[120] Can you make a successful living selling OOAK items online?

  Can you make a living selling OOAK handmade items online? This is a question I’ve been asked many times over the years, and now that I’ve been in the handmade industry for almost 10 years, I can confirm that my stance on this remains the same. In short: no, you can’t. Of course, there are exceptions, and good reasons why this is the case. In this episode, I outline the reasons why it is extremely difficult to make a living from selling OOAK items online (and I am specifically talking about online selling, not markets, wholesale etc.). If you happen to make a living selling OOAK items online, I want to hear from you! I’ve been trying to interview someone who does on the podcast from the beginning, but I am yet to find someone. If you are that someone, or know of someone who fits the bill (makes a full-time living from their handmade business, and 90% or more of their sales online exclusively from OOAK items) then I want to hear from you! Love the show? You can show your support by: * Leaving a review on the C&T FB page. * Leaving a review on iTunes. * Donating a few dollars towards the costs of producing the pod. * Joining the Thriver Circle – without the members of the Circle, this podcast would not be possible.       Quotes & Highlights from this Episode: * A one of a kind (OOAK) piece is a unique item of which you only make the one. * The hard truth, learned from my own research and experience, is that it is not really possible to make a living selling OOAK items online. * OOAK can absolutely be successful in handmade business. The challenge is when you move online. * The two exceptions to this are: * Expensive items priced in the mid to high hundreds of dollars. These need to be quick to make, have a good mark up and sell daily. * Makers with a large and dedicated following. Time is invested in building a presence, batch making items and managing a big release. * “If your OOAK items are mid to low priced, the chances of you making a successful living selling online is very small.” {Jess} * Selling an OOAK piece online takes far more work than selling in person. * Each product needs to be individually listed with photos, editing, title, keywords and tags, description notes, proofing and more and all of these little pieces of time add up. * When starting out there is ample time, energy and enthusiasm to experiment and create OOAK items but as your business grows this becomes less sustainable. * As your creativity ebbs and flows having a line of reproducible items provides you with breathing room. * “You should have the freedom to make and list OOAK items when the inspiration strikes and you have the time” {Jess} * Utilise price points to support these creative endeavours. Your OOAK items should have pricing that reflects their elevated and unique status. * Reproducible designs do not mean that the piece is not handmade or a labour of love. * If you have OOAK items, list them on your best selling venue and deactivate the listing when at markets.   Download or listen to this episode.