Another one stolen from Facebook. Honestly the best thing I ever did was treat my business like a hobby instead of vice versa.
So many people burn out or get discouraged from trying to profit from their hobbies, but I literally have my shop because art is a behavior for me, but I can't/don't need to keep everything I make, so my shop is just where all that stuff goes.
I started by store as a Facebook page at the age of 16, then made an Etsy, then put a good bit of effort into getting that shop more established on social media. But I never thought it was going to be my full time gig, and as life went on, and the time I had to put into self-advertising has become less consistent, I really have been treating the shop as a hobby, and that's part of what has helped it survive.
Like, when I get new supplies for my shop, I budget for that like it's my hobby. I assume no profit and then ask "can I afford to get all this?" I think that has saved my shop from closing while a lot of others I've interacted with over the years have because I don't fall into the trap of thinking "okay these supplies are $100, but I'll make $150 profit on what I'm going to make with them," only to find that stuff doesn't sell fast enough to give me back the $100 on a timeline that keeps me in business.
When you're a small shop with no physical storefront, you have very little ability to predict what will sell, and more importantly, when. You might get that full $150 three years later, but it doesn't help you in the year you spent $100 on supplies. I have stuff that's been in my shop for 5+ years.
So like if you're going to start a craft-based shop, I really suggest viewing it like a hobby that *might* make you some profit because that's kept me happier as a creative and has kept my shop alive while others have gone broke.
