How to Start Your Own Craft Business
However, there is a way to figure out if starting your own craft business is right for you. You can also work toward your goals by writing a simple business plan for your craft business.
To start, a new craft entrepreneur needs to realize that business can be very complicated to start up. First, there are products to choose. Some people try to put a little bit of everything into their mind when they think of a craft shop. Do you think you could make hundreds of individual crafts all alone and still support a business? It may be more difficult than you think.
Simply imagine what a day in the life of one craft business owner may be like. You start the day with getting the children ready for school while you check your email for today’s orders. You may have a storage unit prepared with a variety of products already pre-made, or you may have to produce each item by hand as it is ordered. If you made the pre-made products yourself, you will probably have to make more.
As the products are made, the phone rings. A customer complains about a product that ended up damaged when it was shipped. You console your customer and work out an agreement, the customer will return the damaged product and you will ship another when it arrives.
Next, the mail has arrived, along with more orders submitted by mail. It also includes a bundle of catalogs from wholesalers who want you to sell their craft products. You collect the orders and sort them, organize them into your computer and get to work filling them. You may put the catalogs away to go through later.
Could you finish those products ordered in a single day without taking too long? What about the products that will be ordered the next day? What about getting the products packaged and shipped? What if more phone calls come in from customers?
Can you see how busy your life may become? It may even become more complicated. Depending on your comfort level, you may not want customers calling your home, but how can customers get a hold of you by phone otherwise? This is just one example of something to think about when starting a craft business.
If you really want to start a craft business, take some time to daydream about what your ideal business would be like. Don’t forget to look at your business from all angles. Where are the products coming from? Who are your customers? Do you sell online, through home shows or at craft fairs? Did you want to do all three?
Once you have an idea of what your business will look like, write it down. This is the start of your craft business plan. It doesn’t have to read well, as long as you can understand it. No one else is going to look at this plan but you.
Next, write the steps you will need to take in order to get from where you are now to where you wish to be. This may include getting a business license, researching products and even learning a new craft. Try not to over complicate things. Sometimes a simple business plan is the best one to use.
Don’t forget that with any business you will need to follow your local laws about business start up. You may be able to find a craft business coach to help you with your needs.
