A couple of months ago, I wrote, what became, a hugely popular blog post on Why Handmade Aromatherapy Products are Worth the Money. I decided to follow up that post with an expansion on some of the skills that you need to be a successful handmade (aromatherapy) business owner. Handmade business owners are vastly talented – not just in their chosen art or skill – but in the myriad of other skills that go along with that.

Multi-Tasking Handmade Business Owners

I think that the number one skill which you need to possess, or learn to master, as a handmade business owner (or any small business owner) is multi-tasking. And I don’t just mean business-related! You have to learn to juggle home, personal and business responsibilities in a cheerful and time-efficient manner – otherwise, you’ll achieve little on all fronts. If you can’t successfully multi-task, your business (and life) are going to suffer.  And, unlike in a “regular” job, when things get hard, or go wrong, there is no one to offer to support – or take the burden.

For example, my day may consist of a personal appointment or family/home obligation, helping an aromatherapy student with an assignment, dealing with a new customer inquiry or sale, putting together a custom quote, a writing deadline, a voluntary (yet obligatory) commitment – and all the time trying to find a bit of me-time in there (if only for five minutes). Its not an easy task – yet, I know many handmade business owners who do the same type of juggling on a daily basis.

Business Skills Required as a Handmade Business Owner

Although I obtained a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting many, many years ago, the world of business has evolved, and come a long way, since then! Many of the business skills which I need to do to carry out my work these days have been self-taught. These include:

• social media

• website maintenance

• sending out newsletters – electronically and en-masse

• e-mail correspondence

• managing an online aromatherapy course program

• online documentation

• creating and maintaining a blog

• shopping cart maintenance for my website

• online banking.

In addition to those skills, you’ll also need the basics of accounting, taxation and other regular business activities. You’ll also need some personal skills such as:

• tact

• patience

• manners

• knowing when its ok to say “no”

• strength

• a smile.

Although some handmade business owners eventually outsource some of their tasks, many do not have the budget to do so, particularly at start-up. This means that you really have to be passionate (and skilled) in what you do, more so than in a “regular” job, because you will have a wide range of responsibilities. And remember, if you buy handmade, not only does that person have all the skills required of their profession, as discussed in the previous post, they most likely are juggling (and mastering) many of the tasks discussed in this post.

I do what I do because, despite the days when everything seems to be going wrong and you are the only one who can sort it out (technical mishaps being the biggest of my problems), I receive an unexpected e-mail or handwritten “thank you” note in the mail – which makes me feel that I actually did make a difference in someone’s day! So, thank you to ALL handmade and small business owners for doing what you do – and having the passion, skills and beliefs for doing so!

Learn How to Start Your Own Aromatherapy Business

If you think you have the passion, skills and dedication to start your own aromatherapy business, consider taking one of the Sedona Aromatherapie aromatherapy courses to get started! Visit the courses home page to discover the latest courses available!