22 Things I learned in 2022 about starting a craft business
I monetised my crochet obsession in 2022 and finally started a craft business!
As a result, I’ve learned a lot.
This year has also been the first year that I started spilling my guts about my crafty business dreams, goals, and results on my blog. As such, consider this my end of year review of turning Cilla Crochets from a personal passion project into a side-hustle.
So whether you're interested in pursuing your own crafty passion as an income generating side hustle or full time business, or you're solely interested in a behind the scenes look at Cilla Crochets, I hope you enjoy the read! Here it goes… 22 Lessons from monetising my crochet obsession in 2022…
1.You don't need social media followers to make sales online
I'll be completely honest and tell you that absolutely none of the sales that I made this year came from social media. While I know social media has its place (and I love being present and engaging with our wonderful community there), it isn't a necessity to make sales online. What did have a direct impact financially and made me a little bit of money (to go towards my expenses) was my email list, website, and being in the search results on seller platforms like Etsy and Ravelry. Now, please don’t take this as “there’s no point in being on social media”. It is still important and can help increase your presence online (get you more website page views, direct people to your online shops etc), it just isn’t as important as something like SEO. It is also way more valuable to build authentic relationships on social media as opposed to trying to go viral (Long term vs. short term).
Cilla Crochets total income for 2022 and where it came from
2. You will make a loss before you make a profit
The reality is that I've been paying for a website (over £20 per month) since March 2020. Until this year, I'd only actually sold one crochet pattern ever, until I took down my online shops and had a break to re-think my strategy. This year I went for it again and started actually making a little bit of money each month (thank you to everyone who visited my website and/or purchased a PDF crochet pattern!). Long story short, even with this income coming in, I'm still not covering my monthly costs let alone recuperating any of the costs I incurred before this year. Now, I sound like I'm complaining, but I'm totally not! It's a huge lesson and I'm not giving up. But it's something to be aware of especially if you're giving this a shot for the first time. Building a business out of your crafty obsession doesn't come free, and isn't for the faint of heart. So if you're looking to make money overnight, pursuing your crafty passion is most likely not for you.
Rough estimate of cost versus income for Cilla Crochets between 2020 & 2022.
3. Authenticity and engagement correlate
Less money talk and more content chat! This year I've witnessed a direct correlation between when I'm being vulnerable and authentic in my written content versus how much my audience (followers/subscribers/fans etc) engage. I mean, when I've opened up about myself and my life in my Crochet Crew emails, I get email replies! When I talk about what's going on in my life on social media, I get DM'd. Yes, these are not public engagements. But guess what? They mean far more to me than vanity metrics! The best part is, I'm meeting some pretty awesome people around the world online who all love crochet.
4. Website ads are annoying but they’re a must for online content creators
Ultimately, while my craft is crochet, I am an online content creator. I create crochet patterns and content that you can access (or buy) online. Also, just to clarify, when I say 'ads', I don't mean paying platforms to advertise what you're selling. I mean signing up to an ad platform (like Google AdSense, InfoLinks, AdThrive, She Media etc) to get other people advertising on your website. Yes, you get paid for those annoying popups on your website! That's why so many bloggers do it.
As such, I finally bit the bullet this year and popped up ads on my website. This was something that I had mixed feelings about at the time, and was getting mixed advice about. But I am so glad I did it, and wish I'd done it sooner! While I'm not making tonnes of money from it, I have received my first pay-out, and I'm well on my way to receiving my second. Surprisingly it's actually where around 50% of my crochet income has come from this year. And of course, other than the benefit of making money, it also allows people to access my crochet patterns for free, without me feeling like I'm giving my time away for free. Honestly, if you're a content creator (e.g. blog regularly or release content on your website regularly that's useful to a target demographic), then I highly recommend looking into ads. They are annoying to look at, but it's a way to help you focus on your passion and make a living from it.
Monthly income from website ads
5. Spring peaks and summer slumps
It was really fun and eye-opening to tune into crochet seasonality this year. Not only crochet seasonality, but online sales and traffic seasonality. Long story short, the Summer slumps and the Spring peaks. I mean, it does make a lot of sense since more people are inside over the cooler months and outside over Summer, but it was interesting to have that so clearly confirmed. Now, I just need to decide what I'll do with this knowledge in 2023! What would you do?
Cilla Crochets website pageview seasonality
6. Your email list is your most valuable marketing tool
I'm sure I've said this one before, but it keeps coming up for me month on month. Your email list is a much stronger selling tool than your social media platforms. Nurture the relationships with people who have signed up for your email content. Really think about how you can provide them with value, be reliable, and remember an email list should not be a one way street of you constantly trying to sell, sell, sell. Over time, these are the people that are more likely to buy from you, but only if you serve them well first.
7. Don’t be afraid to try new things
This year I've tried so many new things and they've all been super valuable experiences for helping me and my crafty business grow. I've gotten involved in pattern bundles with other designers, entered my first ever amigurumi design competition, designed and launched seasonal patterns in time for the celebrations (finally!), did a social media influencer gig, tried different types of reels (gah!), and stuck to two 6-month plans along with having an awesome crochet pal to hold me accountable! Honestly, it has been an amazing year and I'm so proud of myself for just going for it. So the big lesson I've learned here is, just give it a go! You might not enjoy everything you try, but you will learn something valuable from each experience.
8. No feedback is bad feedback
Feedback is fantastic as a crochet designer and content creator! And the one thing I've learned and really drilled into myself this year, is that even if you get feedback that isn't what you want to hear, it is actually super valuable and sometimes even more useful than the feedback that gives you all the fuzzy feels. Put any constructive feedback you get to use, act on it in some way, even if that means dismissing it. But never dismiss it all, otherwise you'll never grow. All feedback is useful in some way!
9. Losing subscribers (or followers) is not a bad thing
I really used to hate it when I saw that people had unsubscribed from my mailing list after I sent out an email. It almost felt like it was a personal insult, like... was it something I wrote? But the more it happened this year, the more I've learned to be okay with it. And if anything, actually be happy about it.. Having subscribers (or followers for that matter) that don't engage in any way with your content will negatively impact your analytics (e.g. your open rates, click rates, engagement rates etc). And what is the point in having someone in your mailing list who isn't engaged? There isn't a point! It's honestly better for everyone if they choose to unsubscribe. It'll make your metrics look better annnnd your audience will actually be made up of people who are interested in the content you provide. Win win for everyone involved!
10. Community over competition
As an individual running a craft business, it can feel super lonely! But guess what? There are so many other amazing individuals out there doing similar things that can relate to you in a way that your friends and family won’t be able to. Find those people and work together. Instead of trying to compare and compete, collaborate and create a support community. It feels better for everyone involved, and you’ll not only grow your business, but grow as a person too.
11. Become best friends with Pinterest
Pinterest is such a powerful tool, and while it is ‘social media’, I don’t really count it as a social media platform. This is simply because I don’t use it to be social. I use it to find inspiration and useful things (recipes, patterns, beauty tips, interior design ideas etc). Now, Pinterest is so useful for bloggers, craft business owners, and crochet designers because it gives us another avenue to promote our work and share it with the world. Not for likes, but for website visits. And if you read my point above about ad revenue, each website visit can result in extra cash in the bank. In other words, get on Pinterest to help you increase your website traffic. This year Pinterest pointed an extra 382 people to my website.
12. Learn how to make (good) reels
Yup, I suck at reels! But… Reels can be a deal breaker now on Instagram, Facebook… TikTok… The list goes on. It is a vital skill anyone with a crafty business on social media. There’s no avoiding it, and I’ll be honest, I’m not there yet, but I know I need to be. This coming year I need to get my act into gear and learn how to make some half decent videos and reels. And if I can do it, you can too! ;)
13. You can’t be everything to everyone, and don’t try!
Yes, it might hurt our feelings a little bit if someone doesn’t like our crochet designs, crafty creations, or is overly critical of something we’ve written on social media. The reality is, we can’t please everyone, ever! So there’s no point in trying. Be yourself, be authentic, and the right audience who are genuinely interested in you and your work will follow.
14. It’s okay to change your mind
A huge part of starting a craft business involves a lot of trial and error. Just because you’ve done something one or twice (or many times), doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it if it’s not working for you. This year, I consistently released a crochet quiz once a month, up until about September. Then I stopped. Why? Honestly, I just wasn’t feeling it anymore. That’s not to say I won’t do the quizzes again, but I may not do them as regularly or I may make some tweaks if I do them again in future. Long story short, I changed my mind, and that was okay! No one yelled at me or questioned me for it. I survived!
15. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words
If you’ve been following me on social for a while, you’ll know I enjoy a long caption. I like writing after all. But it is also a lot of work. I’ve also noticed quite a lot of the top liked photos on social media, don’t necessarily have long captions. Sometimes it is okay just to post a picture of your work and write a sentence or two. After all, showing up is the most important part. But for me, this also means getting better at photography. I love nice photos, and photos can truly make or break your work as a crafter. I unfortunately feel like I haven’t been doing my best when it comes to photographing my crochet creations. While I know I’ve improved my photography skills since I first started crocheting, this is something I’ll be focusing on in 2023. I can’t wait to build my snapshot skills and share them with you too!
18. Don’t fight the algorithms, you won’t win!
I’ve totally been guilty of complaining about the algorithm on social media in the past. However, I have come to the conclusion, that in a way, I’m in the wrong here. Yes, it’s annoying to keep up with what you need to do to be visible on these platforms. But it’s also annoying having to do book-keeping. Yet, it’s all part of running a small business - it has to be done! So there will be no more complaining about the social media algorithms from me. Instead, I’ll be tuning in, and playing the game as much as I can (posting reels because I have to for example).
19. Monthly tracking is vital
Okay, maybe it’s not vital, but without tracking my progress each month, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Setting goals at the beginning of each 6-month strategy period, and then selecting KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to track each month in relation to these goals, has helped me so much! This habit of monthly tracking KPIs keeps me on track, motivated, and clear on what’s working and what’s not.
20. Know your SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is vital if you’re building a web presence for your craft business. Essentially working on your SEO for your website will mean you rank higher in the search results, which increases your chances of more pageviews. Now I’m quite lucky because I do a lot of SEO work in my day-job (yes, this crochet crafty business is just a side gig at the moment for me). As such, I’ve been able to implement a lot of what I’ve learned from my day job into my crochet website. I still have a long way to go, but SEO is something I’ll be focusing on big time in 2023 because of its importance.
21. Find an accountability buddy to laugh, cry, and celebrate with
I know I’ve mentioned this in one of my past posts, but I highly recommend finding someone to meet with (yes, actually chat to!) about your goals, challenges, successes, and task lists each month for your crafty businesses. It helps so much, and it personally gives me such comfort knowing I’m not doing this alone. Huge thank you to my pal and accountability buddy for being on this journey with me!
22. Don’t give up on your dream - slow and steady wins the race!
Perseverance is probably the most important lesson of 2023 for my craft business. You will see success in your crafty business if you don’t give up, if you’re consistent, and if you constantly learn and strive for improvement. And honestly, the reason most people don’t succeed in turning their crafty passion into a dream craft business is because they give up too soon. It is hard. It is challenging. And you won’t see success overnight, often not even in the first few years. But from my experience so far, as time goes on, you will start to see growth - in yourself, in your craft skill, and in your craft business. After all, as they say, slow and steady wins the race.
Last but not least, I want to thank you so much for your support throughout 2022. Without your encouragement, I wouldn’t be where I am today, and I’m so excited to see what 2023 holds.
Until next time, Happy New Year, and happy crocheting,
Cilla xx
