London, UK – 1 December 2010 – The latest issue of UK Handmade Magazine for the winter season is now released, packed full of interviews from UK based designers, Scandinavian inspired articles and treats as well as a wealth of useful business articles, events, tutorials and reviews.

UK Handmade are excited to bring you an exclusive interview with Denny of Denny & Dazzle as featured on Mary Queen of Shops, where we get an insight into the show.

Scandinavian design is a big inspiration for Christmas and Tina and Heidi Burton recall their childhood memories of Christmas in their Mother’s native Finland. Learn how to make stollen and read about Scandinavian inspired print-maker Dee Beale.

Real or fake? Find out the truth about eco-friendly Christmas trees with advice from My Zero Waste and Trees For Rent. Decorate your tree with child friendly pinecone decorations and mouthwatering Christmas cookies.

Surface Pattern Design is big news and UK Handmade brings you ideas on how to decorate you home as well an interview with professional Illustrator Rachael Taylor and a review of the excellent Print & Pattern by Marie Perkins aka Bowie Style.

UK Handmade magazine is a zero carbon footprint digital magazine, published quarterly. It can be accessed here: http://ukhandmade.co.uk

Artists, designers and makers can join UK Handmade at: http://ukhandmade.ning.com

The UK Handmade blog can be read here: http://ukhandmade.blogspot.com/

About UK Handmade

UK Handmade was founded by a small group of designers in 2008, directed by Karen Jinks, Illustrator and Designer. UK Handmade produces an online magazine offering the latest news and events in the industry, as well as lifestyle articles and features on UK based artists, designers and makers.

As well as being a key resource for small handmade businesses, UK Handmade also offers community support with many of the articles featured in the magazine and on the blog being contributed by the members themselves.

Do you use UK Handmade as a resource for your handmade business?  What do you think of the winter edition?  Do you have resources to share with other sellers?

Share your ideas and thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Submit your article for publication here or tell us your thoughts via a comment below.

In July 2010, ArtFire.com announced that their newest ArtFire Artifact, the Certified Handmade Artifact, has been a huge success.

“From every corner of the globe, handmade artisans have been stepping up to show their commitment to their craft and to the handmade movement,” an ArtFire admin wrote on the marketplace’s blog.  “If you are an artisan offering your handmade work in your Pro ArtFire studio, we welcome you to submit the application.” “We have officially opened the Certified Handmade Artifact Application Process for members who voluntarily commit to keeping their ArtFire offerings entirely within the Handmade and Fine Art categories,” another admin added.

If you are interested in getting involved, you can find the application here.  The company says as they receive applications from sellers, everyone can rest easy knowing every applicant will not only be carefully reviewed, but will also receive correspondence from a member of the ArtFire staff letting them know the outcome of their application.

ArtFire announced in April 2010 that the company has passed $2 million in artisan sales.  Interestingly, out of the $2 million items sold, 65% of them were handmade and fine art products.

“While this percentage may initially seem high, consider that 57% of the items sold in March were handmade goods,” the ArtFire announced on their website. “Fine art and handmade pieces also tend to be pricier, so they make up a larger percentage of revenue.”

Founded in 2008, ArtFire is a small company with a passion for handmade, art, and indie business.  ArtFire offers artisans as an interactive handmade market place and craft community.  Their mission is simple – to support your business and your brand with innovative features and functions.

ArtFire is focused on making their marketplace artisan-friendly.  Members are in control of the development of functions and features of the site.  The company recognizes that individual and collective needs of the ArtFire community are ever-changing.

Learn more about ArtFire in these HandmadeMarketing.org articles:

From Etsy to ArtFire – A Seller’s Experience

Free-For-All Promotion – ArtFire Lifts Seller Fees

Payment Options – ArtFire Partners with Amazon Payments

Get your thoughts published on HandmadeMarketing.org!  Tell us what you like or dislike about selling crafts on ArtFire.  Our team publishes tips and tricks from handmade sellers and crafters.  Be sure to include links to your social media sites or handmade shop site in your article.  Sellers receive free press for lending their knowledge, and both new and experienced sellers alike get new ideas.  Share with HandmadeMarketing.org.

Many of the HandmadeMarketing.org readers have been impacted by the world-wide economic slow down.  Our team looked to Cindy Lietz, from the website and informative blog Beads and Beading, to hear her thoughts on selling crafts online during the recession.

“With uncertain economic times happening in the US and some other countries, your financial situation may be tightening up a bit,” Cindy wrote in a recent article on her site.  “But this doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do as an artistic person to help make things better for you and your family. Here are 6 tips for making money with a part-time, home-based jewelry business during bad economic times.”

Cindy suggests handmade sellers make their own products.  Specifically, she calls for jewelry sellers to make their own polymer clay beads.

“If you love original handmade beads and have been buying them to include in your jewelery making projects, make the beads yourself instead!” Cindy writes.  “Some customers love the look of authentic coral, turquoise and bone, but aren’t willing to pay for it right now. For them you can create very convincing replicas at a fraction of the cost using polymer clay. You’ll save on expenses while creating truly one-of-a-kind designs that will sell. This translates to happy customers which means a profitable home jewelry business for you.”

Cindy also tells handmade sellers that they should shop regularly at dollar stores for discounted craft supplies.  “Just because it is in the dollar store doesn’t mean it is low quality,” Cindy tells sellers.  “Businesses go under all the time and their liquidated inventories get sold in these types of places. There are 6 different stores I frequent regularly. However, learn the difference between good and bad quality materials. Dollar stores can also sell crappy stuff that isn’t worth buying at all!”

Second, Cindy suggests that handmade sellers focus on a certain group buying online – gift givers.  “Don’t forget that even when the economy is tight, people still need to give presents. No matter how bad it gets, people will still give gifts,” she writes.  For tips to market to this market, have a look “Gift Givers – Post Items Geared Towards Giving” from HandmadeMarketing.org.

Cindy says that if you are finding it hard to sell your current jewelry designs to your regular customers, you need to ask yourself a two questions:

1. Are my jewelry prices too high for these long-time buyers?
2. Do I need to find new customers?

“You will either have to find a way to reduce your costs and make lower ticket items… or market to a higher income bracket,” Cindy tells handmade sellers.  “You should understand that a person who once bought diamonds, may now settle for buying higher end art jewelry. People still buy during hard times. They just buy differently.”

Cindy also suggests wearing your handmade craft (if possible) at all times.  This will help your advertising efforts in a down economy.

“It is by far the cheapest and most effective advertising you can do,” Cindy explains.  “I have received many custom jewelry orders simply by just wearing the stuff I make. In fact just this week, I have requests for 6 custom beaded lanyards just because I wear one to hold my membership card at the YMCA. You may remember me writing about a similar situation when someone else bought the pirate crossbones jewelry lanyard I was using that day. Wearing your pieces also gives your product good real life testing, so you can always be improving your designs.”

In the end, Cindy says selling handmade online will help your household with combating the effects of the recession.

“Whether you just need a few hundred extra dollars a month to offset high gas and food prices, or a home jewelry business to help compensate for a lost job, you can turn your beading hobby into a source of income if you get creative with it. Education, supplies and a dream is all you need!” she writes.

How have you cut your business costs in the recession?  Has your business been effected by the recession?  What tips do you have for sellers struggling with the bad economy?

Share your ideas with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Tell us what impact the recession has had on you by clicking on our “Join” tab.  If we publish your tips for selling in a recession, we will include a link to your shop, blog, or website.  Talk about an easy way to get your shop’s name out there!

While in the middle of the summer wedding season, The Baltimore Sun reported that Etsy.com may be a great place to look for wedding dresses.  Etsy is mentioned at the end of the article as another option for those looking to save some cash this summer!

Have you had customers looking for wedding items this summer?  How have you marketed to those planning a wedding?  Any tips for a new seller thinking about selling handmade wedding items online?

In May 2009, artisans woke to find Etsy on Good Morning America.  The feature discussed how web sites like Etsy.com help handmade sellers become entrepreneurs.

Check out the Etsy press coverage and visit the shops of the sellers mentioned!

Do you think the economy has your handmade sales business in a slump?  You aren’t alone.  Many online sellers are pointing to the economy for any slow days they are having.

But is the blame really on the economy?

So who is saying the economy is their biggest obstacle?  According to Barry A. Densa, one of America’s top freelance Marketing and Sales Copywriters, it’s a specific type of business owner.  “During the long-gone good-times, your business had been on cruise control and you got complacent,” he says.  “You saw your customers as dollar signs and not people.”

“Wow, I’m guilty of blaming my current lack of business on everything but me,” one seller in the Etsy.com forums said.  “I do need a kick in the pants, because I do really good work.”

Densa says from relationship building, caring about your customers, just staying in business, or even making a great income and taking extra vacations, there are easy ways to keep your small business recession-proof.  For him, it’s all about keeping your potential buyers loyal and their wallets open.

So is it all about reducing prices to help struggling handmade shoppers?  Densa thinks reducing prices won’t help in the long run.  “Reducing your prices may help and may even be prudent,” he writes.  “But that’s a short-term fix.  In fact, by reducing your prices, what you’re doing is training, even forcing, your customers to price shop.”  He suggests sellers accent the value in the products.  That way, the customer is willing to pay the price for the value.

Still, some Etsy sellers look to aggressive promotions to boost sales.  “I agree it’s all about visibility and offering good products,” says one Etsy.com seller in the Etsy forums.  “Women still bought jewelry during the great depression and ww2 so this recession isn’t any worse. I saw on the news that online sites are actually increasing in sales because of the aggressive promotions and people just want to save on gas. I think it’s a good time to seize the chance! On a side note I’ve planned that my vintage jewelry venture is going to expand this year, as sales are steady. So it’s not really the economy!!”

Densa says your goal as an online seller is to help your potential customers through their economic fears.  “They’re holding on to their money,” Densa writes, “worried the good times will never return.  Your job then is to lift their heads.  Help them understand that change is the only constant in life-and this economic melt-down, this too shall pass.”

Your best bet as an online handmade seller is to be sure you can put yourself in the customer’s shoes.  Rather than deny the reality your customers perceive Densa suggests you place yourself on their side.  “Recognize that the quickest way to bond and, most importantly, become an advocate on behalf of your customers is to first accept and validate (within reasonable limits) their viewpoint,” he writes. “Once you’ve shown them you understand and agree with them, you’ll find it so much easier to persuade them of your viewpoint.”

Densa suggests brainstroming to determine the potential buyer’s greatest obstacle.  Maybe a customer would rather head to the local big box rather than pay for shipping.  Consider cutting or eliminating your shipping costs for your Etsy, ArtFire, or 1000 Markets store.  If you get a sense that your potential customer are nervous about value, try running a two-for-one promotion to see if that eliminates the obstacle.  Each market will have their own obstacles – take the time to determine your market’s barrier to buy.

In the end, Densa says to try these tips with style, grace, truth, and honesty.  In turn, “your business will thrive in any economy,” he writes.

How do you keep business booming in a tough economy?  What role does the bad economy play in your sales online?  Have you seen sales slow or grow lately?

Are you a handmade blogger looking for some extra exposure?

HandmadeMarketing.org was recently contacted by Corris Little, Internet News Manager for Entertainment for Newsday.com.  Corris shared a fabulous opportunity that we are excited to pass on to our readers.

Newsday, a newspaper in New York, is looking for a few guest bloggers to write about a variety of crafts.  While this gig would be unpaid, the lucky guest bloggers would get great exposure for their handmade wares.

You can see Newsday’s “Help Wanted” ad to see if this is a good fit for you!

Ready to take the jump?  You can email Corris at corris.little@newsday.com to ask any questions and send in your crafty writing samples.

A big thanks to Corris and Newsday for giving artsian bloggers this extra exposure!

On Friday, April 24, Etsians came together to promote “Etsy Day” and had amazing results.  The day was big enough to even get the attention of the Wall Street Journal.

The day was a success for Etsy.com because, as the Journal reported, the “Ebay of handmade crafts” received “a huge dose of buzz for free.”

For much of the day on Friday the 24th, “#etsyday” was the top-trending topic on Twitter.  This was used to promote Etsy Day – and ended up getting everyone on Twitter buzzing about Etsy.

The article discusses the force behind Etsy Day.  Susan Schumann, a 37-year-old teacher and photographer in Newport, Rhode Island, sells on Etsy and started the entire idea rolling.

Check out the article from the Wall Street Journal coverage of Etsy!

Congrats to Etsy sellers, Etsy.com, and Susan Schumann for the awesome promotion of Etsy to the community!

Over the last month, HandmadeMarketing.org has been privileged to sponsor HandmadeInPA’s HiP Blog Challenge series, bringing Tara’s tips to a whole new group of crafters!

We have learned how to write a mission statement to focus our blog, build a community to help increase blog comments, and tips to make it easier to help search engines to find blogs.

In part four of the series, Tara will help bloggers find new ideas for posts – stay tuned!

Interested in re-vamping your blog?  Increasing your social media presence? Been considering investing in a website to sell your handmade products?  Looking for some to manage your SEO efforts?

Because of the success of this series, the small business web design team behind HandmadeMarketing.org has partnered with Tara Gentile to offer website design and marketing services to handmade sellers.  With Tara’s proven social media marketing success and White Label Graphic’s diverse portfolio, this is a great opportunity to take your blog or website to the next level!

Contact White Label Graphics or Tara Gentile for a free website quote and a consultation for ideas to help focus your marketing efforts for your online handmade shop.

Packages range in size and price to accomodate every handmade seller.  Contact our team to find out what a partnership can do to increase your sales!