The Create & Thrive Podcast

By Jess Van DenBusiness Entrepreneurship

The Create & Thrive Podcast episodes

February 21, 2018[137] Set Up an Effective Sales Funnel with Chanelle White
Do you have a mailing list for your handmade business?
Even if you haven’t started your business yet, you can start collecting email addresses to ensure that you start off with a bang.
If you do have a business, then you need to be using email marketing to grow it.
But how?
I’ve created a number of resources to help you set up and grow a successful list in the past.
(You can find 2 workshops on this in the Thriver Circle – Introduction to Email Marketing + Intermediate Email Marketing Strategies. Join the Circle and get access to these right now!)
Today, my guest is Chanelle White, who is a Shopify designer and strategist.
She and I talk sales funnels – the process of enticing folks to sign up to your email list… and what to do with them once they’re there!
Chanelle is going to be joining me in the Thriver Circle for a live chat about email funnels and Shopify on Wednesday the 28th of Feb, Brisbane time (this is Tuesday, 7pm Eastern US time). If you’re a member of the Circle, don’t miss this opportunity to pick the brain of an expert!

Quotes and Highlights from this episode:
Our guest today, Chanelle White, is a Shopify design expert.
A challenge many makers face is how to direct traffic to their website.
With a sales funnel, people interested in your product can opt in (often with a freebie as an incentive) and their details become part of your subscription base.
When building a website, this can be achieved by creating a landing page with a single offer or enticement.
For an established website, use pop-ups.
“Pop ups are a really great tool but you need to be strategic on how you use them” {Chanelle}
Avoid pop-ups being too invasive. Give website guests time to connect with your site before the pop-up engages or use an exit intent option.
“Be mindful and don’t be intrusive (with pop-ups). You want to make sure people want to stay on your website” {Chanelle}
If you have a stand-alone website, aim for a blog as well. Regular blogging builds your SEO and drives traffic to your site.
Blog content does not have to be solely promotional driven. Use this space to connect with customers and build relationships.
Email marketing is a powerful tool when used well. Ideally you will want to send emails weekly, but keep in mind your resource capabilities.
Use a conversion strategy in your emails by offering a discount or a special promotion and include an expiry date to encourage people to purchase now. But, be wary of holding sales or promotions too frequently and lessening their impact.
Email marketing is reliable – unlike social media there are no changes to algorithms and until your customer opts our you have direct communication.
Scarcity can be a powerful sales driver.
Experiment with scarcity buy creating a limited run of a companion products to your main line.
Find Chanelle online via her website.
*This page contains affiliate links. I only recommend products I have personally used or truly believe in.

Love the show? You can show your support by:
Leaving a review on the C&T FB page.
Leaving a review on iTunes.
Donating a few dollars towards the costs of producing the pod.
Joining the Thriver Circle – without the members of the Circle, this podcast would not be possible.
40 min
February 15, 2018 [HBT #6] 5 Qualities of Successful Business Owners

5 Qualities of Successful Business Owners

3 min
February 13, 2018[136] Why you Need to Stop Feeling Bad about Charging Money for your Craft
We’ve all felt it.
That stab of guilt when you put a price on your work.
Even worse – the fear AND guilt when you RAISE the price on your work.
Pricing is an art as much as a science. There are no ‘100% right’ answers.
And the price you choose as a beginner should change once you get more experience and your business starts to grow.
There are so many elements to this process. If you haven’t already, please go do the Pricing with the Head & Heart Workshop for the nitty-gritty (Thriver Circle members only).
This podcast is about mindset.
It’s about the money stories we carry around. (I delve deeper into this topic in the Money Stories Workshop – Thriver Circle members only).
It’s about how we connect our self-worth to our products… and the price we put on them.
It’s about the fact that you need to start treating yourself like the professional you are, and put aside the guilt about asking for money for your effort and time.
All that said… it’s also about why you don’t have to put your price up if you don’t need to. You choose how you serve your market.
What you DO need to do is STOP feeling guilty about charging money for your work – because money = a little bit of your life, and you deserve to be compensated for that!
I dive into a WHOLE bunch of stuff in this episode.
I hope you find it helpful in the process of pricing what your work is worth!
Jess x

>>Become a member of the Thriver Circle and listen to the full episode right now.<<

Listen to the Intro:

Love the show? You can show your support by:
Leaving a review on the C&T FB page.
Leaving a review on iTunes.
Donating a few dollars towards the costs of producing the pod.
Joining the Thriver Circle – without the members of the Circle, this podcast would not be possible.
4 min
February 08, 2018[HBT #5] The Customer Isn’t Always Right
Handmade Biz Tip #5 – The Customer Isn’t Always Right

Episode referenced in this show: Episode 3 – How to Provide Outstanding Online Customer Service

Love the show? You can show your support by:
Leaving a review on the C&T FB page.
Leaving a review on iTunes.
Donating a few dollars towards the costs of producing the pod.
Joining the Thriver Circle – without the members of the Circle, this podcast would not be possible.
3 min
February 06, 2018 [135] Top Tips for Launching a New Product

Do you want to do a better job of launching your products?
Or perhaps you are still in the process of building your business, and haven’t yet launched at all.
Maybe you want to set up a regular launch schedule for not only new products, but new product lines.
Whatever you want to launch, this episode will give you some tips and strategies that will increase the likelihood of your launch being a success!
If you’d like more on this topic, I’m going to be releasing a whole workshop in March over in the Thriver Circle that covers this content and much more – AND we’re going to have a #LaunchParty project, so keep an eye out for that!
Finally – if you want an intensive guide to getting your business and shop launched, you might like to join me for Set Up Shop, my 30-day course that will help you go from Go to Whoa!
Set Up Shop is running again right now, with a one-time-only 20% discount offer!
Find Out More

Love the show? You can show your support by:

* Leaving a review on the C&T FB page.
* Leaving a review on iTunes.
* Donating a few dollars towards the costs of producing the pod.
* Joining the Thriver Circle – without the members of the Circle, this podcast would not be possible. You’ll also get a member-exclusive episode every month!

Quotes and Highlights in this episode:

* When launching a new product or line it is important to build buzz and anticipation.
* Word of warning: some launches are going to very successful and some less so. Don’t be disheartened!
* “Unsuccessful launches happen to everyone. If it does happen to you don’t let it stop you!”
* Jess shares a story of early Epheriell product launch experiences.
* If your launches do not perform to your expectations, analyse why. Did you stay “on brand” for your business? Is this something where there is a customer out there for this?
* Share the process with ideas, prototypes, sketches on social media. Ask your audience what they think.
* Bring your audience into the development of your product and build a sense of connection.
* Set a date to provide a clear end point for both you and your customer.
* Do not miss your date! Do everything you can to make it a reality.
* If something happens and you can’t make the date, clearly communicate this to your audience.
* Create a buzz by providing a discount or preorder to people on your mailing list to build a subscription base.
* Promote your launch and special offer to drive traffic to your opening deal.
* Create an event around your launch and remember this doesn’t have to be a huge event! Take advantage of an upcoming market, work with a local stockist, host an online live event or more.
* “If you’re nervous about it, the best time to do it when nobody is watching”

Want to set up online for the first time? Or overhaul your online shop? Join me for Set Up Shop, starting March 12.
24 min
February 01, 2018[HBT #4] Claim Your Name
Handmade Biz Tip #4 – Why you should claim your name… everywhere!

Love the show? You can show your support by:
Leaving a review on the C&T FB page.
Leaving a review on iTunes.
Donating a few dollars towards the costs of producing the pod.
Joining the Thriver Circle – without the members of the Circle, this podcast would not be possible.
3 min
January 30, 2018 [134] Sharing Our Success Stories

Hey Thriver!
This little episode is more of an introduction and invitation than anything else. I’m going to start a new series of episodes on the podcast sharing the stories of successful makers.

These aren’t interviews – they are me, sharing and pondering the stories of successful makers, answering questions such as:
How did they get started?
What does success mean to them?
What marketing strategies worked for them?
Their biggest challenges and biggest successes.
Work/life balance… and much more.

If you are still growing your business, my hope is that you will find these stories inspirational and informational.
If you already have a successful handmade business – I want to feature you!
You can share your success story here.
I forgot to mention this in the episode, but I wanted to give props to my friend Chris Guillebeau and his podcast Side Hustle School for the inspiration behind this new series. His is a daily podcast sharing the stories of successful side-hustlers – I recommend you check it out for some inspiration!

7 min
January 25, 2018[HBT #3] Find Your Micro-Niche
Handmade Biz Tip #3 – Why you Need to Find Your Micro-Niche

Love the show? You can show your support by:
Leaving a review on the C&T FB page.
Leaving a review on iTunes.
Donating a few dollars towards the costs of producing the pod.
Joining the Thriver Circle – without the members of the Circle, this podcast would not be possible.
2 min
January 18, 2018[HBT #2] Unfollow your Competition
When it’s time to unfollow your competition.
http://createandthrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/HB2_Unfollow_the_Competition.mp3
Love the show? You can show your support by:
Leaving a review on the C&T FB page.
Leaving a review on iTunes.
Donating a few dollars towards the costs of producing the pod.
Joining the Thriver Circle – without the members of the Circle, this podcast would not be possible.
2 min
January 16, 2018[133] Outsourcing Production with Britta Boeckmann
Have you ever thought about outsourcing the production of your handmade goods?
Maybe you want to grow beyond what one person can achieve. Perhaps you want to outsource the making so you can spend more time dreaming and designing.
Whatever the reason, figuring out exactly HOW to do this is a big challenge.
My guest on the show today – Britta Boeckmann – has done exactly that.
She has worked out how to outsource the making of her beautiful resin-based jewellery overseas in a way that is affordable and ethical. And in this episode, she shares her experiences of the process.
BONUS: Britta is going to be joining me and the Thriver Circle community for a live chat this Friday the 19th of January at 12 Noon, AEST (the time in Brisbane, Australia). If you’d like to join us for that, make sure you’re a member of the Circle, and look for the event in the Circle FB group.

Download or listen to this episode.
Download Now!
You can also subscribe to the podcast and listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts + Stitcher or any other Android App.)

Heads up! I’m going to be giving a 10% discount off the cost of my Shop Scrutiny service to Thriver Circle members in February.
So if you want me to critique your online handmade shop, make sure that you’re a member of the Circle in February to get access to this special offer!

Quotes and Highlights from this Episode:
As demand for her product outstripped her manufacturing capacity, Britta changed the direction of her business by bringing on a business partner, Michael, and exploring outsourced production.
It took eight months to find the right production partner including research, liaison and site visits in the Philippines.
Have clear guidelines as to what you need from a production partner including working conditions, wages, sustainability of resources and technical expertise.
To kick start the partnership, Britta designed and made a collection and sent these pieces and the technical drawings to the production partner. They, in turn, created a sample set and returned it for approval.
“When you start something like this you have to be aware that its never going to go completely smoothly” {Britta}
There are significant investments of time and money when pursuing outsourced production but there are significant benefits.
“Outsourced production frees you up for more design work” {Jess}
Take a long view with your business and plan accordingly for growth.
“You need to have a vision otherwise it is very hard to invest the time” {Britta}
After having her work profile grew, Britta saw lot of replication of her designs. This spurred outsourcing production to free up creative time to develop new ideas.
“There is no reason to be sad about it – when you do something good there will always be copiers” {Britta}
BoldB’s designs do not work to fashion house seasons – if the design is selling it is continued for sale.
“If you want to be successful you need to put all your energy in the one idea” {Britta}
See Britta’s work on Etsy and her website.
47 min

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