Have you ever thought about starting a craft business? It’s such an exhilarating idea—to spend each day doing what you’re passionate about, working with your hands, and making money in return for your efforts. More than just working with your hands and enjoying the craft. If you want to set up a business that’s going to bring in some actual profit, not just some spending money for the occasional latte, you have to take care of some boring but necessary legal and business details first.
The Crafts and Arts Sector
The crafts and arts sector is flourishing. Today’s consumers are on a quest for bespoke offerings, and that search has propelled the handmade movement to new heights. In fact, the handmade crafts industry is one of the segments driving growth in retail today. While many of your peers in the movement might run solely e-commerce businesses, events in the physical world—such as craft fairs, flea markets, and pop-up shops—also offer sales opportunities.
Why You Might Want to Start a Craft Business
Considering becoming a craft business owner? Here are some compelling reasons that might inspire you: For one, you have passion and skill. If you love making things by hand, then you’re halfway to crafting a career out of doing what you love. Yes, the competition is fierce, and yes, the market is fickle (it’s a huge part of why there’s a growing demand for handmade goods). However, the crafty economy gives you the chance to do something you enjoy every day. And honestly, who wouldn’t want that?
Launching a craft business can be an economical venture, but it is crucial to invest wisely when it comes to generating income. You can begin a craft business with very little in the way of startup costs; this is mainly because you do not need any special tools, machines, or a huge inventory. You can make your first sale relatively easily. For someone who’s just starting out or as a sideline to another job, a craft business can be a low-stakes way to try out entrepreneurship. If you want to be your own boss and work from home, a craft business can be a great option. You can set your own schedule and work from your own premises.
The brilliant aspect of launching a craft enterprise is the potential for boundless creativity. Besides creating your own designs and products, you can experiment with different materials and methods. The craft community, vast and supportive, offers many opportunities for connection and collaboration, both in person and virtually. These connections might provide your next burst of inspiration, and they are certainly a way to learn new skills and get the word out about your craft business.
Giving back to your community can take many forms, but one appealing avenue is to start a craft business that focuses on making artisanal goods for charitable purposes. This is an excellent way to ensure the side hustle you might start has a positive impact on the local and even the global community. Furthermore, you’ll have a lot of fun along the way. “Make it and they will come” is often the model for crafty side hustlers. Therefore, you’ll be producing the goods yourself in a relatively small workshop setting.
Your success knows no bounds. If you have a deep love for your work and you’re prepared to put in the effort, there’s no cap on how far you can go. You could establish a modest, at-home business and transform it into an enormous, thriving enterprise. You could channel your frustrations with the challenges you’ve faced and make a meaningful impact. You could craft a life that you and your loved ones are proud of—a life filled with beautiful, handmade goods that are enticing enough that people will reach for their wallets.
Transform Your Craft Business from a Hobby into a Profession: A Step-by-Step Guide
Every craft business has its own unique look, based on its niche and the skill level of the person running it. Still, there are some relatively straightforward and universal steps that can take you from an amateur hobbyist to a fully-fledged professional. Here’s your guide to making that transition safely and successfully—step by step.
1. Investigate Your Niche—Deeply!
Taking the time to do rigorous market research lays a strong foundation for your crafts business. Most craft businesses operate within a niche, whether they “only” knit or make intricate, hand-carved wooden items. Knowing your business and your niche in it is critically important. The craft industry is a vast market with a large customer base, yet it also presents significant competition. You need to understand your marketplace.
Furthermore, gaining wisdom about the competition’s best and worst attributes can illuminate the prospects for your own craft business. Moreover, we can enrich our understanding of the competition by connecting with community groups and online venues that our customers occupy. Hearing what our customer base has to say can help us understand their business better.
Besides examining the current market, it is vital to watch for new trends and consumer behaviors. Staying current enables you to adjust your offerings and tactics in line with the demands of a diversifying marketplace. Whether you do this informally or in concert with a “trend team,” make sure to keep your eyes trained on the potential laws of the next “new normal.” Being first (or early) to adapt what you do to the next big thing gives you an edge in a marketplace where crafting has become the next big thing.
2. Pick a business name and create a brand.
Your business name can give customers an instant idea of what to expect from your business. It can also positively or negatively impact your brand differentiation, allowing your brand to either stand out or blend into the background. Once you’ve settled on a name, check in your state and online to be sure it’s available (and reserve the domain name while you’re at it).
A business name that’s memorable, simple to pronounce, and somewhat rhythmic usually has the best shot at sticking in people’s heads. Your business name should resonate with your customer base and reflect the essence of your craft. After you’ve chosen a name, creating a logo and website is your next step.
3. Your formal business plan is the next step.
Your craft business plan should encompass a comprehensive approach, detailing everything from what you will sell to how you will reach customers, while also incorporating business marketing strategies. There are many templates online to get you started with a formal business plan.
A solid plan should define your product and your target market, and it should include your marketing strategies, key operational plans, financial projections, and growth plans. This plan is akin to a roadmap that helps you see what lies ahead as well as what potential challenges you might face. One traditional route through the plan is to use the sections to tell the story of your business. In my opinion, a more effective approach would be to view the plan as a combination of sections and stories, with a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis serving as the ideal starting point for narrating your business’s story.
4. Choose a Business Structure
What you select for a business entity determines almost everything else about your startup. As small and obvious as it may seem, selecting a business structure has important legal and financial implications. For instance, tax purposes generally treat sole proprietorships as individuals. On the other hand, a limited liability company can differentiate your business assets from your personal assets if there’s a problem. Either way, you have to consult with a legal or business professional to make the right choice. This is because the structure you choose can either provide you with the operational flexibility to adjust to changing circumstances and opportunities, or it can entangle you in complex governance issues.
Secondly, seeking legal counsel can facilitate the process of finding investors or partners. Some choices, like going into a partnership, generally don’t give you investor-friendly signals. However, some choices trigger those signals, which can become more important as your craft startup grows.
5. Obtain a Business License
You will likely need to register your business with your local government and possibly your state government, depending on what and where you sell it. Consult with your local city and state officials for the proper paperwork. They can help ensure that you understand precisely what you need to do, as each locale has its own set of rules.
Signing up to operate legally isn’t just about avoiding penalties. Another issue is reputation: What would your customers think if they found out you broke the rules? They’re the reason you want your business to succeed.
6. Select Your Selling Method
Are you planning to sell your crafts through online marketplaces, your own online store, or other avenues like craft fairs? You might even use a combination of these strategies to reach your customers. The platforms you choose to sell on can significantly influence your visibility and success. Understand the pros and cons of each platform before you commit. You need to consider cost, the amount of traffic the site receives, and whether its demographics match your target market. Don’t overlook the importance of incorporating a variety of strategies into your mix. Investigating various sales channels not only enhances your visibility and potential sales, but also fortifies your business’s resilience.
To find the best methods for vending your handmade items, think about your ideal clientele and also about the kinds of platforms that fit with your craft business’s overarching aims and principles. You might consider selling your crafts in person or on Zoom, a videoconferencing-enabled private party. That’s not to mention the far more common option of selling online, whether through an established platform like Etsy, eBay, or Amazon Handmade or via a personal website. In all those options, the added challenge would be getting the word out.
An e-commerce site:
Having your e-commerce site gives you complete control over your brand and the experience your customers have when they shop with you. An e-commerce site is a fantastic way to have a direct line to your customers and build a brand that their friends and family recognize. Use tools like Shopify or WooCommerce to easily set up your online store.
Dreaming on a Budget:
Before you’re rolling in dough, you have to dream on a budget. Use your living room as an art studio. Pay attention to the lighting and the colours of things around you. Eliminate any anger-inducing shapes, lines, or colours in your artwork. And sculpt in a space free of tension and distracting buddies.
Welcoming individual relationships in an online world
Connecting with customers in person can be a challenge when most of the world feels comfortable communicating through screens. But for local makers, meeting customers face-to-face is a fantastic opportunity. When you make a product and sell it to the public, you are giving something intensely personal. You should want the public to know and appreciate your business endeavors and product quality. I have uncovered no hidden she-shed in my life and business, in which I work. From my living room, I communicate with my friends and family, as well as with the public. I am a local maker. My story isn’t over; neither is yours.
Investigating Subscription Services in Craft Enterprises
Craft businesses have many options for monetization. One would be subscription services, where you send your customer a delightful surprise every period. At its most basic, a subscription could read, “You get a new craft item every month.” These could be unique craft pieces made just for your subscriber. This “just for you” nature puts subscription services on par with our previous mentions in terms of delighting your customer and providing you with the opportunity to charge a premium price. Still, honestly, as far as those go, this is a really basic rundown of what it could be.
Strategic Growth of Outlets for Selling
The most crucial thing is to begin with a couple of sales channels that you feel at ease with and broaden them slowly as your business expands. Each channel demands unique techniques and oversight, so it is vital to spread your time and resources wisely among them. Adapt your techniques according to customer feedback and always be aware of how well your channels are performing. If one is not, drop it and focus on the ones that are.
7. Create a bank account for your business.
When starting a business, it’s crucial to keep finances separate, particularly in online crafts where accounting can be complex. Tracking precise cash flow is essential for knowing the condition of a business, and the best way to do this is to open a bank account in the business’s name.
Opening a bank account in the business’s name is also a necessity if you want to create a professional online presence. A business bank account is required for PayPal and many other online payment services. And if you plan to apply for a business loan or line of credit, a business bank account is essential.
8. Stocking your supplies.
Your first action step should be to determine which items you’ll use to create your inventory. Once you have a plan for your inventory, you can start to stock it. You can find suppliers for practically anything, and your challenge will be to find ones with whom you want to do business.
When considering suppliers, look at both wholesale and retail options. Research the supplier intensely, especially their ethics. If a product will carry your brand, make sure the supplier’s practices match yours. Remember that your supplier’s materials are part of your brand, too!
9. Arrange an inventory.
Next, it’s time to move from the initial design phase to the real-world crafting of products. You should be creating batches of items—not just one-offs—to build your product line. You should find storage for your products before they sell, a consideration that most mom-and-pop retailers must take into account.
I cannot overstate the importance of having a degree of variety in the product lines of craft businesses. It’s not just that having more different kinds of things means more chances to make a sale.
10. Capture images of your merchandise
If you’re doing e-commerce or making any sort of promotional material, you need to have images of what you’re selling. For handmade goods, a clean, bright setup—optimized as best as you can for your situation—really shows off the work to its best advantage.
Keep shooting if you don’t get it initially. Photography takes practice. Even if you work with professionals, you’re going to get a lot more out of the experience if you have some hands-on knowledge of what you want and how to get it.
Remember that your e-commerce site is a storefront for your business. Across that space, you want a consistent look and feel. You not only want these images of your work to be scale-appropriate or lifestyle-appropriate for what you’re selling, but you really want them to be as appealing as they can be.
11. Pricing Your Crafts
One of the most critical aspects of starting a craft business is learning how to price your items. You need to know not only how to price based on costs (both supplies and labor) but also how to price based on perceived value. In other words, you must comprehend the experience your customers have when they purchase your unique, handmade item.
Periodically reassessing your pricing strategy is important, not just when you open. Increased demand, higher costs of supplies and labor, and changes in the competitive landscape of the business all might necessitate a reassessment of your pricing strategy to balance both being competitive and making a profit.
12. Formulate a marketing strategy.
After establishing your craft startup, it’s time to spread the word and attract customers. First, you need to make a series of crucial decisions about your marketing strategy and the delivery method to potential customers. You might choose to use social media as a major marketing tool. If you do, you will need to set up a series of social media platforms and also use social media as a way of developing a dialogue with customers and potential customers. Alternatively, you could leverage the press as a primary means of attracting customers. If so, you will need to develop relationships with a series of “local” and even potentially “national” press contacts.
Establishing a blog associated with your artisanal business can effectively drive traffic to your online store. It is also a sharable forum for discussing the minute particulars of your making process and a vehicle for presenting your business as the expert in your particular craft. Don’t forget about the branding. Maintaining consistency in the look and feel of your business, from the blog platform to your social media pages to your online shop, is crucial, regardless of its stage of development.
