Growing Your Bow-Making Business
Taking the step to transition your bow-making or crafting hobby into a small business is powerful but can be daunting. If you’re looking for tips, check out THIS blog post - “Ultimate Guide to Starting a Hairbow Business.” Once you’ve taken this leap and have found your stride, the next challenge can be figuring out how to grow your business and take it to the next level. Below are some tips that might help you along the way.
Know your brand, goals and non-negotiables and write them down. As you grow your business, you may approach crossroads at which you will have the choice to grow in ways that may or may not fall in line with your original goals and purpose. The excitement of profit and growth is always tempting but take the time to reflect on your business plans to ensure you’re making moves in the right direction. Sticking to your goals and staying on course will help you avoid hindering obstacles like burnout and frustration and put you on the path to success and growth. Knowing your why will give you the confidence to “sell” your brand in every aspect of your business - from marketing to customer service to product development. That confidence will translate into success.
Maximize your time and stay organized. As with anything in life, the more you understand how to tackle your to-do list, the more you will accomplish. Determine the amount of time you have each day to spend on your business and really work hard to maximize that time. A burned out leader may succeed in the short run but a balanced leader will enjoy continued level success. Of course, as you grow your business, the demands on your time will also grow and you will need to reassess along the way.
If you’ve been selling by word of mouth, consider creating a business page on Facebook and Instagram and sharing your inventory or customizable products via posts and stories. Inviting your customers to direct message you with orders will help you stay organized and will keep the back and forth communication off the main posts. A social media presence offers your friends, family and established customers an easy way to share your business with their communities with just a click. The cumulative effect of those shares can go a long way in helping you grow your business.
Once you have established your social media business presence, you may want to consider the costs of setting a booth up at a craft fair or market. Broadening your audience is key to selling more and, ultimately, profiting more, but it can be challenging if you are just getting off the ground. A fair or market is great for diversification from your typical clientele and can also give you the somewhat harder to come by opportunity to talk to customers about what they like and what the trends are. Check out our blog post (HERE) - “Guide to Selling at Craft Markets” for more details.
Another simple method to share your business with a new customer base is to partner with local organizations, boutiques or children’s stores. Some options for partnerships are to sell your products on consignment, set up a table at a boutique’s seasonal sale or a school carnival or even ask if you can leave your cards at the register. The more times your community members see your name, the more inclined they will be to trust that your products are high quality and from a business owner who believes in the goods.
Investing your time in developing loyal customers will pay off significantly over time. Great customer service, beautiful product packaging, unique rewards and true understanding of the needs of your customers are all tools you can utilize to build that loyalty. While customers may love you and your products, a cheaper price or unique product might drive them to shop elsewhere. Business maintenance and growth are dependent on you keeping your business fresh and interesting with customers at the forefront.
We would love to hear from you as you start and grow your businesses! RABOM also started as a very small business and our team has worked hard to build relationships with you, our incredible customers. With these tools and those you already possess, we know you will soar and we can’t wait to watch and support you along the way!
Share your stories with us @ribbonandbowsohmy on Instagram and Facebook or email us at info@ribbonandbowsohmy.com