Standing out in an increasingly crowded industry may feel like a monumental task, especially if you’re just starting out with your business. 

Looking at the competition may bring feelings of dread. That was certainly the case for many of our panelists at our last Paper X Talk lecture about pricing. But one thing stood out above the rest in all of our advice that night: competition should be viewed as a motivator, not a threat.

By the end of this article, you’ll feel motivated when you look at your competition, because you’ll learn how to work with competitors to build up your industry and keep customers happy—and when that happens, your business will grow and you’ll find the success that matters most to you.

Let’s dive in!

Collaborate with Your Competition

This may sound counterintuitive at first, but when you build up your industry, everyone benefits. Paper florist Jessie Chui of Crafted to Bloom is my competition, but...

Can you really charge as much as other paper florists? There are many factors to weight when setting prices, but one of the most important is understanding your own value as an artist. After reading this post, you will gain the confidence you need to value your experience and skill set, and learn why you should be calculating that into your prices. When you value yourself, you’ll be able to price with confidence and make your business profitable.

At our second Paper X Talk lecture on pricing, we discussed all of the factors that we weigh when setting our prices. Our panelists provided a huge wealth of information, but one factor stood out: the great need to value your own time and skills. 

So how do you do that? Here are some insights from our panelists.

Narrow Your Customer Base

Jesalyn Pettigrew of Mossy Gate Flower Farm tried on many different hats when she started out as a flower grower. Some worked, some didn’t. Some she hated, some...

How do you choose a starting price point? How do you raise prices? How much profit can you make with a creative, small business?

If you haven’t guessed already, the biggest growing pain you’ll face as a small business is figuring out pricing. After reading this post you will feel empowered when setting prices for your goods and services because you will learn pricing strategies that will take your business to the next level.

In October we held the first lecture in our Paper X Talk lecture series, and our panelists shared their growing pains with pricing. We’ve all had the same questions: How will you cover supply and time costs? How are you going to pay your living expenses? Will this ever be more than a hobby?

We all have to find the right price point for our market and for our own needs, and this isn’t something you do once and leave alone. Our panelist Jesalyn Pettigrew of Mossy Gate Flower Farm checks the wholesale flower market...