I’ve got something to say about the Coronavirus.

I know, I know. Yet another blog about the Coronavirus…

But, I promise this one is different.

Predications:

Things are going to get weird for a while. However, they’ll then get better.

When will that happen? I don’t know.

Will this affect your craft business? Well, it depends.

I see it as if you have two options.

You can either spend the day scrolling through social media, watching the news, and becoming panicked.

You can focus on your business.

I personally recommend you focus on your business.

Ask yourself this question: Can I turn this into an opportunity?

The answer is YES and I’m going to share with you 5 things that you can be doing now to grow your handmade business in this time of uncertainty.

#1: Change your current offers

If your offers aren’t selling right now, what’s it going to hurt if you change them up?

This will take a little playing around with, but you can try bundling different offers together or offering a discount – like buy one get one free.

You could also create a new product that’ll sell well now. Keep in mind that people are locked up at home now and looking for something to do. Could you sell a craft kit instead of the finished product? Could you make it kid friendly since all the kiddos are home from school?

A big tip here is to change up your messaging so it addresses what we’re all going through.

How I did this in my craft business is that I first offered a discount on my craft kits and then I changed my messaging around the offer so it was geared towards something parents could do with their kids. It sold like hot cakes.

Now this point will help you bring in some income right now but the next four will focus on how you can set your business up for success when people are ready to start spending more money again.

#2: Create inventory for your ideal customer

Now is the perfect time to be growing your inventory for your customers.

Your ideal customer may not be buying right now, but when things start to turn around you should be ready.

I want you to think about your business goals for the next coming months.

If you want to make $5000 in sales, do you have enough inventory to actually sell $5000 worth of product?

If you answered no, take this opportunity to work on it!

Align your actions with your goals for your business.

#3: Create/optimize your own online store

If you don’t have your own online store yet, NOW is the time to create one. (If you already have one, skim down.)

And I don’t mean open an Etsy shop…I mean your own ecommerce website with your own domain.

I see so many online crafters relying on just Etsy to bring in money for their business and this is a HUGE mistake.

Don’t get me wrong, Etsy is a great marketing channel, but it shouldn’t replace your own online store.

Why would you only want to be on a site that also shows your competitors products?

I use Etsy as a way to get new customers and get their email address. From there I take it a step further. I send them frequent emails and direct them to my online store – not back to Etsy. This is how I turn them into repeat customers and my biggest fans.

So what should you use to build your own store? Great question! I HIGHLY recommend Shopify. I can’t recommend them enough and you can actually start your shop for free before you make any sales!

Shopify gives you 2 weeks for free to set up your shop (just click here) and pro tip: at the end of 2 weeks, if you haven’t signed up yet, they will actually give you one more week.

I also have another handy resource for you if you aren’t sure how to get started. I have a Shopify Mini-Training that will teach you how to set up your shop for only $7. Grab it here.

Now, if you already have your own ecommerce shop, this is the perfect time to optimize it and get ready for future sales.

Here’s what I recommend you do:

Set up coupon codes
Set up your checkout so it shows suggestions
Add new/improved product photos
Add customer reviews

#4: Grow your audience

More people than ever are at home and online. This is the perfect time to take advantage of growing your audience and come from a place of service.

Now may not be the time to push for sales, but it is the time to entertain, educate and inspire. Do not shy away. Your audience needs you.

By continuing to show up, you’re building a relationship with your audience and when things begin to turn around, you’ll be top of mind!

I recommend you take this time to create more content for your business and focus on getting your audience engaged.

You can do this by asking more questions, sharing stories about yourself, or showing people how you make your crafts. People love to buy from people so don’t be scared to show behind the scenes of your biz.

#5: Diversify your income

Social distancing can feel like a scary thing. Especially if you are mostly selling your handmade products at craft shows and at in person events.

This is why diversifying your income is so important. If you use other streams of income for your business, when one part slows down it doesn’t hurt as much.

What are some things you can do to diversify your handmade business?

Start your online store. Go back to point number three..

Create affiliate revenue. This is a form of passive income and is easy to set up. In my older blog posts, I would write “how to” posts and include links to the products I used. If a reader clicked on that link and purchased the product, I would get a small chuck of the sale.

You can also include affiliate links in your social media posts and emails.

Lastly, you can create video tutorials. You can do these live or recorded.

For recorded tutorials, you can create an entire “how to” course complete with follow along videos and supplies shipped to the customer.

For live craft workshops, you can use zoom and people will be able to “attend” online.

Call me a dreamer, but I think now is the perfect time to grow your handmade business. Take these 5 steps and start putting them into action!

If you want FREE support on growing and diversifying your handmade business, join our VIP Facebook group, Start & Grow Your Handmade Craft Business VIP Community with Amika Ryan.