What's New at Wazoodle
What's New
Getting a personal sewing business up and running takes a lot of effort, and if you have succeeded in doing so, you should feel proud of yourself. But don’t get too comfy! There’s always more you can do to improve your business and boost its growth. If you have a great product and want it to reach the people who will appreciate it the most, there are a couple of steps you can take to help that happen.
It may seem obvious, assuring that your fabric supplier is well-reputed, but not everyone puts enough focus on their materials. Maybe you started out with mass-manufactured fabrics because they were more easily accessible or less expensive, but now that you’re established, you would like to find a source that you can trust. And what builds trust the most? Communication. Take a good look at your prospective supplier’s communication skills. Do they have multiple ways for customers to connect with them? Do they have a reputation for quickly responding to their clients? You want to be sure that if anything goes wrong or you have questions, they won’t be ghosting you in your hour of need. A reliable supplier is paramount, as your business is going to be greatly affected by your materials. Your fabric supplier needs to have consistent quality and reliable shipping. They should have fabric that you want to use, that excites and engages you. And if it’s, say, completely free of chemicals and heavy metals, environmentally friendly, and USA-made, all the better! (Hint: Buy Wazoodle!)
Having strong relationships is an incredibly important aspect of running a business. Just as your supplier’s ability to communicate with their customers is a factor in your choosing to work with them, your potential clients will be looking at your relationships with your customers when choosing whether or not they want to buy from you. One element of the process of building solid relationships with your ideal clients is knowing what that ideal client looks like. If you know specifically who you want to sell to, your outreach and product will reflect that and the client you’re creating for will be drawn to you. Once you have customers, make sure you keep them! Reach out to your clients, be open to any feedback they have, and integrate it into your business. Showing that you are invested in what your clients want goes a long way in building a strong personal relationship and making them want to stay. Reward their loyalty to you with discounts, personal thank-yous, or even a loyalty program. This encourages customers to come back for more and share your product with others while helping them feel that they are an integral part of your brand. Care about them and they will care about you.
Defining your audience is only the first step in setting yourself up as a major competitor in the sewing industry. As with all industries, keeping on top of norms and changing trends is a major part of running a business. Whether you choose to go along with what’s already working or change course to stand out, knowing what you’re working with is imperative. While just making the same thing and offering it on one site can make you some money, you need to know your brand and imbue it in every aspect of your business if you really want to give your business the special something it needs to rise above its competition.
Your brand is the combination of your skills, experiences, vision, and personality. It’s the special ingredient that makes your business uniquely yours. Every aspect of your business, from creation to marketing, should be executed with your brand in mind. Pay attention to every step of the process and give each its due consideration.
A consistent business that is solid in its processes and vision every step of the way will be more successful than one that only focuses on one area. Further expand your expertise. Whether you’re writing blogs or articles about sewing or running a business, meeting up with other creators and sharing insight on the industry, or attending classes or conferences, everything you do to expand your knowledge will reflect in your business, solidifying and strengthening your brand.
If you want to help your business grow, you need to do more than just the bare minimum. Be exacting in the quality of materials you use for your products; you and your clients deserve the best. Ask for feedback from your customers and observe the market you’ve established yourself in. Your customers and your competitors alike are valuable resources in expanding your knowledge and your reach. Keeping your brand at the forefront of your processes and giving consistent attention to all aspects of your business can be the boost you need to become an expert in your industry.