumherum ist dabei für mich das Schwierigste…
Wünsch dir weiterhin viel Erfolg!
Und: Schöne Fotos von Dir!
LG Steffi
You've come such a long way this past year! You should be so proud of yourself! I wish you all the best for this year and may you be even more creative and successful in everything you do!
This post is the motivation I needed to start focusing more seriously on my indie biz too. Thank you! :-)
Hallo, ich bin so frei und antworte dir auf Deutsch :D Dieser Guide hat mir sehr gut getan und motiviert mich total. Seit wenigen Monaten habe ich mein Kleingewerbe und habe mir auch wie du das nähen selbst beigebracht. Ich freue mich zu hören das du solch einen Erfolg hast. Liebste grüße