Crafts to Earn Money: 13 Easy Ways
Why You Should Start a Craft Business
The idea of having your own business may seem daunting to those that do not know the ins and outs. With a craft business, you can make a sizable income from something that is normally passed off as a hobby. If you love making things with your hands, why not make others happy by selling your wares? This article of AbbotCrafts we will help you decide if starting a craft business is right for you and how to go about it!
1. Decide What Kind of Crafts to Sell
Not every craft fits well into making money. In fact, some crafts are more difficult than others depending on their nature. Luckily, there are plenty of artisanal goods that have been around for centuries that provide wonderful opportunities for small business owners.
2. Sell Products that You Yourself Would Like to Have
When you really feel like you need an anti-anxiety remedy after a hard day’s work, and all there is available is a scratchy lace doily or a hand sewn tea cozy, it can be very frustrating. Instead of making products for other people, make products that you would buy yourself. This will help ensure that your product falls into the category of things people will actually want to buy as opposed to items they feel obligated to purchase as gifts for others. There are several kinds of simple crafts that fit this market:
3. Do Your Homework on What Crafts People Enjoy Buying Most
Different things appeal to different people in different ways. The craft that you enjoy making may not appeal to everyone, but there are several types of crafts that people consistently buy. Crafts such as jewelry, knitted items and paper products sell well over the Internet. Soft goods like clothing and scarves also do well. If you have a specialty or interest outside of what normally appeals to a mass market, take a look at other successful artists in your area to see what they offer. Use their successes as a guide for crafting high-quality items yourself.
4. Focus on Selling More Than One Product
Crafting is wonderful for those who love working with their hands and providing others with useful or beautiful wares, but it’s important not to limit yourself too much the beginning. If you want to start making money with your crafts, focus on selling items that are highly different from one another. If you’re knitting, try to find a pattern for socks, baby clothes and hats. Sell dolls, but also sell boxes of doll accessories or books about doing hair for dolls. This will ensure that people interested in buying handmade items can find what they want without having to buy it elsewhere.
5. Open Your Own ETSY Shop
The Internet has opened up new possibilities in the world of craft sales. In fact, there is no better place to sell handmade goods than through an online shop on ETSY. Etsy allows artists from all over the globe to join together and connect with customers from all over the world looking for high quality crafts. You can put together an entire shop with dozens of products in less than thirty minutes. It’s not necessary to have anything more than a few items for sale.
6. Start Small and Plan Ahead
It may be tempting to start selling right away, but it’s often better to wait until you feel ready before trying something new. Don’t start selling handmade products unless you know how to make enough products to stay busy without feeling overwhelmed with your work load . If you only have three items listed at $10 each, you’re not likely to sell very much, however if everything is priced between $20-25 , keep in mind that many people are willing to pay slightly higher prices for quality goods crafted by hand
7. Sell Your Crafts Locally
If you live in a small town or don’t have time to run an online shop, selling locally is still a great option. Approach your local supermarket and small business owners about selling items for them on consignment. If you’re willing to sell wholesale, you can often get the same prices without having to pay extra taxes . You can also set up a stand at local events such as farmer’s markets, shows and flea markets.
8. Sell Your Crafts at Art Fairs and Local Festivals
As long as people are buying tickets for art fairs and festivals, there will be plenty of room for handmade crafts. Many artists choose to partake in these shows not only because it gives them exposure but because they make good money doing so . Have your items displayed nicely and make sure not to look too pushy. Craft sales people are often stereotyped in the same category as used car salesmen. Make sure you’re approachable and always be willing to help customers find something they like without being pushy or rude.
9. Don’t Fear Social Media
Social media seems like it’s everywhere these days, but that doesn’t mean you need to use it yourself. It’s a better idea to let other businesses do the work for you by sharing content about what you’re selling online. If you have a Facebook page, YouTube channel, blog or any other social media account, mention them on your website or Etsy shop front page with links leading to where they can be found.
10. Get Inspired by Others
If you’re finding that the world of craft sales doesn’t really suit you, try checking out some other types of online stores for inspiration. There are entrepreneurs all over the Internet creating fantastic digital shops, and it’s a great opportunity to get an idea or two from these people. If you enjoy designing clothing, take a look at a website like Threadless where people can submit designs and get paid if their design is chosen to print on clothes. If you sell handmade items but aren’t sure what type of future projects may be available, look on Etsy for new artists with shops that have very few products on sale . You could easily add additional items before they even know what hit them!
13. Don’t Give Up
Selling handmade crafts, especially online, is a difficult business . It’s not enough to just go with the flow and see what happens. You need to be able to handle any curve ball thrown your way, whether it’s an unexpected expense or someone taking off with your entire stock of products. Never give up on good customers either because if they like you, they’ll be back for more. Just make sure you know how much work it takes before starting something new so you don’t get overwhelmed by all of this at once.
Happy crafting!
Internet has opened up new possibilities in the world of craft sales. In fact, there is no better place to sell handmade goods than through an online shop. The only problem is that there are so many people out there with the same idea in mind, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. If you want to make your crafty goods stand out, take a look at these ideas for making money through crafts.
