product pipeline

Today, I went into storage and pulled out all my old equipment, along with products I'd already made. Wrapped soaps, scented bath salts, colorful candles, and sewn teabags were all packaged away with the mixing bowls, scent and color bases, bamboo spoons, and my trusty postal weight scale. It was like getting out your old winter jacket, only to find $20 in the pocket; or better yet, finding a cardboard box in the back of the closet filled with pictures and momentos from years ago. I haven't seen this stuff all summer due to an inconvenient living situation, and now that I'm getting back into the swing of things, seeing the items I worked on all those months ago is feeding an excitement deep in me for this project again.

Along with the items and equipment, I found my product binder too. It was a small three-ring binder where I kept all the information on each product I made: materials and equipment needed for the creation, packaging ideas, pricing and order options, and customization ideas. I made sure to keep a record of inventory and approximate creation time, too. Everything I need to know is on the product page in that little black binder. Its like my crafter's bible!

After all this time, I've found that if you're some kind of seller, keeping detailed notes on the items you sell will solve so many problems later on. All your information is kept clear and organized and in one place for all sorts of reference. Keeping your books will be easier as well, knowing how much you spend to make an item and how much you sell it for. Calculating profit is easy, clear, and straightforward.

So, while looking through my product binder, I started brainstorming other ideas for items I could sell. Having a solid product base is very important. My product base is solid but pretty small, so I'm thinking of other items I could easily make and sell, ones that fit the concept for the shop (but concept will be another entry altogether). My items are fun, quirky, useful and affordable, and so I need to think along these lines when brainstorming ideas.

When tossing around product ideas, one of my favorite activities is to walk through the craft section of Walmart. A lot of people will tell you to browse other stores or websites that sell similar items or have similar concepts, but I'm not a big fan of that idea. If you want to be original and set yourself apart from other sellers, you need to come up with original and creative ideas on your own. And as much as I hate Walmart, I'll go to the craft section of the local store and just browse, taking materials off the shelves and combining them to see what combinations and crafts I come up with. I've had a few really ingenius ideas stemming from this method. Plus, this way, you can bargain shop for materials at the same time. Go through a discount bin and see just what you can make using $5, $3, or even just a buck. You'll be surprised at the things you can come up with when you're pushing your mind to be creative.