I feel so lucky to have been able to work with four brilliant women last week. My second Creating a Craft Business Workshop took place, and over two days we thrashed out all the thorny issues and overcame many of the hurdles that were stopping these talented crafts people moving forward with their businesses.
Joining me from left to right:
Kelly from www.cabbagewhitejewellery.co.uk, who designs really beautiful and simple silver and gold vermeil jewellery inspired by nature. Check out her gorgeous little Love Bird earrings.
Maggie, an extremely talented artist whose uplifting illustrations adorn bespoke splashbacks in some of the most prestigious kitchens, but you or I can indulge with a charming mug or jug to own a piece of the magic. www.maggiemumford.com.
Abby, a qualified historian who is bringing her expertise to the wedding industry, by creating truly unique up-cycled antique and vintage headpieces. I've seen many wedding headdress designers in my time in the business, and I really think Abby has something special. One to watch at www.cherishedvintage.co.uk.
Finally, it was wonderful to welcome Julia onto the course, who with her fledgling gift business www.elephanttradingcompany.com was able to contribute a new perspective as a buyer of crafts to the group.
What all these businesses have in common is that their founders have worked tirelessly to get the businesses up and running. They were all established and trading already, but now needed the tools and know how to grow into something bigger and more profitable.
On day one as usual we tackled finance and pricing, and were able to set some simple goals for each business to improve the way they manage and use their financial data. Never forget, knowledge is power, and if you don't have financial data at your finger tips, you don't have the power to make effective changes in your business.
On day two we talked alot about the importance of branding and having a clear USP. We were able to distill the work the women had done so far to create a set of brand values for each company, which makes it so much easier to have a clear point of difference and therefore to decide what to communicate in your marketing.
I'm really excited about the decisions that Kelly, Maggie, Abby and Julia have taken for their businesses, that are going to help push them ahead of their competition. 2012 is going to be a turning point, and I am going to be watching closely to see what these rising stars will be doing next.
Good luck girls!
I will be running this course again at the end of Jan/early February, so if you are interested in attending please email me on clare@yarwood-white.com and I will let you know the dates as soon as we have them confirmed. You can see the full agenda for the course here.
The course takes place in Cobham, Surrey.
