Before I started this little adventure with my online shop, I had no idea this whole different world was even there. A world full of craft groups, market nights, swaps and networking.. and this is just Facebook! I look back now and feel a little proud of how much I’ve learned so far, you are basically just winging it as you pass through and learning as you go along. This was back in the day when I thought networking was something to do with the signal on your phone.
And then there’s the whole ‘selling yourself’ thing, the thought of it can still make me cringe. Putting for sale posts up on Facebook, trying to convince the world they need your product in their lives!
For someone with anxiety and self confidence issues this doesn’t come easy. The worst part of it wasn’t what I wrote or had to say, it was WHO was going to read it. In an online world you can be anyone you like, I mean, we’ve all seen Catfish right?! The thought of my friends, who know me well, seeing my posts where I’m showing my products with the whole sales pitch, it made me feel so uneasy, like I was a fraud, and I don’t really know why.
Having to get over that feeling was hard, and it still torments me now, I’ve never been a confident person. Selling was really difficult, but you have to get yourself out there and the more you do it the easier it gets. Not everyone has the natural talent to market themselves and Sell Sell Sell but you can get there if you keep trying.
Social media has been a huge positive for my business, and I believe if you absolutely love what you do then its worth all the awkward feelings you go through. Another positive of social media is the friends I’ve made… yes, I can say proudly.. I have virtual friends!! These are the people who I chat to every single day, but have never met in person, and because they’re in the same boat as me I quite often offload on them, they get it.
Almost every single person I’ve met online is a mummy, running their business from home, doing us ladies proud, and juggling family life, kids, full time jobs as well as their own businesses. So even if you are someone who suffers with anxiety like myself, or someone with kids, a full time job, if you love what you make then nothing can stop you! I’ve got over so much already, and this is me just getting started. There’s a whole world of like minded people out there, people who I now happily call my friends, people who I let off steam to when I have a tricky customer, postal issues or showing a new design and needing feedback.
I started out with not a single clue on how to do this, just like a lot of crafters who start their online business, and I can’t actually believe I now know what SEO stands for!! If you want to do this, then do it! You don’t need all the tools in the box to try, you can pick them up as you go along at your own pace. You’ll be surprised at how much support you can get, and all from people you have never met before, but will soon become your friends.
🌼 Lemon Lady 🌼
ConfessionsOfaCraftingMum 