One important tip in setting up your business is to be flexible. Name your business in such a way that you are not limiting yourself to one type of item. Design your website and word it in a way that you are not limited to what you make or sell.
Sure there are those who only make jewelry, or knit, or paint. And that is fine, if you get the sales for those items, have a variety of different items in various techniques/styles and you don't get buried in with the competition. But, by being limited to doing just one kind of jewelry or knitting the same kind of pieces or painting the same type of picture, you are limiting yourself. For those of us who have a talent in more than one kind of craft, why limit your self to just one thing, make different items and sell them too. Below is an example of why you should not limit yourself.
An online friend of mine suggested this great consignment shop to me last week. She said my jewelry designs would fit right in with this shop (I love making jewelry the most, so I thought this would be wonderful.). She put in my name with the shop owner and, I contacted the owner to set up a meeting. I was so excited! She liked my jewelry, however, it was just like what everyone else was already selling in the shop. She looked through my portfolio book and my items I had brought with me (everything I had) and really liked these cute totes I had made on a whim for me and my kids. She said they were more original and figures they will sell well. That's wonderful, right?
The thing is, is these have no beading on them and it was suggested that I add them to my site to sell there also. Well, I do all hand beaded items. Everything with beads. That's what my site said ~ hand beaded designs. These have none. Well, thank goodness my business is in my own name and I can change the wording on my site easily. Otherwise I might have had a problem.
I am thrilled to now have my foot in this door. However, lesson learned. Had I not been able to change my website or had to change my name I would have lost out on some great sales. I had to be flexible.
Seriously, consider setting up your business in your own name. It's easy, it's faster and it's flexible. If you ever got tired of selling your work, whether it's jewelry, knitting, or paintings you could always make and sell something else quite easily like small appliance cozies or start a business typing term papers. Your options are endless for you then. Why wouldn't you set up a business in your own name?
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
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5 comments:
Congratulations on you positive meeting! I did a similar thing too when I started out, when I graduated I just made bags and set up my business as LBBags, but them after 2 years my product range had widened I felt I had to change to LBDesigns which does not limit me to just one area!
Thank you! We are so excited about it.
When you design and create your own products it is very important to keep options open when you name your company. "Designs" will cover any type of product. My goal was to have beading on everything (even if it was just one bead). By remaining open to change I have opened up a new area for me to move into. I, luckily, do not have to legally change my name. A huge plus!
Did you have to change yours?
What a great meeting...always nice to get your foot in the door.
My name is almost TOO generic - but I'm able to sell jewelry, designer clothes, art, or whatever.
Yes, being generic is good. But when I came to get a web site, someone else had it! BMC Creations is my original business name. Brian M Crook has BMC Creations. However, Bev's Jewelry has been good to me so far. I'm not changing yet. I've made it division of BMC Creations. My message magnets is Bev's Magnets division of... However, point is well taken and a good post. Bev
Thank you Texas Tesla. Always great to get in, this is true. And it's great to have a business name that does leave you wide open to sell whatever you choose.
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Thank you Bev. I ran into the same problem when naming my own business. I went through countless "good names" only to go back to my first, best choice.
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