Makers Mean Business® with Damon Oate...

THE podcast for craftypreneurs who handmake products and want to turn their crafts into cash by selling online with less fear and more freedom By the creators of Deco Exchange, The Makers University, and more Hosted by Damon Oates and Parker Stelly

Entrepreneurship
Crafts
Careers
1
Streamlining Your Shipping Process
In this final episode in our shipping mini series, Parker is sharing some final tips about improving efficiency and impact when it comes to shipping processes.
12 min
2
Handling Shipping Delays and Issues
This week is part 4 of our mini-series, Ship Smart: Navigating Shipping Challenges for Handmade Businesses. Today, we are talking all about issues that might come up when you're shipping in your business. You've probably heard of these issues or even experienced them as either the shipper or the customer, but Parker is showing us all a peek behind the curtain so we can see how these common shipping issues are handled at DecoExchange.
16 min
3
Cost-Effective Shipping Strategies
In Part 3 of Ship Smart: Navigating Shipping Challenges for Handmade Businesses, Parker is talking about cost strategies: saving money, planning for shipping costs, and so much more.
14 min
4
Packaging Solutions for Handmade Items
This is part 2 of Ship Smart: Navigating Shipping Challenges for Handmade Businesses. This week, Parker is talking about packaging solutions. From protecting products in transit, to enhancing the customer experience, figuring out your packaging solutions is a huge, important step to running your handmade business.
9 min
5
Shipping Basics for Handmade Businesses
For the next few weeks, Parker is talking all about shipping. It's one of the most important parts of running a handmade business and there is a LOT that goes into it. In this episode, Parker is covering the basics: an introduction to the fundamental aspects of shipping logistics from packaging to delivery, choosing the right shipping carrier, and explaining shipping terminology.
11 min
6
Listing and Selling Online
Today, Parker is sharing some tips and strategy for listing and selling products online. From Etsy tips, to photography and SEO, to marketing strategies for creatives selling products online, this episode is covering some high level basic tips you can start using right away.
18 min
7
PART 7 - Advanced Live Selling Strategies
Y'all, we're wrapping up Live Selling with this week's episode all about Advanced Live Selling Strategies. Now we usually don't use the word "advanced" around here because we like to keep things simple and accessible for everyone. But whether you've been in business for awhile or you've built up to this episode by listening to the 6 that came before it, Parker thinks you might be ready for some more advanced tips this week.
17 min
8
PART 6 - Building Community Through Live Selling
Community is one of the most valuable reasons to sell on live video (or to go live at all!). That's what Parker is talking all about in Part 6 of the mini series, "Mastering Live Sales: A Handmade Seller's Guide."
10 min
9
PART 5 - After the Live Sale: Follow-Up and Ana...
Now that you've made some sales live, you're going to have to spend some time processing orders and payments, and gathering information like shipping addresses. You'll also want to spend some time assessing how you think it went and what you might want to do again in the future and what you would like to do differently. Learn more about the steps to take after the "live" part of your live sale is over in today's episode.
13 min
10
PART 4 - Technical Setup for a Smooth Live Sale
In Part 4 of "Mastering Live Sales: A Handmade Seller's Guide," Parker is talking about all the technical setup behind a smooth live sale.
15 min
11
PART 3 - Engaging and Selling to Your Live Audi...
Part 3 of the "Mastering Live Sales: A Handmade Seller's Guide" is Engaging & Selling to Your Live Audience. Parker is sharing some of his best presentation tips including giving us some (almost) scripts to practice which make selling on video easier. He's also helping us with how to showcase products effectively and interactive selling techniques (especially considering most people watch our videos as replays).
18 min
12
PART 2 - Planning Your Live Sale Event
Part 2 of Mastering Live Sales (which is also applicable to Mastering Live Video in general), Parker is digging into planning and preparation. From setting goals and objectives, to creating a run sheet, to promoting your live event, this episode includes all the planning and preparation steps to make your live sale event as successful as possible.
15 min
13
PART 1: Introduction to Live Selling
In this new season, Parker is breaking down Mastering Live Sales. This week is an introduction to live selling: the benefits of using video, overcoming common objections, choosing the right platform to sell on, and preparing for your first live sale. If you could use a boost in sales and are looking for more ways to connect with your audience, you're going to love this new mini-series.
13 min
14
PART 7: Building Resilience
In the final part of the Navigating Business Challenges: A Maker's Journey to Resilience 7-part podcast series, Parker is getting more personal and sharing his own journey with building resilience. Resilience is a tough concept both in business and in personal affairs, but when you blend consistency and persistence with resilience, you can do anything.
12 min
15
PART 6: Engaging with Your Audience
In part 6 of the Navigating Business Challenges: A Maker's Journey to Resilience 7-part podcast series, Parker discusses audience engagement. This episode explores the concepts of transparency, different communication methods for interaction and trust, and learning from mistakes to develop resilience and push through challenges.
20 min
16
PART 5: Leveraging Customer Feedback for Growth
In part 5 of the Navigating Business Challenges: A Maker's Journey to Resilience 7-part podcast series, Parker planned to discuss excellence in customer service, but has pivoted to focus instead on leveraging customer feedback for growth. Listen in for Parker's tips about setting boundaries with customers, creating policies based on customer feedback, implementation of business policies for customer satisfaction, and more.
16 min
17
PART 4: Lessons and Improvements
In part 4 of the Navigating Business Challenges: A Maker's Journey to Resilience 7-part podcast series, Parker explores some of the biggest lessons and takeaways learned from a big business mistake that happened last month with the DecoExchange subscription box. From the importance of mindset and self-talk, to flexibility, to processes and procedures that help you run your business proactively instead of reactively, Parker has some massive tips to share in this episode.
16 min
18
PART 3: Community to the Rescue
In part 3 of the Navigating Business Challenges: A Maker's Journey to Resilience 7-part podcast series, Parker explores how beautiful the community is attached to DecoExchange and how powerful it is to have such strong connections with your customers when mistakes happen.
18 min
19
PART 2: Transparency First
In part 2 of the Navigating Business Challenges: A Maker's Journey to Resilience 7-part podcast series, Parker is diving into the importance of transparency as a core value in business, and how Damon & Parker leveraged transparency when responding to a significant mishap in their subscription box business this past month. As a bonus tip, Parker also shares how he leveraged AI to help him outline this 7-part series and how you can use AI in your business, too.
19 min
20
PART 1: The Heart of the Matter
In part 1 of the Navigating Business Challenges: A Maker's Journey to Resilience 7-part podcast series, Parker explains a recent major mishap that occurred in our subscription box business. Plus, he's giving you a sneak peek into what to expect in the next 6 episodes.
15 min
21
NEW 7 Part Series! Navigating Business Challeng...
Parker is COMMITTED... to 7 more podcast episodes! We're excited to bring you this 7-part series around navigating business challenges, inspired by a pretty significant challenge we faced in our business this past month. Make sure you follow or subscribe wherever you like listening to podcasts so you can follow along with these next 7 episodes!
0 min
22
Coming Soon: The Makers Mean Business Podcast S...
Tell us what you want to hear from us: https://damonoates.kartra.com/survey/RxatFezkE8Xc?fbclid=IwAR008vWrNhvIuOg6j-Yqks0vwJs-_Met2TciC-NNEQoR7QGkH0A5oiftlts
7 min
23
Episode 040: Living a creative life filled with...
This week, Parker gets to sit down with Nicole Stevenson of Dear Handmade Life for an interview of intimate stories and practical advice for living a creative life filled with intention and purpose.  For more info on all the amazing things Nicole...
34 min
24
Episode 039: Hosting In-Person Classes and Even...
This week we are catching up with Melissa Morrow (otherwise known at Mellie Mel) about her experience at Wreath Makers Live 2021.  For more info on the conference and all the speakers and sponsors, you can check out    ...
16 min
25
Episode 038: The Best Pinterest Tips for Your C...
Today's episode is a recap and overview of Allie DeMoss's talk at Wreath Makers Live, all about using Pinterest for your creative business! For more info on the conference and all the speakers and sponsors, you can check out    ...
15 min