10 Things to Do Before Launching a Handmade Business or New Collection
Are you thinking about launching your handmade businesses soon, but are at the stage where it feels exciting but maybe a bit chaotic? Maybe you have ideas, products and even a name picked out, but you lack structure and might be even feeling burnt out or like you’re not gaining traction?
Hi, I’m Sterling, and I have been running my handmade art business for the past 8 years, and so I know from personal experience as well as from other fellow artists and business owners that I’ve talked to that we as artists usually struggle with launching our businesses because they we have no strategy and approaching the process like throwing spaghetti at the wall, which occasionally something might stick but it can get chaotic.
So in this video, I’ll be sharing ten things to do before launching your handmade business so that you can save time and money and be able to launch with confidence and momentum. And as always, if you want to read about any of these points in more detail, head to my blog post which is linked in the description box below.
- Define your Ideal Customer
One of the biggest mistakes handmade business owners make and I know I made for a while was thinking that my pieces were for anyone, but if your pieces or products are for everyone, then your style, branding and messaging run the risk of being too generic.
Before you launch, it’s important to get really clear on who you are for and to define your ideal customer. And to know that you’re not for everyone.
You can ask: What are the ages of your ideal customer, what’s their budget range, what aesthetic do they gravitate towards, what brands do they already shop from, what are their problems that they are looking to solve that your pieces could solve, and also are they art collectors or buying gifts for loved ones?
And this article by the Small Business Administration shares really good tips to do market research and find your ideal customers. And what questions to ask such as, is there demand for your product or service, what is the market size or how many people are interested in your offering, and where are they located?
When you define this clearly, your product decisions become easier and you stop making random things and design intentionally. Your pricing becomes clearer because you understand their buying power and expectations. And also your marketing becomes stronger because you know exactly who you’re speaking to instead of shouting out into the void.
It’s great to write a one-paragraph profile of your ideal customer. You can even give them a name then describe their lifestyle, what they value, and what they are tired of seeing in the handmade space.
For example:
“Her name is Eliza. She’s 32 years old, she is a therapist, and is intentional about how she spends her money. She values slow fashion and prefers neutral tones that integrate seamlessly into her wardrobe. She is willing to pay more for quality because she sees clothing and accessories as long-term investments rather than impulse purchases. She wants pieces that feel artistic and expressive, but still practical enough for everyday wear, whether she’s working, meeting friends around town, or moving through her daily routine.”
So this gives a really clear picture of who the ideal customer is, and if you want to get more clear on your client avatar, check out my video, “STOP Marketing to Everyone and Find Your Ideal Client” after this one.
- Get Clear on the Problem You Solve
Once you know who your ideal customer is, the next step is understand what problem you actually solve for them.
For example you might say:
My crochet patterns help solve confusion for beginners who want to create alternative and boho pieces without feeling overwhelmed.
When you get clear on the problem that you’re solving, you can get really clear on what sets you apart from others as well. People buy solutions to their problems, not products themselves. And in the book building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller, it discusses the idea that businesses must position themselves as guides who help customers overcome challenges, rather than as the hero of the story.
Before you launch, it’s good to ask: what frustration do my ideal clients have before buying from me and how do they feel after using my product or buying piece? Also it’s good to know what gap in the market are you filing?
And a great exercise to do is be able to write this sentence
“I help [specific person] solve [specific problem] by providing [your product].”
For example:
“I help beginner crocheters feel confident by giving them modern, easy-to-follow patterns.”
When you know what problem you’re solving you’re able to refine and make your plan clearer before launch.
- Validate Before You Build Everything
Before you spend months building inventory, buying a lot of materials, or creating a full collection, it’s really important to validate, validate, validate. Validating your product line is when you have actual evidence that people want what you’re about to sell.
This is where I went wrong for years. I would just create pieces, and go to different markets or put my pieces up on Etsy and hope for the best. But instead of guessing and hoping for the best it’s good to save time and money and actually plan.
In order to validate you can share sketches or prototypes on social media and see how your audience responds, post two design options and ask your audience to vote, open an email waitlist for early access or offer limited pre-orders to see how people engage with it, and even create a small beta collection before making a full launch of a new collection.
This approach aligns with the “build-measure-learn” framework which was popularized in the book "The Lean Startup" by Eric Reis, which emphasizes testing ideas in small, low-risk ways before scaling.
For example if you get 50 email signups for a lead magnet that you have about launching a new product then that tells you that people in your audience are interested or if you get 10 pre-orders for a new product before launch, that shows buying intent is there.
And if there is low validation that’s actually really useful information because it gives you a chance to tweak your offering or product before launch or know if you need to improve your marketing and visibility.
4. Finalize Your Product Line and Start Small
Alright once you’ve validated interest, the next step is to finalize your product line and start small. A common mistake that a lot of handmade businesses make is overproducing before there is consistent demand. You might feel pressure to look established, so you create 20 products in five different colors and styles, but this can actually be really overwhelming and make your branding a bit all over the place.
Instead it’s great to make your collection focused. This might look like starting with 3-5 core products, and having one clear aesthetic direction with a tight cohesive color palette and consistent price range.
When your ideal customer finds your shop, they should immediately know the vibe and value you bring. Does each product and offering you are sharing reinforce the same brand story? Also can I realistically produce and ship these products without burnout?
If the answer is no, then it’s good to figure out how to refine your products and offerings until you have a solid starting point.
- Price for Profit, Not Emotion
Pricing can be one of the most uncomfortable parts of launching a handmade business but is also one of the most important.
Many makers often underprice their products or services because they feel guilt for charging more or assume that customers won’t pay high prices, but this can lead to burnout really quickly.
With your pricing you have to cover your materials, labor, packaging, platform or payment processing fees, any overhead (like website or booth fees), and also include your profit.
And a great way to test your pricing before launch is to think if you sold 20 units at this price, would you feel compensated fairly for your time. Also would be able to reorder materials comfortably and have margin left to grow?
If no then it’s good to adjust your pricing strategy, and if you need more help with this I definitely recommend checking out the “How to Price Your Work So It Actually Sells” after this one. I have quite a few pricing formulas in that video and talk about some different approaches to take when trying to figure out how to price your work.
- Cohesive Brand Identity
Before you launch it’s also important to solidify your brand’s identity. Now this doesn’t mean having a full visual identity package, but just having a cohesive idea of your brands’ overall vibe and aesthetic.
This should include a color palette of three to four colors, one to two primary fonts, a recognizable logo, a clear tone of voice and a short brand statement. Basically when someone lands on your page or comes to your booth, they should know immediately what your aesthetic is. And mainly having cohesive branding is about building trust with your clients and customers.
And the article “The Importance of Consistency in Branding” by Forbes, explains that the consistent use of visual identity elements like color, logo and messaging also helps to build professionalism, brand recognition, value and allows people to develop trust with you. So before launch it’s good to audit: does your instagram match your website, do your product photos align in lighting and style also does your tone come across in your captions, and emails as well as product descriptions?
For example if your ideal customer is Eliza, who values slow fashion and neutral tones, then your branding should reflect quality, minimalism and intentional design. If you have chic and minimalist designs but then bright and chaotic visuals on your instagram posts for example, then that will send a mixed signal.
It’s good to remember that you are building visual trust signals before a single transaction even happens. So keep your brand identity cohesive and clear overall.
7. Make Sure Your Backend Actually Works
Before you announce your launch, it’s good to make sure that your backend actually works. This directly impacts the customer and their trust with your brand. So a smooth checkout is essential. Broken links, generic product descriptions or a confusing policy will make people hesitate to buy from you.
First you want to decide where you’re selling. This could be a website like Shopify or Squarespace, or a marketplace like Etsy or a socials like TikTok Shop. Before launching you want to confirm that your payment processing is connected and tested, shipping rates are accurate, taxes are configured, confirmation emails are automated, and that your return and exchange policy is clearly written.
Then you want to check everything! Place a mock order yourself, make sure you get that confirmation email, and go through the process like a customer would. You also want to prepare basic polices before going live like the shipping timeframes, processing time, refund conditions and how customers should contact you. When your systems and nice and secure you can then focus on marketing and customer experience instead of feeling unprepared.
8. Pre-Plan your Content
One of the fastest ways to burn out during launch week is plan and create your content on the spot. You share that you’re launching your shop with your audience but then realizing that you have nothing ready, no photos or short-form videos to post, no emails or captions even. When you have to plan on the spot, it’s also easy for momentum to slow and to feel like you’re scrambling.
Before announcing or knowing your exact launch date, it’s good to prepare your final product photos, at least 5-10 pieces of short-form video content and captions, the launch email sequence to engage your newsletter subscribers, as well as FAQ answers that are ready to go.
In this article by Joli Waldeck, breaks down "How to Launch on Social Media" really nicely in 6 steps:
Step 1 is to prime your audience which is the 7-14 days before launch or the pre-launch phase where you build curiosity and connection with your followers.
Step 2 is to announce the offer about 3-5 days before launch which is all about building momentum.
Step 3 is the official launch day where you have the bold announcement.
Step 4 is where you show proof and social engagement that you are receiving with your audience and essentially create FOMO (fear of missing out), and you do this for 1-7 days after the official launch.
Step 5 is to educate your audience which how your products or services solve their problems.
Step 6 is to follow up with posts to create urgency and share sales deadlines.
Also in this article "Product Launch: Email Sequence Guide" by Hoppy Copy, they break down the an email sequence guide really well explaining your emails for 10 days leading up to and after launch day, and this includes:
Day 1 which is the pre-launch notice.
Day 3 which includes social proof using press quotes and customer stories.
Day 4 is the official launch announcement day.
Day 5 is when you remind your audience.
Day 7 reduces resistance that might be preventing customers from trying your product.
Day 10 creates urgency with a last chance announcement.
9. Build an Email List Before Launch
And speaking of email list, it’s so important to have because social media while it’s powerful is still borrowed space, you do not own the platforms. At the end of the day, the algorithm can fluctuate at any time and impact visibility and connection with your audience. This is why it’s still important to have email because you have direct access to your community. Even a small list makes all the difference!
In order to build your email list you could offer something that motivates sign-ups like early access to your collection, or a discount or freebie, even a behind-the-scenes look at your process or even a downloadable resource.
It’s great to look at email marketing as building a relationship with your audience. You can share updates, insights, tips or inspiration that align with your brand and keep them engaged. And according to HubSpot, businesses that cultivate an email list before a product or business launch see significantly higher conversion rates than those relying on only social media. You can also use your email list to validate your product ideas like we talked about earlier in the video.
10. Set Clear Launch Goals
Before opening your shop and even sharing your first post about the launch, it’s important to define what success looks like for you. It’s easy to aim for something vague like “I want sales” or “I want people to like my pieces”, but the more specific and measurable your launch goals are the easier it will be to see your launch as a success.
Some examples of a launch goal could be that you want to see 10 sales within the first week, or aim for 100 email subscribers before launch, or maybe your goal is to collect meaningful customer feedback. Having clear goals will allow you to plan effectively and track your process as well.
You could ask yourself what number or outcome will tell me that my launch was successful and how can I measure this? Also what should I do to achieve this goal and let this inform your gameplay. If you don’t have specific goals, even the most successful launch can feel chaotic or like a fluke, so it’s really important to be clear about. Overall it’s great to have a plan before launching so that you can really maximize visibility and momentum.
Alright so those are the 10 Things to do Before Launching your Business. Define your ideal customer, get clear on the problem you’re solving, validate, finalize and simplify your product line, price for profit, develop your brand identity, test your systems, prepare your content, build an email list, and set clear launch goals.
When you take time to do these things your launch will feel strategic, intentional and set up for success! If you enjoyed this post, check out the 5 Niches you should avoid in 2026 or what are some great High Profit, Low Cost Products to make!
References
U.S. Small Business Administration. “Market Research and Competitive Analysis.”
https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/market-research-competitive-analysis
U.S. Small Business Administration. “Launch Your Business.”
https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business
Forbes Communications Council. “The Importance of Consistency in Branding.” Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescommunicationscouncil/2024/12/30/the-importance-of-consistency-in-branding/
Nielsen. “In Emerging Media, Brand Recall Is the Biggest Driver of Lift.”
https://www.nielsen.com/es/insights/2023/in-emerging-media-brand-recall-is-the-biggest-driver-of-lift/
HubSpot. “Email Marketing Guide.”
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/email-marketing-guide
Goal-Setting Theory overview (Locke & Latham research summary).
https://ebrary.net/277062/philosophy/goal_setting_theory
Ries, Eric. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. New York: Crown Business, 2011.