What aspects of your business do you need help with / advice on?

[Former_Member]

Crafty Fox are planning a series of blog posts and events aimed at helping you to improve your handmade business. Post here to let us know what topics you would like to learn more about and what your current business issues are. For example, are you interested in learning about how to promote your business to the press or would you like to find out about taking on an intern?

[Former_Member]

I would love some advice on how to find the best stockists for your work and once you have found them the best way to approach them?

[Former_Member]

Hi Georgina - welcome to the team! I hope you will find it useful.
We did a blog post a little while ago written by a shopkeeper with tips for designers looking for stockists. You can find it here: http://bit.ly/XBNLGI

We haven't yet covered the angle of finding the best stockists so I will add that to the list!

[SallyNencini]

I would love to know more about promoting business and products to the press - and how to organise your time to do this!
I also have found I need help making during busy periods, it would be great if there was a network of people with different skills ie sewing, knitting that you could contact when you needed extra help, does this exist?

[cecilyvessey]

Sally, that's a fab idea of a network of different skilled people, you never know it could even work with makers starting out who could swap time for some mentoring... Only yesterday I was trying to plan who/how I would get help for a busy period coming up. That could be something that we promote through this team?

[Former_Member]

Sinead - Thank you for the link, I have just read it and found it useful :)

Sally - Great idea about a network of people, especially if you could find a group of people who were local to you.

[ButterscotchBeesting]

Sally - Me too! I would love a network of people who could help me out. Wouldn't that be fab? Anyone in the north fancy a spot of sewing...

Tips on how to raise your profile in the press, and how to network effectively through blogging and other social media type thingies would be really useful too.

The other thing that would be amazing but maybe a bit tricky would be a list of recommended suppliers. For example, at the moment I need some sew-in woven tags for my cushions but I've feeling overwhelmed and don't know where to start. Maybe if a maker/designer has had a really good experience with somewhere they could recommend them on a list?

[cecilyvessey]

Hi Camilla,

For woven tags I use Britannia Labels . They have a quick turn around (12-15 days) and are very helpful. Minimum is 1000 which can be a bit daunting, but you'd be amazed how quickly you use them up.

www.britannialabels.com

X

[Former_Member]

Really love the idea of a network of helpers. I wonder how we could facilitate that- will put some thought into it.
Thanks for all the input - great to see you helping each other out :-)

[Former_Member]

Hello!

I was wondering if anyone had any experience in exhibiting work at local galleries or art centres? And could recommend where to start? Or any relevant craft galleries etc I could contact?

Also the network of helpers sounds great. I am a student and would love to do some sewing in my spare time for a bit of extra cash. It might be worth getting in touch with local arts universities to see if creative students would be interested?

Thanks, Grace

[StacieSwift]

Tips on self-promotion are always handy - think help with things like press releases and timelines for contacting the media would be handy.

I also found when I was starting out that accounting and finances were a struggle (despite being engaged to an accountant!).

xx

[StacieSwift]

Ooh, though of another thing - I always review craft markets I have been to, if there are others that do the same it would be really helpful to be able to read them as a way to try and gauge which ones are worth doing. Unless Crafty Fox can just be on all the time and then that's the problem solved ;) x