When the cash register goes off, the person on the other side of the counter smiles and takes the bag you're giving them. As they cheerily walk away, they tell their friend that this is exactly what they've been looking for but haven't been able to find.
You're filled with a deep sense of happiness because someone just bought one of your crafts and walked away with a big smile on their face. You're told again that you should...
When the cash register goes off, the person on the other side of the counter smiles and takes the bag you're giving them. As they cheerily walk away, they tell their friend that this is exactly what they've been looking for but haven't been able to find.
You're filled with a deep sense of happiness because someone just bought one of your crafts and walked away with a big smile on their face. You're reminded that starting your own craft business was one of the best things you've ever done.
People told you for years that your crafts were great and that you should sell them. They told you that you had a real talent and that you should share it by starting your own craft business. They were right, so you're glad you paid attention to them. Now you're making money doing what you love.
Do you feel like you want to start your own craft business after reading the above paragraphs? Do you want to be the one who hears the cash register ring and sees people with smiles on their faces walk away with your crafts?
The hard part is sometimes just knowing where to start. How do you go from having an idea for crafts to selling them? Even though I can't talk about everything in this article, I can tell you how to start.
Choose an item to sell.
One of the first things you need to do is think of a craft you could sell. There are many ways to come up with an idea if you don't already have one. Here are just a few thoughts.
- Improve on a product you already own. Take a look at a product you already own and make a change to it. Take the idea of a place to hang paper towels. You could make and sell fancy paper towel holders. Make a set of kitchen items that are all about the same thing. Paper towel rack, napkin holder, salt and pepper shaker holder. This would make something better than it already is.
- Fix a problem you face every day. Look around you and figure out what's bothering you and how to fix it. It doesn't need to be hard, just something simple will do. For example, we always have a lot of pens all over our house. You could think of a great idea for a pen holder that looks good. Everyday things like these can give you a lot of ideas.
Choose how much your craft will cost.
You will also need to set a price for your craft. Here's where a lot of people go wrong. They don't think about all of the costs that really go into making a craft. You need to think about more than just the cost of the supplies. You also need to think about the cost of being in the show, gas, and a place to stay if you are staying away from home. When coming up with a price, make sure to take into account all of your costs.
You also need to decide how much an hour you want to pay yourself. You should be realistic, but you shouldn't sell yourself short either. You should really get paid.
When you come up with a price you think is reasonable, compare it to prices for similar products to see if you are close. Also, get honest feedback from friends and family. This can be a great way to get an idea of how likely it is that your price will work.
Choose where you will sell your work.
Third, you'll need to decide where you're going to sell your crafts. You need to think about the crafts you are selling and make sure they are right for the shows you are going to. If you try to sell things that don't belong at the show, you may pay for space but not sell anything.
There are a lot of smaller shows you can start with to keep costs down. This will also let you try out your products and prices without having to spend too much money.
There are many websites you can use to find craft shows. You can find some of these sites by typing "craft shows" into Google.
You can also check with schools, churches, and farmers markets to find more places to sell your goods.
As soon as you start, you'll have more ideas than you can keep track of.
