How long did it take for you to start gaining customers?

[MelissaWebb]

I am new to selling my craft so I was wondering if anyone would like to answer a few questions I have here in the community. 1 can you tell me, how long it took before you started getting costumers and then #2 How long before they were buying you made goods?  thank you in advance

[PerroneTech · Accepted solution]

My 2nd business is a candle and fragrance business. We have been operating for a year. We are kind of going along without knowing where to market and where to push. We are finding our way. However, it didn't take us too long to have customers. If you are using online channels like Etsy you have to really advertise. We get 99% of our sales in person. We have a few locations that consign our products as impulse buys.

Perhaps look for local shops that allow you to have your goods in person. This way you can start getting reviews and building your brand. Otherwise, TikToks and Instagram posts are the way to go. 3 times a day. Even if only 10 seconds.

I don't how it stands these days, but rule of thumb for a while is don't expect to be profitable or even "successful" for the first 5 years. Some get very lucky, some take longer.

My computer business has just passed 5 years. It does well. Not as well as I like, but I am in a somewhat comfortable place and it isn't a super high demand thing as we live in a society where people just replace instead of repair.

Put yourself out there, everywhere you can. Local pages, on other posts about the same types of items in your industry. You have to be ok with shamelessly plugging yourself everywhere you can.

Good luck.

[Sammie_C]

Hi @MelissaWebb, I see this is your first post. Glad to have you here on the Square Community!

Thank you, @PerroneTech, for all the great insight!

While I personally cannot speak to when our Square sellers may start gaining customers, I definitely can provide a helpful link to another post within the Square Community that goes over Ways to Boost Online Sales. There is a bit of chatter on that post and they may be open to chatting about their experiences as well.

Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns in the meantime!

[homeprogreen]

I believe that it took a couple of weeks before I started getting my first customers. Then probably around 6 months until I had built up what I considered a steady clientele. It’s really not hard to start gaining customers the hard part is building it up so that you reach the point of being profitable. It takes time to grow and be profitable. It’s important to have enough reserves or another income to allow you to keep the business going during that time period. It was 6-8 months until the business could support itself and it was 2 1/2 years until I started paying myself 

[bonny]

This is a tough one to answer without more information about what your craft is.  Generically speaking, how long it will take will be relational to knowing or finding your customers.  Once you know who they are and can reach them either in-person or on-line, then you will be able to work on converting them into customers.  

I found by taking my products to my local farmer's markets, I got invaluable feedback directly from the customers (the actual buyers of my work).  And I do mean invaluable information.  It would have taken me years to glean the information I needed had I not done in-person sales.  Within one season, I was able to identify exactly who my customer was, what they liked and didn't like, and the most important reason: why.  

No one is going to be able to give you very relevant information for your question because the word "craft" covers enormous possibilities.  Could you share a little more information?  

Before I sign off, specific answers your questions:

1. In my case, I was selling on-line long before I decided to sell in-person.  It was a very slow uphill grind.  And because it was all online, I had no way of gleaning who my customer base was so I wasn't helping myself with the hands off approach. 

2. Once I shifted to in-person sales, sales took off.  Instantly. 

I hope you find the answers you are looking for.  Best of luck!

Bonny Wagoner

bonnywagoner.com

[MelissaWebb]

Thank you, Bonny, I appreciate all the Information you've giving me I'm doing bath and body product. also resin handmade candle holder's coasters just getting stared.

[BrianaJo]

For us it happened on day 1, but for being a coffee shop we're more in the 'demand harvesting' of customers rather than 'demand creation'. For 'demand harvesting' the customer is already aware of a problem and are looking/ready for solutions. Which is where our product comes in, people were already googling "coffee shop near me" and they found us. For 'demand creation' the customer isn't aware they even have the problem to even begin looking for the product or service solution. So for people with a more innovative industry they have to do some more upfront work to market to their customers. Depending on what you're crafting you could fall into either one. Hope this helps tailor your efforts. Welcome to the Square Community!