10 steps to online selling

People have this idea that I have useful information on selling.
I am uncomfortable with these frequent questions and often ignore them instead of sitting down to properly draft a kindly worded message explaining that I do not know much but it took years of processes to get to this point. And whatever number they are focused on that tells them I do know something doesn't show the years of mistakes (I have left packages in my car and lost over $55 on postage), the wasted money (not all materials are created equal and they can actually damage your reputation instead of enhancing it), the lost money (shipping leaves huge holes in my meager profits and not all my ideas I have invested in have become sellers), the hurt pride from having to do it all publicly in order to promote and the fact that even as many sales as I have made, I still can't afford decent healthcare for my kids. So I don't know if I am really the person to give such advise but here is what I do know.

Conceive

Purchase

Create

Photograph

List 

Promote

Serve

Sell

Ship

Organize

Now each one of these steps should ideally have a person who over sees another group of people who actually get the task done within a reasonable amount of time.
 Those are called "staff", I think.
But we work for ourselves so we get to do it all. by. our. self.
It's exhausting and when I came to a crossroads in my own business; continue on with hired help or let it die down to a manageable level because I have trust issues, I learned a few things about handling a handmade business that I will share later.

Concieve;
I was so bored with what I was creating, I started writing lists in the journals I learned to make from L.K. Ludwig and Lynn Perrella. Lists all about myself. It was really quite selfish. I didn't make lists on what I hoped to be or what I thought my parents would want to hear or even what I thought I could sell.
I made lists that described what I liked about EVERYTHING.
Colors. What I am drawn to, what grabs my attention, what gets my heartbeat to quicken. 
Textures and associations. Environments. Architecture. Cultures. Geography. My past. The T.V. shows I enjoyed the most. The music I have to have. The art that I would collect if I was well off.
Clothing and other forms of self decoration. Love I would make. Religions that confounded me.
Character flaws. Feelings. Lists and lists of feelings.
I learned so much about myself during this journaling, that I still draw inspiration from that body of writing.
(I found I am fascinated by man made history buried in the earth which directly lead to me making things look old on purpose.)

I think conception is the most important part of the selling process. If it does not come from a good, authentic place, intended to enhance and assist the lives of others through your personal experience, it is pointless to make it your life's work. I think you are also missing out on the thing that drives those to push past difficult obstacles (like a deranged husband or a melted computer). 

If this wasn't my passion, I wouldn't think it worth it.

Okay, this has to be all for now, I have to get to the shipping table. Since I lowered my shipping costs, I have customers telling me to "ship ASAP" for items that cost $2.50.
But who cares, it's my job.

YAY FOR WORK!!!!!!

I will come back though to ramble on about what I think of purchasing raw materials.

For that is the official tax term disguising what is really;

 (whispers in excitement)

Shopping 

 

Peace and Prosperity,

Shannon