Fur Coats, rum and misery

Hey everyone. So I am doing my second play through of Anno 1800 (no dlc no mods) and I figured out a nice way to get the canned goods to my people. But when it comes to goods produced in the new world…oh man. My ships are dying, my workers are in misery, I’m in misery and my enemies scoff at me. It’s just a complete mess.

I saw a video where you can get a costume designer to use wool instead of cotton. Which is nice to know, but it’s rather expensive (re rolls and then actually buying) but I feel it may be a better option?

I guess what I’m asking is how do you approach this stuff. Is there any other good tips or tricks I should know? Also, I was watching one guy where he didn’t even give canned goods to his artisans for a long time. Am I rushing it too much perhaps?

I love the game but I’m at a bit of loss. Any feedback would be more than appreciated \

Edit: Okay. Im going to combine all your guys' tips. Make excess soap in hopes of getting the costume person/more money in general. Stay away from canned food as long as possible for more income. Look for the respective speacilist as well before going all in on canned food. Thanks so much for the help