5 Steps to Get You Started
But she already does that.
No one will buy my stuff.
No one will follow me.
People will think I’m desperate for money.
What makes my passion SPECIAL?
What makes me an expert?
Who will listen to me?
What will my friends and family think?
GUYS. These were literally the thoughts, running through my mind when I thought about starting my business.
Let’s get some back story.
I’ve ALWAYS wanted to be a business owner. When I was younger, my answer to “what do you want to be when you grow up?”, would be: “I want to own a bakery. I want to own a bookstore. I want to own a bar…. with a bookstore in it”. Clearly, anything that started with a “B”, I wanted to own it. But really, what 8-year-old wants to own a BAR. Obviously, the common factor was, that I wanted to own something for myself.
Years later, I went to college, got a safe business management degree, and decided maybe I’d be a CPA, and take a few weeks off after tax season every year…. FUN.
Real-life took over, I got a big girl job in NYC, commuted 2-3 hours EACH WAY, and had a nice pricing analyst position at a magazine. It was DRAINING. Fast forward 4 years, I quit my job for a worse one, left that, and started working for myself. I’ve created many income streams over the last few years, but my priority is my handmade business and helping others build theirs.
It’s crazy, the insane number of people we see chasing their entrepreneurial dreams, and yet there are THOUSANDS more, who haven’t pulled the trigger yet, and maybe you’re one of those people.
That’s where I come in.
The backstory here is important because so many of you reading this- can relate to that life. Relate to following the rules, getting the degree, getting the job, and not being satisfied. Even if you enjoy it, it may not be enough for YOU. You were made for MORE.
SO LET’S MAP OUT YOUR FIRST 5 STEPS.
- THIS IS NO LONGER A HOBBY. The biggest step in taking your passion and turning it into a paycheck, is deciding to stop treating it like a hobby, and start treating it like a business from day one. Decide what it is you want to do and know, that yes, you can pivot down the road. Just take that first step.
- CREATE BUSINESS ACCOUNTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Pick the first name that feels good (and yes, you can ALSO rebrand down the road.). The most common excuse I hear from clients is that they can’t start their business, because they can’t decide on a name and logo. Don’t spend more than a few days on this guys.. Seriously.. you’re procrastinating.
- DETERMINE YOUR MARKET. Niche down- are you marketing towards… moms? Married couples? Pet owners? Fitness lovers? Etc. I promise, that narrowing down your market, will get you many more customers/followers in the long run, than if you try to cater to everyone that may stumble across your social media. Doing this will help you focus your captions, stories, ads, hashtags and so much more. If you don’t niche down, you may find yourself constantly wondering what to say, or what hashtags to use- and procrastinate and come up with excuses, rather than crushing your content.
- SHARE TO YOUR PERSONAL PAGE. I can’t emphasize this enough. Regardless of what your business is- share it with people who already know you, trust you, and want to support you. It takes time to build a following, to then turn them into customers. You need to build your brand and their trust in you. Utilize the people that already fall into that category. The fear of what people will think- is way worse in your head, they’ll either support you or keep scrolling. And Jenny from high school is way more concerned with her own life- than judging you.
- KEEP GOING. It isn’t easy building a business for yourself. You have been given a GIFT with technology these days. You can build a business with much less investment, from your home, phone, or computer, and have a much higher chance of success than if we were still in solely brick and mortar days. Don’t take that for granted.
There are so many hurdles in life and in business, but there are a few things you can control yourself, and that includes your work ethic and your knowledge. Not everything you do will be spectacular. You will fail, you will have products that flop, and you will feel that some days are A LOT harder than others. But the thing that separates those who succeed and those who don’t- is learning from those failures. Pivoting your business with the things that work, and ditching the things that don’t. Continuing on, knowing that there are lulls and highs- instead of giving up in the middle of a lull.
A good majority of all the people you look up to had doubts.
But they pulled the trigger anyway. They never stopped learning and implementing. They saw the big picture- that they were MEANT for these big dreams they have.
I’m going to lay out the way my business has pivoted and changed over the last two years, between my market, interests, failures, and adding in new income streams.
- July 2018: had my son, and decided I needed something to do at 4 am when he went back to sleep.
- August 2018: opened my Etsy shop- sewing shaker cup sleeves.
- June 2019: Pivoted to vinyl decal work- changed my business name and logo.
- October 2019: Pivoted to glitter tumblers
- November 2019: added a Shopify website. Changed my logo again.
- June 2020: Created an E-Course to help other crafters build businesses.
- September 2020: Started a podcast to also help crafters- to add FREE value.
- November 2020: guest blogging for Rachel LOL
- Before the end of 2020- Idk.. probably change my logo again LOL
EVERY. SINGLE. BULLET POINT on that list- are things I never imagined doing.
As an introvert, who used to get panic attacks speaking in front of people, and who crafted to ease anxiety- I can’t believe that I am now changing the lives of so many other women who felt the same way.
So I want to ask you to really dig deep, and decide what exactly is holding you back.
Now, embrace it, acknowledge it- and move past it. Because, the only difference between fear and excitement, is your perception.
Xoxo,
Megan
Megan Ketcham Owner- Crafty Little Farmhouse
Podcast Host – Crafty Little Schoolhouse
