Gift Biz Unwrapped

Gift Biz Unwrapped

Have you thought about turning your hobby into a profitable small business? This podcast shows you how to do just that. Whether you want a side gig for some extra cash or to get out of your 9-5, the handmade products you make for fun can hold the key! In each episode you'll hear steps and actions to take to start and grow a profitable business. It's created specifically for the handmade product business entrepreneur; a group I lovingly call Gifters, Bakers, Crafters, and Makers. You're a fabulous unique creative person and I'm here to help you get on the right path to making your vision a reality. There's a lot out there about building a service based business, some about building a product business, but handmade is different. There are specific nuances to handmade that we cover here. Have you thought about starting a business but not sure what the first steps should be and you're afraid to do it "wrong?" Have you started your business but it's not progressing as you had envisioned? Are you confused about Etsy, Amazon Handmade and Shopify platforms? What about email marketing and Facebook or Instagram ads for attracting sales? There is so much to know it can be overwhelming and confusing. I'm your host, Sue Monhait, and I interview business owners who have been where you are. This is combined with over 30 years of experience consulting hundreds of boutique and big brands along with opening two profitable product based business of my own, I'm here to help you realize your dream. At the end of each episode, you'll walk away with new ideas, tools, or processes that you can apply immediately to get results. Decide on your business. Learn how to get started. Hear what others do to get customers and increase their sales. A great first step is to subscribe to the show. Then you'll automatically get each new episode as it releases - ready and waiting for you when it's convenient to listen. The main show becomes available on Saturday morning with a short Tips & Talk episode on Wednesday. I want you to know that you don't have to do this alone. Find more free resources over at GiftBizUnwrapped.com and if you're looking for a community of handmade makers just like you, join us over in my private Facebook Group - Gift Biz Breeze.

Episodes

418 – Managing Through Life Changes and Updates to Continually Serve You!

April 15, 2023 • 14 mins
There are times for change. It happens in business and life overall and opens the path for new experiences and advancement. Today I want to share with you such a change. This is the last episode of the Gift Biz Unwrapped podcast. Over these last 8 years and 545 episodes, we’ve covered every topic currently out there that applies to starting and growing a handmade product business. We’ve heard from amazing expert guests who...
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Tips & Talk 110 – 32 Questions

April 12, 2023 • 9 mins
I’ve heard it said that the answers you seek in life are only as good as the questions you ask. Because so much goes on in our heads, sometimes our thoughts are trying to answer the wrong questions. Or you get in a brain spin and ideas go round and round randomly without even attempting to answer a specific question. To make some sense of this random thought behavior, I decided to put together sets of questions to ask that will ...
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417 – The Role of Your Website in Your Handmade Product Business

April 8, 2023 • 26 mins
What is the role of your website in your handmade product business? Let's talk about this, because my answer may surprise you. The biggest misconception of eCommerce is the idea that putting up a website is the “do all, end all” of getting sales online. In reality, it’s just the beginning. Many people are shocked when they put so much time into getting their website set up, and designing the perfect layout before finally push...
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Tips & Talk 109 – The BEST Thing You Can Do to Increase Your Sales

April 5, 2023 • 8 mins
There are lots of ways to increase your sales but today I’m going to tell you what I believe to be the number one thing you should be doing to see your orders increase. What I have to say is going to be controversial because it goes against natural inclinations. It will feel like you’re wasting time on something small that will barely move the needle. Except you’ll think differently when you see the results.

Resources Menti...

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416 – Raise Your Radiance to Raise Your Revenue with Angela Jia Kim

April 1, 2023 • 58 mins
Today's episode is guaranteed to bring more beauty and richness into your life. This show is a special one because it brings two different but connected messages your way. An inspiring start-up story that illustrates just how far you can go starting from your home. We also explore the ancient Korean belief about health and wellness. You'll get an inside look into self-care tips to enhance your inner and outer beauty, whic...
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    Tips & Talk 108 – Do You Have the Next Big Idea?

    March 29, 2023 • 12 mins
    I wish I would have thought of that! Or maybe you did, but now someone else has actually turned your idea into a product and it’s catching the world by storm. The old saying is true, ideas come a dime a dozen. But they don’t mean anything unless you take action. It’s the person who stops in their tracks and makes a decision to claim the new idea and follows-through with its development who is the winner. Towards that end, I’m...
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    415 – Lighten Up Your Email Copy for More Opens and Sales with Liz Wilcox

    March 25, 2023 • 63 mins
    Today’s show might just be the game changer you’ve been hoping for if you know you should send regular emails but that’s where it ends. You tell yourself you’ll get to it in the future and then bump it back week after week until it finally drops from the list. Or you’ve sent out a few emails, maybe even years ago, and just couldn’t make the connection with the effort put into results that make it worth it. This all cha...
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    Tips & Talk 107 – The Truth (Illusion) About Growing Your Business

    March 22, 2023 • 11 mins
    This desire to stretch for more and more has been ingrained in us over the decades. The thinking that bigger is better. You were exhilarated when you made your first sale. And from there the focus was on getting another sale … and then another one. And when that happens, then you start thinking about how you can grow even faster and bigger. Always looking for that next level. Think back to why you started your handmade business....
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    414 – A New Look at User Generated Content with Lauren Schwartz

    March 18, 2023 • 49 mins
    Do you know what user-generated content is and how can it help you in your handmade business? User-generated content deserves more attention because understanding and utilizing this content creation strategy can help you more easily create customer communications and add depth and variety to the messages you send out. The beauty is, user-generated content can be used in all touchpoints from social media posts, to email co...
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    Tips & Talk 106 – A Different Way to Look at Your Competition

    March 15, 2023 • 9 mins
    Competition is not something you need to fear. There are actually advantages to being in a well-known and established industry. I explain why and how to look at your competition differently. The emotion and feeling of discomfort comes up when you don’t have a plan to tackle competitive situations. Here’s why competition is a good thing and what you can do to be the star when in the midst of all the others.

    Resources Mention...

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    413 – Email Marketing Strategies to Increase Sales with Laura and Adam of Pink Leopard

    March 11, 2023 • 54 mins
    By now, you've probably noticed the uptick in people talking about the importance of email marketing. That's because (dare I say it?) email is even more important than social media! In fact, email is your key to predictable and growing monthly sales. It’s one thing to understand the importance of email in theory but another to know how to use it to your advantage in your business. Thankfully, today’s guests are going to s...
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    Tips & Talk 105 – The Power of Being Likeable

    March 8, 2023 • 8 mins
    Being likeable. Sometimes that’s all you need to make a sale. And if you describe yourself as an introvert, this is a reason to push past this self-limiting label. Because you have no chance of being likeable if someone doesn’t have the ability to get to know you. 95% of buying decisions are made based on emotion. Neuroscience confirms it. Given this, why do we focus so much on talking about all the specifics of our products if ...
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    412 – Looking for an Upgraded Alternative to Etsy? with Jon Lincoln of goimagine

    March 4, 2023 • 58 mins
    If you're looking for your first (or new) home for your eCommerce website - you need to tune in, because this episode is just for you! Today we’re talking about a new eCommerce platform ONLY for handmade creators that offers options not available anywhere else. I say they’re new but they have solid experience under their belt from the last two years of startup and growth. So, what should pique your interest? First, Jon...
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    Tips & Talk 104 – A Discussion on Large versus Small Craft Shows

    March 1, 2023 • 10 mins
    We are so lucky in our industry of handmade to have what feels like endless options for face-to face-selling. Today let’s talk about the size of a show and how that can affect your success. You may initially thing that larger shows will bring greater results but that’s not always the case. Both large and small shows are worth considering. Testing is always the only way to know if a show will work for you … but there are thing...
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    411 – 150 Craft Shows in 3 Years! with Grant and Jennifer Anderson

    February 25, 2023 • 60 mins
    This week's show is pretty exciting. As you saw from the title, my guests have participated in 150 in-person shows over just the past 3 years! Given that level of activity, you know they have a ton of experience and a wealth of insights to share. You'll also hear about their unexpected start in business, how they merged into a husband and wife business team, and what they expect in the future. This conversation is jam-pack...

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    Tips & Talk 103 – Increase Your Confidence and Enthusiasm

    February 22, 2023 • 11 mins
    Do you underestimate confidence and enthusiasm? I realize these are two entirely separate things, but they do go hand in hand in your business and can seriously impact your progress and the success you’ll see in the long run. Let’s define each of these first - so we’re on the same page in terms of what I’m talking about. Then I’ll go into how they affect your business and what you can do to leverage each characteristic for your ...
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    410 – Start Your Handmade Business from Scratch with Robin Lee Adams

    February 18, 2023 • 50 mins
    I met Robin at the Chicago One of a Kind Show. She captured my attention for a couple of reasons. Her display drew me in and made me curious about her product. It’s a combination of two other products merged into one. I got just enough information to know I wanted her on the show. That’s how I like to do this when considering a guest I don’t already know. That way our conversation here is genuine. I need to know enough to ens...
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    Tips & Talk 102 – Are You Doing This Backwards?

    February 15, 2023 • 9 mins
    It makes sense that for most things in life it’s best if you start at the very beginning, except when it comes to one very important part of your business - the messaging you use to sell your products. In this case, you want to flip the script. It's the old features/benefit story. Describing your product in this way gives them all the specifics to choose and place an order. But they may not be interested in that just yet. Here’s...
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    409 – Bath Bombs and a Million Dollar Amazon Business with Ashley Kinkead

    February 11, 2023 • 41 mins
    Today we're talking about how to start an Amazon business - or maybe collaborate with one to sell more of your handmade products. I like to present you with all sorts of options for starting a business of your own. And while we focus mostly on traditional handmade product selling, there are other ways of going about this. It’s all about what you want out of your business and how it fits overall into your full life. So, tod...
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    Tips & Talk 101 – Stop Posing!

    February 8, 2023 • 8 mins
    What do you do when a camera points your way? Probably the same as most people. Do you find yourself totally changing your behavior? It’s like now you have to be “on,” and you analyze and adjust so you’re captured in the best way. While all these tricks make for great photos that show your best self and ones you don’t shy away from, they’re not the best ones for your business. What is natural for you to do when a camera is point...
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