We all know that Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for handmade and independent businesses. As a creative entrepreneur it can be exciting and overwhelming in equal measures to see more and more orders coming through. For many of us it's also a busy period in our personal lives, which can squeeze the time we have available for our business and when orders start mounting up, it's hard to know what to focus on.

So, what can you do to keep the wheels turning through the festive period? In this article you'll find top tips from experts who have been there, done that and printed their own t-shirt!


This feature is in partnership with

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To support passionate makers and crafting entrepreneurs, the UK’s best known and loved arts and crafts retailer has created Hobbycraft Plus. This unique subscription service offers discounts across the Hobbycraft range, an upgrade to next day delivery plus support and advice in the form of expert seminars. Topics include PR, social media, marketing, customer service and even TikTok!

A Hobbycraft Plus subscription costs £80 per year and includes a 15% discount* every time you shop in store and online, upgrade to next day delivery when you spend over £25 (saving £5.95 each time), three seminars focused on helping to grow a craft business (worth £30 each), access to bulk purchases and a range of packaging, seasonal newsletters, regular updates and even opportunities to be featured in Hobbycraft marketing.

Hobbycraft worked closely with key players in the crafting community to create the subscription and these industry experts have some top tips to help small craft businesses maximise their festive potential when it comes to sales this Christmas.

Hobbycraft Plus launched in partnership with Untld Project, a PR, marketing and social media agency specialising in supporting creative, crafty and independent brands. Hobbycraft is also working closely with industry experts Folksy and Pedddle, who will offer special discounts to Hobbycraft Plus subscribers!

*Excludes digital craft machines, printers, sewing machines, Made to Measure Patterns, workshops, subscriptions and gift cards.


Christmas PR Tips from Untld Project

Untld Project founder and creative entrepreneur Nerrisa Pratt

1

Use Press Coverage to Reach New Audiences

It’s not too late for some last-minute Christmas press coverage, but often, people fall at the first hurdle by pitching to lots of titles that simply aren’t suitable for their brand which is annoying for journalists and a waste of precious time for business owners!

It’s far better to research properly and pitch to fewer journalists who are all relevant. Use Google to check out last year’s Christmas gift guides in the titles you’d like to be in, to make sure you’re a suitable fit for their price ranges and aesthetics.


2

Give the gift of press friendly assets

Once you know which guides your brand is a good fit for, it’s time to get your assets ready. Ideally for each product, journalists need a link to buy it online, a short description, a price and one or two hi-res images - ideally one cut out and one lifestyle.

It’s best practice to also have a succinct and clear press release showcasing key items from your range, plus a link to hi-res imagery that they can look through quickly and easily rather than having their inbox overloaded with too many images.


3

Show the love to your existing customers

Your existing customers already know and love your brand, so make sure you let them know about your Christmas range! If you don’t already send regular newsletters to your mailing list, check out MailChimp for some simple templates to get you started. You can try new launches, flash sales, special offers and pre-sales to treat your loyal fans!


Advice to Help You Sell More Online from Folksy

James Boardwell, Founder and CEO of Folksy

4

Make something for every budget

Plan your Christmas collection to cater for different-sized pockets, from small stocking fillers to one-of-a-kind gifts. Offering different prices is especially important this year when people are really feeling the squeeze. If you sell on Folksy, you can set up different collections based on price to make it easier for customers to find something to fit their budget.

Personalised woodland den sign

5

Tweak your titles, descriptions and photos

Making your listings more seasonally relevant can hugely increase your chance of being found by Christmas shoppers. There might be things in your shop that aren’t specifically Christmassy but could still be great presents, so think about different gifting opportunities like ‘Secret Santa’ and ‘Stocking Filler’ and add those to your titles, descriptions and tags.

Give your photos a festive upgrade too. If you don’t have time to retake them all, choose your best-sellers and do some styled shots with seasonal props to show your customer how perfect they would be for Christmas.

Hand poured Christmas candle

6

Make your postage fast and inexpensive

Speedy delivery is always important but even more so at Christmas – buyers won’t order unless they are sure it will be delivered before 25 December. So be clear about the shipping times and method on each listing. If you can post orders the same day, do, and write that near the top of your item description.

Grab a surge of late sales by offering last-minute delivery as an option too. Although really there’s no such thing as free postage, it’s something lots of customers expect, so try to keep your shipping costs as low as possible or incorporate it into the price of the item.

Christmas holly milk jug

Ideas for Making the Most of Markets with Pedddle

Nicki Capewell, Founder of Pedddle

7

Work on the WOW factor

To make your stall memorable, set up is key. Always have height and a clear logo but also try something fun that brings people over or maybe a competition to get people signed up to your newsletter as an extra bonus!


8

Get those Christmas lights twinkling

It’s absolutely vital to have lights on your stall. It's dark at this time of year and you don't want this to put customers off if they cannot see your products, so have a think about lighting in advance and double check everything is working before you set off to avoid any last-minute hiccups!


9

Don’t forget to shout about it

Be really clear to your existing customers where you are selling and let potential new customers know too! Social media posts and emails with the market’s location and times are a nice simple way of doing this. Don’t forget to tag the organisers…and of course @pedddleuk as we love to hear where stallholders are selling!

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And one final tip from us at CraftWorld...


10

Give your business an extra boost with Hobbycraft Plus

Sign up to Hobbycraft Plus for discounts across the Hobbycraft range, an upgrade to next day delivery plus support and advice in the form of expert seminars. Topics include PR, social media, marketing, customer service and even TikTok! You can also enjoy special offers from Untld Project, Folksy and Pedddle.

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