[105] Should You Start a Second Shop?

  Have you ever wondered if you should start a second shop? Maybe you’ve started a new craft. Maybe you’ve started making work that is vastly different to your current product lines. Or maybe you want to start selling different types of products all together. So – when is starting a second shop – which is, basically, a second business – the right choice? And when should you just integrate your new work into your existing business? I see this question pop up all the time – so I thought it was time to address it in a podcast ep. In this episode I discuss how I’ve approached this very thing myself – multiple times! – and why I made the decision to run multiple businesses, rather than just squish everything together. I also give you a few questions to consider that will hopefully help you make the right decision for you if and when this question arises.       Quotes and Highlights from this Episode: * Do your multiple product lines have enough in common to exist under the same brand? * Can they be ‘branded’ together – i.e. photography style, target customer etc. Or are they too different? * I’ve started multiple businesses numerous times because I didn’t want to dilute my brands – but it’s a LOT more work to run multiple businesses. So be sure. * Ask yourself the following questions: * Does my new idea have anything in common with my existing brand? * Will incorporating my new idea into my existing brand compliment and improve my brand/shop overall, or dilute it?  * Do I have the time/energy to manage two separate brands/shops? * You want your business to be known for doing one thing well. Don’t fall into the trap of being a ‘little bit of everything’ brand.     Download or Listen to this Episode     You can also subscribe to the podcast and listen to this episode on iTunes + Stitcher)

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Do you want to turn your creative hobby into a thriving business? The Create & Thrive podcast exists to help you do just that, with the help of host Jess Van Den - who has been running her own full-time handmade biz since 2010. If you're ready to get serious about growing your handmade business, join Jess and hundreds of other makers from around the world in her membership community for makers - ThriverCircle.com. Members also get an exclusive extra podcast episode each month, plus early access and promo-free episodes of the show.