Featured Business: Perfect Imperfections

Today Caroline Haniak shares her experience of running Perfect Imperfections, a beautiful jewellery store on Etsy

What is your mission for Perfect Imperfections?

Perfect Imperfections mission is to provide unique and creative homemade jewellery but also share my passion for Macrame and Tatting. Macrame is the technique I use to make my bracelets which are popularly known as Friendship Bracelets. I am also experimenting with a dying art of lace making called Tatting and hopefully raising it’s profile.

Tell me more about Perfect Imperfections on Etsy.

Knotted Friendship Bracelet

Perfect Imperfections was inspired by a quote from an American Philosopher – Sam Keen. “Love isn't finding a perfect person. It's seeing an imperfect person perfectly.” I felt this was true of homemade products. My jewellery isn’t made by machines and therefore will not be ‘perfect’ but what is special about my jewellery is that it is unique. You fall in love with an item and you love it perfectly.

Despite my love for crafts spanning a lifetime, Perfect Imperfections is a new venture for me. I have only been open since November 2011, on Etsy, and I have taken my time populating my shop with items that inspire me and hopefully will inspire others. My jewellery is generally for casual wear however Tatted items look so elegant and dramatic that they would be suitable for those times you need something extra special to stand out in.

Friendship bracelets traditionally are supposed to be worn till they literally break and fall off you. You make a wish when you tie them on and when they fall off your wish will come true. They are made by tying small knots in embroidery thread, in different ways, with different colours. The technique takes a lot of patience and time but the end results look amazing. I’ve also added clasps and chains on to some of my friendship bracelets, for those who prefer removable bracelets. You can take them off when you want and mix and match colours in the way you want to.


Who do you target your products at?

Friendship bracelets are adored by young people and teenagers. You can swap them, share them, wear loads at the same time or just one or two. They make lovely, bright, colourful presents for friends. However it’s not only young people who like wearing these unique bracelets. The clasp finish appeals to most people who like to change their jewellery regularly and match it with outfits. My tatted jewellery gives an air of vintage sophistication with a modern twist. These items appeal to people who love Victorian fashion and have a love for lace (like me!!).


Why should people buy your products?

Sea Blue Ankara Friendship Bracelet

Jewellery from Perfect Imperfections is intricate in its detail and a long time is spent making each piece. The friendship bracelets are made with high quality Anchor Embroidery Thread and the colours are chosen carefully for each pattern. I am also interested in making custom jewellery for people. I love the idea of owning something that was created just for me and I want to give that feeling to others. I work closely with customers to make sure I create a piece that they will love perfectly.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
 
I’m 24 years old and live in Manchester, England. I have experimented with different crafts from a very young age. My Mum always encouraged us to be creative and most of my fondest childhood memories involve paint, glitter and glue!! When I got a bit older one of my family members owned a small craft shop and I was mesmerized by the colours of the embroidery thread and the intricate designs of cross stitch patterns. I took up cross stitching and tapestry and created some lovely wall art, but I didn’t come across Macrame until a few years ago when a friend showed me how to make a small friendship bracelet. Since then I’ve been hooked! It’s a great way of relaxing for me and I get a lot of enjoyment out of making each piece. My recent find is Tatting and if it wasn’t for getting involved with the Esty community I may not have ever known about it. I have always had a thing for lace and to now be designing and creating my own is utterly thrilling for me. My tatting collection will be growing and growing so watch this space!
 

How do you build relationships with your customers?

I have recently set up my Facebook page and have been using it not only to promote myself but also share other unique and inspiring crafts from Etsy. Personally I can be a fussy buyer and what really helps me is being able to talk to the seller before I make my purchase and that is what I can offer anyone looking to purchase from my shop. I love getting feedback and critiques because I can then really begin to improve things and strive for that perfection. I am also very active in the Etsy community and try to share and pick up as much advice as possible. Outside of Etsy I am part of the international friendship bracelet community and we share our experiences as well as our products on a regular basis.




How and where do you promote your products?
 
For the time being I use Facebook and Etsy to promote my shop. I believe in Karma though and the more I support other people on Etsy and their wonderful talents, the more support I will get from them. If I treat my customers well and engage their interest they will continue to support me.
  
What do you enjoy most about what you do?

Woven Macrame Friendship Bracelet

The one thing I love about the homemade jewellery I offer is the patterns. It often feels like magic, that making tiny knots in embroidery thread can result in a magnificent, intricate pattern, and better still you can wear them as statements on your wrists. I love the process of making each item and I spend a lot of time with each piece making sure that whoever it’s meant for is truly happy.

 

What is the best resource that you use and would recommend to others?

The best resource that has really helped me set up my shop in the last few months has been the Etsy Community. My advice for anyone with a shop on Etsy would be to join some of the teams and speak to those who are successful or well established. Their advice is priceless and it has and will continue to help me.

To find out more about Perfect Imperfections and to stay up to date with news and offers, take a look at the store's facebook page.

Featured Business: Natural Bathing Co

Today's interview features Carrie Freeman the owner of Natural Bathing Co, which can be found on Etsy and Ebay. Now to Carrie, to tell us more about her luxury handmade bath and beauty product business.

Tell us a bit about your products.

At Natural Bathing Co I sell my own handmade bath and body products, which I make in our kitchen at home! I like to make my products as natural as possible as I know how hard it is to find products suitable for sensitive skin, and I'm hoping that in 2012 we can expand our shop to include up to 50 different items.

What makes your products stand out from the crowd?

The things that make my products stand out from the crowd are the ingredients. All the ingredients are researched and are only put into the products if they will benefit the user in some way. I do my best to give great customer service and repeat customers have the opportunity to obtain discounts!

Sandalwood and Vanilla Soap

How did you start out?

I originally sold wholesale made bars of soap until I found out that these included artificial foaming agents which in fact dry out the skin. I looked into making my own soaps and haven't looked back since. Now I am running my business to set up a fund for my first home and to give me a little bit of extra income while doing the thing I love.

What has been the hardest part of running your business? How have you overcome it?

Personally I think the hardest part of running my business has been time management. As I am also a student at university I have a lot of reading and studying that I have to do at home, as well as making my products. I've tried to organise myself by setting aside designated time slots for doing studying and then using a lot of my spare time for my business.

What motivates you?

As previously mentioned, I have set up my business to provide a fund which will help me make a start in life. My dream is to expand my business to the point of it becoming my full time job, where I can work from home and be there for my children when I decide to start a family.

What is the best resource you would recommend to others?

The best resource for anyone looking to start out in soapmaking would be The Handmade Soap Book by Melinda Coss. It is a great book with lots of helpful information for troubleshooting and ideas. For anyone looking to start their own bath and body business I would recommend checking out the legislation in their country as often there are certificates that you have to have in order to sell your product. Other than that, research! Research and practice making your products is essential! You might also want to look at the current market and see if there is a niche, which you would be able to fill nicely.

How do you connect with your customers?

I like to connect with my customers through social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook, but with Etsy, the community discussion boards are also a great way to keep in touch. I am a member of the CraftBritannia team on Etsy and often like to take part in team events, chatting with other people and helping to promote other people's items as well as my own. Etsy is so community focused that not only do I make friends with other users, I also get some sales through doing so. I'm ordering some new business cards as well which I will pack into each order with a coupon code for each return customer.
 

How do you make your customers feel valued?

I know that sometimes it can be hard to make each customer feel valued so I try my best to make sure I send them informative but friendly emails about their order status. You have to remember not to be overly friendly though as then you are at risk of losing your professionalism. As mentioned before, I also like to include a coupon code for customers so that if they come back to my shop and buy again, they can get a small discount.

Dragons Blood Soap

Tell us about your latest product range?

Coming in February 2012 will be several new products. I am adding a fruity strawberry smoothie scented soap which reminds me of strawberry milkshake, a lime, mandarin, and basil soap which is very citrusy and fresh, and a baby butter bee soap, which is similar to the fragrance of baby powder. I am making these soaps as my shop has been open for a couple of months now and I feel it is time to expand my range. I am also planning on making some more bath bombs in the same scents as my soaps, and I'll be looking into recipes for making wonderful flavoured lip balms for Spring 2012.

What ingredients do you use in your products?

The main ingredient for all my soaps is an organic base, to which I add shea or cocoa butter, followed by a fragrance or essential oil. I pour it into my silicone moulds and wait! I love the silicone moulds because not only do they provide me with a good chunky bar of soap, but it is really easy to unmould my soaps and they are super easy to clean.

My favourite ingredient is organic unrefined cocoa butter which I use in my chocolate truffle soap. It is a hard butter but is rich in the chocolatey smell which many people love as well as having all of its natural properties.

To find out more and stay up to date with the Natural Bathing Co please remember to stop by and visit Carrie on facebook and twitter.

Sell, Sell, Sell - Online

Do you want flexibility, to work at home? To work your own hours? Then the internet has opened up a whole range of opportunities for you. Your business idea: to sell goods online. For these types of business you need to be able to spot a gap in the market a niche, a place in the market you can call your own. You need to have confidence predicting markets and a great eye for figures. You will have to buy stock, the right stock and know that you will be able to sell it on for a profit. Otherwise you risk losing the money you invest. Build an online identity that users can trust, this can be much harder than businesses that sell face to face with consumers. You need to keep in contact with customers, answer their queries, provide a great service and this should help you gain the positive feedback that is crucial in increasing consumer trust and therefore sales. Be as informative and open as possible, in a shop a user can see and try any item, you have to recreate this using only words and photographs. Practice your writing and methods of photographing your goods in an interesting way to get customers hooked. Describe how the product looks, feels smell, how and when the customer will use it. What will it add to their lives, how will purchasing your product make them feel?

Selling platforms-

Ebay- The king of online selling. Most of you will have sold a couple of things on Ebay, but how to do it professionally? Buy in bulk, a great way to do this is at auctions. This will give you the volume to sell your products in a range of sizes and styles. List regularly so your items show up at the top of searches and experiment with titles and descriptions see which one works best then replicate this on your other listings. Decide carefully whether to use the auction, buy now or a combination of settings. Open a shop rather than selling as an individual on the site so once visitors have clicked one of your products they can see a full range. An alternative to Ebay is Price Minister.

Amazon- You don’t just have to sell books, Amazon is now a market leader in a range of products. Listing is easy and quick, but it is easy to get lost in the crowd. Pick a niche of books or product to sell. It is easy to see what competitors are charging for exactly the same product so be prepared to be competitive with your pricing and your feedback ratings will be key. Remember to send out a business card or promo leaflet with orders so shoppers remember to search for your store again.

Etsy/ Folksy/ Deviant Art- For the creative amongst you, sell your own hand made products. These sites are great for setting up a small online store to sell your crafts to a world-wide market. Remember to promote your store on other sites, facebook, twitter, LinkedIn or a book marking site to gain a following. And get involved with the online community built into these sites including the blogs, teams, circles, treasuries, and forums the more you put in the more you will get out of it.

Zazzle/Café Press- Don’t have time to make your own products? But still want to create something unique or never seen before, use one of these sites. As long as you hold the rights to your image or design you can upload it onto one of hundreds of products. Keep strict control of your designs or allow your customers to customize them to their needs, the choice is yours. The best part? These sites handle the order fulfillment, payments, and returns. You just take a commission payment on every sale! You can increase your income by earning a volume bonus on sales or by referring people to your shop or others on the site and taking a percentage of any sale made!

Your Own Website- Want even more control over the type of online store you run? The best option- to set up your own website, you can sell whatever you like and keep all of the profit! Sounds great but remember you may need to pay to have someone design your site, users will have to have confidence that you will fulfill sales, and you need to set up a trusted payment system that customers will be happy to use, paypal for example. But the hardest part? Getting people into your store, it will take a lot of time and dedication to get people to find your site and then even more effort to create interesting content that will make them stay and actually buy something. Consider using google adwords where you can design your advert and a daily budget. The key-EXPERIMENT, find out, which ads work and those that don’t, play with titles and keywords and do your SEO research carefully! But the effort of setting up your own site could definitely pay off in the future!