Recently we came across Louise Firchau, paper cutting artist and founder at Paper Panda, and we were astounded by her talent. To mark this year’s International Women’s Day in true PaperCrafter style, we asked her ten top tips for developing a crafty community and discover how she’s built her business up from just a hobby to a successful gift and homeware brand.
1. REALISE YOUR TALENT
“One day five or six years ago, I saw a papercut and thought I'd give it a go. I posted the results on my personal Facebook page and I got an amazing response. People asked if they could order a commission - so I opened the Paper Panda page and so far, it's got over 250,000 likes!"
2. STAY QUIRKY
“Begin with a memorable name. People have to remember it to search for it, so think of something that'll stay in people's minds for return business.”
3. GET NETWORKING
“This is a biggy. I spent the first couple of years for a few hours a day on networking sites and Facebook pages like 'Hike Those Likes Marketplace'. You need to get your name out there.”
4. WAIT FOR 'THE SNOWBALL' MOMENT
“It was slow going for a year, maybe two, but after a magazine published an article on me, it really began to take off with Facebook likes growing at a rate of 1000 per day. At the time I owned a gift shop but I sold it to concentrate on commissions."
5. GIVE POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS AN EASY ENTRY POINT
"We started to develop kits and make cutting templates so that it would encourage beginners. I see so many cutters that have carved a niche in the market just from buying one of our Paper Panda starter kit. I also receive a lot of mail from people thanking me for introducing them to paper cutting as it's helped with a bereavement or depression. This is so wonderful."
6. BUILD A SHARED PLATFORM
"The Facebook page has enabled us to build a happy, friendly community and that's a rare and special thing, especially online in the age of keyboard warriors and trolls. I personally get so much support from the crafting community, and they're always there with an encouraging word and a nice comment. I'm proud to call my customers my friends.”
7. MAKE YOUR OWN MERCHANDISE
"After the first few years, the demand for individual commissions grew too great so we branched out into merchandise. From there, we started selling paper cutting supplies as more and more people took it up as a hobby from beginning with the kit.”
8. KEEP YOUR BOOKS IN ORDER
“Time passes quickly and you're soon surrounded by receipts and the dread of January 31st. Better still, get an accountant and concentrate on making pretty things!”
9. PINCH YOURSELF
“I love the people I meet. I love working in my pyjamas. I love my fabulous team and the support I get from them. I love that it came from nowhere into a kind of success story, you could say. This amazes me every single day. I still pinch myself.”
10. KEEP AN EYE ON TRENDS
“I think paper cutting still has a long way to run yet. It was briefly eclipsed by adult colouring books, but it never really went away and is still going strong!”
(You can explore Paper Panda online here!)
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