Once you know you make a good handmade product, how do you know what to do next? According to Alana Rivera, you hone your skills before “jumping over the edge.” Alana started her handmade bath + body company, Etta and Billie in San Francisco, while she still had a traditional job. Today, not only has she quit the job, but she's opened a new studio, hired employees, and landed her products in several popular online and brick and mortar and retail stores around the country.
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Hone your skills before jumping over the edge.
”
Alana Rivera, Etta + Billie
Season 1, Episode 2: Show Notes
Here are few of the things Alana and I discussed in this episode.
- Honing your entrepreneurial and leadership skills before jumping over the edge.
- Staying connected locally.
- Focusing on doing what you love and what you're good at, and hire people to do the rest.
- Using social media wisely … and which tool is Alana's personal favorite these days.
- Embracing (instead of fighing against) how large retailers work if you want to “scale up your game.”
- Hiring employees and virtual assistants to help you grow.
- Opening a new manufacturing studio, and choosing a location. Alana found hers on Craig's List.
- Alana's top challenge and how she overcomes it daily.
Here are links to the resources mentioned in this episode
Manufacturing: San Francisco Made
Business help: Small Business Administration
Online handmade product sales platform: Etsy
Online craft product sales platform: Brika
Online American made product sales platform: Martha Stewart American Made Ebay Market (this site has moved to Amazon, at this link)
#IndieCruise Mastermind: #IndieCruise
Renegade brand of craft fairs: Renegade Chicago and Renegade San Francisco
Trade show: San Francisco International Gift Fair
Garden store: Terrain
Connect with Alana and Etta+Billie
Etta + Billie on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram
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