Your business has been chugging along. You’ve been making a product you’re excited about when suddenly, you have a NEW IDEA!
You’re excited! You dive in! You start making like crazy.
But then you get to a crossroads.
Because your new ideas is different from what you’ve been making. Perhaps it’s a different material. Or a different product category. Or it just feels different.
And that difference raises one big question when it comes time to sell. Should you put it in your current shop or start a new one?
Should you have one shop or two?
This is a question I hear a lot, particularly since I’ve run multiple shops in the past.
And let me tell you, running multiple shops is hard.
I mean, really hard.
It’s essentially twice the work. Twice the promotion. Twice the management.
Not to mention twice the confusion for your potential customers.
I learned this lesson several years ago when I tried selling the cozy/cuff in it’s own shop. (I eventually just moved it over to my shop at meganauman.com.)
Except I didn’t really learn the lesson.
Because when I started painting, I decided to open a new online shop.
And it really did make sense at the time.
With the paintings, I wanted to tell a different story. That meant a different about page. Different language. And that seemed like a good reason for a separate shop. (It still does.)
But then I started designing textiles. Now, I was back to product design. And since the textiles were based on my paintings, I put them in the shop with my paintings.
But that didn’t really make sense to my customers, especially with the scarves. You wear scarves. Just like you wear jewelry. So why weren’t they in the same shop?
After two conversations (and a beer) yesterday, I made the decision to move everything into one shop.
This makes sense to me. After all, I see myself as a lifestyle brand. And that means all my products should be under one banner.
One brand, one purpose, one shop.
Is one shop or two the right solution for you? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
Am I telling a different story with these new products? Be careful with this question. A different story doesn’t mean different materials or different products. I mean the idea behind the products themselves. Let’s say that you’ve been making high-end bridal jewelry, but you suddenly have an idea to make t-shirts for dogs. Your bridal jewelry is about elegance and timelessness. Your dog t-shirts are about humor. That’s two drastically different stories (and the way you talk about yourself as the owner of each brand would be very different) and so that likely calls for two different shops.
Is the customer drastically different? If your new idea is serving a very different customer, then that’s a good case for different shops. But again, be careful. We’re talking about drastically different here. If you’re current work would appeal to a woman in her forties who lives in a city and your new idea appeals to a woman in her fifties who lives just outside the city, that’s probably not different enough to warrant two shops. But if your jewelry appeals to young women who come from money and your new idea appeals to gay dog owners in their forties and fifties, that’s a pretty different audience.
Do I see myself developing other new ideas in the future? Are you the kind of person who’s always dreaming up new products and ideas. (That would be me.) If so, creating a new shop every time can be very draining. (I should know.) If you see yourself constantly adding new products to the mix, one shop for everything is going to be easier down the road.
What kind of brand am I building? Despite spending the last few years really focused on growing my jewelry business, I’ve always wanted to be more of a lifestyle brand. And that lends itself to one umbrella shop for everything. When you think about adding in a new shop, ask yourself, what do I see myself becoming? What kind of brand do I want to be? If the answer is a lifestyle brand, don’t waste your time setting up that second shop!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Need more help understanding what your brand is all about? I’ll be teaching all things branding on Creative Live on December 4 and 5. And it’s all free when you watch live! Click here to enroll!
Right on Megan! I am thinking of this myself as well even though my products are all made from clay but my thing is actually committing to one or two styles and go from there. This post has helped me re-think the definition of branding my lifestyle. Thank you so much again for your insight!
That’s a great question that I’ve been thinking about recently. I primarily sell crochet patterns (pdf downloads) in my shop, but would like to sell the finished crocheted animals as well.
Having them in one shop creates potential for confusion (is this the pdf or animal?), but maintaining 2 different shops sounds like a mess.
For now, I’ve decided to keep my shop pdfs only, and sell my physical items at craft fairs. Not perfect, but it’s working 🙂
I am not sure if this is a maker 2.0 phenomenon, but many of my successful maker-friends (me included) who started making things when etsy first was blossoming, have been having this issue. They started out making one thing…paper goods, jewelry, prints, etc. and now want to stretch their wings, move into new territory, and offer themselves the freedom to explore new terrain. I’m going through this issue too… but haven’t launched my next stage yet, though I am close.
Personally, I see a really wonderful relationship between your paintings/painted wares and your jewelry. They share a strong simplicity. But, they are also very different. I will be interested to see, now that they are in the same spot, how they inform one another.
Megan, I have to tell you, as I’ve been taking this step with my own business, sort of re-inventing it, Designing an MBA has been an amazing resource. Whenever I need a boost of confidence, realism and clarity, this is the first place I come. (I am officially de-lurking!)
: ) Susy (of susy jack and soon… susan connor ny)
Thanks Susy! I was talking with another friend about this, and I think the root of the problem goes even further back to the traditional craft show world. Everything there is so divided by medium or category, to the point that if you wanted to do a show with two different things, you’d have to complete two different applications. It really encourages the idea that we need to compartmentalize.
Thanks Megan, this really resonates with me! I’m in the process of designing new work that doesn’t quite fit in with my current brand… yet sort of does…. then going into large scale artwork as well, so I’ve been grappling with this question a lot lately.
Great post, Megan! I have been admiring your branching out into painting and textiles. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do – branch out into things beyond jewelry but I can’t figure out how it would really tie in with my hammered jewelry. My tag line is, after all, “made with love and a hammer”. I still haven’t figured it out, so I continue to play it safe and keep making jewelry. I also have no time to physically make anything else, so even though I’d love to design products swirling around in my brain, I don’t have time to research getting them made!
Anyway – you’re an inspiration as always. 🙂 (and so is Miss Susy Jack!)
Thanks Beth! The tag line thing is tricky. It’s actually one of the reasons that I change my tag line to “make a statement every day” a few years ago. I wanted something that was expansive rather than limiting, and could grow with the business!
Next time I read a blog, I hope that it does not fail me just as much as this particular one. I mean, Yes, it was my chioce to read through, however I truly believed you’d have something helpful to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you can fix if you were not too busy seeking attention.
I’ve been wondering about this very topic but I have a slightly different problem. I have at the moment one shop: simplymega.etsy.com
but I have two studios in two different countries and obviously two different currencies.
Every year I am carrying product and repricing. I am trying to find a simpler solution.
I was just thinking about opening two separate shops- now I am confused.
What a great post Megan! – thank you for sharing your ongoing process, and the thinking and re-thinking and re-thinking of your own creative enterprise in a way which is so positive and inspiring. I was on the verge of creating a 2nd brand for a new line of products, but they kept selling out before I could do anything (I know, raise my prices!) – your post was resonant for me. Thank you!
This is such a good article, and helps me a great deal. Although all my products can technically fit under the banner of jewelry, I have been focusing on beaded lanyards and magnetic retractable decorated badge reels. Yet I still have earrings,necklaces,etc. I have a following on my site, so thought I might lose some of that by placing the lanyards and badge reels under a different name from the rest of my jewelry.
You have convinced me to stay with one name, and clearly differentiate my products, all the while sticking with my branding. Even if I used totally different materials and products, I could think of myself as a mini gift shop or department store.
Thank you,
LeAllyson
Pingback:Create & Thrive : Sunday Reading {Week 45, 2013} | Create & Thrive
I see a lot of interesting posts on your blog. You have
to spend a lot of time writing, i know how to save you a lot of work,
there is a tool that creates unique, SEO friendly articles in couple of
minutes, just type in google – laranita’s free content
source