June 29, 2009
Read this issue of the Inspiri Craft Business Magazine online.
Each month Inspiri Craft Business Magazine brings you current and in-depth information and resources to help you build and grow your own home craft business. If you have a friend who would enjoy this newsletter, please feel free to forward it to them.
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In this month's issue of Inspiri Craft Business Magazine:
Newest Articles at Inspiri
Internet Entrepreneur ResourcesNot new, but I've re-organized and added more resources to this page.
Online Craft Sales
Compare the pros and cons of selling crafts on your own site vs. selling on a third party site like Etsy or ArtFire.
Craft Show Lights
Good lighting is crucial to a great craft show booth. Here are some things to consider when designing and buying lighting for your booth.
New Articles on the Inspiri Blog
Target Your Craft Business CustomersWhere to Buy Wholesale Craft Supplies
The Importance of Self Reliance
Your Contributions
There are two easy ways to share craft business tips at Inspiri.If you have a great craft business article (400 words or more) and you'd like a link back to your own craft related site, find out how to share a full article here: Share a Craft Business Article.
If you have a quick tip you want to share but don't have a full article, you can add your tips here: Quick Craft Business Tips
Please keep in mind, backlinks are not included on the quick tip forms, so if you'd like to receive a backlink to promote your craft business site, you'll need to use the full article submission option.
Your Contributions
Selling Your Crafts - Be Prepared
Here's How I Display My Angels
Retail Craft Merchandising
Tree Branch Display
Feature Article
Create the Business and the Life You Really Want
What do you really want from your craft business?Have you taken the time to really consider what you hope to achieve by building your business? Knowing the answer to that question will guide every business decision you make. It will allow you to remain focused and to build the kind of business that truly meets your needs and contributes to your happiness.
There are plenty of reasons to start a craft business. You may want:
- more flexibility with time
- to work at something you love
- a good outlet for your creativity
- the ability to work part time
- to have more family time
- to be a part of a community of artists
- to provide extra income for your household
- to quit your day job
- to have opportunities to travel
The business model you choose will impact what your day to day life becomes, and a craft business can take a lot of different forms. You may decide to:
- sell items at retail craft shows
- provide lessons in your particular medium
- sell raw materials
- design and sell craft patterns and instructions
- create one of a kind items
- create production items
- sell your items wholesale
- join a craft related direct sales company
- or, your craft business may take any number of other forms.
Here's an example:
Some people enjoy production work. The repetitive movements put them in an enjoyable, almost meditative state. Others can't tolerate the repetitive work required for production work and may even find themselves inadvertently self-sabotaging to avoid the work required to fulfill big orders (If you are always reliably on time and you miss a deadline to apply to a huge craft show, perhaps there's some self-sabotaging going on).
If making the same thing over and over is not for you, then you'd need to take that into account when choosing your business model. Perhaps making one of a kind pieces may be a better fit than production work. Maybe you'll decide to work with a partner who enjoys production work. Or, you might be happier designing items and selling the instructions and/or patterns.
Whatever business framework you choose, if your business requires you to spend a great deal of your time working in a way that doesn't fit your work preferences and values, sooner or later you'll need to address that issue.
Before you set goals for your business, think about why you want to sell a certain number of items, or get into a prestigious craft show, or land a big wholesale account, or create one of a kind items for a small group of loyal customers, or create and sell your own patterns. Imagine what your life would be like if you achieved those goals. Would you be happy? If you imagine yourself content, excited or proud to be working at the tasks that are the result of your success, then that is probably a smart direction to take for your business. If the work that would be created by achieving a certain goal would be complete drudgery, then you may need to re-think your business goals and the way they fit with your work preferences.
It's smart to think through your work preferences and values as you develop your business. Everyone tells you that you need to know your customer in order to build a successful business, but few people talk about the fact that you also need to know yourself. Work with, not against, you strengths, preferences and values to create the business and the life that you truly want.
Search Inspiri Art and Craft for more tips on building your craft business.
Thanks for reading the Inspiri Craft Business Magazine.
I welcome your comments and questions.
Best regards,
Lisa