Handmade Home Co. is changing the way that homeowners shop for home furnishings online by reducing the environmental impact that purchasing mass-produced home furnishings can create. Handmade Home Co. supports independent artisans and small business owners in Canada & the USA who create or refinish furniture & home decor items. Our company helps small business owners reach a broader market while providing them with the necessary services to grow their businesses. With our quick & easy checkout, safe & secure payment process, and clear shipping prices, Handmade Home Co. makes shopping for unique furniture & home decor simple.
Handmade Home Co. provides a unique, eco-conscious business solution to the home furnishings industry. By shopping with HHC, you are supporting the environment, the local economy, and small business owners. Our customers can feel confident that they are receiving truly unique pieces, made with quality materials. A study by 2021 Green Home Furnishings Consumers indicates that consumers are concerned about the environment and are turning to local communities or businesses that refinish or restore existing furniture. Consumers will spend up to 10% more for an item they are purchasing if it is sustainable.
The founder of Handmade Home Co., Chanel Kimura, has been a furniture artist since 2018, giving her the ability to deeply understand the needs of this community.
“Handmade Home Co. was founded to help furniture artists, woodworkers, and home decor creators sell their work online. During 2018, I began flipping furniture for my own apartment and quickly realized how lucrative this “hobby” could be! I spent the first couple of years doing custom furniture requests, and eventually branched out to purchasing inventory to flip and list for sale. I had a very difficult time trying to find the most effective places to list my work. I set out to create a high-end marketplace that focuses on handmade home furnishings, where haggling is prohibited, the fee structure is easy to understand, and all the necessary services are provided to help small businesses succeed. Our artists can create their own “Shop” pages to tell customers about their business and showcase their work. We handle all of the confusing aspects of shipping, marketing & advertising for our artists, providing them with more time to focus on their craft. With Handmade Home Co.’s “Commission Request” service, customers can request a custom piece of furniture from any artist on our platform. For consumers who have furniture at home that needs refinishing, or are looking for a more affordable & eco-friendly solution to purchasing brand new, this is an excellent option. Furthermore, our artists can source out a specific piece and refinish it to the consumer’s specifications. “
In the furniture industry, shipping is one of the biggest hassles that we face. With the rise of Amazon and their Prime Delivery offering 1–2-day shipping, consumers are now expecting free shipping services, insanely fast ship times, and delivery rates & times displayed at checkout. Providing these services at checkout is key to maximizing customer satisfaction, but most artists do not have the resources to configure that on their own. Handmade Home Co. provides customers with live rates & ship times at check-out for this reason. In addition, our artists have the option of offering artist drop off & free local pickup services for those shopping locally.
Our pieces are designed by independent artists, meaning they are truly unlike any piece you’ve seen before!
Browse through our artists profiles to learn more about their small business and see their amazing work.
Have you been wanting to start DIYs & furniture flipping but aren’t sure where to start?
Take a look at our Creative Resources to read DIY blog posts & watch our YouTube Tutorials!
Advice for small business start-ups
An entrepreneurial dream, passion, or drive can lead you on the path to success.
Being serious enough to consider starting a business is an accomplishment in itself.
How many people do you know have come up with a business idea, but never even came close to starting it?
I had about six business ideas throughout my 28 years of life, but I never believed in myself enough to pursue them.
This time is different though, right?
It’s not going away. This idea has been on your mind for such a long time. Your brain is overtaken by it. It’s is becoming an obsession because you SEE the potential.
You believe so strongly in yourself and this idea that you start taking it seriously, whether you realize it or not.
After much consideration, you decide to dive in, regardless of what anyone says.
Because the more you believe in your idea, the more you believe in yourself.
As small business owners, we have so many questions.
Unfortunately, there is no “one stop shop” to teach you and prepare you for everything you need to know.
Do I need to register my business? Should my business be Incorporated? Should I trademark my company’s name? What legals do I need? Do I need insurance? Who do I hire for Marketing? What is Branding? Advertising? Logistics? Social Media? Content Creation? Product Photography? Storage? Taxes? Inventory? Imports & Exports?
Therefore, finding a free mentor could prove invaluable in helping you navigate the first stages of owning and running your own company.
Try asking your friends or family members who own or have owned small businesses for advice if you are unable to find any free mentorship programs!
Several online entrepreneur groups exist on Facebook, LinkedIn has an endless list of entrepreneurs, and most cities and governments provide free advice and services for small businesses. There are so many resources out there, but they aren’t always easy to find. Put yourself out there, attend a networking event within your industry, and start asking for help & resources! You would be amazed at all of the resources other business owners have discovered along the way.
Before diving into your ideas, I recommend planning and learning as much as you can.
You should do extensive research on the industry and market you want to enter.
Prepare a detailed business plan with financial projections, and seek funding.
Prior to launching your startup business, all of these steps should be completed.
A lot of modern-day entrepreneurs will tell you that a business plan isn’t necessary, but in my opinion, that’s some of the worst advice you could ever give. Your business plan will help you have a deeper understanding of every aspect of your business, and will really force you into figuring everything out in great detail. This will help you SO much throughout your business journey. With no business plan, I would have no idea how to answer 95% of the questions I receive daily from team members, contractors, or interviewers. I wouldn’t even know who our target market is, or how to properly target our ads without my business plan!
Setting goals is super important, however, do not obsess over it. Start small and work your way up. Goals will change for your business so much over time. Keep the goals in mind, but start with what you already know & add more services down the line. What would you rather offer: five amazing services that are fully thought through and make sense, or ten confusing services that don’t really make sense?
As an entrepreneur, you WILL make mistakes along the way.
You are not alone when you encounter these situations, so don’t be too hard on yourself.
During my first two years of business, I made approximately $25,000 in “mistakes”.
Initially, I thought I was the only one making such big mistakes, and I got really down on myself and my business.
The more I started talking to other business owners, the sooner that I realized making mistakes is totally normal.
There are always mistakes to be made, especially when dealing with a new business and the high costs involved.
As a result of every mistake, there is a lesson and a deeper understanding of how to avoid repeating it.
In order to avoid making the same mistakes again, I always listen to at least three offers/options before making a decision. This way, you can make informed decisions without feeling pressured or rushed.
It is important to be mindful when hiring someone or hiring a company for your business needs. There have been instances where companies have tried to pressure us into signing contracts without discussing things with our colleagues first.
My response to a person who says, “I really need an answer right now if you’d like to continue with the price we discussed” is to say something like, “I completely understand, however, I cannot make this decision without talking to my business partner first. I will let you know my decision by ____”.
You can hang up the phone or end the call if the person continues to be pushy or is making you uncomfortable – trust me, this could save you from making a BIG mistake! No one should feel pressured or rushed into signing a contract or hiring someone. A company that pushes you to sign or hire them is not the right choice.
I know that it is tempting, but don’t do all of your hiring at once. Despite your overwhelming workload, you can still learn and accomplish certain things on your own.
You will need to invest money in your small business, but you will learn when it is necessary to do so. It may be a bad idea to spend money on tasks that you know you are capable of completing, but don’t want to because you’re busy or confused. You will likely end up regretting it later, wishing you had spent the money on something more useful. In areas where you lack expertise, you should hire the experts.
Happy money spent:
The development & design of my website.
For me, this task was far too complex and outside my expertise.
I hired a web developer to create my website for me.
Sad money spent:
Despite having a sketch and knowing exactly what I wanted, I paid $500 to have someone create my company logo.
Tip: Use Canva and make it yourself in 12 minutes.
All of us begin this journey feeling overwhelmed, insecure, and unsure about the future. However, before you know it, YOU will be the person giving advice and resources to other small business owners! There is no doubt in my mind that you can do anything you put your mind to.
You’ve got this!
View The Pieces Currently Available to Purchase:
https://handmadehomeco.com/pages/shop
Request a Custom Piece of Furniture or Home Decor:
https://handmadehomeco.com/pages/commission-requests
Apply To Become A Vendor Today:
https://handmadehomeco.com/pages/handmade-home-become-a-vendor
DIY Project Blog Posts, YouTube Videos & more:
https://handmadehomeco.com/blogs/news
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