You know that you can sell your craft because you’ve already done it: family members, friends, and the lovely patrons at your local craft shows (the ones that haven’t been canceled, that is).
That’s all great, but it’s starting to be an awful lot of work – and expense – for not a whole lot of money.
Lugging around tables and totes is exhausting, especially when it turns out you really aren’t making any money.
You see other artists who make pretty much the same thing as you do, except those artists are constantly selling out on their website, and their social media followers are practically begging them to buy their work.
...except it seems harder than it should be to find people who buy.
It’s hard to find classes or groups that teach the “business” side of things in handmade business ownership... because there just really aren’t many out there.
Tutorials (So. Much. YouTube.)
Webinars – each one has a nugget of info, but it’ll take forever to cobble all of that together
Facebook groups, where you’re probably getting business advice from other people who aren’t selling
Traditional business classes – except they really don’t cover the nuances that come with having a handmade business (like how each item is one of a kind)
So simple, yet so complicated. The old-school method of selling crafts was packing up your plastic totes, filling up your hatchback, and trucking down to the local craft fair to stand dutifully behind your 6’ table and hope that people show up – and buy.
That actually still works – sort of. 2020 roared in like a wounded lion and turned everything we know on its head: many artists who relied solely on fairs and markets for income saw their entire businesses vanish in a matter of months.
In 2023, everyone and their grandmother (literally) is online, and if you want to have a business that can scale and grow, you need to be there too. Having a mix of in-person markets (the ones where you know your Perfect Customer will show up and buy) and website sales is smart and necessary for growth.
No surprises here, right?
Going from hobby crafter to business owner happens when you have buyers and your business is making money. You need customers – beyond your immediate family and friends (thanks for the order though, mom!) – who will love your work and come back time and time again.
The really great part?
There is a customer for EVERYTHING.
There’s nothing you could make that won’t sell: it’s just a matter of being in front of the right person.
Far too often, I’ve seen people try to jump into a handmade business with the idea that “I’m gonna start selling crafts to make some money” .
Worse, they pop into crafter groups on Facebook asking “what is your best seller?” or “what’s selling at shows now?” to get their idea list for what to make. Spoiler alert: that N-E-V-E-R works.
The most successful handmade business owners start with the product that they absolutely love to make.
They stand out above the rest, even in a seemingly over-saturated category (I make jewelry, I know allll about this), because they’ve established a brand – not just a product.
#craftbusinessgoals
Create a complete branding package that takes your handmade business from hobby to pro, so that you start to attract more of the people who will buy
FINALLY find people who just can't wait buy your work – and will keep coming back for more
Crack the code on how to get social media to work for your business, without scrambling to try to be in ‘all the places’, so that you can get more followers, more engagement more reach, and more customers
Have a customer list full of people who can’t wait to hear about – and buy – your new product launches and collections
Gayle lipson, Sparkles And Spitballs
"I am so thankful to have found Lucy's Get Online, Grow Online class. I hesitated, because I have a hard time spending money on myself, but believe me when I say this class was worth every penny. I have had an Etsy shop for a few years, but this was the first year, after taking Lucy's class, that I have actually made a profit.
Building a community the way she does, I have felt supported from day one to make decisions to make my business work with my busy family life. The fact that Lucy has a family and a successful business is such a bonus to me...she gets it and she is real and she understand the struggle of balance. Truly, taking this class changed my life!"
Jodi Heerman, Eclectic Expressions by Jodi
I love the Bloom community and I've gotten to know members away from the group: we collaborate together.. The encouragement you provide to the group is what stands out above other programs out there. I highly recommend Bloom because of the personal contact, easy to understand modules, resources, and encouragement.
Katherine Orr, KatOrriginal
I needed to redesign my website and up my online presence. There's a lot of advice out there, which makes it confusing. I loved Lucy's professional approach focused on artists/artisans/crafters. And...her program works! My advice to anyone considering Get Online, Grow Online is DO IT! Don't wait, it's worth it for yourself and your business! I almost signed up a few months earlier and regret not doing it earlier.
13 years ago, I took a few crafting classes with the hopes that I'd keep my hands busy and snackless (oh, the wistful, rational thinking of a 20-something).
It didn't work. I still snack (I never met a block of cheddar cheese and a pack of crackers I didn’t like!)...
… But now I do it as the owner of a 6-figure handmade jewelry business — bel monili — that travels around the country (in non-pandemic times) and has been featured in national publications such as Country Living Magazine and Facebook's #deservetobefound campaign.
The freedom to spend your weekends doing the things you are missing out on now: family time, making, or maybe even *gasp* relaxing
A business that sustains itself AND pays you, so that you can quit working like crazy only to end up with no actual profit
An audience full of people who know, like, and trust YOU – so much so that they are messaging you asking for when your next new collection is coming out
Confidence in your role as an entrepreneur – and finally feeling worthy and deserving of success
Here’s my promise to you - I’m so passionate about helping you grow a profitable business that I’m determined to make it as comfortable and easy as possible for you to confidently jump right in. This program was created to give you the clarity, the tools, and the support you need so you can find more customers and sell more of your craft.
And if you don’t feel that you have the tools and the support you need, then you deserve your money back.
That’s why within 5 days of your purchase, if you haven’t found the program worth your investment, you can ask for a full refund, as I wouldn’t feel right keeping your money. I created this course with every intention for you to succeed, so I stand by my promise to make that happen. Just shoot an email over to bloom@belmonili.com, and I’ll hit reverse on your payment that same day.
Develop a much-needed marketing plan that gives you confidence in your brand, and attracts more of the people who will buy your work
Learn the skills and technology that you may have been avoiding up until now, so that you can finally move past the fear and into the freedom of having a profitable business
Connects you with other makers who "get it"...no more trying to explain to your family that yes, this is an actual business and not some weekend hobby
Allows you the freedom to watch (and re-watch) the lessons at your own pace, coming back to them to learn more as your business scales
Conserve your most precious resources – time and energy – so that you are able to spend more of your time creating the work you love to make and selling to the customers you love to serve
Finally start to make measurable progress in your business: a gorgeous and cohesive brand package, a more engaged social media following, more subscribers on your email list, and more bucks in your bank account
Weekly live meetings via Zoom (and broadcast into the private student Facebook group) where we can work through any questions you have or roadblocks you run into as you work through the course content
Ask questions, share pictures, and connect with other Get Online, Grow Online students to collaborate, make cradty business friends, and grow
I'll let you in on a secret: I'm not 'techy' either.
That's why I have carefully researched and chosen tools that give the best, most professional results without the steep learning curve of advanced web programming or technology.
You do need to have a working knowledge of how to use a computer, how to use email, and how to use social media in order to get the most benefit from this course.
Well you showed up in exactly the right place! Social media is all about communication and engagement.
Get Online, Grow Online walks you through building a rock-solid social media strategy that includes figuring out WHO your audience is, WHERE they are on social media, and HOW you can do the work to get them in your world and on your page.
NO! In fact, I am a *little* jealous that you get access to a course like this, because boy it would have saved me a LOT of time figuring it out when I was setting up mine.
You'll get step-by-step instructions for how to set up either a Shopify, Weebly, or Etsy shop, then you will be ready to load up those gorgeous products and sell sell sell!
I have never had someone come to me and say, "You know what, Lucy? I have SO much free time on my hands. I'm bored to tears over here."
I feel this so much! Between running two businesses, taking care of my home, taking care of my family, and *trying* to have a socially-distanced remnant of a social life...sometimes the learning I want to do takes a back seat.
That's why I structured this course to be self-paced, so you have all of the lessons and worksheets at your fingertips to work on when it is convenient for you.
As an extra cherry on top, this course is delivered using a platform that has a mobile app, so you can access the content on the go.
I can't create extra hours in the day for you, but I can deliver you a course that will fit into your schedule and lifestyle!
Probably! If you hunt and peck long enough, I'm sure you will be able to piece together the information that I present to you here.
What you won't find, though, is another Lucy (that's me!) or another Bloom. I am the only artist educator with over 10 years of experience owning a handmade business and over 20 years of experience in marketing and communications.
Your time is valuable, and every day you spend searching for free tutorials and articles is another day your handmade business stays stuck in place.
The value in this course comes from the years of tried-and-true research I've put in while testing these methods in my own business along with the incredible student community that you will now be a part of.
Gaining more engaged followers on your socials and selling more products on your website
Being able to quit spending your weekends at craft fairs, and start making more of your sales online
Building an email list full of people who can't wait to hear – and buy – from you
Selling your products for a price that allows you AND your business to make money – so that you can have the freedom to do things like take vacation, cut back on hours at your day job, or save for a more comfortable future
Finally having a job – and a business – that you love
I’ve created this program to help motivated makers like YOU build thriving, profitable handmade businesses without having to hustle out to every weekend craft show that sends you the “congratulations: you’re accepted” email (or worse – having to fill your schedule with ‘jury by check’ shows because you need some cash).