Crafting a Business
My guess is most people start their crafty businesses in much the way I started mine. Friends and family compliment your work, and you realize that you’ve spent so much time and money on your craft that maybe you should figure out a way to earn a little of that money back, so you look into selling your work. Maybe you apply to sell at a local craft fair, or find a consignment shop willing to display your wares, or make an account on a site like etsy.com to sell online.
And then you start learning about what it means to run a business.
And you make loads of mistakes, especially when it comes to managing money, figuring out how much to charge, and how to market your new business.
A better way to start a craft business: read books on how to run a successful business, write up a detailed business plan, and consult with experts to make sure you are doing the legal stuff correctly. Crafting a Business is a book I should have read before starting my business, because it emphasizes doing these things, and doing them right.
It doesn’t cover everything, by any means, but there is a lot of good information, and the profiles of successful craft business owners are very inspirational. After reading this book, I felt inspired to work harder on the business aspects of my business, and encouraged by the success stories.
October 11th, 2008 - 5:05 pm
Great posting; I agree, it isn’t until we are well into a business that we begin to catch on…
October 12th, 2008 - 8:44 pm
I started exactly how you did. And I’ve made my fair share of mistakes along the way as well. I think that book is by far the best I’ve seen specifically for crafters.
October 17th, 2008 - 6:29 am
I’m definitely still learning, and still making mistakes - but at least now my mistakes usually cost me time rather than money, so I must be getting a little better at it!