Guide to making a Successful Shop

makethebrainhappy

Have you ever wondered how people get really large shops with many members and orders? How did the get to where they are. I have had lots of personal experience with shops and here are some tips I have for you if you are new to owning a shop.

5 Quick Tips

1.) Never give up on your shop. You probably won't get orders or members when you first open it. This is natural. You should always keeping “bumping” the topic and bring it back. Eventually someone will notice your shop

. Dedication Matters

2.) Advertise it. Advertising your products can get you more orders. One way to advertise is to list your shop in the “Shop Directory” or if you are an idea shop or a review shop is to create a forum in the “Show and Tell” section (for reviews) or the “Project Ideas” section (for idea shops) where more orders can flow through.

3.) Ask your friends to help. Having members in your shop who support you really makes you confident that they have your back and that they are always there to help you. Friends are really great dedicated members

.

4.) Partner up with another shop. If you are willing to start out by sharing ownership then you may be willing to partner up with another small shop. You'll start out with two members each of which can make each other feel confident. You have double the advertising power and since you are both working you'll be able to do orders faster.

5.) Building a Reputation. Over time if you offer really good products over and over again people will keep coming back to you. You'll get more orders and people will recommend you. Your shop will grow in the members department and you'll get more orders.

Where you host your shop
Forum Shops vs. Studio Shops. There is no right or wrong answer to which basis you should choose. I have even seen project Shops. But I will say that there is no reason why you should use all three methods. As they say, the more the merrier! You can have an official forum and an official studio and maybe even an official project. Out of the three I would choose using a forum shop. When replying to customers and when they are describing to you what they want you don't have the 500 character limit. Many services just work easier in the formatting department on the forums, such as the reviews and ideas department. Granted, artwork is a drop harder to post but its really no big deal either

. I have also seen people who made shops on other websites. There are scratch collaborations that have there own website, but I really wouldn't recommend this. Many scratcher's don't feel comfortable on other sites and its not right to force them to go to your site. I guess it also really depends as well as what your shop is. The Block Library is a website dedicated as being a library of custom blocks. This application probably makes sense, but I also wouldn't call it a shop anymore.

What your services are
What's your plan? Have as many services as possible, have some your good at, or have one that your AMAZING at. All three approaches are acceptable although personally I wouldn't just make services just to make your shop bigger. When I first started my shop, I focused only on logos and signatures in an art category. I didn't even do sprites. I was very new to running a shop at the time and it made sense to only do one service since it was easy to manage. Over time I grew my shop to include many more services, as I gained many more members who had many more talents to offer. This really connects back to the fundamental role of members. Each member can contribute something unique to your shop. Even if you have two members who are artists, they each have different styles to there art which makes them unique. In this way as you grow more members you are able to offer more. It also becomes harder to administrate though as you get more members. Running a good, long-term shop that's expanding always becomes harder as you go along.

Example Services
Programming
Programmers may help with the coding in Scratch. Some shops will have ranks of programmers based on their abilities and skill in that area. Some shops have specialised programmers that work in areas such as Cloud Variables and using 3D in Scratch.

Art
Artists will create banners, signatures, and sprites based on peoples requests. Every artist has a different style and take on an order, so sometimes its fun to see how two different artists interpret an order.

Sound
Sound Experts may deal with sound effects in Scratch projects or composing music for people.

Ideas
Ideas people help with brainstorming ideas for people. This skill has its own forum that you can help in.

Testing/ Reviewing:
Reviewers are mostly what they are called these days but you could also call them testers. They test out either a profile or project, then give feedback in a hopefully comprehensive manner to help the client

Story
Writers in shops will write newspaper articles, storylines, role-playing studio stories, other short stories and much more.

Membership Administration
You can skip this category if you never plan to hire. I will warn you that it can get boring sometimes without members, and that you won't have the diverse range of talents you may otherwise have. How a shop organizes its members is always very different. Every shop rooster is like a government and its workers, although its normally a much closer knit community. There are many ways to organize, and each shop is different. I'm just going to pull different roosters from some large shops currently to give you an example of some ways to organize your shop. A shop with members is similar to a collaboration

Note, all the names of members have been removed

Leaders
Manager- Complete Control, founded the shop
Assistant Manager- Almost Complete Control, serves under the manager

Members
Everyone else

Board of Directors
Founder: Created Tropical Waves. Total, complete control over everything.
Executive Officer: 2nd in command. Complete control.
Co-Executive Officer: Takes place of Executive Officer when gone
Chairman: Can fire members. Takes place of Co-Executive Officer when gone.
Vice-Chairman: Can hire members. Takes place of Chairman when gone.

Class A
Chief Manager: Shows skill in all departments. Is leader of all departments.
Chief Artist: Shows great skill in art. Leads artists.
Chief Scripter: Is a highly skilled programmer. Leads scripters.
Chief Reviewer: Can accurately grade a project. Leads reviewers.
Chief Musician: Can creat highly advanced songs. Leads composers.
Secretary: Gathers unclaimed orders and helps with the overall well-being of the collab.
Trainer: Trains members in the Academy.
Manager: Manages the collab and becomes manager of the studio.

Class B
Assistant Manager: Helps Manage the collab.
Graduate: Has just passed training.
Recruit: Passed training and works in a department.

Academy (Also Class C)
Trainee:Has to pass training.
Waitee: Is waiting to become a trainee
Special Member: A friend or alt account that you want in Tropical Waves.

Managers
Owner: Complete Control
Manager: can hire members - is in control when owner is gone
Assistant Manager: can hire members

Department Heads
Chief Artist
Chief Reviewer
Chief Musician
Chief Scripter
Chief Signature/Banner Maker
Trainer

Members
Everyone Else

Managers
Founder - Has total control, and owns the shop
Executive Officer - Also has total control
Co-Executive Officer - Steps in for Ex. Officer when neccessary
Manager - Can fire members
Assistant Manager - Can hire members

Department Heads
Chief Artist - Controls the art department
Chief Wallpaper Artist - Controls the Wallpaper department
Chief Scripter - Controls the code department
Chief Musician - Controls the sound department
Chief Writer - Controls the review department)

Staff Body
Anybody else you is not a trainee

Trainee
All other people

Staff
Founder Admin- Person who founded the shop, Complete Control, can declare other admins
Admins- Lots of Control
Members- Other People

Happy Scratcher and Good Luck to all the New Shops out there,
Makethebrainhappy

Owner of the largest shop on scratch ever

Originally this topic did not include so much detailed information, I have expanded it using more experience and the Scratch Wiki. Also, if you are into reading, take a look at this: https://uploads.scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/270490/

Last edited by makethebrainhappy (May 15, 2019 23:27:37)

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k9lego

Great Topic!

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makethebrainhappy

Thanks

k9lego wrote:
Great Topic! - k9lego

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Hamish752

Very nice! Reported to be stickied

.

makethebrainhappy

Hamish752 wrote:
Very nice! Reported to be stickied .

Thanks

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Hamish752

makethebrainhappy wrote:
Hamish752 wrote:
Very nice! Reported to be stickied .

Thanks

It it doesn't get stickied soon, try asking Paddle. Always works

Paddle2See

Hamish752 wrote:
makethebrainhappy wrote:
Hamish752 wrote:
Very nice! Reported to be stickied .

Thanks
It it doesn't get stickied soon, try asking Paddle. Always works

Not always! However, this is pretty sweet - and there aren't a lot of sticky topics in this section at this point

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makethebrainhappy

Paddle2See wrote:
Hamish752 wrote:
makethebrainhappy wrote:
Hamish752 wrote:
Very nice! Reported to be stickied .

Thanks
It it doesn't get stickied soon, try asking Paddle. Always works
Not always! However, this is pretty sweet - and there aren't a lot of sticky topics in this section at this point

Thanks

.

I think I'm going to make more guides XD

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REPUBLICREEPER

makethebrainhappy wrote:
Paddle2See wrote:
Hamish752 wrote:
makethebrainhappy wrote:
Hamish752 wrote:
Very nice! Reported to be stickied .

Thanks
It it doesn't get stickied soon, try asking Paddle. Always works
Not always! However, this is pretty sweet - and there aren't a lot of sticky topics in this section at this point

Thanks .

I think I'm going to make more guides XD

lolz

Hamish752

REPUBLICREEPER wrote:
makethebrainhappy wrote:
Paddle2See wrote:
Hamish752 wrote:
makethebrainhappy wrote:
Hamish752 wrote:
Very nice! Reported to be stickied .

Thanks
It it doesn't get stickied soon, try asking Paddle. Always works
Not always! However, this is pretty sweet - and there aren't a lot of sticky topics in this section at this point

Thanks .

I think I'm going to make more guides XD

lolz

Sorry paddle! I didn't know you were going to see that

! But you do kind of have a bit of a reputation around here. How about:
It it doesn't get stickied soon, try asking Paddle. Usually works

Last edited by Hamish752 (July 21, 2015 22:24:54)

Hamish752

Anyway, congrats on the sticky!

makethebrainhappy

Hamish752 wrote:
Anyway, congrats on the sticky!

Thanks

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Hamish752

makethebrainhappy wrote:
Hamish752 wrote:
Anyway, congrats on the sticky!

Thanks

. I'm trying to get a 3rd sticky ATM.

makethebrainhappy

Hamish752 wrote:
makethebrainhappy wrote:
Hamish752 wrote:
Anyway, congrats on the sticky!

Thanks
. I'm trying to get a 3rd sticky ATM.

XD

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makethebrainhappy

makethebrainhappy wrote:
Hamish752 wrote:
makethebrainhappy wrote:
Hamish752 wrote:
Anyway, congrats on the sticky!

Thanks
. I'm trying to get a 3rd sticky ATM.

XD

Where, o great sticky-master XD

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rollercoasterfan

makethebrainhappy wrote:
Owner of the largest shop on scratch ever

Some other shops probably get more orders than we do. We just talk all the time xD

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dolphin_24

rollercoasterfan wrote:
makethebrainhappy wrote:
Owner of the largest shop on scratch ever
Some other shops probably get more orders than we do. We just talk all the time xD

THAT'S OUR DOWNFALL! WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT THAT BIG, BUT WE TALK TO MUCH AND END UP MOSTLY GETTING ORDERS FROM TEAM MEMBERS!
Sorry. I went crazy.

makethebrainhappy

dolphin_24 wrote:
rollercoasterfan wrote:
makethebrainhappy wrote:
Owner of the largest shop on scratch ever
Some other shops probably get more orders than we do. We just talk all the time xD
THAT'S OUR DOWNFALL! WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT THAT BIG, BUT WE TALK TO MUCH AND END UP MOSTLY GETTING ORDERS FROM TEAM MEMBERS!
Sorry. I went crazy.

I actually like talking a lot. And we are the largest, by a LONG Shot.

So Talk all you want there's no problem with it as long as you aren't role playing or breaking a community guideline.

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Hamish752

makethebrainhappy wrote:
dolphin_24 wrote:
rollercoasterfan wrote:
makethebrainhappy wrote:
Owner of the largest shop on scratch ever
Some other shops probably get more orders than we do. We just talk all the time xD
THAT'S OUR DOWNFALL! WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT THAT BIG, BUT WE TALK TO MUCH AND END UP MOSTLY GETTING ORDERS FROM TEAM MEMBERS!
Sorry. I went crazy.

I actually like talking a lot. And we are the largest, by a LONG Shot.

So Talk all you want there's no problem with it as long as you aren't role playing or breaking a community guideline.

purplebook163

Wow, great guide! Mind if I critique?

I'd link the Shop Directory, Show and Tell Forum, and Project Ideas Forum, just so they are easier to acess and it's more convienient in the long run.

The first sentences…

This Post wrote:
Have you ever wondered how people get really large shops with many members and orders? How did the get to where they are.

I'd rewrite this as…
Have you ever wondered how Scratchers get really large shops? Have you ever wondered how they get so many members and orders? Have you ever wondered how they get to where they are now?

I'd also add a bit about what it's like to run/own/work for a shop.

Just a few tips. I've been talking @Smiley_Faces7 into owning a shop and letting me help him manage it.

He wants a shop, and we/I will deffinetly be using using some of these tips when we/he gets started.

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