 |
Getting Started Selling Your Crafts
Until recently crafts were usually sold locally or, at best,
regionally. Now you literally have the whole world at your
fingertips! Some of you may choose a gradual progression from
selling to friends, to selling at fairs and shows, to retail
selling ? and so on. Others may decide to jump directly from
selling within their circle of friends to the worldwide Internet
market - the costs are low enough that this is surprisingly
doable.
My first career was as a special education teacher. After 15
years of teaching I earned an MBA degree followed by CFA
(Certified Financial Analyst) certification. After 15 years in
finance I was a vice-president and portfolio manager of a major
insurance company before I was downsized. Tired of the rat race,
I opted for early retirement. Looking for something to do with
all my free time, I started crafting and am now making a nice
supplemental income from it.
As a crafter and a businesswoman, I feel I have some valuable
insights into the craft business that I can share with you.
Getting Organized
to Sell Your Crafts for Profit
At some point in your progression from crafting for fun to
crafting for fun and profit, you go from handcrafting individual
items for yourself and friends to filling quantity orders for a
broader marketplace. That's the time to take a very business-like
approach to your craft business. This needn't be daunting. You
don't need an MBA or management experience - just a bit of common
sense. If you're going to do this for profit, you need to
understand
The Four M's:
1. Meet your market;
2. Minimize your costs;
3. Maximize your selling price; and
4. Market the heck out of your product.
Simple, right? But very few people get it. Look at the high
failure rate for new businesses. It takes effort to be
successful, but the task is hardly impossible.
Traditional craft retailing methods are what most crafters use
to get started. They're the easiest way, especially if you don't
know if anyone will buy what you make.
I believe that there is a market for any well-made craft,
whether decorative or useful. The problem facing many crafters is
how exactly to go about selling them, or more accurately, finding
paying customers. The fact is that there is an awful lot of
competition out there.
My own business got jump-started by my "circle of friends". My
friends noticed and liked my calling cards and began to ask me to
design and make cards for them. Starting with just Broderbund's
Create-a-Card program, I was soon earning a nice supplemental
income in just a few hours a week. It probably helped that I was
retired and live in an area dominated by retirees.
But I think that everyone has a "circle of friends" either
socially or at work. Of course you don't want to impose on their
friendship by making a hard sell, but rather use or display your
crafts in front of your friends to see if they draw any interest.
If they do and if they're priced right, you're on your way to
craft retailing for profit. If your "circle of friends" market
starts extending to friends of friends, you're probably ready to
tap the general marketplace of craft retailing.
Most crafters are aware of the periodic craft shows put on by
local groups or even by the local Parks Departments. These
usually cost little or nothing to join and should give you a fair
idea of whether there is any broader interest in your craft. What
better way to jump into craft retailing?
There are also organized craft shows that tour the country,
most of which charge an entrance fee for participants. Check your
local papers, especially the free shoppers, for information about
upcoming shows
Another venue for craft retailing is at the local flea markets
that spring up in every community just about every weekend. Again
the entrance cost is usually minimal. The only other thing you
need is a little marketing savvy.
With little cost and some effort, you will be well on your way
to knowing whether there is a market for your craft. Once you
know that, you can move on and think about other ways of selling,
such as in galleries, on consignment, on eBay or from your own
website.
All these methods and more are discussed in great detail on my
website,
www.theartfulcrafter.com.
Come visit and see what you can do to become successful in the
craft business! By Eileen Bergen
The Artful Crafter
www.theartfulcrafter.com
 MORE RESOURCES updated Sat. December / 21 / 2024
|
|
|
Related Hobbies - Crafts articles:
When It Comes To RC
Airplanes You Can Choose From Ready to Fly, Almost Ready to
Fly or Scratch Built
Soaring through the air, watching the clouds and the birds
fly by. No, you are not flying your own private plane, but
you are doing the next best thing.
What Is An Un-circulated
Coin?
You may have heard the terms proof coin and un-circulated
coin, but what's the difference between these two? To
understand the difference between a proof and un-circulated
coin, let's first answer the question, "What is an
un-circulated coin?" Un-circulated means a coin has not had
any wear, such as the wear a coin might experience when it
is used in commerce. Handling a coin, as well as improperly
storing a coin, can result in wear on the surface of the
coin.
You Are A Diamond So
Scrapbook About Yourself
As a devoted scrapper, you probably gain satisfaction from
scrapbooking about others. Oftentimes, you are the one
glaring missing light in your scrapbook albums.
Gemstone
Collecting
Personally, I have become fascinated with gemstones
(precious and semi-precious stones). I am amazed at the
array of colors and properties of these little treasures
found in the earth.
A Look at Cloisonné
Lapel Pins
Cloisonné lapel pins are the most traditional, if not
the most collectible of the lapel pin types. Most of the
older lapel pins are either die-cast metal or
cloisonné.
Saving Family Keepsakes
for Scrapbooking
I'm new to scrapbooking, and I still can't believe all the
possibilities there are for scrapbook layouts. When I first
began I pulled out and organized a lot of my daughter's
childhood photos.
What Is A Reverse
Painting?
Welcome to the world of Reverse Painting on Glass. Reverse
painting on glass has been considered a popular 'art
of the people' for many centuries.
Saltwater Coral Reef
Aquariums - 5 Tips for Success
Do you dream of watching the natural beauty of the undersea
reef life while sitting in your living room? Whether your
goal is a nano reef tank or a 150 gallon aquarium with an
ecosystem of coral and saltwater fish, the following five
tips will lead you on your way to success.1) Commit! Decide
you are going to spend the $$ it takes to make a proper go
of it.
Invitation Envelopes -
Make or Break Your Party
What will separate your party from all the other events of
the season? Of all the planning that goes into your special
occasion, there is no excuse to forget about specialty
envelopes. Your invitation is the first impression that you
and your party will have.
Jewelry and the Art of
Selling
Two of the most frequently asked questions we get at the
Online Jewelry Appraisal Center is: "How do I sell an item
of Antique or Estate Jewelry?" or..
Comic Book Supplies,
Necessities of the Serious Collector
If you want to keep your comic book collection in tiptop
shape, comic book supplies will become part of your
collecting life. As soon as a magazine is printed there are
natural environmental forces going to work to try and
destroy the ink and the paper.
How to Make Your Own
Refrigerator Magnets
There are several types of refrigerator magnets that you
can make with a little effort and the right materials.
Below are some ideas for making magnets for gifts or just
for fun.
Endless Possibilities
With Custom Printed Lanyards
Custom printed lanyards are an extremely popular item and
are readily available for purchase through a large amount
of suppliers. Many suppliers have detailed e-commerce sites
that allow buyers to select a lanyard style and customize
it without ever having to leave their office or home.
PE-Design Embroidery
Digitizing Software: Getting Started
This article is in response to the emails I receive from my
website asking for my thoughts on PE-Design. If you are
considering purchasing embroidery digitizing programs, I
hope this information will help your research.
Discover the Truth about
Comic Book Collection; Nerdy Geeks or Shrewd
Investors?
It is unbelievable when one says, yeah, I collect comic
books, what the general public response might be? Oh no, a
slightly off the wall geek. Here is someone who has lost
touch with reality.
An Introduction to
Lanyards
Lanyards are pieces of rope, wire, or cloth specifically
designed to attach to objects. They are typically used to
secure small items such as a work badge, key,
identification card, eyeglasses, whistle, cell phone,
bottle opener, knife, or compass.
How to Use Textured
Paper and Book Jacket Backgrounds to Give Your Scrapbook
Dimension
Textured paper can add extra dimension to your scrapbooking
page. Textured paper can be used to highlight focus items
on your scrapbook page.
Puzzle Pieces, Sequins,
and Rhine Stones in Your Scrapbooks
Puzzle pieces make playful embellishments and borders.
Puzzle pieces give a creative and playful look to
children's art and educational scrapbooks.
Tips for Attending
Gemstone Shows
If you've been to gem shows, you know how overwhelming and
daunting they can be. Although it's difficult to narrow
down all those tempting options, your jewelry business
profit margin will be greater if you plan ahead and focus
on shopping for a particular line and color scheme of
jewelry.
Collecting Depression
Glass - Where to Start
Okay, so you've been bitten by the Depression Glass bug,
and those pretty patterns and pastel colors beckon you from
the shelves of an antique dealer's shop, a friend's home,
or maybe you've even discovered this special glassware on
the Internet. How ever it's come about that you've
developed a yen for Depression Glass, you need to know
where and how to start collecting it - unless you're made
of money, have oodles of time on your hands, and don't care
whether you get the real thing or not.
|
|
