A recent study showed that it takes American salespeople longer than most around the world to close a deal. Another study recently showed that backed up collections from overdue invoices can really burden a small business.

If only there were an event that addressed both these issues. Well, there is. And it’s coming up soon.

The “Make it Rain Money” webinar on March 13 will offer advice on closing deals faster and speeding up the collection process. The event is sponsored by DocuSign.

This is just one of a growing list of events geared to improving your small business. Check out the others in this week’s small business events roundup. To see a full list or to submit your own event, contest or award listing, visit the Small Business Events Calendar.

Featured Events, Contests and Awards

WEBINAR: “Make it Rain Money: Close Deals Faster and Speed Up Collections”
March 13, 2018, Online

Would you like to bring revenue in the door faster? Do you want every edge possible to get paid fast? Register today for this webinar to learn how other small businesses are eliminating their pain points in the contract and invoicing process, through use of electronic signature and invoicing apps. Walk away with concrete tips for how to get contracts signed and invoices paid faster. Plus, get access to DocuSign whitepapers with actionable ideas for how to improve YOUR company’s systems. Register today!

Spring 2018 Franchise Business Expo. Meet with Top Franchisors!
March 27, 2018, Lafayette, CA

Don’t miss an exclusive opportunity meet face to face with select franchisors expanding in the SF Bay Area. The first 50 attendees will receive a free copy of E-Myth Revisited. All attendees will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win an iPad!

Entrepreneurs Cruise 2018
April 22, 2018, Orlando, FL

Are you an Entrepreneur and need to get away and take a break? Ready to recharge, rejuvenate in new surroundings and be inspired by other like minds? Then, you can’t miss the 4th annual Entrepreneurs Cruise! Entrepreneurs Cruise 2018 takes place April 22nd to 29th, 2018 onboard the Royal Caribbean ‘Oasis of the Seas’ Cruise Ship departing Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida, sailing to Philipsburg (St. Maarten), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Labadee (Haiti). Register today!

DigiMarCon East 2018 – Digital Marketing Conference
May 10, 2018, New York City

DigiMarCon East 2018 Digital Marketing Conference takes place May 10th to 11th, 2018 at the luxurious New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square, New York City.
It’s the one digital marketing event you can’t afford to miss! Whether your goal is to reinforce customer loyalty, improve lead generation, increase sales, or drive stronger consumer engagement, DigiMarCon East 2018’s agenda will help attendees enhance their marketing efforts. Sessions will focus on building traffic, expanding brand awareness, improving customer service and gaining insight into today’s latest digital tools. Register today!

TECHSPO Houston 2018
June 6, 2018, Houston, Texas

TECHSPO Houston 2018 is a 2-day technology expo which takes place JUNE 6 – 7, 2018 at the luxurious Houston Marriott . TECHSPO Houston brings together developers, brands, marketers, technology providers, designers, innovators and evangelists looking to set the pace in our advanced world of technology. TECHSPO Houston 2018 promises to be better than ever and we’re excited to see all the amazing tech companies and talent that will join us. Register today!

Growth & Success Con
September 17, 2018, Online

This small business virtual conference is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs at all stages who are stuck in the daily grind of building their businesses and struggle to get solid advice and guidance. An amazing panel of experts in various disciplines and business coaches will share tips & tricks on topics including Growth, Marketing, Management & Business Building for Success. Register today!

More Events

• Free Westchester Elite Networking powered by Rockstar Connect
  March 6, 2018, White Plains, NY
• SharpHeels: Small Business Summit
  March 8, 2018, San Diego, CA
• Making Cents: Financial Empowerment for Single Mothers With Shalom Bay
  March 8, 2018, San Rafael, CA
• Inland Empire Job Fair, March 8, 2018
  March 8, 2018, Online
• The Creativity Workshop in Florence
  March 10, 2018, Florence, Italy
• TMS 2018 Annual Meeting and Exhibition
  March 11, 2018, Phoenix, AZ
• Cyber Risk Governance Conference, New York March 2018
  March 13, 2018, Online
• University of San Francisco School of Management Open House
  March 14, 2018, Online
• ClimateCon 2018
  March 16, 2018, Asheville, NC
• Bootstrappers: Grow Your Business Even If You Are An Introvert
  March 20, 2018, Sunnyvale, CA
• LEAP Tech Talent Conference, San Francisco 2018
  March 20, 2018, San Francisco, CA
• Dig Deep: Unconventional Ways to Grow Your Brand Webinar
  March 22, 2018, Online
• The 6th Annual Responsible Business Summit New York 2018
  March 26, 2018, New York City
• 28th Annual Art and Science of Health Promotion Conference
  March 26, 2018, San Diego, CA
• Cryptoconomy Summit, Tampa 2018
  March 28, 2018, Tampa, FL
• XLIVE – Event Data and Analytics Summit 2018 – Eventtech Conference Las Vegas
  April 3, 2018, Beverly Hills, CA
• Ecommerce Operations Summit 2018
  April 3, 2018, Columbus, OH
• ESG4 Summit Environmental Social Governance Conference, New York April 2018
  April 4, 2018, New York City
• Health and Benefits Leadership Conference
  April 4, 2018, Las Vegas
• 7th International Conference on Business and Economic Development (ICBED)
  April 9, 2018, New York City

More Contests

• Public Vote to Crown America’s Most Unique Small Business Underway
  November 08, 2018

This weekly listing of small business events, contests and awards is provided as a community service by Small Business Trends and SmallBizTechnology.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “Get Tips on Closing Deals Faster at an Upcoming ‘Make it Rain’ Webinar” was first published on Small Business Trends

There isn’t just one way to increase sales for your business. There are low-cost strategies, new online platforms and important support functions you need to keep in mind in order to build sustainable success. Here are some tips from members of the online small business community for increasing sales and growing your business.

Increase Sales on a Tight Budget

Increasing sales doesn’t have to be a costly process. There are plenty of strategies that businesses with tight budgets can make use of to get more prospects and convert them into customers. Michael Zhou elaborates in this DIY Marketers post.

Generate Leads from YouTube Live

Livestreaming holds a lot of potential for sales professionals to grow their networks and convert sales online. Specifically, YouTube Live offers a large network of viewers and a lot of interesting features. Learn more in this post by Neil Patel.

Use This Checklist for Social Media Strategy Success

If you want to grow your business and increase sales using social media, you need a great strategy. To create such a strategy, here’s a simple checklist to provide guidance from Dhariana Lozano. You can also see what BizSugar members are saying about the post.

Increase Ecomerce Sales with Shopping Apps

A recent report suggests retailers with shopping apps are now seeing more of their sales come from mobile. So this could be a powerful tactic for businesses to utilize. See the data and learn how it can benefit your business in a recent Marketing Land post.

Don’t Let Your Customer Service Strategy Make Things Worse

Some businesses attempt to get creative with their customer service, relying on forums and bots to provide answers when customers have tech issues or questions. However, you need to make sure these strategies provide actual value to customers, or else it could do some damage to your brand. In a recent Target Marketing post, Thorin McGee shares a story to illustrate this point.

Improve Your Customers’ Shipping Experience

When you’re selling online, shipping is a huge part of the customer experience. So you need to eliminate issues as much as possible and create a process that makes them want to buy from you again. Ivan Widjaya offers some tips in a Biz Epic post.

Make the Most of Instagram Stories for Your Business

Social media can also make an impact on your ability to make sales, especially on platforms where you can authentically speak to and interact with customers — like Instagram Stories. If you’re looking to make the most of Instagram Stories, here are some tips from Michael Steizner on Social Media Examiner.

Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Employee Morale

Your sales team and the rest of your employees are integral to the success of your business. So you need to always keep employee morale top of mind. James Daniels explains its importance in a post on the Pixel Productions blog. And BizSugar members share commentary on the post too.

Use These Strategies to Beat Big Brands

As a small business, it can be difficult to compete in markets with much larger competitors. However, some recent data might offer helpful strategies small brands can use to level the playing field. Learn more in a recent Search Engine Journal post by Roger Montti.

Crush Your B2B Social Media Marketing

For some businesses, increasing sales isn’t just about going after individual consumers. There are also strategies for attracting new B2B customers on social media platforms. Here are some of the top tips from Blair Evan Ball on the Prepare 1 blog.

If you’d like to suggest your favorite small business content to be considered for an upcoming community roundup, please send your news tips to: sbtips@gmail.com.

Image: Shutterstock

This article, “10 Tips for Creating a Sustainable Sales Strategy” was first published on Small Business Trends

Maddy Birch was only looking to earn some extra spending money — not build an business or obtain some valuable entrepreneurship and career skills. But that’s exactly what she did when she began selling her old lacrosse equipment on online sporting goods marketplace SidelineSwap.

One Way for Kids to Make Money

Birch, a 16-year-old high school student, originally heard about SidelineSwap from her brother a couple years ago. But at the time she didn’t think much of it. Then when she was looking to earn a little extra income this year, she thought about all the expensive lacrosse goalie equipment she had in her garage.

Birch said in a phone interview with Small Business Trends, “In the past I had just gone to Play It Again Sports or a store like that [to trade in the equipment], and I was just sick of getting only like $30 back on a $100 helmet. I thought about using Craigslist, but it was too broad and it can be unsafe. So then I remembered my brother had told me about SidelineSwap.”

After making her first sale, Birch was pleased with the return on her investment and the relative ease of the process. So she kept going. Since then, she’s made about $1,930 from selling 15 different pieces of equipment to buyers on the site.

However, the experience hasn’t been without challenges. Birch admits she started to get a bit impatient while waiting for her first sale. Additionally, she’s learned how difficult it can be to please every customer, especially in the days of instant gratification where many expect their purchases to be shipped on the same day they buy. But she says patience and adaptability have been key to her success on the site.

She also encourages other high school athletes or young people to start selling their own used items on SidelineSwap or a similar platforms.

Birch says, “It’s just so easy and you can make a decent amount of money. A lot of people I’ve talked to think it’s not worth the time or they don’t have time to list stuff, but once you go through all of that and get everything listed you realize how easy it is to get that gear up and then it really pays off in the end.”

While Birch has certainly enjoyed her experience of selling sporting goods online, it hasn’t led to any other entrepreneurial dreams for the teen. She plans on going to college and majoring in sports management. However, she says that selling and browsing on SidelineSwap has turned into a fun side hustle for her she certainly plans to continue. The site has a specific niche in sporting goods, but also includes some tech products like headphones which could lead to more opportunities for Birch in finding products to list going forward.

Even if owning a more official business isn’t in her future, Birch’s experience has helped her gain some valuable customer service and communication skills, which can apply to tons of different potential career paths. In addition, the initiative she had to take in starting this side hustle is certainly something to be proud of, whether she chooses to pursue other entrepreneurial endeavors or not.

Images: Maddy Birch

This article, “Kidpreneur Maddy Birch Builds Business Selling Used Lacrosse Equipment Online” was first published on Small Business Trends

Unlike other books on gender equality in the workplace, Disrupters: Success Strategies from Women Who Break the Mold, doesn’t focus on changing policies or legislation to fix the modern workplace. Disrupters focuses on what women can do now to make an impact. Dr. Patti Fletcher adopts a daring, solution-focused approach that showcases women who are breaking the glass ceiling without waiting.

Disrupters is a book for women who are ready and willing to change the world of work now, rather than later.

What is Disrupters About?

As Dr. Patti Fletcher shares, the full potential of women in the workplace has not been realized. Despite all of the policies, speeches, conferences and op-ed pieces, women are still not even close to being equal to their male counterparts in the workplace. This inequality shows up in the way we talk about women in the workplace, the way we pay them, and the way women communicate with others while at work. It affects almost every aspect of work — and at every level.

Breaking free of these limitations involves becoming a disrupter. If women can’t reach their full potential by playing by the rules, it’s time to break them.

To showcase how disruption looks, the book shares the story of women who didn’t follow the traditional path to success. The women in Fletcher’s book didn’t just work their way up the corporate ladder. They went sideways. They created their own career ladders. They jumped from one career ladder to another. Whenever the women featured in Disrupters faced an obstacle, they found a way around or through the obstacle using what they had.

These women achieved their success, their way.

In sharing the stories and lessons of these trailblazing women, Disrupters highlights the fact that success for women in the workplace is more than promoting a woman to the C-suite. Success for women in the workplace is about disrupting the unwritten script for women at work. It’s about opening more options and closing doors on fixed mindsets that emphasize gender at the expense of potential.

Fletcher shares the stories of these women, not because they are extraordinary (which they are). She shares their stories because she wants their extraordinary experiences to one day become ordinary.

Fletcher is an experienced business executive whose career exemplifies the success discussed in her book. Currently, she works as a writer, speaker, corporate advisor, board member, angel investor and Executive-in-Residence at Babson College.

What Was Best About Disrupters?

Fletcher’s passion for empowering women at work shines throughout Disrupters. It appears when she boldly confronts the lack of progress in the past (and present) regarding workplace gender equality. That being said, this criticism doesn’t dampen her hope about the future of women or their ability to carve out their own place at work. As a result, Fletcher creates a book that is realistic, optimistic, and forward-thinking at the same time.

What Could Have Been Done Differently?

Like the message behind the book, the format for Disrupters isn’t a linear progression from goal to achievement. In other words, it isn’t a book designed for women who want a quick “how to reach the C-suite in X years” guide. Neither is the book a guide for leaders who want straightforward solutions to creating gender-inclusive policies. Fletcher wants to display how women have reached their current level of success through interviews so that readers can draw their own conclusions.

Why Read Disrupters?

Disrupters deserves attention because of its unique response to the “women at work” issue. There are many books about gender equality, but they often approach the issue from the same angle. Fletcher’s Disrupters is different. It’s bold, authentic, realistic and clear. Readers get a book that challenges both the individual, the workplace and society as a whole. On top of that, Fletcher’s format of letting the women speak for themselves is also a unique feature. This combination of boldness and narrative makes Disrupters a very unique response to the nagging problem of gender inequality in the workplace.

This article, “Disrupters Shows How Women Can Shatter the Glass Ceiling – on Their Own” was first published on Small Business Trends

Do you get involved in discussions on the internet? Or do you just read something and move along?

It seems these days it’s getting harder to stay out of discussions — let’s call them discussions — on the web. But not all these discussions are toxic or involve trolls.

That’s right. Sometimes they are actual constructive conversations based on a great article people have read. And every once in a while, it’s impossible to tear yourself away from a great conversation on a social media post.

Your social media or business blog strategy should at least partially involve creating an engaged audience. So  your goal might be to start a conversation like this — perhaps about your brand.

But then again, social media can also be a time sink. Are you spending too much time on these social media conversations? How much is too much?

So, in this week’s poll question, we want to know if you get involved in these discussions. Or do you stay out of them altogether, for better or worse? Let us know the frequency of your social media and blog comments by answering the question below.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “(POLL) How Often Do You Comment on Social Media and Blogs?” was first published on Small Business Trends

At Mobile World Congress 2018, Samsung grabbed the headlines with its Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphones. but it wasn’t the only company. Huawei also made a splash with 5G notebooks and new tablet.

In other technology news, 5G continues to make waves across the country. Businesses of all sizes are eager to see if the technology delivers on all the hype surrounding it.

You can read the gadgets Samsung and Huawei presented at Mobile World Congress 2018, as well as this week’s Small Business Trends news and information roundup.

Mobile

ASUS Announces ZenFone 5 and 5Z Smartphones with Options for Small Businesses

ASUS unveiled the new ZenFone 5 Series at Mobile World Conference 2018 recently with a lineup of four phones addressing different budgets and needs – and there may be something here for small businesses too. The Zenfone 5 and 5Z are getting the most attention because of the features and the price, as well as the same notch seen on the iPhone X.

Huawei 5G Mobile Tablets and Touchscreen Notebook Serve Businesses with Remote Workers

The new Huawei notebook and tablet announced at the 2018 Mobile World Congress, Feb. 2018 through Match 1,  have been designed with connectivity and portability in mind. And the Huawei 5G CPE (customer-premises equipment) gets you ready for true 5G with the globally recognized 3GPP telecommunications standard.

Intel Says 5G Mobile PCs Coming But Will Price be Business Friendly?

In the second half of 2019, Intel’s collaboration with Dell, HP, Lenovo and Microsoft will deliver 5G always-connected Windows PCs. But given the functionality and the cost of these new devices, will your business be interested?  Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) announced it would be demonstrating the new PCs at Mobile World Congress 2018 Feb. 26 to March 1 in Barcelona.

Are Samsung S9 and S9+ Priced for Your Small Business Budget?

With $1,000 becoming the norm for high-end flagship phones, making them business friendly is a challenge, especially for small businesses.

Are LG’s New Budget Friendly Smartphones with Premium Features Right for Your Business?

The end of February in the mobile world means the time has come for the Mobile World Congress. And for the 2018 event, LG has come out early in announcing the new features of its K8 and K10 series of affordable smartphones. 2018 K8 and K10 Phones Are Coming Classified as mass-tier smartphones by LG, the K8 and K10 have been enhanced with more premium features.

More Tech

DreamHost Targets Small Businesses with New Managed WordPress Services

Web hosting company DreamHost is targeting small businesses using WordPress for their web presence by splitting DreamPress into three different tiers to give these businesses more options for running and managing their websites. DreamPress is a Managed WordPress service created by DreamHost in its open source cloud platform, DreamCompute.

Panasonic Debuts New High-Performance Scanner Designed for Small Business

Small businesses that struggle and lose a lot of time digitizing their paper documents and other paperwork may have another solution on the market. Panasonic High Performance Document Scanner for Small Businesses Panasonic has just introduced a high performance scanner to digitize paper documents at 30 pages per minute.

Teamwork Chat App Promises Better Business Collaboration – for Free!

Teamwork has rebuilt its Android and iOS chat app from the ground up so it is more responsive when users are on their mobile devices. In rebuilding the app from scratch, Teamwork Chat has been redesigned natively with the Android and iOS ecosystem in mind.

Key Stats

Restaurant Owners Learn 60% of Consumers Will Judge Them On Food Quality

Offering your restaurant customers the newest and fastest ways to pay or book a table is a great perk. In fact, there are lots of emerging restaurant tech options for owners to offer their customers and help run their business more smoothly. But one factor trumps all those — food quality.

Only 14% of Businesses Have Basic Mobile Security in Place

Only 14 percent of respondents in a recent survey say their organizations currently use even the most basic cybersecurity businesses. The survey was conducted by mobile carrier Verizon (NYSE: VZ) in an  effort to raise awareness, not only of the mobile security landscape, but also of the growth of mobile computers among both consumers and businesses.

73 Percent of Businesses Completely or Partially Reliant on AI for Cybersecurity

The Cisco 2018 Annual Cybersecurity Report, now in its 11th year, reveals an increased dependence on automation, machine learning, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect potential cyber attacks.

Employment

Small Businesses in Wichita Get 63 Percent More Job Applications than Larger Competitors

Having a hiring advantage in this tight labor market is a definite plus, and if your small business is located in Wichita, KS, it is 63 percent more likely to get applications over large companies. This data comes from ZipRecruiter’s analysis of around 5.5 million job posts on its platform comparing small and large companies hiring for similar positions.

ZipRecruiter and ADP Partner to Make Small Businesses More Competitive in Hiring

A new partnership will integrate ZipRecruiter’s online employment marketplace platform with ADP’s RUN Powered HR packages. Together they will allow small businesses to quickly find the talent they need inside their HR and payroll solution.

Retail Trends

Brick-and-Mortar Stores See Sales Slump in January

The New Year didn’t start out well for brick and mortar retail stores across the United States. Sales declined 7.0 percent year over year combined with a 4.4 percent drop in traffic. The numbers mark the fourth time in six months sales numbers dropped quicker than those for traffic.

Sales

Salesforce Sales Cloud Integration with Google Analytics 360 Gives Businesses More Insight

The partnership formed by Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) in November of 2017 has resulted in the first of many integrations. This particular one can import data directly into Google Analytics 360 from Salesforce’s Sales Cloud. For marketers managing leads, this change will offer a comprehensive view of the customer journey to conversion.

New Zoho Chatbot Zia Geared for Small Business Sales Teams

There’s a new AI chatbot geared specifically to small business sales teams. Zia Voice will do everything from analyzing email sentiment to answering questions on new leads, deal revenue, and monthly forecasts. The additions to Zoho’s AI-powered sales assistant provides a voice interface so sales people get the info they need without having to look at a screen.

Small Biz Spotlight

Spotlight: Planting Seeds Tutoring Creates a Business from Helping Students

Not all students learn in the same way. So having some personalized help can be a major benefit. Planting Seeds Tutoring specializes in offering that type of personalized tutoring service — meeting students in their homes, in libraries, or even working with them online. The company looks to build relationships and help students get excited about learning.

Small Business Operations

Hangouts Chat added to G Suite Providing More Small Business Collaboration Option

Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Hangouts Chat is now available after months of beta testing with companies enrolled in its Early Adopter Program. Google Hangouts Chat is out of Beta A year after Google overhauled Hangouts, the Slack-like chat capabilities of this app are going to allow teams to come together along with the G Suite of services.

Having A Clean Business Can Improve Your Sales

If you have ever watched one of those cleaning shows like ”How Clean is your House” or ”Extreme Hoarders,” then you know how easy it is to accumulate dirt and grime in a room. While this doesn’t sound like a problem that could affect a business, you’d be surprised at how common the dirt problem is, especially among smaller organizations.

Cisco, Apple, Aon and Allianz Work to Shield Small Businesses From Cyber Attack

A new partnership between Cisco, Apple, Aon and Allianz seeks to protect small businesses from the growing threat of cyberattack. The threat to small business is growing, with around 43 percent of all cyber attacks squarely aimed at this segment.

Marketing

Brands Make Decisions on NRA Support, What Should Your Small Business Do?

The data says your company should probably voice its opinion on the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida. If not that specifically, then at least the debate on gun control and gun laws. In a recent survey from Sprout Social, 66 percent of consumers say it’s important for companies to take stands on issues like this.

Startup

‘Small Business Revolution – Main Street’ Returns for Third Season

Have you seen “Small Business Revolution — Main Street”? It’s the show where a whopping $500,000 revitalization prize is awarded to one city, by Deluxe Corp. This month, Small Business Trends connected with Amanda Brinkman from the program to discuss its third season, which begins later this year with co-host Ty Pennington.

Taxes

Time is Running Out! Remember These 5 Tax Challenges and the Solutions to Overcome Them

It’s tax season, and that means small business owners everywhere are starting to worry about how and when they’ll file their year-end returns.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “In the News: Big Tech Companies Release New Smartphones, Gadgets for Small Business” was first published on Small Business Trends

With income tax season approaching, it’s time to make sure you’re up to date with tax deductions permitted by the IRS and those putting your business in hot water.

So before you fire up that tax filing software or go to meet with your tax adviser, be sure to read the freshly updated tax information below.

2018 Small Business Tax Deductions

While some things are the same, others have either changed or are about to thanks to new legislation. We’ve teamed up with Small Business Trends tax columnist Barbara Weltman to provide you with the latest.

There are some perfectly acceptable tax deductions you can claim for your small business including:

• Salaries and wages
• Costs for contract labor
• Depreciation
• Rent on your business property

And others may be expenses but cannot be claimed as deductions without raising the ire of tax examiners:

• Clothing for work
• Travel to and from the office
• Gifts to customers, business associates and vendors
• Fines and penalties

What’s more, changes in the newly passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act mean changes in allowable deductions come thee 2018 tax year. But They’re probably things you should know about now for your planning throughout the year.

Will you still be able to deduct reimbursements for employees’ commuting costs, reimbursements for employee relocation costs or entertainment costs — like taking a client to a theatrical or sporting event? Don’t miss these updated articles to find out!

Barbara is an author, attorney and tax expert who serves as a professional advocate for small businesses. She publishes a monthly newsletter, “Big Ideas for Small  Business” and is writer of 25 books, including the popular “J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes” and “J.K. Lasser’s 1001 Deductions & Tax Breaks.”  

Read her updated versions of the articles Top 20 Tax Deductions for Small Business and Perfectly Legitimate Business Expenses You Can’t Deduct here at Small Business Trends.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “Small Business Tax Secrets Revealed: Learn More with this Updated Expert Advice” was first published on Small Business Trends

Amazon launched its Amazon Handmade page back in 2015. Since then, it has become one of the premier online destinations for handmade artisans looking to sell their goods.

Rachel O’Neill is one of those artisans. She runs the online shop Loftipop, which sells art prints and other printed goods like mugs featuring her designs. Here are some of the things she’s learned over the years that might help other handmade business owners make use of the platform.

Develop a Great Product Line

Like any other type of business, you need to offer something really valuable if you want to succeed. That doesn’t change just because you’re selling on a major platform like Amazon. So do some research on the types of products you might be interested in selling and then come up with a way to differentiate your own offerings to provide real value to your customers.

Read About the Features of the Platform

Even though the basics of your business might be the same regardless of the selling platform, there are some things that are specific to Amazon Handmade. So O’Neill recommends doing some research before you jump in so you understand all of the specific features and how you can make them work for your particular shop.

She says, “The first thing I did was I went into the seller forums and read through to get other people’s expertise. I read through all of the handmade information and seller support resources. Amazon Handmade also has a style guide so you can get a feel for how you’re supposed to list products, what types of pictures to use, SEO, everything.”

Complete Your Application

Before you can actually start selling on Amazon Handmade, you have to apply. The application process takes about half an hour and requires you to fill out some basic information and upload photos of your products. So you should be prepared with great photos and ideas about your products before getting started.

Amazon Handmade also uses a vetting process to make sure artisans participating on the page are selling only genuinely factory-free handcrafted items. Though this is an extra hurtle when applying, it will insure your products are not competing with mass produced products being passed off as handmade.

Start Listing Products

Of course, listing actual products is another essential step in the process. The seller portal sort of walks you through this process. So just make sure to fill out all of the information completely and accurately, and follow Amazon’s style guide so you can have a better chance of getting your products found.

Make Adjustments as You Go

No shop is going to be perfect right from the start. So while it’s good to do some initial research, don’t let the process drag on too long. You can also learn a lot through trial and error.

O’Neill says, “Just get started. Once you see what’s working and what’s not, you can update your listings or make changes to your shop.”

Keep Up with New Features

Since Amazon Handmade is still relatively new, it’s constantly evolving with new features and capabilities. You can keep up with these by remaining engaged with the website and forums. Even if there are some things that the educational materials on Amazon don’t offer, you can still get answers to specific questions by reaching out to the customer service team.

O’Neill says, “Every time I come across something I don’t know, I ask a question in the forums. It’s been a great resource.”

Keep Your Options Open

One of the benefits of selling on Amazon is that you don’t have to use the platform exclusively. You can expand your selling channels by also using Etsy, setting up your own website, or even selling at craft fairs or similar events. Loftipop also has a shop on Etsy, but O’Neill says that selling on Amazon Handmade has given her business a significant addition to its existing revenue stream.

Focus on Images

Visuals are an important part of any ecommerce shop. Amazon Handmade recommends adding multiple images to every product listing. The company’s style guide also includes some suggestions for how to format your images based on your specific type of product. For example, some products like jewelry sell better if you include at least one image that shows the scale, or how it looks on an actual person.

Don’t Forget About SEO

Amazon also has some guidelines when it comes to making your products accessible via search. Including keywords in product titles, tags, and descriptions can definitely help. But Amazon’s algorithm also takes into account things like price, shipping cost, rating and availability.

Look Into Fulfillment by Amazon

Of course, packing and shipping orders can take up a huge amount of time when you’re running an online handmade shop. But Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon program, where you can send in your products to fulfillment centers and have Amazon take care of sending out the orders, is also open to handmade business owners.

O’Neill says, “It helps artisans scale in a way that they traditionally wouldn’t be able to. It’s like having employees and a warehouse without having all of that added overhead.”

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “10 Steps to Creating a Business with Amazon Handmade” was first published on Small Business Trends