Handmakers: You will not be discovered!

No matter how good you are. No matter how good your product. Sit back and wait - or keep beavering away in your studio - and you will not be discovered. You have as much chance of winning the lottery.

You have to do stuff to improve your odds. But, guess what? Being the most qualified craftsperson in the world will not help. Time and again people contact me stating their handmaking credentials; I have studied here, done this and worked under so and so. They have obviously invested hugely in this side of themselves and their business. Unfortunately, if you want to be a successful handmaker then this is only the half of it.

I'll let you into another secret: the best artists, designers, architects, musicians, singers and songwriters in the world, are probably not anyone we know. Anyone famous or critically acclaimed. Odds are they are the opposite; an unknown, unheard of, unrecognised, annoymous and, sadly also, unsuccessful someone.

You see the cream does not float to the top. Something that resembles it often does. Other times, complete rubbish does by virtue of some random set of circumstances. There's no natural justice in the world, only business. And, if you're not prepared to get to grips with business, then you'll never be a successful handmaker. At least, I wouldn't bet your house on it.

You may love the creative process and dextrous art of realising your designs. You may even have embarked upon a handmaking career to avoid this grubby business called 'business'! If so, think again - the success of your handmaking career is going to be as much down to your business acumen as your design and making abilities.

If you're not dedicating at least 50% of your time to promoting yourself and your work and selling your wares, you're counting on a lottery win. And, that time needs to be used well. Trudging off to a few craft fairs is unlikely to make a difference. You need to be skilled and adept.

My advice to all handmakers would be to invest in their business skills. Most likely, these are holding you back more than anything else. My dealings with handmakers working with my employer gift retailer pressies4princesses (or wanting to work with us) convince me of this. Running the Handmaking Heroes Handmade Gift Competition has only confirmed my suspicions; most entries fail at the most basic level, retail vs. trade pricing.

The successes prove my point too. Take Jimmy Choo - the world-famous upmarket footwear to fashion brand. This guy was plodding along quite nicely, getting good coverage in Vogue, etc for 10 years. There's no disputing, he'd been comparatively effective at promoting himself. Princess Diana was wearing his shoes. But, what really teleported him into the glitterati of international iconic fashion brands, was setting up a new company with Tamara Mellon, former Vogue Accessories Editor. She bought just the business skills needed to turn Jimmy Choo into a household name and a highly successful business.

You can't afford to wait for a Tamara. If you want more success, you need to start thinking not about design, but about business; about the business of niching. And, consequently, it's a subject I will be returning to regularly over the coming year.

Handmakers, did I mention "Go For It!"?!

Apologies for the lack of posts over the past few weeks. There's been stuff at pressies' that I just had to get done. Thankfully the worst is behind me now and I'm resolved not to let posting slip again.

Anyway, speaking of getting things done, Alice Rivers-Cripps is a handmade jeweller who does just that. We got more of her handcrafted jewellery range called Posh Totty Designs up at pressies' this week. It's very bohemian and rustic and brimming with charm (see pictures below - gorgeous!).



Now, as I said, Alice is a girl who gets things done. When I first encountered her back in spring 2005, she was just starting out. You could only catch her on her mobile or answer machine and she had a tiny range. But she already had a website and big ambitions.

During that same year, she started popping up at the gift exhibitions/ trade shows in London - I think taking a booth within Design Gap. Then she slipped off our radar a bit. We were busy with other things - and so was Alice, it seems. When we were looking to expand our handmade jewellery range, we looked up Alice again. And, guess what? She now has her own boutique store in Brighton's North Laine, a greatly enlarged and stunning range, plus she's fostering a celebrity clientele.



I look at Alice's business now and I don't recognise it from the one I saw only two years ago. Conversely, for some of our handmakers little has changed. And, you don't need to ask who's enjoying their business and success more!

Alice's case is a perfect example of the "Go for it" mantra I keep banging on about. I drum it into some of our other small suppliers, using Alice's business as empirical proof. As I say, you can find out whether your business is going to work quickly, or you can discover it slowly. It will cost you about the same amount of money. But, it will save you no end of wasted time. And, you know, money comes and goes and you can always make more of it. But, time - that's the one thing you can't get more of!