How To Get Accepted As A Seller On ‘Not On The High Street’

Explode your sales by selling on one of the internet’s most underrated marketplaces

Please note: I have absolutely no affiliation with Notonthehighstreet.com other than being a seller on their platform. I am simply telling my story of eCommerce success and I can honestly say that without this marketplace I would not be where I am today.

Perhaps you dream of running a successful part-time business from home or building a big company is your idea of ultimate fulfillment. One thing’s for sure: getting paid to do what we love is something we should all aspire to. What most people don’t realise is that this dream is not only possible but also very attainable with the right guidance.

This may all sound like hyperbole, but it isn’t.

I used to work a 9-to-5 job in finance, which bored the hell out of me, and now I literally run the business of my dreams and it’s all thanks to Not On The High Street. My small team and I make products for customers all over the world. Our 60,000 customers per year love what we do and we make a sizeable amount of money doing it.

Of course, it hasn’t always been this way. It took 4 years of mistakes, wasted money, and wasted time to get to where we are today. Lucky for you, this series of articles could be your light-speed shortcut.

What is ‘Not On The High Street’?

Notonthehighstreet.com is a UK-based curated marketplace that specialises in unique, made-to-order and handmade products. Your products don’t need to fit into all three of these categories. As long as your range is not widely available in ‘high street’ stores or on Amazon, then you have a shot of joining this incredibly lucrative community of buyers and sellers.

I’m going to assume that you’re reading this article for one of three reasons:

A) You want to start a successful online craft business

B) You already run a craft business and want to explode the growth of your sales

C) You have applied to Not On The High Street previously and have been declined (Don’t worry if this is the case. It took two applications before my business got accepted and that business now consistently brings in over £1,000,000 in revenue every year!)

Whatever your reason, this article should guide you through the process of getting set up and selling on one of the most underrated marketplaces in the world.

I’ll cut to the chase: here’s what you need to bring to the table to make this work:

1. The quality of your products needs to match the price you charge (Check out my article How I Priced My Products to Make Millions). Instead of trying to make a quick buck, a passion for creating great quality products will put you on the path to success.
2. Dedicate yourself to this project, work hard, follow guidance but most importantly, enjoy the journey. Starting a business might be challenging at times but ultimately can be one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do. Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses. The most success I’ve had in business is from doing the things I love to do and doing them passionately. The rest of the work can be done by other people (we’ll dive more into this another time).

Pre-Application Musts

You may or may not know that before you’re allowed to make your millions on NOTHS, all businesses must complete a short application process. If you previously submitted an application and were declined, don’t panic — chances are that the reason(s) for the decline can be easily rectified by following my four golden rules below. I make no guarantees, but if you follow these rules and make the necessary changes, you should find that a resubmitted application comes back successful.

1. “Unique” Products

NOTHS is a business whose primary selling point is that they offer unusual & unique products that are not widely available in high street shops or on large retail websites.

That being said, NOTHS can’t ignore the huge income to be made from mass-market, best-selling products; therefore, it wants to include popular types of products in their marketplace, on the condition that they hold a point of difference to the current products on the high street (think of the humble white t-shirt that is always on offer at even the most unusual of clothes shops. All retailers want a piece of the best selling staple products, as long as the product range fits ‘the brand’).

Basically, NOTHS are looking for one of two types of products when they are assessing your business:

1. Product Type 1. Items that have mass-market appeal whilst also having a perceived uniqueness or ‘special’ quality to justify their place on the website.
2. Product Type 2. Items that are highly unusual and creative which might not necessarily bring in a high volume of sales but will strengthen the NOTHS brand as ‘the place to go for unusual products’.

Have you yet to decide on your initial product range? My advice would be to first consider your lifestyle and business vision:

IF you are simply looking for a second income making products you love or are not willing to compromise on the design of your products, then Type 2 Products are going to be the focus of your storefront.

IF you are committed to building a full-time, profitable business, then you cannot ignore Type 1 products and should be prepared to compromise your own tastes to design products with the mass market in mind.

In my opinion, a financially successful NOTHS storefront should be made up of approximately 90% Type 1 products and 10% Type 2 products.

Type 1 products will be your high-volume money-makers. Type 2 products will make you more valuable to NOTHS as a brand and you’re also more likely to get featured in their email and social marketing efforts.

Here are what I think are great examples of Type 1 products. Remember, they need to have mass appeal but also have a unique aspect to them:

Here are what I think are great examples of Type 2 products. Remember, they are unusual and don’t necessarily have competition as they don’t easily fit into a product category:

But how can a mass-market product be “different” enough for NOTHS?

The good news is that uniqueness can be brought to an already popular product very easily through ‘remixing’. Think about swapping and mixing materials, tweaking the making process, applying popular designs to unusual products, adding vibrant colour to natural items…the possibilities are endless. Search for up-to-date retail trend guides online, get creative, and start mocking up products.

If you already have an existing product range, ask yourself, “Would my products be considered ‘unique’ in their current form?” If not, what small adjustment(s) could you make to just tip them over the line?

The goal here is to bend the mold, not break it. A product that is too unusual might be hard to categorise and make it hard for customers to find on the marketplace.

2. Product Range Consistency and ‘Being a Specialist’

NOTHS sellers need to be perceived as passionate players in their chosen field. This might mean heavily promoting their specific skill such as being a professional glassblower, or it might mean simply having a consistent design & style across their entire product range.

The least attractive product range to NOTHS would be a collection of products that have no obvious link or association. If your initial product range is comprised of very different products, make sure there is a common theme that binds them together. Think carefully about materials, colours, textures, and style. Put yourself in a customer’s shoes and ask yourself the question, “What does my business specialise in?” or “What is my business’s unique skill?”

3. A Simple Website, Great Product Photography, and Some Positive Reviews

Yes, I’m afraid that if you want the best chance of being accepted by NOTHS, you’re going to need an online presence, including some evidence that you have successfully sold some products and given great customer service in the past. The fastest and cheapest way to do this is to create a simple eCommerce store using Shopify or Squarespace (make sure to choose a website template that includes the ability to collect product reviews as these will be the evidence you need to prove you are a reputable company that cares about product quality and customer service).

The next stage is to take some product photographs (my article on Perfect Product Photography is coming soon), upload your products, make some sales to family & friends, and get them to leave some reviews. Simple.

4. Story, Humanity, Passion & Personality

To be accepted to sell on NOTHS your business needs to portray these four qualities very effectively:

1. Story
2. Humanity
3. Passion
4. Personality

Turning the volume up on these elements will convince NOTHS (and its customers) that your products are made with care and attention by someone who loves what they do and takes pride in their work (subtext: not churned out by a factory somewhere in China).

Note: If you’re worried that your business doesn’t have an interesting story or unique, interesting skills, relax — this is all about brand communication and effective storytelling.

As part of NOTHS’s due diligence, they will be checking the ‘About Us’ page on your website. This is the perfect place to get your story across so get writing.

Here are some reflective questions to get you started:

• How was the business started?
• What struggles have you overcome in pursuit of your passion?
• What are the unique skills, talents, and personalities of the people behind the business?
• Why are you passionate about your particular range of products?

THAT’S IT FOR THE PRE-APPLICATION WORK.

You’re ready to apply!

Make your application here and if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. This marketplace could provide the foundation of orders you’ve been crying out for.

Note: It’s entirely normal to feel precious about your small business and to not necessarily want to make any changes that you feel compromise your integrity. The rules in this article can be bent, but do so at your own risk. NOTHS are very particular about the types of business they take on board and these rules are fundamental in their decision-making process, so my advice would be to take a step back, view your business through the eyes of NOTHS, and make adjustments where necessary.

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If you’re interested in receiving one-to-one coaching from yours truly just visit www.love-my.business and together we can take your online business to the next level!