How To Help Your Small Business Stand Out

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Tips to help you small business stand out, originally posted in 2015

Check out these 10 items you can make and sell on Etsy.

You have a small creative business, or a great idea for one, but how do you set yourself apart from the thousands of other small creative businesses out there?

I have been selling handmade items on Etsy for 3 years and my business continues to do well because I operate a very small business in a professional, organized and creative way.

Let me tell you what I focus on, outside of unique products, that helps my small business stand out.

I started creating handmade paper crafts years ago for my friends and family. After a little prompting from my husband I opened an Etsy shop in 2012 and have enjoyed creating for customers all over the country ever since.

My business is small, a micro business if you will, but it provides a little extra money for my family and I truly enjoy creating each piece.

I strive to set my shop apart from the thousands of other paper crafters out there. I focus on a few core items that sell almost daily and try to exceed my customers expectations every time.

In addition to unique products that customers are searching for, I focus on three things to help set my small business apart.

3 Ways to Help Your Small Business Stand Out

Be Professional – Wherever you choose to open an online shop, be sure to know your platform and use it to its fullest. Have a name, an image or logo, a thorough description and policies in place. You may be small but your shop should reflect a true business that a customer can rely on.

Ensure your items are photographed well, and descriptions are detailed. When you receive an order respond and ship in the timeframe you outlined, the earlier the better. Package your items safely, and include a handwritten note along with a business card.

These may sound simple, but a smooth and professional transaction will keep your customers coming back and they will talk about you to their friends.

Be Organized – Not only should you have an organized shop online, but try and keep your supplies organized. I have been in a spot where I waited a few days to start a custom order and realized I was out of a key supply.

Now, in a more organized craft room, I know right away when I need to restock. I use bins and labels to keep track of my supplies and orders.

Be Creative – You are already pretty creative, you have a product and a shop! Search for your items and see what kind of competition you have. Then figure out how you can creatively set yourself apart. Is it your service? Your speedy delivery, a unique twist on a traditional item?

I have tweaked my products to help them stand out from the crowd and they consistently sell.  To keep my customers coming back, I make sure my packaging is pretty and professional, and always include a handwritten note along with a business card.

I also ask for feedback and for customers to share photos of their products in action.

To keep my office organized, and my packaging pretty, I use my DYMO LabelWriter® 450. Not only does it create labels for my craft bins and jars, I have created thank you stickers for my packaging.

Professional creative packaging makes your small shop look like a big deal.  I have used a variety of packaging from twine to washi tape, but I love how custom labels look on my packages.

Using the DYMO LabelWriter® 450 I opened the software and started designing. This easy to use platform allows you to select the label size and add text, shapes and images.

I can create one image and print immediately to the connected DYMO LabelWriter®. Then I can save that design and start a new one. No loading and reloading sheets of labels into my printer.

These labels are all created using text within the software. They are thermal labels so you don’t need to use any ink, it’s already built in.

In addition to packaging this label maker can be used all over your home. I recently updated all my drawers with new labels to help organize my craft supplies.

Watch the full craft room tour to see how I used this label maker and some organization tips.

Help your small business stand out by being professional, organized, and creative! I’d love to hear how you would use a DYMO LabelWriter® to help grow your business. Tell me in the comments below.

Thanks for visiting!

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