I am not an overly crafty person. Well, I take that back. I can be very crafty but I don’t have the time to do the crafty things rattling around in my brain. I certainly don’t have the time to sell things I create but I would love to get there. Regardless, I know many of you are crafters of some kind (knitting, crochet, paper products) and, as the coordinator of the craft bazaar at my kids’ school, I know that crafting is big business. I hope the following guest post from Jack Williams will help you get your craft business to the next level.
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You need a better way to control inventory. Right now, you’re using a hodgepodge of methods and nothing seems to be working. Here’s what you need to change, right now.
Stock Up On Popular Items
Stock up on things you use the most. String, yarn, needles, tape, glue, and anything else that’s a “staple item” in your craft business needs to be on-hand at all times. Summertime is a great time to stock up on these things because it tends to be a slow time for the craft industry.
“Back To School” week is when business usually starts picking up. And, don’t forget Christmas and New Years. The holidays are when the bulk of orders will come in. Then, you’ll see another bump in February and on Mother’s Day.
Create Smart Storage Systems
A smart storage system is one that sorts and organizes all of your stock items. It may also include asset tracking, like this asset tracking software, to help you manage inventory and track where all of your supplies are going.
You may need an entire room to manage all of your merchandise and fabrics. If you sell online, you’ll also want an organized shipping method so that you can keep track of orders as they are going out the door. Customers will probably also want tracking on their orders, and that can get messy when you’re shipping 500 boxes a week. Systematization is the name of the game.
Optimize Workspace
Clear out clutter. Yes, it’s a craft workspace, but try to keep your projects organized and together. Some of the worst workspaces are those that don’t take advantage of any kind of organization system.
Bins, separated drawers, divided shelves, and labels – lots and lots of labels. This is how you stay organized.
Study how you work, and create a system that gives you easy access to the things you use most, quickly. For example, if you make a lot of jewelry, and you work with a lot of gemstones, you’re probably going to be using a lot of thread, ring stock, and similar parts.
So, you could keep these all in a drawer together so that you don’t have to fish for them when you’re assembling a piece. The system doesn’t have to be pretty. It just has to work for you.
Be Consistent
Consistency is a large part of being successful in business. It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling purses or artwork or knickknacks. A business is a business. While many businesses choose to focus on “superior customer service” or having the best products and services, the best businesses do the best that they can and focus on consistency.
Even if you have a mediocre product, if you offer consistent service, and people can rely on you, you’ll win more business than your competitors.
Don’t Wait
The best time to start inventory control is right now. A lot of people don’t have a good system, and they just fumble their way through work every day. Having an organized system can speed up production time, reduce costs, and increase profits. Who doesn’t want that?
Jack Williams and his wife have been operating an online craft shop for six years. Jack is also an avid writer and he likes to share what has worked for them. Look for his articles on small business blogs.
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