How long have you been running your creative business? For me its been a little over a year and one thing I have learned this far is that it will not always be rosey and there will be high points and low points.

Unfortunately one of the biggest low points for any creative business is to find out your products have been copied and are being sold elsewhere at a lower price. As unfortunate as it is, everything that you create can be copied somehow.

If you are copied, it is likely the biggest culprit will be a mass merchandise company who can make similar items on a large scale for just a fraction of the price. It is sad to say their latest victim is often found at a trade fair and they may even place an order with you to receive samples. But, independent designers can do exactly the same thing but perhaps for a different reason: envy.

As I've said, virtually anything you make can be open for copying, But there are steps to take to help lessen the blow: Have your work protected with either a copyright, patent or trademark. But if you have been copied it might be wise to seek legal advice with regard to any action you can take.

The other aspect of having your work copied is emotion. Knowing that something you have spent weeks working on have been copied is extremely upsetting. But you need to stay confident in your work and your abilities because keeping the emotion bottled up could stop your creativity flowing.

If you are copied, as awful as it may be, keep one thought in mind: "I was one step ahead of the crowd and always will be" and those who copied you will just get left behind!

Coming next time on April 16th: Where are all the sales?

Cast your mind back to when you had that lightbulb moment about running your own craft business and how great it would be to be your own boss, make all the decisions and report to no-one. Have you realised that's not strictly true - you now report to your customers, buyers and possibly the press.

The way to respond to your ne bosses can make or break your business. A quick well thoughts out response can help you make your business, but a short and shoddy response will be a business breaker.

We now live in a consumer society and as such, you and your business will be judged on short customer interactions. These interactions may be telephone calls, emails, in person within your shop, at a craft fair or just passing on the street.

If you feel exhausted from running your business, beware, a tired owner will end up being your worst enemy! No matter how tired or busy you are you cannot avoid emails or dismiss phone calls. If you do, you will give the impression that you either have too much to do and cannot cope, think yourself too important to respond, or are simply incompetent. Be refreshing and surprise people with a response within 24hours or if that is not possible 2 days at most. On the reverse side, responding instantly may give the impression you don't have much else to do - I always wait an hour before responding to someone so I can think about what I want to say in the first instance.

Another potential downfall in business is being too formal. I'm not suggesting you treat your buyers as if they are your best friends (unless of course they are) but a degree of human interconnectivity can go a long way. For example, I would rather be addressed in an email as "Hi Victoria..." rather than "Dear Miss Heath".

There is however a line that cannot be crossed. Never use your daughters dance class as an excuse as to why you have not mailed out a parcel late or that you needed to take your rabbit to the vet. Stay professional at all times but do allow the real you to shine through.

Comine next time on April 12: Taking the Rough with the Smooth

What happens if you have been putting all of these tips into practice with wholesaling, consignment, trade fairs, craft shows etc? Well, you will need to think about fulfilling orders.

Independent businesses are able to gain huge orders from major retailers but more often than not, the big order will come with a list of do's and dont's. It is essential you read these guidelines with a fine tooth comb and if there are no guidelines, you may wish to create your own.

It can be tempting to save a few pounds but do not scrimp on packaging. Buy good quality boxes and tape and use some filling materials like polystyrene or air packets. The best way to save some money with packaging is to buy in bulk at wholesale prices rather than from your local Rymans or Staples.

As you package up your lovely handmade products, assume that the parcel will be knocked about during transit. Therefore consider a "fragile" sticker and fill every last space with filling materials to help make it resistent to compression.

Postage costs can put a potential buyer off so consider buying a postage scale to achieve accurate costs. I have my postage as accurate as possible but I have added a policy to Butterfly-Crafts saying if postage paid is more that 70p different I will refund that difference.

If you receive a large wholesale order that you are posting rather than hand delivering consider using Royal Mail parcel force or another large carrier such as FedEx or DHL and they provide an online tracking system.

Postage is also a great opportunity to add the personal touch. For example I include a business card, a hand written thank you nore, occasionally an offer for a future purchase and often matching gift tags.

Remember the joy and excitement you experience when your purchases arrive? That is what you are trying to recreate.

Coming on the next Business Tips blog on the 9th April: Customer Service