The Merriweather Council Podcast

Shipping from home will change your life guaranteed. But the way you do it might stand to be improved. In this episode, I'll explain the benefits of shipping from home and how to maximize your time and money savings with a  relatively simple swap in your office! For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/28   For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

Getting flagged for infringement is one thing but actually getting sued for it is a whole other ballgame. Unfortunately, Lisa of Lisa's Little Monsters experienced this firsthand and suffered through the troubles associated with having to actually take listings down and cease business, which at the time was indefinitely. I'm glad Lisa was so willing to share her story so that we may all learn a bit more about this process and the consequences of this reality many sellers have faced - even when they weren't doing anything that they felt was wrong or questionable or using licensed characters. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/   For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast Disclaimer: *This content is published by The Merriweather Council. The Merriweather Council is not affiliated with Etsy Inc. Etsy is a trademark of Etsy Inc. We write about Etsy, from our own experiences, not for Etsy.

It may or may not surprise you to know many shops have been dinged for infringement on Etsy. I spoke to two sellers who experienced this first hand and they are sharing their stories on this episode! An infringement notice doesn't necessarily mean your shop is doomed, but you do want to be aware of the various levels of severity and steer as clear as possible - and always always make sure you are not interfering with any copyright or trademark that isn't your own! For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/27 For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast Disclaimer:*This content is published by The Merriweather Council. The Merriweather Council is not affiliated with Etsy Inc. Etsy is a trademark of Etsy Inc. We write about Etsy, from our own experiences, not for Etsy.

Getting to share who you are as the human behind your business is easier than ever! Social media has given us the tools to let people peek into our lives with great ease, and we can easily share as much as we want, any time we want to. This is good - but also bad. Today's episode covers some cautionary words of wisdom about keeping it professional while still being a relatable human on social media. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/26 For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

Wholesale sounds complicated but to get started, it doesn't take much, honestly. Today I am sharing the most basic over view of wholesale - and a little bit about consignment for comparison - to get you started! The most important thing is understanding the benefits and how it works so you'll know if it is a good fit for you. Take a listen for my basic wholesale brief and find out what you need to get started. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/25 For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

Don't pretend you don't love a good quotable! I know you do. We all do. Today I am sharing one of my favorite business quotes and I hope it gives you some inspiration and perspective. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/24   For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

The students in my Training Course tend to have incredible results after taking my course and implementing my strategies. Many of these strategies are related to appealing to Etsy's native search system - so it makes sense that once they get a taste of the insane results getting found can have, they want to replicate this on their own site. My students come to me a lot asking about off-etsy SEO - aka, SEO on their own websites. Today's episode addresses some thoughts I have about this - it may surprise you! PLEASE NOTE THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO ETSY SEO! For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/23 For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

In this episode I'm reiterating why I do what I do and how I got to here. From high school to college and through to right now, I have had a lot of experience being the sort of outcast when it comes to interest in the internet and in careers. There is a bit of personal story here, enjoy! This episode is just a refresher on who I am and how I hope to help. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/22 For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast  

OMG YAY!! Season two is here!! Thank you so much for joining me again for a fresh batch of episodes. In this episode I'll be sharing a bit about what you can expect in season two as well as providing a brief welcome and overview of the podcast for any new listeners! For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/21 For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast I forgot to mention it but if you would be SO KIND and leave a rating and review on iTunes i would be simply pleased as punch!! Click here to learn how.  

"HUH?" That's how I feel about legal and copyright stuff. I bet you do, too. It is mad confusing, right? So much to think about, so many questions... Well, I invited my friend Autumn Witt Boyd who is a lawyer to chat with me about some of this today on the podcast! Listen in as I ask her the most pressing and confusing questions that you and I both have. In fact, you TOLD me that you wanted answers to these questions! So tune in now and hear what she had to say on these subjects! For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/legalepisode For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

Thanks so much for listening to season one!!   For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/20   For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast To learn about our handmade business community visit the jointhecouncilnow.com

"I want to sell on two platforms but I'm not sure how to manage inventory. I don't want to have one of something and have it sell in two places." Does this sound familiar? Like something you have been saying for more than a year? Then this episode is just for you! Excuses, excuses This episode is full of tough love. Your inventory management anxiety is holding you back and we need to clear a few things up right now. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/19 For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast  

You owe it to yourself and your business to take this important step! It is easier and cheaper than ever to create your own website - and you should! In today's episode I cover a slew of reasons it is in your best interest as a handmade business owner to establish your own off-marketplace website through which you can sell your items. This is hugely important and a big professional step but it's not so hard to do that you should skip it! Tune into this episode for details on why you need to create your own site and the many benefits thereof! For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/18 For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

"My market is too saturated" - a thing you have said. It's easy to feel like a small fish in a huge pond when you are selling a product because products are EVERYWHERE and they exist at all price points - specifically, lower price points. The truth is that your market - not matter what market it might be - is NOT oversaturated. Truly, it isn't. And I'll tell you exactly how I know that in this episode of The Merriweather Council Podcast! For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/17 For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

"So cute! I'm going to make this!" "I love this! Where did you get the fabric? I want to make one for myself." "OMG @MyCraftyFriendWhoCanMakeThisForMe Will you make this for me?" WOW. They are SO annoying. If you have ever posted your handmade work online you've probably gotten some sort of comment like one of the above. Extra prevalent on Instagram, these DIY comments can really throw us for a loop because they FEEL insulting. When you've spend your working hours building business based on your craft and someone reduces it to a Saturday afternoon DIY project, it can really make your blood boil. If you have experienced this sort of thing online, then you will want to listen to this episode! For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/16 For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

So you're ready to make your own ecommerce website! ... Because you have heard about all the benefits and good stuff that comes from establishing your own branded shop online. AWESOME. There are lots of options when it comes to building your online shop but the ultimate goal is the same no matter which platform you use: sales! We all know that fewer obstacles equals better chance of sales happening, right? Right. We also know that SquareSpace can help you build a gorgeous website and is one of the most commonly looked at options. However, there is one thing SquareSpace doesn't do that you should really care about! It might also be worth noting that there is not API with SquareSpace like there is with Shopify, so you cannot add functionality to your site alone with apps or plugins. I tell you this because if you are going to invest the time and money into something you want to be sure it can actually do all that you'd need or want it to. For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweath

Finding you target market is a lot like finding your significant other. It's also wildly misunderstood, often avoided, hurl inducing and generally a super lamefest that ends with frustration and no results. Why? Because classic target market exercises have you create a profile of the person you think you serve. Problem 1: how do you create a profile that personal for someone you've never met? This is A relationship not a game. Problem 2: They are designed for other people - if you haven't noticed, handmade business is pretty special and nuanced. If traditional approaches to target market finding don't work for you, join me for a free webinar designed specifically for handmade business owners who want to stop with the worksheets and make actual progress on this. I'm going to be sharing simple methods that ACTUALLY WORK for product sellers in gaining clarity on their target market. It'll probably change your life, so sign up now to join us free! "I know you've heard these words before and I know it's hard fo

For the love of craft. You got into this business because you love crafting. But when was the last time you really made something new and just played with materials like you used to? Probably a while ago. However, that hasn't stopped you from amassing supplies like you're prepping for an armageddon that only takes out Michael's and A.C. Moore... has it? Okay, so you have a ton of supplies and you're in business doing what you love, what's left to do? I'll talk about the benefits of using up your craft hoard in today's episode! For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/14 For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast

It's not scary, I promise. Truth: all mail service is sort of a miracle. It's literally AMAZING that the vast majority of shipments are punctual and arrive unscathed at their final destinations. I mean, think about how much goes into getting a package from point A to point B! Add to that it's relatively cheap to send most items even long distances. All packages are going on epic adventures - no matter what their destination is. Your domestic packages are just as susceptible to loss or damage as your international ones! And the shipping process is nearly the same, so there is not much of a difference really at all!  Shipping internationally feels intimidating at first for sure, but I promise you, it's worth doing. If you have been shipping your domestic orders online you will barely notice a difference in shipping international. And now that I've hopefully tempered your nerves on the technical and logistical aspect, I'd like to tell you some of the benefits of shipping internationally, so listen in to this epi

Make make make Two key issues seem to plague handmade business owners at every stage of their business: the nuances of custom order offerings and the having inventory on hand, ready to ship. It can be so hard to "get ahead" - and you are NEVER ahead if you only sell custom work. And both work streams avail different opportunities. Can you do both? I think so. That's what I'll talk about in this episode! For full show notes and links mentioned in this episode, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/12 For more free handmade business advice, visit merriweathercouncilblog.com/podcast To learn about our handmade business community visit the jointhecouncilnow.com