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Congratulations! You’ve chosen a name for your handmade craft business and now you’re ready to start selling.
But, wait…
Have you already created a website, registered your business, and established a social media presence? These are three things you should do immediately after choosing a name for your handmade craft business. Let me walk you through what to do.
1. Register Your Domain Name
A domain name is your website name. It is the URL people type to find your business on the internet. Before you do anything else, you should register your domain name so that nobody can steal it from you.
Domain names cost around $15 per year. However, you can get a domain name for free if you sign up for hosting through Bluehost. By signing up through my affiliate link, you can get hosting and a domain name for only $3.95 per month. To run a website, you need both a domain name and hosting.
Now I know what you’re thinking…
Starting a website is scary and you’re not sure you even need one. Can’t you just sell your handmade products on Etsy?
You can sell on Etsy and other selling platforms. I’m not saying anything negative about them. However, you may eventually need a website dedicated to your handmade business. Doesn’t it make more sense to start one at the beginning of your journey? That way you can be collecting email addresses and building a loyal following for your brand. Those are things you can’t do well if you decide to sell exclusively on Etsy. Plus, someone might steal your domain name if you don’t snatch it quickly.
Creating a website is not as difficult as people make it sound. Web designers want you to think it is difficult because then they can charge you thousands of dollars to build a site for you. With Bluehost, you can install WordPress for free with one click and then get the WooCommerce plugin to create an online store. You really don’t need any computer programming skills. Yes, you’ll have to play around with the settings to make everything look nice, but you can do it yourself.
Are you still scared? Bluehost has a WooCommerce plan for $6.95 per month where they will set up your complete ecommerce site for you. Then all you have to do is fill in the information about your business and list your products.
Even if you are going to sell on Etsy, I recommend you also get a business website. It will help you build your brand and grow faster. If you’re serious about making money from your handmade craft business, you need a website!
2. Register Your Business and Apply to Trademark Your Company
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and do not provide legal advice about registering or trademarking your business.
Each state has different rules for setting up and registering a business. Most have a website where you can search for business names and find your state’s guidelines. Start by performing a search of your Secretary of State’s records to see if your business name exists. Then, fill out the paperwork and pay the fee to get your business registered.
You’ll need to choose whether your business is going to be an LLC (limited liability company), an LP (limited partnership), a nonprofit, or a corporation. You also might want to trademark your company. Perform a search on USPTO.org to get a sense of whether you can trademark your name or not.
3. Snatch All Your Social Media Profiles
Just like you want to grab your domain name, you should also get a business profile set up on all the major social media platforms. Even if you don’t plan to be active on all of them, you should still make an effort to snatch your name before someone else does. You don’t want somebody else posting under your name or making money from your brand.
Facebook is a must, but at the very least you should also get business profiles on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Also consider getting a profile on all of the handmade selling sites you plan to use, such as Etsy.
Once you have your name secured around the internet, you can start selling your products. Good luck! Many handmade craft business owners make a full-time income. It’s a dream you can make come true with lots of hard work.
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Thank you this is very to the point and fairly easy to follow. I have been struggling and do want this set up to be overwhelming and time consuming as I would rather be creating product.