Over the past year, I’ve been lucky enough to speak with so many business owners who are selling physical products. All are at different stages in their journey and they all had so much to share. I’ve compiled the best product creation advice, from some of the best product creators around – whether you’re just starting out or looking for new ideas and inspiration.
- “Don’t be afraid of not knowing everything at the start. You might not know all the ins and out of running a business, but embrace this! You’ll always come across like-minded people who are just as passionate about their business as you are, who can give you valuable advice. Stick with it and you’ll start to learn.”
Silke Thistlewood, Raise Up Mums
2. “Don’t rush and have everything in place before you launch. Most importantly make sure you’ve got all legal things in place because if your product is unique you need a patent. If you launch without protecting the product you lose the right to protect it, which can lead to wasted time.”
Lauren Hampshire, The Milky Tee Company
3. “Look after your mental health and wellbeing. It’s fantastic to have passion but to remain robust you also need to make sure you check in with yourself and find ways to keep yourself mentally strong.”
Lynsey Pollard, Little Box of Books
4. “Give yourself deadlines. Time is infinite and we all use the excuse ‘If only I had more time…’ but is there something else you can let go of in order to do the one thing you love? Take time to learn and increase your skills. This could include training or working with a business coach, anything that will add value to your business.”
Kate Tompsett, Happy & Glorious
5. “Stay focused on your goals by doing your research. Look at competitors and find out if your product is feasible. Don’t just rely on social media to promote your business, look at other avenues – and don’t give up!”
Keisha Shah, Teddo Play
6. “Just go for it. The only thing you will regret is not having a go. What’s the worst that can happen?”
Suzanne Hemming, Thea Chops Books
7. “Find the right help when you need it. You might start off at your kitchen table on your own, but when you need to branch out don’t be afraid to find help. This could be in the form of family and friends or a mentoring group, but don’t struggle alone. It’s also useful to use resources that are free, such as the British Library.”
Bee Veronica Moore, Witty Ditty Designs
8. “Trust in yourself and show people your work. Create a support network around you and ask for feedback. Why not try to get an accountability partner? You might not succeed every time but you can always learn new skills online and start again. Once you’ve got this covered you should listen to your customers, communicate with them and ask them what they want.”
Lau Morrachini, The Creative Upcycler
9. “Be patient. If you’re really passionate about your business then you can succeed. Just do it and although you might not become a sensation overnight keep at it and do something you love.”
Alice Clover, Author
10. “Be yourself! Everything you create is your own style and by being yourself you’re helping it to shine through. Find your own way and don’t overthink it because sometimes you are better off just having a go.”
Dawn Friday, Girl Friday Embroidery
11. “Know what problem you’re trying to solve for your customer, who you’re making your product for and what moment in their life are you selling the product to them for?”
Sophie Lilley, Munchkin and Bear
12. “Try not to do everything on your own. Starting your business is the most difficult part of your journey so speak to other people in your position. Join Facebook groups and support groups and see how everybody else is dealing with starting their business.”
Harjit Sohotey-Khan, Jewelled Buddha
13. “Run your business your way. As long as you’re following legal advice and tax rules, everything else is up for grabs. Everybody will have advice for you on the way so pick and choose what works best for you. Start by stripping it down to micro tasks and you will learn what works for you along your own personal journey.”
Ruth Bradford, The Little Black and White Book Project
14. “Work out what you really need to get your business started. What components do you need to get going? Who’s going to buy it? Be clear on what you need to do before you think about launching.”
Becky Perry, Paper Pattern Scissors
15. “Find your tribe. Find people that are going through the same challenges as you, people who may have made the same mistakes as you, and will support you along the way. You might not find these people right away but keep searching and don’t give up.”
Priya Khan, Little Crystal Minds
16. “Follow your gut. If you have a dream and you want to pursue it then give it a go. Don’t underestimate how much time and money it will cost. It will be a long hard slog, but if it’s your dream and you believe in yourself then work hard and you’ll make it.”
Monique Horrigan, The Dou-Douds
17. “Listen to yourself, be yourself, and attract the right people around you. Being true to yourself also includes pricing your product right. Take everything into consideration when pricing your products, your time, your insurance, etc, it all adds up. If you want to be serious about making a living for yourself you need to have a realistic outlook on prices. If something takes you 50 hours of work, you wouldn’t charge £50 because you’d be working for £1 an hour!”
Catherine Marche, Catherine Marche Jewellery
18. “Never give up! Listen to good advice, forget the bad advice and find people in a similar field to you and bring them on your journey with you.”
Natalia Bolek, Naboso Handmade
19. “If there’s something you want to do just go for it. This may be a side project alongside working full time, it may overtake something else but if it’s something that lights you up then why not give it a try? Equally, you might decide it’s too hard and too much work but at least you gave it a shot.”
Christina Pickworth, This Mama Does
20. “Research first but don’t put pressure on yourself to make it one way or another. Just be on your journey.”
Ruth Bussey Ink and Scribbles
I hope you found these tips helpful and that they resonated with you. You’ll have noticed some key themes to take forward with you on your own journey – Finding your tribe and the importance of just going for it are two that really stand out to me!
If you’d like personalised advice on selling your products then please feel free to get in touch, I’d love to have a chat!