And why there isn’t always a cost
My goodness, the hits just seem to keep on coming don’t they?
The last few years have been a lot and there is a great deal of worry and fear in the world, especially as we come closer to Christmas and the added dread of buying presents for your loved ones is added to the pile.
I don’t mean the actual buying of gifts, as that can be a fulfilling experience as you give consideration to the people around you and find the gift that suits them to perfection. I for one, love that, especially if you are lucky enough to be with them when they open their gifts, and you witness their happiness.
And there is nothing that can give that feeling more than giving a gift that is bought from a small business, especially a small business that makes crocheted items (wink, wink!).
But, we all understand that this year too many of us are really feeling the pinch, even more than in previous years and the temptation to spend unrealistic and unaffordable amounts of money grows.
Handmade items like mine and many of those that you see on platforms such as Etsy are more often than not going to be more expensive than if you go to the online retail giants. Crochet, in particular, can’t be replicated on a machine so however fast I am, I am never going to be faster than a knitting machine! Therefore my prices are going to be higher than mass-produced items in order to cover that extra time. In general, that difference in pricing and the reason for it is understood and accepted.
But this year feels a little different, doesn’t it? It is for me, so I will assume it is for most people.
So in this time of financial worry, how do you support a small business like mine when you really can’t afford to?
Easy. The main thing that you can do is to engage with us online:
- Share our social media posts
- Comment on them frequently and often
- Like our pages and profiles
- Subscribe to our email list (here’s mine) and encourage your friends to do the same (especially as they will often include a nice little discount!)
- Write reviews firstly on the platform where you bought the item (for example Etsy) but also on social media and Google
- Share photos of anything that you have bought from us in the past and tag us in – we genuinely love this!
- Subscribe to our YouTube channels (here’s mine) and if you do watch a video there, please watch the whole thing – it actually hurts the channel if you only watch a little bit of a video
- Tag your friends on our posts and encourage them to follow us
- Word of mouth with your friends and family is invaluable
Not only do all of these things help us to be seen by a wider online audience, but they are also a massive boost to our confidence and keep us going!
So please don’t ever underestimate the importance of being a cheerleader for your favourite small business. There are no wages, as such but you will get paid in happy dances from the business owner.
Please share in the comments some of your favourite small businesses!
