Do You Live in a World of Abundance or Scarcity?

Artists and crafters who live in a world of scarcity see other people in their niche as competitors who they would never help and who would never help them. They think that resources and customers are limited—always afraid there aren’t enough to go around.

On the other hand, artists who live in a world of abundance know that there are plenty of customers, and that each artist brings something unique to the world. They aren’t afraid of promoting other artists, and they know that the more the handmade market succeeds, they’ll succeed. They also know that their success doesn’t depend on somebody else. It depends on them, and there’s enough success available for everyone.

Scarcity and Abundance on Etsy

One of the places I see these two camps of people are on Etsy. I believe that Etsy has one of the best handmade communities, and I’m constantly reminded of the goodness in people when I see sellers spending valuable time to write out lengthy responses to answer questions of other sellers.

But, there are so many times where I see the fear of scarcity. This is obvious when you see sellers talking about their competitors, and there is a lot of competition on that site. People are afraid of others learning how to make their products, worry about their competitors’ prices, and wonder how they’ll ever stand out among the crowd.

To be a successful crafter or artist, you should take into account your competitors, but you shouldn’t build your business around them. You need to bring your own personality—your own unique vision—to your business. If you spend time developing your products, taking the best pictures that you can, and pricing your products according to your own system, you’ll be much more likely to succeed than if you continuously worry about your competitors.

Scarcity Can Result in Lost Money

I hear crafters complain that people want to know how to make their stuff. They get offended when people want access to their patterns or instructions. I get that you work really hard to make your own patterns, design your jewelry, find the best suppliers, or whatever else you do uniquely. So, why not profit from selling what you’ve learned?

I’m not saying you need to give away all your secrets. But, you might want to. If someone asks you for the pattern you created to knit baby booties, you might consider selling it to the person for personal use and adding it to your product line. Why? Because, that person probably isn’t going to buy your baby booties—they probably want to knit their own booties—so, you’re not losing out on sales. Instead, you’re opening up your products to another market.

Consider the Possibilities of Abundance

My number one priority in my handmade business is customer service. I respond to all of my emails and messages within 24 hours, and I try to respond within a much shorter time period. If I can’t provide something for someone, I try to help them find it. I like to promote other artists, and I love connecting other people, even when I don’t think I’ll get anything from it.

Recently, I received a message from a buyer who said that she loved my jewelry and wanted me to make a custom order for her and her bridesmaids. She needed the jewelry within 2 weeks, and I couldn’t promise that I could have it done within that time period, because I needed to order some of the supplies.

In the message, she told me what she was looking for, so I spent a few minutes scouring Etsy to find a similar product to mine in the colors she wanted. I made sure the seller had good feedback, and I sent the buyer a message with the link to this other product from a competitor that I thought she would like. I let her know that I’d never bought anything from the seller, but she did have excellent feedback.

A couple days later I saw that this same buyer purchased something from me, and thanked me for taking the time to help her.

I could have politely told the customer that I couldn’t fulfill her order without pointing her to one of my competitors. If I was afraid that there weren’t enough customers to go around, I wouldn’t have taken that extra step, and I probably wouldn’t have made a sale. Now, I’ve built trust with that customer—something that usually results in referrals and repeat purchases.

Do you let the fear of scarcity keep you from truly helping your customers even if it means referring them to one of your competitors? Have you thought about how that could be affecting your business?

{Image from Caitlin Childs on Flickr}