Selling Crafts | Craft Business from Home
The idea of selling crafts through ur own home craft business can be quite compelling for anyone with an independent spirit and a creative mind. The creative outlet provided by a home craft business combined with the autonomy of self employment can be rewarding.
If u dream of selling crafts and building a business based on ur creative talents, u are not alone. The Craft Organization Development Association (CODA) reports that there are 127,000 professional craft artists in the United States, and the average gross annual revenues for craft businesses reaches $78,000 in the United States (CODA).
If u are thinking about joining the ranks of these professional craft artists, answering these questions for urself will to help determine if u are ready to start selling crafts.
Do u Have a Unique Product or Concept?
If u haven't developed ur own distinctive style, u are not ready to launch ur home craft business. This opinion is one of the best bits of advice that I received early in the development of my own business. It can be hard to hear that advice if u are not there yet, but establishing ur own creative voice is crucial to building a successful business selling crafts.
Whether u are selling hand knit sweaters, creating craft kits for sale or designing and selling ur own patterns, it is important to establish ur own creative identity separate from those professional crafters that u admire. Take an honest look at ur work. Is it truly ur own, or is it derivative of ur favorite artist? u must build ur business around ur own unique style.
If u haven't established ur own creative voice, keep experimenting. Take an art class, learn new techniques or try working with materials that are not typically used in ur main medium. ur creative identity plays into so many business decisions, it's definitely worth the effort to establish ur own style.
Does ur Concept Have Good Potential for Profit?
Will u be able to sell ur crafts at a price that will allow for a fair profit? Some crafts have a greater perceived value than others even though the time and cost of materials to produce them may be similar.
I recently met an artist who was selling an intricate beaded bracelet for $40.00. When she told me that it took her eight hours to make the bracelet, I realized that she could not possibly be making a fair profit on her beadwork. $40.00 works out to only $5.00 per hour for an eight hour project, and that doesn't even take into account the cost of materials, selling fees or the time she spent promoting her work.
Although u may love the time u spend creating ur products, ur time is not free if u are in business. Ensure that u have a craft business concept that will allow u to price ur work in a way that covers ur time and expenses and allows for a fair profit, or u will seriously limit the growth of ur business.
Do u Have Realistic Expectations?
If u read the biographies of professional craft artists, u'll find some of them can be pretty misleading. Everyone loves the romanticism of a rags to riches story, so the typical artist biography will start off something like this, "I started with a thousand dollars and a dream. Before I knew it I was selling my work internationally, and I quit my job to concentrate fully on my art."
That statement may be good marketing, but it leaves out all of the struggles that are a reality of launching any business. If u hang ur expectations for ur home craft business on that kind of hype, u'll be quickly disappointed. Realistically, it takes three to five years for a professional craft artist to establish distribution channels and build a business that is truly profitable.
If u are clear about the financial realities of starting a business and understand that it will take time, money, skill and commitment to earn an income from sell your crafts, u can benefit from ur hard work. Unlike paid employees who are limited to earning the market rate for a particular profession, business owners are limited only by their own brains and motivation. The more effort and smart planning u put into ur business, the more u will benefit directly from ur own work.
Are u Ready to Be All Things to All People?
Launching a business selling crafts means u will have to take responsibility for every aspect of ur business venture. Keep in mind that selling crafts is, at best, 50 percent craft and 50 percent business. That means that in addition to designing and producing beautiful pieces, u will also need to forecast ur needs for supplies and finished products, calculate production times, answer customer concerns, maintain accurate financial records, and the list goes on.
Seeking the support of a business mentor can help u to build the skills and knowledge needed to address these responsibilities. An experienced mentor who is able to share insights and provide guidance will be an invaluable resource if u are learning the ropes of launching a home craft business. A mentor will help u to focus ur time and efforts, avoid common pitfalls, source out resources and identify and develop the skills needed to run ur business.
If u're ready to take on the challenge of learning new skills and combining ur business and creative talents, the rewards of building a craft business can be wonderful. u get to build something from the ground up that is ur own and a reflection of ur values. With total responsibility comes autonomy and the satisfaction of knowing that any business success is always ur own success.
Can u Establish an Online Presence?
While u may not need to build a website immediately if u launch a craft business, many professional craft artists do eventually establish an online presence. Some artists focus on selling crafts directly online, while others don't sell their crafts on their site, but they do use their site as a virtual gallery to display and promote their work.
Building a website, if u've never done it before, can present a few challenges. Paying someone to build a site for u can be expensive if u're not careful, but building a professional looking site urself can require u to develop a whole new set of skills. Also, considering there are over 155 million websites online (Netcraft Web Services Survey, January 2008), u'll need to develop some affordable strategies for marketing ur website if that is part of ur business plan.
Although building and marketing a website can sound like a daunting task at first, that goal is actually not out of reach for many people. With a little bit of research, u can find inexpensive resources that allow u to build and market a professional looking site that customers will find among the crowd of other websites.
Do u Really Believe in ur Craft Business Concept?
When u launch ur own business, u will work harder for urself than u would ever work for any employer. After u have researched the realities and considered the potential for ur craft business idea, if u still steadfastly believe in the potential of ur concept, it is that attitude that will allow u to commit to working hard enough to build a successful business selling crafts.
Smart planning, support, research, business and creative skills and adequate resources are all nourished by ur own belief in ur business. If u have a good understanding of what it will take to be successful selling crafts, and u are still willing to work until the wee hours of the morning to meet a deadline, take on tasks that are outside of ur comfort zone, and work through the challenges as well as the brilliant successes, then u are ready to start ur own craft business.
If u dream of selling crafts and building a business based on ur creative talents, u are not alone. The Craft Organization Development Association (CODA) reports that there are 127,000 professional craft artists in the United States, and the average gross annual revenues for craft businesses reaches $78,000 in the United States (CODA).
If u are thinking about joining the ranks of these professional craft artists, answering these questions for urself will to help determine if u are ready to start selling crafts.
Do u Have a Unique Product or Concept?
If u haven't developed ur own distinctive style, u are not ready to launch ur home craft business. This opinion is one of the best bits of advice that I received early in the development of my own business. It can be hard to hear that advice if u are not there yet, but establishing ur own creative voice is crucial to building a successful business selling crafts.
Whether u are selling hand knit sweaters, creating craft kits for sale or designing and selling ur own patterns, it is important to establish ur own creative identity separate from those professional crafters that u admire. Take an honest look at ur work. Is it truly ur own, or is it derivative of ur favorite artist? u must build ur business around ur own unique style.
If u haven't established ur own creative voice, keep experimenting. Take an art class, learn new techniques or try working with materials that are not typically used in ur main medium. ur creative identity plays into so many business decisions, it's definitely worth the effort to establish ur own style.
Does ur Concept Have Good Potential for Profit?
Will u be able to sell ur crafts at a price that will allow for a fair profit? Some crafts have a greater perceived value than others even though the time and cost of materials to produce them may be similar.
I recently met an artist who was selling an intricate beaded bracelet for $40.00. When she told me that it took her eight hours to make the bracelet, I realized that she could not possibly be making a fair profit on her beadwork. $40.00 works out to only $5.00 per hour for an eight hour project, and that doesn't even take into account the cost of materials, selling fees or the time she spent promoting her work.
Although u may love the time u spend creating ur products, ur time is not free if u are in business. Ensure that u have a craft business concept that will allow u to price ur work in a way that covers ur time and expenses and allows for a fair profit, or u will seriously limit the growth of ur business.
Do u Have Realistic Expectations?
If u read the biographies of professional craft artists, u'll find some of them can be pretty misleading. Everyone loves the romanticism of a rags to riches story, so the typical artist biography will start off something like this, "I started with a thousand dollars and a dream. Before I knew it I was selling my work internationally, and I quit my job to concentrate fully on my art."
That statement may be good marketing, but it leaves out all of the struggles that are a reality of launching any business. If u hang ur expectations for ur home craft business on that kind of hype, u'll be quickly disappointed. Realistically, it takes three to five years for a professional craft artist to establish distribution channels and build a business that is truly profitable.
If u are clear about the financial realities of starting a business and understand that it will take time, money, skill and commitment to earn an income from sell your crafts, u can benefit from ur hard work. Unlike paid employees who are limited to earning the market rate for a particular profession, business owners are limited only by their own brains and motivation. The more effort and smart planning u put into ur business, the more u will benefit directly from ur own work.
Are u Ready to Be All Things to All People?
Launching a business selling crafts means u will have to take responsibility for every aspect of ur business venture. Keep in mind that selling crafts is, at best, 50 percent craft and 50 percent business. That means that in addition to designing and producing beautiful pieces, u will also need to forecast ur needs for supplies and finished products, calculate production times, answer customer concerns, maintain accurate financial records, and the list goes on.
Seeking the support of a business mentor can help u to build the skills and knowledge needed to address these responsibilities. An experienced mentor who is able to share insights and provide guidance will be an invaluable resource if u are learning the ropes of launching a home craft business. A mentor will help u to focus ur time and efforts, avoid common pitfalls, source out resources and identify and develop the skills needed to run ur business.
If u're ready to take on the challenge of learning new skills and combining ur business and creative talents, the rewards of building a craft business can be wonderful. u get to build something from the ground up that is ur own and a reflection of ur values. With total responsibility comes autonomy and the satisfaction of knowing that any business success is always ur own success.
Can u Establish an Online Presence?
While u may not need to build a website immediately if u launch a craft business, many professional craft artists do eventually establish an online presence. Some artists focus on selling crafts directly online, while others don't sell their crafts on their site, but they do use their site as a virtual gallery to display and promote their work.
Building a website, if u've never done it before, can present a few challenges. Paying someone to build a site for u can be expensive if u're not careful, but building a professional looking site urself can require u to develop a whole new set of skills. Also, considering there are over 155 million websites online (Netcraft Web Services Survey, January 2008), u'll need to develop some affordable strategies for marketing ur website if that is part of ur business plan.
Although building and marketing a website can sound like a daunting task at first, that goal is actually not out of reach for many people. With a little bit of research, u can find inexpensive resources that allow u to build and market a professional looking site that customers will find among the crowd of other websites.
Do u Really Believe in ur Craft Business Concept?
When u launch ur own business, u will work harder for urself than u would ever work for any employer. After u have researched the realities and considered the potential for ur craft business idea, if u still steadfastly believe in the potential of ur concept, it is that attitude that will allow u to commit to working hard enough to build a successful business selling crafts.
Smart planning, support, research, business and creative skills and adequate resources are all nourished by ur own belief in ur business. If u have a good understanding of what it will take to be successful selling crafts, and u are still willing to work until the wee hours of the morning to meet a deadline, take on tasks that are outside of ur comfort zone, and work through the challenges as well as the brilliant successes, then u are ready to start ur own craft business.
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