There’s a funny thing that happens in business: everyone thinks they know their audience. Or at least, they think they have a pretty good idea. You hear people say things like, “Our customers like convenience,” or “People want quality,” or the classic, “Our product is...
If you run a product-based business, you’ve probably lost hours to the same spiral: "Places to sell products" “Markets near me.” “Best craft fairs UK.” “Where to sell handmade products.” And somehow, you still end up at the same five markets, the same Facebook groups,...
Running a product-based business is rewarding—but it’s also hard work. In this blog, creative founder Ayesha of AyestheticsArt shares honest insights into burnout, imposter syndrome, and learning to treat her art like a real business.
Sherelle Henry, founder of FHL Natural Products, shares how unexpected redundancy led her to pursue her purpose, start a business aligned with her values, and find the freedom and confidence she never knew she needed.
Our curated gift guide features the perfect gifts for summer from UK small businesses.
Data suggests there were more than 30 million e-commerce websites in 2024. There are myriad advantages of shopping online, but how do you ensure your store stands out? Drawing attention and convincing customers to buy from your brand or website are among the most...
We believe that Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to show appreciation for the special people in your life, whether it's a loved one, an amazing friend, or a sibling. Our curated selection of products from UK small businesses includes delightful handmade...
Struggling to find the perfect presents for your loved ones, well this something for everyone gift will help? To celebrate the opening of the Handmade Village which is taking place at The Christmas Ideal Home Show this year in Olympia we've scoured to bring you a...
I Do Handmade will be hosting a Handmade Village at The Christmas Ideal Home Show in London, from 27 November to 1 December 2024. We're excited to introduce you to four fantastic small businesses who will be at the village to showcase their products. Let's meet...
In the fast-paced world of business, understanding your business' strengths and areas for improvement can help be the difference between success and failure. One powerful tool that can help you uncover these insights is a SWOT analysis. Here are the steps for...
A helpful guide to help business owners manage business stress and ideas on how to power through and come out the other side. Fancy a virtual coffee together and chat about something we all know too well – the stress of running a business? You know, that constant...
Discover 10 free business tools that we personally love and will help you move your business forwards. Running a business can be such a minefield, finding and deciding on the right small business tools and packages to use can be overwhelming, and that’s before even...
As a small business, ensuring you protect your reputation is crucial for building trust and credibility with your customers. It’s what will ensure people continue to shop with you in the future, as well as find you in the first place. This is why it’s so important to...
If you're in need of some inspiration on some new small business podcasts, this one's for you... One of the things I was wary of when I went from full-time employment to self-employment was the realisation that I was suddenly going to be alone. How would I cope going...
If you've ever been stuck, feel overwhelmed or not know where to start when it comes to thinking how to plan a business, we've culminated some of the useful practical tools and techniques we've learned over the last 12 years of running a business. We've compiled them...
'Tis the season of giving, and what better way to spread joy than by supporting small businesses? Here at I Do Handmade, small businesses are at the core of everything we do! As the holiday lights twinkle and the scent of pine fills the air, let's dive into the...
We've collated lots of beautiful handmade Christmas decorations all in one place! Check out this gorgeous range of decor options for your home, office and garden all made and sold by talented small business owners! Support a small business this Christmas! Sparkle...
We’re popping up at Waterloo station with four different handmade brands setting up stalls everyday between 16 Oct - 5 Nov, so we thought why not turn a visit to our pop-up into a fun day out guide exploring a quirky corner of London! Waterloo station is one of...
If you love adding a touch of seasonal decor to your home, we’ve put together a pretty impressive collection! Everything you see is made and sold by a small business. When you shop small you really can find such unique and sometimes even personalised options (those...
If there is a child you know you need to buy prezzies for this year, have browse through our kids handmade gift guide! All have been made by a small business. Handmade presents are just the best! So many unique and thoughtful options not often found on the high...
If you're anything like us, apart from getting some peace and quiet back into the house after the chaos of the summer holidays, back to school season is a great excuse to bring some new life to your desk. No matter if you WFH or you just want to add some pizazz to...
We've put together a blog post FULL of teacher gift ideas all made and sold by small businesses across the UK. So many original and thoughtful ideas to help teachers know we appreciate them so much! Check them out below, if you love them, why not let the maker know!...
The month of June marks Father's Day and no matter who the father figure in your life, we love to shop small for thoughtful, personal gifts. If you're looking for some inspiration when it comes to picking the perfect gift, here are 5 of our favourites. 1. Beard...
To celebrate International Women’s Day we wanted to announce some exciting news for business owners on maternity leave. We are offering 3 months free of Hub membership to new mums with a product-selling business, to use during the first twelve months following...
We’ve collated over 40 mothers day gift ideas, all made and sold by small businesses. So much care and passion go into products made by a small business. It often shows in the packaging and the personal touches small independents pour into their products. Here’s a...
If you’re a product business owner, this blog post will help you discover 30+ shops where you can rent a shelf to sell your products. But this is just a tiny slice of what’s possible. Inside The Hub (our membership for product-based business owners), we’ve curated a...
If you need a little inspiration for some Galentines or Valentines gift ideas, look no further. We've picked some of our fav's we've seen on the 'gram all sold by small businesses! Discover so many thoughtful pressie ideas right here, and shop small in the process,...
If you're a small business that sells products at markets, we've put together a list of some helpful things we've learned along the way our business journey. If you have any more tips to add, comment below! Things to do in advance of the market Tell everyone where...
Here’s some of our favourite finds of handmade mothers day gift ideas. All taken from inspiring makers on the big wide web! 1. Clay footprint hearts (click the photo for full tutorial) https://www.instagram.com/p/COkukOeFoG7/?utm_medium=copy_link 2. Mini photograph...
We've put together a selection of some of the best Mothers Day Gift ideas all helping your loved to enjoy a little creative time. All gift ideas have been taken from our online collection and are sold from UK small independents. You could look to buy wicker hamper...
Make Mother's Day special with our collection of free Mother's Day printables, suitable to give any special lady in your life this Mother's Day! We've designed a suite of downloadable gifts which are all un-named meaning they could be appropriate for Mummy,...
This is the easiest handmade seed bombs tutorial I’ve come across so I wanted to share with you. They make the cutest gifts for flower lovers. I wanted to make something for Valentine’s Day to give to a few family members and childminder handmade by my toddler (with...
We've collated a few of our favourite DIY Valentines makes out there at the moment all made by other inspiring crafters and makers. Valentine's is a lovely opportunity to tell anyone they love them. Mum, friend, brother, auntie or even your Amazon Prime delivery...
There couldn't be a better time to fill your desks, shelves and drawers with cute stationery. January means January sales, new styles and a fresh start to begin a new notebook or journal. Here's a few of my favourite stationers with beautiful pens, pads and post-its...
I recently celebrated my sons 2nd birthday, so it was the perfect opportunity to get creative. I wanted to attempt making a 3D number to use for a photo with him, and to decorate the food table. If you fancy having a go yourself, all you’ll need is a large cardboard...
Every year these handmade pallet Christmas trees get to come out and say hello! I had a pretty unrealistic dream one year that I wanted to fill my garden with lots of them and make some sort of magical wonderland! Storage was a little bit of an issue! So I...
For anyone toying with the idea about going self-employed, I wrote an article for the Metroland Magazine which was published this month: Making The Leap To Self-Employed It shares our story, background, and how we’ve got to where we are now as a little business trying...
October for me means pumpkin decorating! And not the scary spooky kind! Why not create a pumpkin floral display and turn your 🎃 into a vase! Here's our easy to follow tutorial... First you'll need a pumpkin! We bought three from our local supermarket. Next, find a...
Here's a lovely moving house gift idea I made recently for a family who moved to St. Louis in the States, last month. This gift idea is ideal for people moving somewhere new. It's a year of day out ideas to help them get to know their new local neighbourhood. I...
This is a thoughtful handmade gift idea for a new mum or expecting mama. Perfect if you're wondering what to get someone. Inspired from a gift I received when I was pregnant, I wanted to write little letters to my bump of all the things I was thinking and dreaming for...
You can never enough useful storage bags. Well we're helping the cause making the world become a little more organised with our useful storage bag decorating kits. People have been getting creative at home with these super therapeutic block printing kits. These kits...
Escape the chaos for just a few minutes with a doodle a day. For the last month I’ve been trying out a new habit before I go to bed. I doodle the highlights from the last 24 hours in a notebook. No fancy equipment, I just use a standard biro and notebook. I saw this...
If you have a celebration coming up and you'd like to decorate, check out this simple 'how to make a streamer backdrop' tutorial to create your own impressive display. All you need: Crepe paper streamersStringScissorsGold metallic ribbon (optional) I have seen so many...