How to successfully scale your handmade craft business

If you’ve established your handmade craft store online and sales have been picking up for a while, it might be time to scale your business.

This means potentially hiring new staff and perhaps even considering opening a bricks and mortar store.

First of all, you need to ensure you have the demand for this, however. It’s essential to up your marketing efforts and invest in more advanced tools to start.

You can then consider different solutions to help you cope with a rise in orders. Here are a few tips on how to successfully scale your handmade craft business.

Invest in better tools

As you receive more orders you’re going to need to look for new ways to increase productivity. One option could be to invest in better tools, for example. Do a bit of research to find the best deals on the tools for your particular trade.

If you want a neater job, you could invest in a Lotus Laser, for example. These are used by industries and hobbyists alike for faster cutting, engraving, and more. Advanced tools like these will help you to achieve a more professional-looking job in less time.

Outsource manufacturing elements

Another way to speed up the manufacturing process is to outsource certain elements. This could simply involve hiring an assistant to cut and prepare materials, or using an agency. In the future you could outsource entire manufacturing jobs and mass-produced items.

At first it depends on how much you can afford and the scale of your projects. The important thing is to save time and provide the most efficient service. Here is a quick guide to outsourcing your manufacturing.

Simplify your product range

You can also save time and other resources by simplifying your product range.

You could use market research tools to figure out which are your best-sellers. If you sell a personalised product that’s very popular with your customers, you could invest in pre-making this.

Think about which products are making you the most profit and push these. This way you can invest in fewer materials and save manufacturing time.

Outsource your fulfilment

As you grow your e-commerce, you should consider outsourcing your fulfilment.

Plenty of online platforms can offer services in this area. Here is a guide to fulfillment services with more information. By outsourcing your fulfillment you’ll have access to larger, conveniently located warehouses.

You’ll also be able to offer more delivery options and better delivery times. You can also make the most of professional inventory management services.

Up your digital marketing efforts

If you want to widen your reach you need to up your digital marketing game considerably. This will help you to boost your online presence and brand awareness. You need to use multiple marketing channels to reach out to the right customers.

These can include social media campaigns, targeted Facebook and Google ads, video content, email marketing, and more. It’s worth enlisting the help of a digital marketing agency as well.

It’s important to get the news of your products out there and to make a name for yourself in the field if you really want to scale your business.

Optimise your website for user experience

Your website is the first place people will look to learn more about your products so if you want to learn how to appeal to today's customers, you need to optimise this. User experience is fundamental because it can literally make or break a deal.

If consumers find your website frustrating to use they are likely to abandon it, no matter how interested they are in your designs. Google’s algorithms are also largely based on user experience and will look for certain metrics to determine this for ranking.

If you want your site to get to the top of the search engine results pages it needs to be fast loading, have a logical structure, and full of engaging content.

Seek business advice

If you are considering expanding your business, it’s recommendable to seek business advice, especially if you’d like to open a bricks and mortar shop.

An independent business advisor will have industry specific knowledge and experience. They’ll be able to recommend the best solutions for you according to your unique situation. They will give you tips and advice on how to go about scaling your business.

You can also make realistic forecasts and goals for the future together. You can then take your online handmade craft store to the next level.

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