15 Tips to Increase Your Craft Fair Sales
Indie Fixx
With the summer craft fair season in full swing, crafters everywhere are packing up their handmade wares, promo items, table decorations, booth accents, banners, chairs, water coolers and more into their cars, to set up at festivals across the country. While it’s easy to remember what to bring, and OK to forget to pack the duct tape, scissors or apron, it’s not OK to forget that you are setting up a small business for a day and need to have your customer service manners in order. Jen Wallace of Indie Fixx has put together a helpful list of tips that all crafters should follow for a successful day at any fair.

Square Starts Its Bid to Kill The Credit Card
Business Insider
The world of mobile credit card processing is getting much bigger, more efficient, and may be on its way to changing the way we look at and use credit cards in the future. This week, Square launched a new application called Card Case; this new app allows a buyer to make a one-time payment via Square to a particular merchant. The buyer can then download Card Case, and from that point on, pay that specific merchant directly through the app – no more card needed. This new world of payment processing also includes the launch of Goggle Wallet, which may prove to be a strong contender in this field and provide a 2nd option for non iphone users.

Craft-O-Matic
St. Louis Craft Mafia Fair
As far as cute craft fairs go, St. Louis Craft Mafia’s Craft-O-Matic is up there with the best. This Saturday, more than 60 crafters will have their wares sold in a department store style set-up at Craft-O-Matic. With a bevy of neat-o plush goods, accessories, home goods,  pottery and more, all laid-out in organized sections, Craft-O-Matic should be a dreamy, indie craft shopping experience. While you’re there, be sure to check out the Robot vs. Kitties art competition and the kitty cat peep show, which  benefit the Tenth Life Cat Rescue.

Great Design + Functional = Awesome
Design Milk
Over the last 7 years, Umbra has been sponsoring a mega student design competition at the Pratt Institute. Winners of this competition may be given the opportunity to work with Umbra’s team to develop a prototype of their design and have it manufactured by the company; royalties would go to both the winner and Pratt. This year, the winning design came from Jeff Rubio, who created a simple clip handle with a bold design, that can be placed on paper bags or other like items. If/when Rubio’s “Clutch Clip” will be produced is not known, but his innovative design with simple roots is an inspiring nod to more of what the newest class of designers are bringing to the creative table.

Etsy Sellers Claim Urban Outfitters has Ripped Them Off. Again and Again and Again.
Huffington Post
Since last week, crafters, bloggers and reporters have been lighting up the online news outlets and twittersphere with the story about how a global chain store has, once again, ripped off the designs of an independent crafter.  Urban Outfitters was accused of design thievery after their series of USA State necklaces were deemed too eerily similar to those of jewelry designer and Etsy seller, Stevie Koerner. While the basic storyline is sadly one of many, this particular story has gained a wide range of support from the likes of Miley Cyrus, a call for a boycott of the retail giant, and (thankfully), many sales for Koerner. Highly recommended is the link to the Regretsy post from Helen Killer, whose interesting notes on this story provide a good lesson in why all those who sell online should know and understand trademark and copyright laws.

Indie Toy Makers Get a Boost
Rep. Mary Bono Loves Toys
Independent toy makers across the country were perplexed at the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which mandated expensive 3rd party third-party testing and extensive labeling on all toys sold the U.S. While the CPSIA was created in response to an alarming amount of lead found in toys coming from Mattel’s China factories, it would unintentionally prove fatal for many small toy businesses.   Bono Mack has now proposed tweaks to the law that would allow CPSIA to be enforced on a case-by-case basis, which if successful, will have independent toy makers jumping for joy.

A Stitch in Time… at the Speed of Smart Phones
Wall Street Journal
While some people say that sewing is making a big comeback, many in the handmade community know that it never went away.  This popular hobby has only gotten bigger thanks to shows like Project Runway, and the accessibility of free tutorials and info online. And recently, this art form has even seen new technology that makes sewing as easy as pressing a button – literally. In this WSJ article, writer Anjali Athavaley explores the history of the sewing, and the amazing machines that are now on the market.

The Royal Bison Craft Fair
Edmonton, Canada’s Indie Craft Event
Any craft fair that has a Bison as their mascot is good with us. Since 2007, the Royal Bison Craft fair has been hosting mostly local vendors at this Canadian, indie craft event. With crafters selling everything from paintings and comics to terrariums, toys and clothing, and the site promising dreams come true and utter happiness, this sounds like a totally cool event. If  you’re up in Edmonton, follow the Bison and check out this cute fair.

Custom Bike Helmets
Belle Helmets
As the spring and summer seasons usually come with great bike-riding weather, it’s fitting to have great bike riding gear. Belle Helmets looks like a great place to get your hands on bike and skateboarding helmets that are hand painted with one-of-a-kind art by Danielle Baskin.  Her amazing work of helmet art includes forest scenes, tarot cards and M.C. Escher-inspired designs. If you’re looking for a new helmet or the perfect gift for an outdoor enthusiast, check out her website and Etsy shop.

The Best Of Crafting an MBA
Skill, Price and Profit
Those who have been following Megan Auman both as a jewelry designer and as a business educator, know that she knows her stuff.  As a crafter, Auman has created a successful independent business from the ground up, and now deals primarily only with wholesale. As a teacher, Auman channels her experiences with her own business and her love of teaching, to help others achieve success with their own work. Her willingness to share her wealth of business know-how is reflected in her new, 100-page ebook,  Skill, Price and Profit: The Best of Crafting an MBA. This new book features all the best essays from the first 16 months of Crafting an MBA. Hello Craft highly recommends that creative types of all business levels check this out.

A handwritten promo captured on Instagram by user Danielle Designs

What’s that fifth limb you’ve been sprouting for the past year or three? Oh, that’s just your Smartphone, a small communication device with an importance so all-encompassing it might as well double as a heart monitor. Recently, the  boom in photo sharing apps provides another reason to be obsessed, both for their ability to turn anyone into Irving Penn and their business bolstering implications. The most discussed photo-centric software of the moment is arguably Instagram — an app that melds social media with photography and Photoshop. It’s addictive, easy to use, and changing the way people connect, share creative content, and market in both the large and small business industries.

An example of an Instagram promo by jewelry maker I Live to Create

Chances are you’ve long been familiar with Instagram. The free application is so popular that it reached 1 million users only two and a half months after it’s launch. According to TechCrunch, it’s now adding 130,000 new registered users per week for a current total of over 2.2 million. At first only for iPhones, an Instagram API was recently developed to enable compatibility with multiple platforms and other apps. “…the Instagram community is building a rich visual history of the world. It’s only natural to find ways of encouraging talented developers to build interesting ways to explore the data,” says a release on Instagram.com

Needless to say, it’s ability to capture images that can then be altered by applying toned “filters” is an incredibly fun way to document life and instantly share photography online. Users can follow each other’s Instagram photo stream the same way that people “follow” one another on Twitter. Images can also be marked with #hashtags so like-minded Instagramers can find and track shots of interest. Blog platforms have developed plug-ins that allow instant streaming and uploading from the Instagram app to websites. In light of these features and the high quality of Instagram photos, bloggers and independent business owners are opting to leave their heavy and complicated DSLRs at home.

Instagram product photos by Etsy user I Live to Design

When it comes to creating graphics for promos, snapping images for their blogs, or even capturing product shots for their online stores, Instagram can provide everything an independent business owner needs to get ‘er done. For example, jeweler I Live to Create is an Instagram user and independent designer who creates promos for her Facebook page using Instagram images of her wares. She also uses the app to take funky product shots for her Etsy store.

Another innovative development on the Instagram forefront is Postagram, a new capability that enables users to print their Instagram images as postcards for $1. A write up over on Wired.com explains, “Postagram takes your Instagram photos, lets you add a message (up to 140 characters) and then mails a printed copy to anyone, anywhere in the world. The picture is printed at 300 dpi on heavy photo paper and comes surrounded by a postcard, from which the print can be popped out. Each picture costs $1 to print and send, and you have to do nothing but choose the picture and pay.”

Image of paper cubes using Instagram images by Printsgram. Found on Printsgram.com

Printsgram is a similarly exciting printing program that sends a user PDF files of their Instagram images for printing. A user can select different poster sizes, foldable paper cubes and even stickers for free.

Looking to maximize your Instagram use? In addition to the software innovations existing inside the plastic shell of your phone, gadgets and accessories are aiding the Smartphone’s metamorphosis into full-fledged professional camera.

- The Glif is a tripod and kickstand in one that props and stabilizes an iPhone 4 so it’s camera ready.

-This tutorial from Instructables teaches you how to deconstruct a disposable camera lens to create a clip-on macro lens (a lens that allows very close range shots of a subject).

- And to round everything out, this article from PC World offers general tips on How to Improve Shooting with a Camera Phone.

While nothing may come close to the crisp quality and tonal range of a $1,500 + DSLR,  innovations in media and technology, such as the Instagram app, usually mean that concurrent evolutions in marketing and business are not far behind. Could this impact the way we create business cards or memorabilia for craft shows? Have any advice or insight on camera phone apps or other related developments? Please keep us all in the know by commenting below!

Jon Wye: “Making Awesome” in America
American Manufacturing
Hello Craft was super excited to see belt, shirt and wallet-maker extraordinaire, Jon Wye, in the spotlight on the Manufacturethis blog. Wye’s dedication to buying and making local has earned him an whole host of fans and shoppers who support this DC-based crafter who definitely practices what he preaches.

Profit and Loss Statement Template
Inc.
Starting up a business has a lot of fun perks, but having to think about and manage a business budget is not one of them. Inc. magazine has provided a free, downloadable, Profit & Loss Excel spreadsheet that should come in handy for anyone running any type of business. The sheet is a simple way to keep track of your gross and net profits, track your spending and show areas of success and loss.

Silver Spring, Maryland’s Favorite Indie Craft Happening
Handmade Mart
Hello Craft Executive Director, Kimberly Dorn, and fellow Board Member, Debbie Lee, are hosting their 3rd annual Handmade Mart in Downtown Silver Spring, Maryland this Sunday. With an all-star line up of 75+ crafters including Red Prairie Press, El Jefe Design, Fuzzy Ink, Sardine Clothing Company and more, this highly anticipated fair has something for handmade enthusiasts of all ages. If you’re in or near the DC Metro area this Sunday, make it a full day at the fair with papermaking and screenprinting workshops, and lot’s of surrounding places to eat and imbibe.

New Editor-In-Chief at CRAFT
CRAFT:
Over the last few weeks, the handmade community has been a buzz about the big change at CRAFT Magazine. Long-time Editor-in-Chief, Natalie Zee Drieu, who was there during the transformation of CRAFT from publication to online magazine, is stepping down. Her replacement is Diane Gilleland (Sister Diane), of Crafty Pod. Gilleland’s expereince and passionate drive to teach and promote crafting to all, means that we can expect more fabulousness from one of our favorite crafting resources. Hello Craft wishes both Natalie and Diane the best!

Michaels Has Been Hacked
Security News Daily
Two weeks ago, the mega arts and craft store chain, Michaels, had notified its customers in the Chicago area that some of their Point-of-Sale terminals had been tampered with. They are now looking at a nation nationwide problem, as the thief (or thieves) had helped themselves to several pin codes and credit card info from at least 70 in-store POS terminals from the East Coast to the West Coast. As the estimated losses are in the millions of dollars, the U.S. Secret Service is now involved in the investigation. If you had made a purchase at Michaels recently, the company urges you to monitor your bank statements. Customers are also urged to visit michaels.com or to call 1-800-MICHAELS (642-4235) for more information.

Image by Flickr user TheChemicalKid~

Your online store is brimming, your business logo is eye catching, and your Facebook page is updated more frequently than a NASDAQ news reader. So why aren’t the sales rolling in?  Well, your business may not be visible enough to potential customers through email blasts and Google, and you may be wasting time tweeting your shop updates, says this recent study by Forrester Research and GSI Commerce.

The report captured and analyzed data on online shopping habits between mid-November and late December 2010 (basically, the Holiday shopping rush). What they found about social media and it’s effectiveness at connecting shoppers to potential purchases could shift how you choose to spend your time promoting your wares online:

– Social media, such as Facebook pages and Twitter, isn’t the fuel behind most sales.  In fact, less than 2% of buyers arrived at an online store via a Tweet or status update. How could this be so? Most people log onto these platforms to chat with friends or to browse photos — not to go shopping.

– What does work? Email blasts and Search Engines, like Google, directly lead to most cash flow. Most people view shopping online as time consuming, vast and intimidating. They simplify the daunting task by following sales they’ve been sent through a mailing list, or by quickly typing their desired purchase into a Search Engine. According to the study, “More consumers who completed transactions during the holiday season touched email and search campaigns in their purchase journey than any other marketing tactic.”

– Almost 50% of online sales result from a shopper’s exposure to two or more forms of marketing, such as an advertisement on a blog and a promotional email blast.

– Online marketing shows even more results on major shopping dates, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday during the holiday rush. In these hours of insanity, shoppers abandon Google and scour their inbox for special seasonal deals they receive from email lists.

Is this shaking your social media fixed axis to the core? Are you angsting over all the time you spent crafting perfect tweet-length promotions? Here’s some takeaways from this study on how to increase the effectiveness of your online sales pitch going forward:

– Since shoppers rely on Search Engines as a way to source online content, and basically act as their personal shoppers, make sure your wares are some of the first to show up in search results. You can do this by working on your SEO (or Search Engine Optimization), which helps a search engine find and list your items through keywords and other metrics.

– Consider advertisements. In the handmade community, this could be as simple as connecting with other bloggers. A feature in a blog post is a genuine and effective form of promotion. Even inclusion on a list of “favorite reads” or “most read blogs”, which is usually posted to the right of a blog’s page content, can be enough to drive waves of traffic to your store.

– Email! Make sure to keep your customers informed (and excited) about your products via updates to their inboxes. Just make sure your blasts are newsworthy and appropriately timed, or they’ll veer into the annoying spam category.

– Schedule giveaways, coupon codes and sales at major shopping dates, like Christmas and Valentine’s Day. When coupled with a deal, a consumer based holiday will surely make business boom.

– Don’t give up on Twitter! Even though this study basically concludes that social media is ineffective at connecting shoppers to your business, there is no such thing as bad press! Twitter will remain a good way to quickly spread news about sales and to connect with customers on a personal level. Plus, useful or not, it’s still free and easy marketing!

How about you? Do you agree with these findings? What have you found helpful when it comes to increasing your sales and getting your brand out there? Let us know in the comments!

What American Pickers Can Teach You About Buying Handmade
Papernstitch
The importance of buying handmade is all about establishing a connection between the maker and the buyer, as well as  the story behind each piece.  On her blog Papernstitch, Brittni shares how this relationship between us and what we buy and make, is often exemplified on the TV show, American Pickers. Although the show focuses on antiques and not necessarily handmade goods, there is a lot to learn from people who understand not only the monetary value of items, but their intrinsic value as well.

DIY Lighting Hacks for Digital Photographers
Digital Photography School
As any one who sells goods online will tell you, good photos can make all the difference in what sells and what doesn’t – and  proper lighting plays in a huge role in any good photo shoot.  In this fantastic photography post, Darren Rowse shares 11 DIY projects to help you get the perfect lighting for any type of shot with an manual or SLR camera. You need not go out and spend a fortune on flash tools, as most of the projects Rowse lists are super easy and can be made with items you already have around the home.

Philly’s Art Star Craft Bazaar
Art Star Craft Bazaar
In the world of East Coast craft shows, few have the celebrated distinction of Art Star. Started by the gals behind Philadelphia’s Art Star Gallery & Boutique, this fair has become a favorite of many crafters and shoppers who appreciate the unique and quirky spirit as much as the fun shopping experience. Art Star Craft Bazaar runs from May 14th – May 15th, at the Penn’s Landing Great Plaza.

Good Outdoor Goods
Andrew’s Reclaimed
As spring weather encourages everyone to spend more time in their outdoor spaces, finding items to furnish and create your perfect garden of eden, no matter how big or small, can be a challenge. If you’re looking for items that are affordable, upcycled and functional, we suggest you check out Andrew’s Reclaimed Etsy shop. This Seattle, Washington duo creates everything from bee boxes to planters and seed trays – all out of reclaimed wood.

Social Media Has Little Impact on Online Retail Purchases
Mashable
If you’re spending a good chuck of your day tweeting just to help your business sales, you may want to take a step back. Mashable has shared the results from a 2010 collaborative study between Forrester Research and GSI Commerce. The research shows that social media rarely leads to direct purchases online; specifically, less than 2% of orders placed during the study were the result of shoppers coming from a social network; email and search advertising fared much better. If you sell online, this article is definitely worth checking out.

Image by Etsy user LuciusArt

We live in the era of the viral video — where shaky, pixelated home movies can create instant celebrity, launch an unexpected trend, or simply fill your lunch hours with really cute baby animals. Just take a gander at the number of hits under the latest video du jour to see how their cultural relevance rivals that of the latest New York Times headline. But according to this very informative article on OpenForum, they’re also an effective, unrecognized tool for small business owners. When you think about it, it makes sense that their popularity and capacity for instantaneous broadcasting could mean bank for getting your message out and building your client base. So fire up your Flip Cam — here’s some insight on how to tap into the power of the online video to create a community of customers, start new conversations with your audience, and add a personal angle to your online presence.

1. Encourage your Customers to Submit Videos

You know the feeling that washes over you when you’ve found the item that you’ve been searching for? That beautifully made, perfectly designed product at the ideal price? We know your customers have felt that way about your goods, and there’s nothing like genuine enthusiasm — so why not leverage it as marketing material? The brilliance of requesting and using these user submissions is three-fold. Sure, there’s the obvious: Free, third-party promotion! But on a deeper level, it’s about building a customer’s relationship to your brand and your goods, and letting them know you value their feedback.

Creating a video is a unique way for your customers to play a role in the success of your business. All of the sudden your pottery isn’t a pretty handmade dish they bought offline — it’s the pottery they filmed themselves using to bake a pie, then sent to you, the creator of that pie dish. It’s a creative and fun way to engage customer — client dialogue, and extend their relationship with your business past the point of sale. It also serves as a backhanded method for customer service. Asking for their submissions is a way to tell your clients that you view them as people, not just Visa Card numbers. It also shows that you care about their experience with your product.  Requesting creative involvement and personal, open dialogues with your customers will tie them to your business, and can build a solid, invested and happy community around your wares.

To see this in action, take a look at Bernina USA’s sewing machines. They’re including customers in their marketing efforts by requesting video applications for their Brand Ambassador Competition, a campaign that involves bloggers in the creation and promotion of Bernina’s brand development. It’s a brilliant way for Bernina to get a fresh take on their product promotion, invest customers in their business, and tap into those customers’ personal networks.

2. Say it with Video: Use the Camera Instead of Written Content

What would you rather do? Sit down with friends over drinks or text them tidbits of your life over the course of an evening?  Allow your customers to get to know you, much as they would over a cup of joe,  by adding your face and personality to your online presence. Instead of writing 4 paragraphs on how excited you are about your most recent project, consider showing your reader through video.  Check out this video update from Rachel Pfeffer on her blog Cut, Paste, Repeat for an example. Her humor and personable nature gives you a genuine sense of her personality, which make her jewelry charming in any viewer’s eye. The video also allows the audience to view the scale, dimensions and sparkle of her rings in ways that pictures can’t fully capture.

Additionally, easily distracted readers will welcome your audio-visual break from scanning endless blog posts. It may be a lot faster and more enjoyable to sit for an entertaining short than tackle a 500 word news brief. With everything on the internet competing for our attention, it’s great to stir the pot by supplying your audience with these different and personal forms of content.

3. Tutorials or other How To’s

Have you ever wondered how something is made? In the handmade community that’s probably a frequent query! Online tutorials satisfy that natural curiosity about your product, as well as showcase some of the awesome expertise you pour into making it. It also adds to the story behind your business, because it shows exactly how you’re creating your wares yourself. That doesn’t mean you have to reveal all of your secrets — just an intriguing insight into your process, or an example of a small project that will draw viewers in. For example, Craftzine featured She-Weld Studios demonstrating how to weld a simple steel paper towel holder. The fire proof goggles, smoldering ovens and physical labor behind it’s creation adds a fascinating (and badass) behind the scenes view of an otherwise average kitchen product. So show a little bit of your daily life as a maker — it invites your customers into your world, and adds another interesting back story to your items.

4. Face Time — Customer Support or Contact Through Video Chat

Work Hard and Be Nice to People from Reform School Rules

Making yourself available for customer support, and generally appearing like an open and positive business person can add to your brand and be a winning factor behind your wares. Video chatting indicates that you care about your product and customers enough to sit down, one on one, and really chat about whatever issue is at hand.  Answering questions via email is okay, too — we all have busy schedules — but providing that face to face option lets everyone know you mean business. A great example of virtual customer service comes from the folks over at Etsy’s Virtual Labs, who make it a priority to connect with users by critiquing shops, providing advice and answering questions as if you were in their Brooklyn headquarters. The result is a personal experience that makes the customer feel like their voice and business matters  — and a valued customer is usually a returning one.

Would you like to share an experience with online videos? Have you had any success with them yourself? Please feel free to comment below!

Acute How-To: Faux Milk Glasses
ScoutieGirl
Looking for a fun crafting project that’s easy, cheap and great for gift-giving? Check out Regina Morrison’s super awesome, faux milk glass crafting project on Scoutie Girl. This why-didn’t-I-think-of this-before project shows you how to create housewares that go with any type of decor from vintage to modern, and look like they cost a pretty penny. Definitely a must-make for anyone looking for add a touch of pretty to their living quarters.

Craft Product Review: Amazing Mold Putty
Craft Test Dummies
Having been amazed and inspired by crafting all-stars such as Art School Dropout and the Naughty Secretary Club, I’ve always wanted to make my own cute jewelry pieces, but have never really dipped into that type of craft. So I was excited to read this review on the easy to get, Amazing Mold Putty, that allows you to make a massive amount of objects from one simple mold. This review is fantastic, as it shows the process and also the versatility for the putty itself. For all mold-making beginners, I highly recommend you check out this post.

Artist’s Village: Cherry Blossom Festival
Artist Village + Bazaar Bizarre
Our friends at Bazaar Bizaare have teamed up with NEW PEOPLE for a collaborative, curated shopping event that is part of the nationally renowned, Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival. Hosted at the NEW PEOPLE building in Japantown, this all-floor vertical art village will take place on April 9th, 10th, 16th & 17th.  This show will feature a great line up of indie crafters as well as a gallery opening.

Etsy Featured Seller: Playing Grown Up
Etsy
Chalkboards are making a great comeback through of the indie crafting community. What was once an object mostly synonymous with schools and all the memories of teachers past, has now become a growing medium in the crafting world. As the featured seller on Etsy, Brooke Premo of Playing Grown Up shares insights into her chalkboard crafting/event photo booth world that sounds like tons of fun. Her chalkboard creations totally rock… and knowing that Premo is also a teacher, make her craft that much sweeter.

Everything You Need to Know About Podcasting
Fortuitious
Podcasting is a great way to enhance your relationship with your audience. Whether you’re a crafter who wants to show your customers how you make your goods, a shop owner who wants to promote your sellers, or a blogger who needs the most effective way to express your thoughts, podcasting is an interesting and fascinating tool. This article highlights everything you need to know about this medium including the tools, formats and timing.

Calling all Crocheters for a Super Awesome Contest
Craftster
Craftster.org has teamed up with Crochet Today! magazine for a crochet contest with an exciting prize. Craftster wants you to submit an original piece of crochet jewelry, and if your item is selected as the favorite, your work will be featured in an upcoming issue of Crochet Today!

How to Start a Small Business
Inc.
Starting out in the business world can be kinda scary. While there are lots of tools, people and books to help you navigate this world, Inc. magazine has put together a great list of do’s for business beginners. From starting a website to registering your business, hiring employees and setting prices, this list is a must-read for anyone jumping into the business of craft.

South Carolina Craft Show at Indie Grits
Crafty Feast
The Indie Grits Film Festival in Columbia, South Carolina (April 13-17), seems like it will be a whole lot of fun. With a focus on films and lots of music and food events, there is something for anyone who supports independent making in all its forms. As part of Indie Grits, the Crafty Feast indie craft fair will take place on April 16th, and will host a wide range of designers, artists and crafters. Support the independent spirit of the Southeast, and make this entire festival a stop in your spring vacation plans.

Bathing Suit Season
Fables by Barrie
The mere mention of bathing suit season sends many into a tizzy, but the designers at Fables by Barrie make it a lot more bareable with their well-made and totally cute, vintage-style bathing suits and rompers. Made by hand in San Diego, CA and sold on Etsy, FbB creates bathing suits that would definitely make Esther Williams smile.

Is Mobile Marketing Ready for Small Business?
Open Forum
With a slew of new mobile marketing options popping up every day, it’s not easy trying to figure out which ones are best suited to fulfill your specific crafting business needs. This Open Forum articles lays out the questions that all small business owners should ask themselves before diving into the new technology.

Is this man your favorite customer? (Screenshot from "The Room")

I loved all the responses and discussion my last post tipped off about discounts and whether makers should use them. As discussed in the comments, there’s a time and a place for coupons and discounts—one great example is using discounts to reward frequent customers for their support.

So who are your most valuable customers? I’m not just talking about hermione3918 who buys out all your Gryffindor scarves. I mean more generally—who are the kind of people who buy from you? What are they like?

Creating customer profiles—mini bios of fictional people based on the folks who buy your goods most frequently—is really helpful and seriously fun. This marketing trick is used in lots of fields, but especially in magazine publishing (which is my day job). If you search for magazines’ reader profiles, some of the info from media kits will be heavy on statistics. But a lot of magazines create ideal readers, who they keep in mind as they plan coverage, write headlines or consider redesigns.

When you know exactly who you’re speaking to, writing descriptions of your items and creating a Facebook fan page gets a lot easier. Does your audience have a sense of humor or are they stoic? Are they prim and proper or super casual?

For an example, my three “customers” are Allie, Diane and Jackson. Like cameo characters on “Law and Order,” these people are fictitious and any similarity to actual people is purely coincidental.

• Allie is a college student with just a few bucks, but she’s got a nerdy sense of humor and is likely to stockpile funny handmade cards and stickers. She’s probably got artist or writer tendencies herself—$10 says she is or was an English major. She shops at Trader Joe’s and reads McSweeney’s and the Onion. (The bulk of my customers are Allies.)
• Diane is an upper-middle-class lady who likes to support local arts organizations and buys presents for her friends—sometimes a bunch of handmade books at a time. She’s retired but doesn’t identify with the “ladies who lunch.” She shops at Whole Foods and reads a printed newspaper. (About 20 percent of my customers are Dianes.)
• Jackson is a middle-aged guy who seems out of place at a craft show. But he’s really into craftsmanship and asks a lot of questions. He comes of as not that interested then out of left field makes a big purchase. He shops at Kroger and reads nonfiction books mainly. (About 5 percent of my customers are Jacksons.)

What does this mean for my business? When I’m making new things, I consider how my core audience of three would like it. Try writing up some customer profiles yourself! You might have one core type, or a half-dozen. Start thinking about the customers you meet at craft shows or the shoppers at stores you consign with, and ask yourself these questions:

• Where do they live?
• What do they do for a living?
• Do they have kids? Pets?
• How old are they?
• How much money do they make?
• How much do they spend on handmade items?
• What do they like to read, watch or listen to?
• Do they ride the bus or a bike or have a car?
• Why are they so into your work?
• What other things do they like?

Take a little time to brainstorm about your most valuable customers, and I hope you’ll post one of your mini bios in the comments!