Category: Growing Your Business

In anticipation of my DreamBox (use coupon code CUTTINGFORBUSINESS to save $100 on a DreamBox) being delivered this week, I’ve been starting to go through some of my extra craft supplies.

I’m finding it difficult to let go of some of the supplies I’ve purchased, so I’m organized stuff into three large piles: KEEP, THINK ABOUT, AND SELL/DONATE.

The KEEP pile will obviously be loaded into my DreamBox and the cabinet in my craft room. The THINK ABOUT pile contains mostly things I haven’t used yet (or in a long time), but I’m not ready to part with them. I plan to load those last into my DreamBox – depending on the available space. And, the SELL/DONATE pile is headed out of my house!

Places to Destash Your Extra Craft Supplies

Sell Online

• Etsy
  • Be sure to list your supplies in the “Supplies” category. Don’t forget to also tag your items with “destash”, or “clearance”. (Coincidentally, if you are looking for some bargains on Etsy, just type in “destash” – and you’ll be amazed at all the goodies you’ll find. Please don’t call me an enabler!)
• Ebay
  • Ebay is a well established marketplace with thousands of craft supply listings.
• Mercari
  • If you haven’t been on Mercari, it’s an app for selling things. And, there is a thriving craft community on Mercari. Read my article on Mercari.
• Facebook Destash Groups
  • If you like using Facebook Groups, consider joining a destash group. There are several Silhouette and Cricut groups created just for this purpose.
    • Everything Silhouette Destash
    • Silhouette Cameo Craft Destash USA
    • Destash Canada and Silhouette Cameo and Cricut
    • Discuss and Destash Silhouette, Cricut, Paper, and Vinyl

Sell Locally

• Facebook Marketplace
  • In my local area, Facebook Marketplace is the best way to sell to surrounding areas.
• Apps like 5Miles, OfferUp, and LetGo.
• Host a garage or yard sale.

Donate

There are so many organizations that could benefit from your old craft supplies:

• Schools
• Charity thrift stores
• Churches
• Girl Scout/Boy Scout Troops
• Nursing homes
• Creative Reuse Centers

Host a Craft Party or Swap Night

Invite your craftiest friends over and make a night of using the supplies. If you have particularly crafty friends, invite them over with their unwanted supplies and hold a swap night. Everyone gets rid of their excess supplies, and get a few new ones in return – a win-win for everyone!

Tip: If you bought the supplies for business use, you should record any sales of the craft supplies in your accounting program and count them towards your sales.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had an interest in volunteering for different causes and have also enjoyed doing my part to give back to others. One of my favorite things about the Silhouette Cameo is that it makes it easy to give back to my local community or to help raise funds in adverse times.

Fundraising with your Silhouette Cameo falls into three different categories:

1. Create an item or items and donate them to a fundraiser, auction, or gala in the name of your company. Generally, when donating an item to be sold or auctioned you donate the materials used, as well as your time in creating them. The cause or event keeps 100% of the money they raise from the sale and your company name is typically listed on an event program, donation list, or other promotional material. This can be a great way to spark interest in your business while giving back. Themed gift baskets full of Silhouette Cameo made products do well at this style of event, as do home decor items. Be sure that your business information is displayed clearly on the donation item packaging.

2. Create an item or items and give them to another company or person to sell. This style of donation works well for smaller companies and individuals looking to raise money. The company or individual may pay you to create the items, you can offer them free of charge, or at a discounted rate. For example, memorial car window decals are popular right now to show support of a lost friend or loved one. I’ve seen several examples online of families selling this style of decal to raise money for final expenses or family members left behind. In this style of donation, your company name is not associated with the sale of the item.

3. Create an item or items, sell the product, and donate a portion of the sale to a charity, cause, or individual. This last style of fundraising is the most labor intensive, as you also need to sell the final Silhouette Cameo made product. When listing the products online, or selling locally, be sure to advertise that a portion of the sale goes to XXX fund or charity. Donating to a well known charity can help your sales, especially if the other company helps promote the item. The amount that you donate to the cause is up to you, and can range from 1 to 100% of the total sale price or 1 to 100% of the total profit (the sale price minus the cost of making the item and labor). When making your monetary donation to the cause or charity, be sure to use your business name.

Before you agree to fundraising for an individual, charity, or other cause, be sure to thoroughly research it. Unfortunately, not every cause is legitimate. However you decide to give back with your Silhouette Cameo, be sure to record your expenses – including labor – in your accounting program. If you don’t have a favorite accounting program yet, be sure to read my previous post on Accounting and Bookkeeping in your Silhouette Cameo business. How have you used your Silhouette Cameo to fundraise? Share your ideas in the comments.

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Does it sometimes seem like the craft market is saturated? Do you feel that everyone now has their own Silhouette or Cricut machine?

If you do, it might be time to go looking for customers in different places. Instead of listing products for sale on marketplaces (like Etsy or Goimagine) and social media (Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok), you can sell your products directly to fellow small business owners.

Today, I’m sharing a list of handmade products to sell to local businesses.

10 Handmade Products to Sell to Local Businesses

Thank You Gifts for Realtors and Real Estate Agents

It is customary for realtors to give a thank you gift to clients upon purchasing a home. If you create floating frames or wooden signs, you may be able to sell “Welcome” or “New Home” themed signs or wall decor to your local realtors. Each time a realtor sells a home, they return to you to purchase again.

Cupcake and Cake Toppers for Bakeries and Cupcake Stores

Consider approaching your local bakery about custom made cupcake toppers or cake toppers. If you create custom stencils with your Silhouette or Cricut, your local store may also be interested in using them in their kitchen.

Photo Props for Photographers

Photographers are often in need of signs and photo props to use during their photo shoots. Photographers will need different props depending on the season, so partnering with one could lead to steady work throughout the year.

Party Props, Decor, Paper Goods, or Favors for Party and Event Planners

Like photographers, party planners need props and decor to use during events. It may be signs, paper goods, favors, or other items.

Themed Bags for Book Stores, Sewing Stores, or Yarn Shops

Customers of local book stores, and sewing or yarn shops often carry items like books or crafting supplies with them. A line of themed bags would work well for all three!

Coffee Themed Goods for Coffee Shops

Coffee lovers love their coffee themed products! I know that both of our local coffee shops have coffee tumblers, sleeves, and themed products made by crafters in their stores.

Decor for Event Rental Stores

Similar to other event businesses, event rental stores may purchase handmade items to rent to their customers along with the usual offerings of tables, chairs, and tents. If you like working in the wedding niche, this may be a good opportunity for you.

Client Gifts for Travel Agents

Like realtors, travel agents often send clients a small token of appreciation for using them. Custom made luggage tags or an embellished frame to display their favorite vacation photo may work well.

Etched Vases for Florists

Local florists and flower shops needs vases. You could sell embellished ones (or embellish the ones they already have) using glass etching or vinyl.

Uniforms for Tradesmen

Small companies like landscaping, plumbing, HVAC, electricians, and plowing companies often order locally for t-shirts and uniform needs. If the business needs a larger quantity than you can do, outsource them.

What ideas can you help me add to this list? Let me know in the comments, and I will add them in.

Wait, one more before you go: If you like working with vinyl and looking for a quick way to get ‘in’ with local businesses head to this post on hours of operation decals.

Planning to take a vacation but not sure what you need to do for your Silhouette or Cricut craft business before you go?

Here’s my checklist of things to do before you leave for vacation.

6 Things to Do Before You Take a Vacation from Your Craft Business

1. Let customers know early. Make several announcements on social media, your website, or your shop about your vacation beginning several weeks before you leave.
2. Be specific. Be specific about the details of your vacation. I’m not talking where you are going. Instead, include what dates you’ll be gone, when (and if) you’ll be accepting orders while you are gone, whether or not you will you be keeping up with emails or issues that arise, or if you will be offline and completely unreachable.
3. Schedule social media ahead of time. Keep up with your social media content while you are away. Schedule either with each network or use a third party service.
4. Set up autoresponders. Set up messages to instantly reply to customers on social media and email who may message while you are away. Promptly return any messages when you arrive home.
5. Have a sale. Hosting a sale either immediately before you leave or immediately when you return can help offset having your business closed.
6. Share some pictures. Sharing a few vacation pictures while you are gone, reminds customers that you are gone. As a bonus, it helps customers put a face to your business.

How Do I Handle a Vacation From My Etsy Shop

If you sell on Etsy, read this article on 3 methods for closing your Etsy shop.

Allow Yourself an Extra Day When You Get Home

One more thing: When I go out of town, I always allow myself one extra day or two to be home before returning to work. This gives me time to catch up on laundry, household chores, mail… and rest!

Bloggers can be a powerful way to promote the products you make with your Silhouette Cameo or Cricut. You may have a favorite blogger, and you trust their advice for product recommendations. If you do, you are not alone. Social4retail notes that 61% of US consumers have made a purchase based on a blog post, and more than 77% of internet users read blogs.

Great! I’ve given a few statistics, and you are interested in working with a blogger to promote the products you make with your Silhouette Cameo. Now what? You’ll first need to decide what product you’d like to offer to a blogger to review. Usually, you’ll send the blogger the product that they will get to keep in exchange for reviewing it or they will pass it on to their readers through a giveaway. In some cases, the blogger may also expect you to provide a a discount code for their readers that gives them a discount in your store, or other payment for providing the review. Next, you’ll need to do your homework and find a suitable blogger. I really recommend that you don’t skimp on this step. To maximize the effectiveness of your product review, you need to find a blogger who writes about content that matches your product. A few quick examples: if you sell trendy infant bodysuits, try looking for a fashion blogger. Or, if you sell personalized cutting boards, connect with a blogger who features gifts or recipes. You’ll also want to verify things like the amount of traffic they receive, the interaction they have with their readers, and the social media sites they use.

Here’s my top two methods to connect with bloggers:

1) Reach out to bloggers directly. This is my favorite method, and I feel that it is most effective. Many blogs have links for brands to reach them directly on their blog, and popular review sites have premade forms that you can fill out for more information – so look for one on your favorite blog. You can also reach out to them through social media, but I urge you to tiptoe around this carefully. You do not want to simply spam them with your product review request. (Trust me, bloggers get a lot spam!) The best approach is to follow their blog, like their content and share it on social media, and form a genuine relationship with the blogger before approaching them for a product review.

2) Use a service to find bloggers. There are many services that will connect you, the brand, with bloggers looking to do product reviews. In my non-crafting business life, I have used Sverve with great results – although it has substantially increased in price since I used it a few years back. Other popular services include Blog Meets Brand, She Is Media, and Moms Affiliate.

Once you have a product review done by a blogger, be sure to promote the review on your own social media. My last words of advice: Before you start connecting with bloggers, be sure you have ample inventory (or supplies) to fulfill a potential large amount of orders. Additionally, make sure you have time to create the items, answer questions, and handle additional social media demands.

Warning! There’s a lot of scams going around (especially on Etsy), where a “blogger” will ask you for free products. In general, reputable bloggers won’t connect with you in this way. There’s also bloggers whose “blogs” exist mainly to do product reviews for the purpose of receiving free stuff. Best to skip both of these.

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If you are ready to expand your Silhouette or Cricut craft business, one potential step is to get your products into existing stores.

There are generally two methods for doing this: wholesale or consignment. Let’s talk about wholesale vs consignment in your craft business.

I recently highlighted the differences between wholesale and consignment arrangements in craft businesses.

Crafters are in a unique situation when offering wholesale pricing, as most of us work alone and do not have machinery that speeds up our process.

Today, I am sharing a list of things to consider before selling crafts wholesale.

Has your Silhouette or Cricut craft business gotten a point where you are trying to aggressively grow it? One way to grow a home based business is to get your business featured in the press. If you are thinking this might be difficult or expensive; keep reading because it isn’t!

How to Grow Your Business Using Magazines, Newspapers, and TV Shows

There is a free mailing list called HARO or Help a Reporter Out. HARO allows journalists, bloggers, and tv casting departments that are looking for people to interview, appear, or be quoted for an article or show to post a “wanted ad”. Each weekday, three times per day, HARO mails out their list of wanted ads to subscribers. Subscribers can read through the requests, and email the journalist or other person directly. Learn more about HARO and sign up (it’s free!) at Help a Reporter Out.

What Else Do You Need to Know About HARO?

• You will want to make sure that you have experience selling, a decent amount of feedback, and many items for sale before jumping into media requests.
• You should realize that you have the potential for your business to be featured and seen by thousands or millions of potential customers. Have everything in tip top shape from your social media to your shop. Be ready for a potential onslaught of orders.
• HARO has a great list of information you should know before answering queries. Read it here.
• There are subscriptions available for HARO with a varying number of different features that you can find at this link. For the average Silhouette or Cricut craft business owner, I don’t think these are necessary.

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If you don’t have an email list for your craft business, this article is for you.

While a mailing list may seem like another ‘to do’, email lists are the easiest way to reach your current and future customers.

What is an Email List?

An email list is a list of customers and potential customers that have signed up to get updates directly from you and your company.

You are probably subscribed to a number of email lists: Your favorite craft store, your favorite clothing store, updates from an app you use all the time, or even your kid’s schools or sports.

You can use any email program to send emails to your subscribers, but an email list provider will help you create attractive looking emails and help you manage subscribers as your email list grows.

Social Media & Search Engine Algorithms

To understand why email lists are so great, you have to understand why search engines and social media can be limiting. Both search engines and social media are controlled by algorithms.

Algorithms are the behind the scenes formulas that run search engine results and social media sites. If you’ve been on social media for a while, you know that these algorithms are constantly tweaked and updated. When an algorithm is changed, you’ll have to learn how to best work the new algorithm. Of course, this takes time. In addition to time, your small business may be seen less on the network.

Search engines work using algorithms, too. After an algorithm change, you may notice your products or website pages aren’t ranking as high as they used to be as visible to customers as they once were.

What’s So Great About Email Lists?

Now, imagine a world without algorithms. Wouldn’t it be nice to simply have a direct line of communication with your current and future customers that didn’t depend on pesky algorithms to control who sees your content?

Fortunately, when you use an email list, that’s exactly what you get! You don’t have to learn new systems. You can just keep on sending emails to your customers and reaching them.

5 Free Email List Providers

It’s not going to cost you anything to get started with your own email list, because there are a number of free email list providers. (So, you have no excuse to not get started building an email list!)

Mailchimp

Free for up to 500 subscribers and 1,000 sends per month.

ConvertKit

Free for up to 1000 subscribers.

MailerLite

Free for up to 1000 subscribers and 12,000 sends per month.

Sendinblue

Free for up to 300 emails a day with no subscriber cap.

SendPulse

Free for up to 500 subscribers and 15,000 sends per month.

15 Email List Topic Ideas for Craft Businesses

• New products or designs
• Upcoming public sales (Available to anyone that visits your store, shop, or site.)
• Exclusive sales (Available only to email list subscribers; usually promoted through a coupon code.)
• Free shipping promotions
• Company news and announcements (Have you expanded selling in other places lately? Are you closing for a vacation?)
• Upcoming schedule for craft shows, fairs, or other events
• Customer testimonials
• Question and answer sessions/FAQ (Example: How does a custom order work?)
• Contests or giveaways that you have running
• Behind the scenes at your company
• Short lists of best sellers that coordinate with the holiday/season/or common event (Graduation parties, Mother’s Day, Summer, Christmas)
• Spotlight a single product. Highlight the cost, the available designs, and showcase photos of the product being used in different settings.
• Share things that inspire you to create products
• Simple DIY projects or tutorials for your email subscribers
• Changes to your store or shop policies, newsletters, etc.

Where to Get More Email List Ideas

After you’ve run through my list above, head over to my article on ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a great way to find inspiration on email list ideas.

My Number One Email List Tip

Before you go, I want to leave you with one more piece of advice: Be consistent. If you send out a newsletter each week, be sure it is sent each week. In contrast, if you sent out a newsletter every three months, don’t start sending it once a week unless you notify subscribers ahead of time.

Not a subscriber to Cutting for Business? What are you waiting for? I send out exclusive subscriber content regularly. Subscribe here.

Reading this around the holidays? I’ve also got a list of email subjects for Christmas.

Have you received inquiries about making an extra large order for a customer with your Silhouette Cameo? If you haven’t, at some point, you probably will. A good small business owner knows the limitations of themselves – and the limitations of their cutting machine. For example, it isn’t cost effective to handle an order of 300 t-shirts with your Silhouette Cameo and heat transfer vinyl (HTV). Unfortunately, when you factor in the cost of the vinyl, the time to cut it, the time to weed it, the time to apply it, and the cost of supplies; you are likely to find out that your customer doesn’t want to pay a price that will leave you any room for profit. Generally, customers that order large quanities of items expect that they will receive bulk discounts for the large volume order. Luckily, you don’t have to simply pass on the potential large order!

Here are two alternatives to handle an extra large order:

Option 1) Order screenprinted (platisol) or digitally printed transfers. For my t-shirt example, you would create the t-shirt design to meet the needs of the customer. Then, you would order the transfers online. Once the transfers arrive, you apply the transfer to the shirts using a heat press. The process goes quickly, and you could probably do about one shirt every minute or two. I’ve had great luck ordering transfers through Transfer Express (by Stahls) when I did a large t-shirt order for a local non-profit. Transfer Express offers both custom and stock designs, and offers products for t-shirts, rhinestones, stickers, window decals, and much more. If you’d like to try them out before you jump into ordering transfers, Transfer Express offers a free sample pack, and you can learn more about the types of transfers and instructions for each here. You make money using transfers because you are able to save on supplies and the cost of the labor is lower – because you spend less time working on the order.

Option 2) Use a direct to garment printing company. Using the t-shirt example again, you would create the t-shirt design for the customer. Then, you would order the shirt to be printed through companies like Printaura or Printful. These companies print your design onto your t-shirt and mail the final product directly to your customer. Both Printaura and Printful operate on a white label basis. This means that your company’s name will appear as the return address on the package, and all paperwork included with your order is branded with your company name. I used Printaura for a set of family reunion tees that I created and simply ran out of time to complete on my own. I was impressed by the entire process. In addition to t-shirts, both companies carry tote bags, canvas, posters, framed art, mugs, pillows, and embroidered goods. You make money using direct to garment printing companies, because the company charges you a set price for the product they create. You charge the customer a higher price for the product that includes your time to design it.

What the biggest order that you would take on with your Silhouette or Cricut? Let me know in the comments. Then, share this post on Pinterest:

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this article and was not approached by any company mentioned in this article to write this article.