Think about all the items that you make to sell online or at bazaars / craft fairs. Have you kept track of what the best sellers are? By knowing which items sell the best you can expand your market by making other similar items. For example, if you make stuffed toys, you might think about making the most popular ones in a variety of sizes and different fabrics.
If you make and sell teenage type pillows, try adding some toddler pillows or additional “girly” type heart pillows. A variety of additional items added to your current selection can be a great money maker for you.
As an additional example, we originally started selling a basic book on pattern making for women. Then a few years later, because of a granddaughter that was very overweight, our plus size children pattern making classes and patterns was started. The addition and popularity of the plus size children pattern making classes and patterns led to questions from customers if we had anything like that for plus size / full figure women. TA DA! The next thing in line for us was exactly what the customers were asking for, which began a whole new area of pattern making classes, which we set up as BigBeautifulPeople.
Listen to your customers talk when you’re at the craft fairs —- is there something specific that they’re looking for that you could add to your inventory? Expanding your market with additional products can add more than you think to your profit margin. Since you’re doing the craft fairs or Etsy selling, you’re already doing the motions of making items, so think “outside the box” and see what else you can add.
this is great. a lot of times things are totally obvious as to what we should do next, but for some reason we don’t see it! paying attention is so important, and can make you some money too!