My top 5 tips to anyone wanting to start a business
1. Your time is worth money.
This is still something I struggle with accepting even now - people pricing their products so low that there's no way they could have accounted for the time it takes them to make the product. Your time is valuable, and you should absolutely be charging money for it! Don't under-price - you're worth so much more than that.
2. Be your own customer first.
Test your products out! Give them to your kids and let them REALLY test them. Then, when you come to sell, you can be confident that you've ironed out any little humps, and your products are the best they can be.
3. Photography matters.
People won't want to buy something if you've shown them a photo of it positioned on mouldy, wet paving slabs. With clothing for example, people want to see it styled. Make them think 'that looks incredible, I simply must get one!'. You don't have to have a big budget - a camera phone works as well as anything. Make your backgrounds clear and uncluttered so the focus is on the product.
4. Batch your work.
If you have lots of orders for the same thing, work in batches. In my business, I spend my time cutting all of the fabrics first, them I'll sew up each item. You could do all the overlocker seams first, then the hems. It's a much better use of your time to work in batches!
5. Tell your story.
I think this might be the most important one. People buy from people, so do not be afraid to show your face and voice on social media. I know so many people who say that they never show their face on here because they're too worried what people will think about them. But I can guarantee that 99.9% of people will think the same as I do when I see a face behind a business - how lovely is it to be able to put a face to a name! I don't think to myself, 'oh god they look awful' - and I'm sure you don't either, so why would anyone else?! Just do it, show your face, talk to the people who are potential customers. PEOPLE BUY FROM PEOPLE and you can build better relationships with people if they KNOW you, your face, and your voice.
I hope that this has been helpful 🧡