10 Craft Businesses You Can Start Now Save Money with Wholesale Craft Supplies Easy Tips for Selling Crafts Getting Started Selling Your Crafts Click here >> 10 Craft Businesses You Can Start Now T I P : FREE Craft Business! Create & Sell T-Shirts in 3 Easy Steps At CafePress, you can create and sell lots of different customizable products with $0 upfront costs and $0 inventory investment. Simply upload your artwork, pick the products you want to sell and launch your online store – in a matter of minutes! 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: Meet your market; Minimize your costs; Maximize your selling price; and 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! About the Author: Eileen Bergen, The Artful Crafter | www.theartfulcrafter.com | Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com Step 1: 10 Craft Businesses You Can Start Now 10 Craft Businesses You Can Start Now: Scrapbooking Candle Making Sewing Gift Baskets Woodworking Flower and Herb Crafts Greeting Cards Herb Farm Faux Painting or Designing Murals Jewelry-Making Techniques How to Start Your Own Craft Business This excellent step-by-step guide covers everything from equipment needed to legal requirements to financial management to day-to-day operations. If you are a do-it-yourselfer and want to save money, this is the way you want to get started. Turn Your Favorite Hobby into a Fun, Moneymaking Business >> Business plan, financing, equipment, craft supplies and product pricing tips How to work from home, rent retail space & set up a craft show booth Legal requirements, record-keeping and taxes, financial management Advertising tips that get your crafts sold & using a sales representative to sell more crafts What a typical day is like & more... click here >> Start a Craft Business 100% Guaranteed See how other successful entrepreneurs have started their own craft businesses: City Quilter quilting store | Stitch Lounge drop-in urban sewing loung & boutique Soap-Making for Fun & Profit Work at home in your own comfortable artist studio making soaps for almost any occasion. This craft business has really taken off since you can make money consistently selling soaps all year round. Unique soaps are a popular gift item, and since soaps get used up, you can easily build a stable source of residual income from satisfied customers. These two guides give you the perfect mix of information on both the business of soap-making and aromatherapy recipe instructions. Recommended by both beginners and experts as easy-to-understand and full of business-building ideas that can help your business grow. Get all of your questions answered & instructions on getting started >> What are the right materials, tools and equipment to use? Comprehensive instruction on over 40 specialty techniques like layering and marbling Ways to sell your creations at craft shows, shops, and other outlets Craft business basics, including pricing and record keeping Start now >> Soap-Making for Fun & Profit 100% Guaranteed Learn more >> Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy Unique Online Craft Store Ideas: Cafe Press has a unique online store program where customers can go on your site and actually design their own one-of-a-kind products. As you can imagine, people love these unique, personalized items that literally sell themselves! What about creating and selling your own designs? All products are stocked, designed and shipped for you. You don't need any experience to run this very cool store. See what other successful entrepreneurs have done >> Minding Monsters Dopey Dog Art CafeGirl T-Shirts Click here to start your own Online Craft Store Free! >> Unique Online Craft Gift Store Advice for Craft Businesses... Business Plans for Crafters Business Licenses Loans and Financing $25 Credit to Advertise on Yahoo Free 7-Step Marketing Guide! Craft Business Contracts & Forms Free Business Cards Accept Credit Cards Finding Local Customers, Made Easy Sell Your Crafts Online More Craft Business Ideas & Business Plans: If you want to know how to organize and plan your business, using a professional business plan "template" is the easiest way to get started. Here's what's included >> Executive Summary: objectives, mission, keys to success Company Summary: company ownership, start-up summary, locations and facilities Services: competitive advantage, sales literature Market Analysis Summary: market segmentation, target market segment strategy, market needs, trends & growth Strategy & Implementation Strategy: competitive edge, marketing strategy, positioning statement, pricing & promotion strategies, marketing programs, sales strategy and forcast, strategic alliances Financial & Organizational Plan Recommended Download >> Candle Making Business Plan Recommended Download >> Baby Gift Business Plan Recommended Download >> Greeting Card Business Plan Recommended Download >> Ceramic Business Plan Recommended Download >> Gift Basket Business Plan

Step 2: Save Money with Wholesale Craft Supplies

Find wholesale merchandise and suppliers through the Wholesale 411 Search Engine. Search for any wholesale items and find a variety of companies who have what you want. Compare offers to get the best price. No membership required. Plus, learn about industry trends and the best bargain sources in their wholesale forum. Search for Wholesale • Bath & Body • Beads • Candles • Charms • Closeouts • Clothing • Collectibles • Figurines • General Merchandise • Handbags • Hats • Imports • Jewelry • Leather • T-shirts • Tools

Step 3: Easy Tips for Selling Crafts

How to Sell Arts & Crafts Well organized information includes charts, graphs and tables. So thoroughly useful, this guide was used as the training manual by the Association of Creative Craft Industries (ACCI) in their Professional Crafters course. "He knows the art side and the business side of making money with craftwork -- an informed guide indeed." - Southern California Senior Life Selling Crafts on the Internet Learn how to use online auctions, Web sites, email, discussion groups, search engines, link strategies and hundreds of other techniques for selling craftwork online. "This new book is so useful, we can hardly stop using it long enough to review it. If you're considering establishing or improving a web presence, invest in this book." - The Crafts Fair Guide

Real Life Case Study #4: Christine Nicholls By starting her own online business, a kids' crafts site, work-at-home mom Christine Nicholls has been able to generate a significant part-time income of $20,000 per year... Working only 10 hours per week from the comfort of her own home. Get Free Report >> Anyone Can Start an Internet Business - & How

More Articles about Starting a Craft Business:

• 10 Home Craft Business Challenges
• 4 Ways to Sell Your Crafts
• The Business Side of Craft Shows

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