2015 Annual Income Report For a Handmade Business

Unlock a Profitable Handmade Business
in Just 12 Weeks Without Using Etsy
or Social Media

FREE WORKSHOP

This workshop is for anyone who makes and sells a handmade or physical product, including jewelry designers, artists, paper designers, bath & body product makers  and more!

What You'll Discover

The #1 mistake people make with Etsy & social media that causes shops to FLOP

 The secret to making it with your handmade shop so it's no longer just a hobby

How to make sales in your handmade shop with ease so you can finally get to 6-figures

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  1. Michelle says:

    Thank you so much for sharing this! This year was my first official year in business and I did pretty well I think. I did spend a lot on products and ensuring I had enough for the holiday season – since November/December, I did over 1500 sales in two months.

    I think this puts a bit into perspective, since things are not always a sure bet. (Especially when it comes to hiring outside help for marketing, craftshows etc.) I’ve been debating on if I should hire someone for next years holiday rush; I think I might just have family help me and stock up through out the year for holiday stuff. (Even though I actually had been ordering/planning since July, for this holiday season.) The money made from the holidays this year, is going to getting a bigger apartment, so I can have my official room for my office and the space to grow.

    • Mei says:

      Hey Michelle!

      Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad to hear your Christmas went well! How exciting to be apartment hunting and moving into a bigger place.

      What I’m learning from having outsourced to overseas contractors, trained in house assistants and hired professional services is the best is finding someone who you can train from the ground up. That way they are doing things in the ways you would do them, and it’s more affordable than hiring a professional.

  2. Marti says:

    Hey Mei, I am reading your blog for a few months now and was very impressed by your 2014 income report. The 2015 is pretty gorgeous, too. I am very curious about your planning process. Do you have a grand overall marketing and action plan for the whole year or just for a few months in advance? Would you mind writing about this? Thanks in advance. i am learning a lot from you. Right now I am going throug the facebook program. Amazing!

    • Mei says:

      Hey Marti!

      I always start every year with some idea of a plan on what I want to be focusing on. It is normally just one or two simple things that I spend the rest of the year doing consistently, every day.

      I don’t have a formal business plan or anything fancy :)

      I’ll keep this in mind for a future blog post. I’m glad you’re finding the Facebook class helpful!

  3. Natalka says:

    thank you so much for sharing this Mei! I’ve been thinking about hiring a PR and marketing professional for my Etsy shops, and I’m so glad I’ve read your thoughts and experience! In 2015 we’ve hired an assistant for the first time, and I came up with the same conclusion, it’s the best when you teach a person from ground up. It’s the only way you truly control what is happening and the business doesn’t lose your individuality. and we also moved over to Shopify and I can’t tell how much I love it. Having a self-hosted site based on WP was a real struggle.
    I hope 2016 will bring more sales and confidence. Good luck with your new business! I had a great time watching you at creativelive.

    • Mei says:

      Thanks for stopping by, Natalka! I totally relate to all that you’re saying. The best people I’ve worked with are the ones that I trained from the ground up. If I were to outsource marketing again in the future, I would most likely go this route.

      Good luck to you too! Make 2016 an awesome one!

  4. Kristie says:

    Hi Mei!
    Thank you SO much for sharing your 2014 and 2015 income reports!! I loved learning about the different focus you had for each year and it’s encouraging to see others take risks!! I just signed up for your challenge and can’t wait to get started!! Thanks for all you do.

    Kristie

    • Mei says:

      Hi Kristie! Thank you for your sweet comments!

      I’m glad you got something out of the income reports. If anything, they’re a great reason for me to reflect on the business in the past year. The big takeaway is there was always one big focus or theme.

      Good luck with the challenge!!

  5. Kelley Grace says:

    Thank tiy for being vulnerable and putting yourself out there. It is so hard to do. I have been in biz for 10 years. And I have had some similar experiences. One thing I love, that you might be using, is etsy wholesale. It has helped me get new accounts with very little effort.

    I love your blog. It really helps me focus. I have been a big etsy seller for years, and I love shopify also, although our shop isn’t completely built out yet.

    Thanks again for sharing. It was a great read!!

    • Mei says:

      You’re most welcome, Kelley! I had a much better year the year before. The months before the year ended, I was already contemplating if I should create a income report, considering the year wasn’t as stellar as 2014. But I felt a certain sense of responsibility to share with other artists, even if this appears to not be quite a successful year for me, it’s still possible to make a healthy income.

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