343 – Are You Ready and Should You Even Consider Wholesale? with Emily Kerr-Finell of Wholesale in a Box

Gift Biz Unwrapped

Is selling handmade items wholesale a good idea for your business? It's not always the right fit. How do you know if it's for you? That's what we'll explore in this episode. Emily Kerr-Finell is the founder at Wholesale In a Box and One Mill School. A seasoned strategist, Emily has helped over 1,000 creative small business owners grow. Her fresh approach to business has been featured in The Oprah Magazine, Forbes, and Entrepreneur Magazine, and The Maker’s Summit. Emily walks us through figuring out if wholesale is right for you and your business.

BUSINESS BUILDING INSIGHTS

• Do the work that you love sustainably.
• For you to thrive in business, it's crucial that what you have is unique and has a good story. Your product should be consistent, compelling, interesting, and exciting.
• Be able to shift to marketing your products on online platforms so you can adapt to different circumstances.
• Make way for a cohesive experience, regardless of whether somebody is interacting with you online or in person.
• Part of being a successful marketer is sticking with the ideas that are already working.
• It's okay to narrow down. Weed out products that are not consistent with what you're really trying to do. That will give the other things room to thrive. <-- Pro Tip!
• Your product is the foundation. If you're trying to be all things to all people, people will be confused. Fewer items always mean more efficiency, fewer costs, and better profit. Having a line that is focused, powerful, potent, and vibrant is crucial.
• Listen to your customers. What are the things that people rave about?

Selling Handmade Items Wholesale

• The biggest barrier to selling wholesale is when store owners are confused about what you do. Focus and amplify on your bright spots. What do people love about your product? Highlight the things that make people's eyes light up.
• You're NOT ready to go wholesale if:
  • You do not have a product or a line (yet) that can compete nationwide. If your product is not unique compared to someone else doing a similar thing, you're not ready.<-- Tune in for the full discussion on what this means and how to differentiate yourself.
  • Your packaging and photography are not beautiful and professional.
  • You can't offer wholesale pricing at 50% or less than your retail price
  • Everything you're doing now is working personally, energetically, and financially. If you love your business as it is - don't change it!
  
  
• If you grow with independent brick-and-mortar shops, you grow one by one. It allows you to grow in more incremental ways. It allows you to more organically scale up your production process.
• With any order you get from a marketplace, make sure you build an actual human relationship with the store owner.
• Wholesale is a slow and steady long-term growth.

Listen to the whole conversation for all the tips for deciding whether selling handmade items wholesale is right for your business or not.

Resources Mentioned

• Inspired! Daily Planner- 40% off for a limited time with code SALE
• Tips & Talk ep 34 - Your Role in the Global Supply Chain Crisis
• Gift Biz Unwrapped Shop

Emily's Contact Links

Website | Website |Facebook | Instagram

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