Month: November 2022

Before long the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas will be upon us and many of us will be gathering together with friends and family to share good food and nice presents. The crafting industry is coming alive with crafters creating items to sell to their customers ready for gift giving.

In order to be successful in your handmade goods this Christmas there is a recipe for success that you can follow. The recipe consists of a number of ingredients that you can take one by one and mix together and along with small craft business insurance this can lead to the best outcome for your business this Christmas.

Ingredient 1 – Products

Carefully select products that you know your customers will love. This might be a best seller that you already have, or it might be bringing out a new product specifically for the season. It is important that you think about the range of items that you have available and how easily you can make these. This may involve ensuring that you have all the elements of the product ready to create your Christmas products.

In order to pick the best products to create and sell for Christmas, it is important to understand your customers and potential customers so you can find their favourite products. You also need to understand what their buying habits are and whether they like to purchase small items or larger lavish gifts. This will help you to pitch your products perfectly, ready for the Christmas season.

Try to have products for all budgets so that you can appeal to both the customers who are looking for a larger present as well as those who may be looking for some cheaper stocking filler type gifts. If your products have a use by date on them make sure that this will last until after the festive season has finished and mark it clearly on your packaging.

Ingredient 2 – Pricing

This can be a difficult one to get right and there are a number of ways that you can price your products. The pricing method that you choose will be determined by the size of your business, the number of items that you have for sale and the time that you have available to work on your pricing. When it comes to Christmas sales it is always worth looking at ways you can packaging some of your products together into hampers or special gift packages. It is also worth looking at offering discounts ready to boost your Christmas product sales.

One of the simplest ways to price your items is to look at the cost of the elements of your products, the time it takes to create them and any other costs that you have (such as small craft business insurance) or equipment and spread these out across your products.

Ingredient 3 – Packaging

More and more consumers are looking for businesses that not only create beautiful products but those that also think about their impact on the environment and the world around them. Packaging is a great way to show off your products as well as demonstrating that you think about the impact that this can have in the environment. There are lots of options available that can be recycled and that can still be branded to your own business colours and themes.

Christmas is also a great time to add some sparkle and shine to your packaging. Why not add some festive paper to your boxes or add some Christmas themed wrapping? If you are attending some Christmas fayres, you may want to think about coordinating your packaging with your table display. You should also ensure you have the right small craft business insurance in place to cover any eventualities whilst you are at the fayre. This could include any accidents or injuries that may occur as a result of your table and display as well as any problems that may occur as you move your products into and out of the fayre.

Ingredient 4 – Marketing

This last ingredient for the perfect Christmas sale is essential to getting people to see your products. There are a number of aspects to marketing and each of these can be undertaken in isolation or as a part of a larger marketing package. Social media is a great way to show off your products and you can use the platforms to sell directly to your customers. Each social media platform operates in a slightly different way and will have slightly different users. Whilst it can be tempting to jump onto all of the platforms, you should pick a platform that you are comfortable with and build up your confidence on this platform before moving onto others.

Good quality photographs of your products are key to a successful social media campaign, and these can be used across all of your marketing strands. You can buy small light boxes that you can use to place your products inside to get some wonderful pictures. They are relatively inexpensive and give you the option of creating a number of different festive seasons from within the box.

Other areas of marketing that you might want to look at include using online platforms such as Etsy and Shopify, your own website and of course traditional marketing methods such as flyers and posters to let people know about your products and your business as a whole. Now you have the perfect recipe for success for your handmade goods this Christmas. So, sit back, relax, and start planning where you are going to promote your products and which items you are going to have on the ‘nice’ list for your Christmas sales.

From the earliest of times, and across all cultures, jewellery has been an integral part of our lives. Even in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, a man called Tubal Cain is mentioned who created beautiful items from bronze and iron.

In ancient times, jewellery was used not only to adorn men, women and children, but for trading and payment. In many cultures around the world, the jewellery a person wears tells their story; their position in society, how many children they have, their job and accomplishments. Just think about the fabulously colourful beaded jewellery of the Masai and the intricately carved bone jewellery of the Inuits.

Hand made jewellery regularly comes up as one of the top trending crafting items. A closer look at why this is can help you individualise and streamline your business, in what could otherwise be a fairly saturated market.

From the viewpoint of crafters, jewellery making is a promising business proposition as start up costs are low and the profit margin is good. Your products can be sold both online and through markets and fairs, with plenty of marketing opportunities. What is it then, which makes handmade jewellery so popular with customers, and how can you capitalise on this?

As we have mentioned previously, jewellery often tells a story with items being given as gifts to mark special occasions, anniversaries or birthdays. They may be picked up at a sunny open air fair on holiday, or on a girls’ meander through a festive Christmas market.  As they accumulate, each item will bring to mind a memory, a person, a place or an event. The gift is more than the piece of jewellery itself, however stunning: it’s the significant person or moment that it recalls.

One of the joys of handmade jewellery is it’s complete uniqueness. Not only will no two items be exactly the same, but it can also be designed for a particular customer. In an age when so much of retail is very impersonal, the ability to work with a client on a specific piece of bespoke jewellery can be very rewarding, for both crafter and customer. In this case, the item will also reflect the creative journey.

The jewellery market covers a wide spectrum when it comes to pricing, ranging from pocket money treasures right through to bespoke jewellery fashioned out of precious metals and stones. This offers huge scope for those starting up in business. Deciding upon your target audience will obviously direct the type of jewellery you will be making. Whatever price range you decide upon, you will need insurance, and as specialists in insurance for craft vendors, we can help you find the package which will best fit your individual products and business.

Another reason that handmade jewellery is in demand, is that customers can be assured of a certain ethical standard when they buy and wear it. It is obviously locally made, by both yourself and any staff you employ. Because you make the decisions over the raw materials which are used you can source UK manufactured components and packaging materials too. If you are working in the upper end of the market, you can ensure recycled gold is used and conflict free precious stones. You may also decide to give a certain amount of each purchase to a charity. If any or all of these are foundational aspects of your business, make sure they are reflected on your website, business cards and any other marketing tools you use. In an often seemingly cut throat retail world where profit margins are squeezed at the expense of staff and ethical working decisions, all of these will draw customers to your business.

Let’s now delve a little more into the world of craft fairs. Jewellery is ideally suited to these, as it is easy to transport, looks amazing and you can adapt your unique style to the customer base you will be serving. However, as we touched on previously, you may not be the only jewellery vendor at a craft market, so how can you ensure that your unique brand stands out? Display is all important. Using different levels on which to showcase your products, or choosing a colour theme for display items are great ways to catch the eye. Why not do a practice set up at home first, walk around the venue once set you’ve up and view your stall from different angles. And, don’t forget to have your insurance for craft vendors in place! Pick up the phone today and save any last minute stresses.

In a world which is arguably becoming increasingly impersonal, we still long for human connection. As a seller of hand made jewellery you can offer this. You are able to chat with customers you meet in person, be at the end of the phone for others, and even on a website, photos and videos of yourself and the story of your business will attract customers.

Finally, a few of you might consider taking your craft to a festival and offering customers the opportunity to buy individual components to make their own unique jewellery, alongside selling your own. These stalls are often very popular, particularly with young girls. It is especially important you have the correct insurance for craft vendors in place if you are branching out into this exciting world.

Whatever direction you choose to go in with your hand made jewellery, you will be offering something completely unique, and each item will be more than the sum of its components as it will tell a story and bring back memories. What a wonderful gift to offer!

The mainstream market for candles is very competitive but to my mind nothing beats a handmade offering. But why are they such fantastic products? Of course, the best thing about them, the most brilliant in fact, is that they are handmade. The love, skill and craft that has gone into the creation of these candles, as very candle maker knows, is incredible. However, there are lots of other factors that make a handmade candle brilliant.

Design

The “cookie cutter” approach to candle making is all to obvious in mainstream products. It seems that little thought has gone into the making of them. This is the complete opposite to that of the handmade creators. They will take the time to sit and plan out a candle form the top to the bottom. The colour will be decided on. The shape on length of the candle will also be planned out meticulously. If there is a theme, such as Christmas or Halloween for example, this can also be factored in. The fact is that with a handmade candle, the creativity involved is not limited to set designs. There is the capacity to come up with something for any celebration or occasion. This bespoke, tailor-made approach is what helps to make handmade candles brilliant, no two are ever the same. If you purchase one you can be sure that it is unique!

Scent

One of the ways in which the handmade candle can be made more unique is by its scent. The idea of scented candles is not new. However, the range of candles that are scented in the mainstream can be described as very “vanilla”, which is also one of the most common scents. A handmade candle presents an opportunity to make a singular product for yourself or someone else. Perhaps it is a scent that reminds you of a loved one or of a time long passed? Maybe you just have a favourite kind of scent that you really enjoy and want to fill the room with it. Either way, with a handmade candle you can achieve this rather than having to compromise with a synthetic second choice. The application of scents can be difficult, and care must be taken. You will need to have some protection in place which is why craft cover insurance reviews maybe required to find the best cover for your candle making needs.

Sustainable

The environment is something that is on all of our minds at present. With the increasingly grim warnings coming from scientists and climate change experts, it seems that we must all find ways to help to conserve the earth’s resources and give it time to recover. One of those ways is for us all to start looking to purchase nearer to home. Local buying is on the increase with more and more of us turning back to the local shop rather than the supermarket. The same can also be said of choosing to shop in large, out of town, retail outlet centres and the like. It’s usually a greener option to buy from a handcrafted local to you. As we’ve seen above, this means a bespoke product that is special to you and hasn’t cost the earth. Modern production of candles on a large scale can be a drain on resources, but a small-time artisan, usually working from home, will use nowhere near the amount of energy and materials.

Furthermore, the wicks used by hand crafters can also be of a sustainable material, like bamboo for example. Which brings us onto the next point…

Clean burning

When you have extinguished a candle do you find there is a lot of strong black smoke afterwards? And a malodorous smell? Sometimes it can even counteract the nice scent the candle originally had. The smell comes as a result of most mainstream candle wicks being soaked in paraffin or a similar oil so that they burn brighter and catch light quicker. This might seem like a good idea, but it means when you extinguish the flame a black smoke comes out of the candle and lingers in the room. Handmade candles often come with smokeless candle wicks that do not produce this when put out. It means that the candles warmth and scent doesn’t come at a cost to rooms’ ambience afterwards.

As a side note, on the subject of putting out flames, the last thing you want as a crafter of handmade candles is an accident. So, to protect yourself and your business look at some craft cover insurance reviews, we hope you’ll agree that Craft Insurance offers the kind of insurance that covers you for most eventualities.

Waste

This is something that all companies need to be aware of. The amount of waste produced by companies when producing products and services can be truly shocking. This is not the case with the smaller operator. With an eye on costs, which can make or break a business, the handmade candle artist is very aware that waste product will dig into the profits.

In conclusion, its simple to see why handmade candles are brilliant. They can be made to measure, just for you, using whatever colour scheme, design or shape you care to wish for. Not only that, but they can also have different scent(s) placed in them that can reflect your own sense of taste and choice. This is something that no mainstream supplier can do. Also, they are a great choice for saving the environment as a crafter will use a lot less materials than a larger company. The transport costs will be greatly reduced as most creators will look to use the postal service, or courier, rather than shipping huge volumes to supermarkets and retail outlets.  When using a postal or courier service you should consider protection of your products in transit, and her at Craft Insurance we offer suitable cover to protect your products in transit. Producers of handmade candles will also look to use recyclables and try and reduce waste as much as they possibly can, they need to reduce the amount of waste so that they can keep their profit margins as high as possible.

Finally handmade candles are brilliant as the don’t have to have the kind of wicks that create smoke after they have been put out. This means the candle just burns brightly bringing a nice warm light to the room, with no concern that there will be an unpleasant lingering after smell from the burning wick when it’s finished with. Craft insurance offer the very best kind of cover for hand crafters. But don’t just take our word for it, why not check out some craft cover insurance reviews to see what others say about us?

In generations past, autumn was a season when everyone, from farmers and housewives to business and land owners would be preparing for winter. Depending on the geographical location and time period, this would have involved gathering in the harvest, storing, bottling, and preserving it, salting meat and smoking fish, making candles and foraging.  Wood had to be collected and stacked, not only to keep homes warm, but to fuel the ovens and fires of businesses. Grain would have been bought and stored for bakers’ use throughout the winter, dried goods bought in and enough fleeces stacked up to supply spinning wheels and looms over the long cold months.

This has been a way of life for centuries, it’s even reflected in the animal kingdom where we watch squirrels forage and store nuts, water mammals fortify their river homes and birds fluff up their extra feathers. And although there are communities who still live off the land and prepare for harsh winters using the skills passed down from previous generations, industrialisation has meant that we have largely lost not only the need for this preparation but the skills to go with it.

It’s funny how these past two years have revealed many things to us, not least how vulnerable our supply chains are and how unpredictable life can be. So, as we look towards this coming winter, why not return to this mindset of preparation and plan for our businesses over the next few months?

So, what are some common sense preparations we can make to avoid mishaps which might lead to expensive insurance claims this winter?

1. First and foremost, ensure you have the correct insurance for creative businesses in place. Pick up the phone and we will help you work out the best deal for your business. This will give you the safety net you need, and peace of mind that if the unexpected does happen, you will be covered.

2. If you employ staff, it might be worth running thorough your workplace risk assessments again, updating anything which has changed and looking at it with an eye to colder, wetter weather. You will also need to have employer’s liability in place, whether you employ paid staff, self employed contractors or even have volunteers on your premises. As specialists in insurance for creative businesses, we can ensure you have the correct and most cost effective package in place so that you are not spending money unnecessarily.

3. This coming winter especially could bring financial squeezes for most people, small businesses included. Take a look at your overheads; is there anything you could cut down on, or any ways you could work differently to keep overheads down?

4. Do a thorough stock take of your raw materials, the packaging you will require for both craft fair and online sales and any other supplies you will need. With prices on the rise, and the possibility of supply chain disruption, it’s a good idea to ensure you have all you need to enable your own product flow to continue smoothly.

5. If you’ve not done so already, book yourself into some craft fairs. There are a plethora of markets to choose from leading up to Christmas, from school bazaars to Christmas Markets in your city centre. To avoid an expensive fee and takings which don’t match this, do some research beforehand as to previous footfall and wet weather contingencies.

6. To make the most of your stall, and maximise on sales, check out reviews of the market, either online or by local word of mouth. If you can find out what other crafters will be there, then you can adapt your own products to complement theirs and thus increase customer choice and your takings. Although not a legal requirement, most craft fair organisers will require you have the correct insurance for creative businesses in place; in this instance, public and products liability.

7. Take a look at your display boards, storage boxes and any other equipment you need for a craft fair. Repair any damage, and think through your risk assessment. Are you or an employee hefting heavy boxes from your vehicle to the building? If so, could you invest in a pair of wheels to protect your backs? If you cover the table you’re given with a table cloth, check the length and ensure it is secured well to prevent a trip or slip hazard. Do you display craft around the stall? Is this done safely or could it be a trip of fall hazard? If you use drawing pins for a display board, make sure you’re meticulous about storing them in a pot so as to avoid anyone treading on one of them.

8. Assess your target customers for each market and ensure you have products to suit them; an abundant array of lower cost products for a local or a school stall, and some show stopping higher end products for the big regional or vintage fairs.

9. Plan ahead for online Christmas sales. We have already had postal strikes and there could be more. To ensure your customers receive their orders on time, are there other postal services you could use? If not, try to ensure as quick a turnaround as possible between orders being placed and sent out. It is especially important you have the correct insurance for creative businesses in place this year, given the unpredictability of factors beyond your control.

10. Finally, remember to take care of yourself. We all know that we’re more likely to make mistakes or have an accident if we are stressed or in a hurry. The lead up to Christmas is a particularly busy time, and it’s virtually impossible not to succumb to the strain of it all. So, in the midst of the whirl, make sure you carve out moments to self regulate, whether that be a rhythm of breathing slowly and deeply throughout the day, regular exercise, taking a relaxing bath in the evening or even carving out a quieter day once a week when you can restore and replenish your body, mind and spirit.

With preparations made, correct insurance for your creative business in place and a winter plan in mind, you can go forward into this season with a sense of purpose, not completely vulnerable to the fireworks which might come our way and able to celebrate all the good things the season brings.