Home Craft Business Blog

Art Booth Regulations

Sat, 18 May 2013 08:37:50 -0400

Learn about 14 standard art booth regulations that are common to many shows and download a free regulations checklist so you can create a display that makes you, your customers and show organizers happy.

Does Your Craft Fair Display Match Your Products?

Wed, 15 May 2013 22:18:19 -0400

Does the feel of your craft fair display match your products? It should. Find out why with 16 sample craft booth pictures.

Have You Checked Out the New Pinterest Design?

Fri, 8 Mar 2013 13:31:26 -0500

A new design is coming to Pinterest. Have you checked it out? Some Pinterest accounts have been given access to the new site design. If you don't have access on your account yet, here's a little summary of what's to come. Also if you haven't received an offer to try the new look, here's a link where you can make a request to try it early.

Here's What's New on Pinterest

The images are larger, and the design has changed to increase focus on the images. This change appears to be the main focus of the update. My reaction - As a Pinterest user, I like the the larger images. As a website owner who gets a lot of traffic from Pinterest, I hope the larger images won't reduce the number of people who click through from Pinterest to my site. The list of categories is closer to the search box. This change makes a lot of sense and makes the site more intuitive to use. The "Popular" and "Gifts" buttons have moved. They still exist under the categories list, but they are far less prominent. I haven't really used these buttons, so I don't know how effective they were (especially for people selling crafts online). I can't comment on this change, but I can see that it might be an issue if you had a lot of success promoting your online craft business with the Pinterest Gifts feature. They have temporarily removed the ability to rearrange the order of your boards, but they are bringing that feature back. I'm really missing this feature. Right now my Christmas board is near the top, and my Easter board is near the bottom, and it's driving me nuts! They have removed the "Activity" button that shows your recent activity on Pinterest. I didn't use that feature, so I didn't even notice it was gone until I looked closely at the changes. They have temporarily removed the ability to tag someone in a comment using the @ symbol, but they are bringing it back. I only use that feature occasionally, but I find it useful, and I'm glad they aren't getting rid of it. One important change if you use Pinterest to promote your craft business - You cannot convert your personal Pinterest account to a business account in the new version. If you want a Pinterest business account, you need to make that conversion before you switch to the new look. Overall, I like the new look. It's more intuitive to use, and the larger images look great. My only concerns are that I might have to work a bit harder to get people to click from the images to my site (only time and statistics will tell).

Naming Your Business

Wed, 6 Mar 2013 11:23:35 -0500

Naming your business - It's such an important and, for many people, challenging task. It requires an enormous amount creative thinking to brainstorm good company name ideas, and it also requires some analytical thinking to determine which name will have the most positive impact on your sales and marketing efforts. To get you started, here are several tips for naming your business.

Choosing the Right Display Tent for Your Needs

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:53:57 -0500

Thinking about buying a display tent for outdoor craft shows this year? They can be a bit of an investment, depending on which brand and style you buy, and there are a lot of options to consider. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you choose a display tent for outdoor craft shows.

Lots of Craft Display Pictures

Fri, 8 Feb 2013 12:45:03 -0500

The off season for shows, when you aren't as busy with production work, is a perfect time to spruce up your craft booth. Here are plenty of craft display pictures to give you some inspiration for designing or updating your own booth.

4 Ways to Configure Your Craft Booth

Wed, 6 Feb 2013 11:30:28 -0500

Although you'll find variations, most craft booth designs fall into one of 4 common layouts:

U Shaped
L Shaped
Front Counter
and Island

Different configurations work for different scenarios. Click below to read about the pros and cons of each layout to help you design your own booth space.

6 Things You Need to Know About Desiging a Craft Room

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 11:08:39 -0500

Are you working on creating a great work space for yourself? Here are 6 craft room design essentials to keep in mind.

Don't Forget Your Tent Weights!

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 10:30:46 -0500

Tent weights seem to be one of those overlooked booth items. They aren't particularly attractive or exciting, so they aren't the most thrilling part of your booth to plan. However, they are absolutely necessary. I have learned from experience that craft tents can take flight surprisingly easily, with the smallest bit of wind, especially if you have your side walls up. Don't let your craft tent turn into a flying object at your next craft show. Be sure to learn all about buying or making your own tent weights!

Photos of Candle Displays

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:36:18 -0500

For those of you working on candle displays, here are several pictures of some great candle booths!

Pictures of Soap Displays

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:36:18 -0500

15 pictures of soap displays to give you inspiration for creating your own soap booth.

Plenty of Venues for Selling Crafts

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 07:43:07 -0500

When you really stop and think about it, there are plenty of venues that are ideal for selling crafts. So go beyond the craft show and check out these other ideas about where to sell your crafts.

Great Craft Forums

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:41:40 -0500

I love the camaraderie of a great forum, particularly ones that are well moderated and maintain a positive help and be helped atmosphere (I'm really not interested in contentious forums - Life is to short to waste time in cranky forums!) So here are a few great, active and friendly craft forums I like, plus several that other crafty friends of mine love. Is your favorite on the list?

Craft Pricing Formula and Downloadable Spreadsheet

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 10:02:22 -0500

I posted this craft pricing formula and free, downloadable pricing spreadsheet about 4 months ago, and it has been extremely popular. In case you missed it when I first posted it, here's the link again (below) to download a free, Excel based pricing spreadsheet.

Explore Craft Business Ideas

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:18:35 -0500

Explore different types of craft business ideas to create the type of business that is the best fit for your skills, your personality, and your needs.

Comprehensive Portable Canopy Buying Guide

Wed, 9 Jan 2013 09:08:39 -0500

Portable canopies and the summer craft show season may be the last things on your mind in the middle of January, but now is a good time to start researching if you are in the market for a new craft tent. There's a lot to know and consider, and a lot of brands to compare, so don't leave this decision to the last minute!

How to Market Your Craft Business

Mon, 7 Jan 2013 09:02:49 -0500

Making a great product isn't enough to build a successful craft business. You need to know apply smart small business marketing strategies too! It's not necessarily the best made product that sells the most, particularly when we're talking about selling online. An inferior product with fabulous photography and an excellent description will often sell better than a gorgeous product with mediocre photography and so-so sales copy. Take time to develop a few great marketing ideas for your small business to ensure your gorgeous, innovative, well made products sell as well as they should!

How to Design Your Craft Display Booth

Fri, 4 Jan 2013 09:34:29 -0500

The off season for craft shows is a great time to work on creating or improving your craft booth. Post-holiday sales are great opportunities for picking up table cloths, curtains, lighting and display furniture at great prices. Also, many summer juried art show applications will be due in a couple of months, and if you're applying to shows that require you to send a photo of your booth, you'll need to plan ahead to ensure you have everything you need to put together a great booth and take some great photos.

How to Make Resin Jewelry

Wed, 2 Jan 2013 08:42:15 -0500

I love working with jewelry resin. It is inexpensive, doesn't require a lot of fancy equipment, and allows you to create jewelry and jewelry components that are truly original and completely your own. What more could you ask for?! Here's my detailed, step-by-step guide for making resin jewelry.

Happy New Year!

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 18:50:34 -0500

Want to Maximize Your Craft Business Income? Make These Types of Crafts...

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 09:17:20 -0500

People sometimes ask, "What are the best selling crafts?" But if you want to maximize your business profits, a better question is, "What are the most profitable crafts?" Think about it this way: The number of items you sell and their selling price do not tell the whole story about how profitable your business is. What you really need to know is how much profit you make selling your items. A while ago, CODA did a study comparing those factors and published lists of the best selling crafts (top grossing) vs. the most profitable crafts (top net income). If you're not sure what type of product you want to make, those survey results can be one factor to help you determine the best craft media to work with. Here are the results.

Tips for Brainstorming Business Names

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 18:20:53 -0500

Trying to come up with a great company name for your craft business can be a big challenge. Your business name is an important part of your marketing strategy, and it can have a huge impact on the message you send to your customers about the nature of your business. Here are several strategies I have used for brainstorming business names.

Learn How to Create a Great Craft Booth

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 11:47:07 -0500

The best way to discover how to create a great craft booth is simple - just look at a lot of them! You can read all the theory you want about putting together a great booth, but (particularly if you are a more visual person) looking at as many booths as you can and assessing what works and what doesn't work is really the best way to learn how to create your own booth. Here are two photos of a few great craft show displays and an analysis of what makes them effective.

Pinterest Power - Here's What You Need to Know to Promote Your Craft Business on Pinterest

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:52:52 -0500

Last night I finished reading Pinterest Power by Jason Miles. I read a lot of business books, but I don't share them all because, frankly, they aren't all winners. Pinterest Power is a huge winner of a book, and I really wanted to share my review of Pinterest Power. If you're using Pinterest to promote your craft business (or thinking about it), this book is an excellent resource. There are lots of great things to say, but what it comes down to for me is that the author, Jason, along with his wife, have used Pinterest to develop their own successful craft business. So the book is an excellent fit for anyone looking to promote a craft business using Pinterest.

How to Use Pinterest for Business

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:52:52 -0500

Here's a primer to get you started if you've been looking at using Pinterest to promote your craft business.

Hey Craft Artists, Get off of Your Cell Phones!

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:47:20 -0500

Yesterday I went to a huge craft show as a customer, not a vendor. This show is a big, two week event with amazing artists who come from all over. The booth fee alone at this show is over $3000. Once you add in the cost of travel, meals, and the huge amount of stock you need to prepare for this show, most artists would easily be looking at $10,000 to attend. So, if you're selling at an event like that, you really want to get your full value out of your time there if you've invested that much. Right? To be fair, I had a great time. There were lots of absolutely beautiful handmade items, some great booth setups, and I talked to some artists who were fascinating people and doing a great job of selling to their customers. However, I was completely stunned by the number of craft artists who were sitting in their booths messing around on their cell phones. I'm not talking about people who were away from their booths, taking a break. I'm talking about people messing with their phones while staffing their booth. Now, I love my smart phone as much as the next girl, and I have to remind myself to put it down sometimes. I also know it can be challenging to look busy in your booth if there are no customers. But messing around on your cell phone is not going to draw in customers. It made these sellers look completely uninterested in being there. I wish I had counted the number of people doing it because it wasn't just a few. I didn't just see one or two people who happened to pull out their phone for a minute. It seemed like everywhere I turned there were craft artists engrossed in the glowing screen of their phones. I even saw one situation where a seller was doing something on her phone, a customer walked up to her, and she did not put down the phone. She didn't even look up from it to acknowledge him. I'm sure none of those sellers would have been on their phones if they had really realized the impression they were making. Sometimes we get so attached to our smart phones, we forget how we appear to the outside world when we are engrossed in the screen. It's a good argument for attending craft shows as a customer whenever you can, even if you don't intend to sell at that show. Just wandering around the booths and people watching will give you a lot of insights that you don't get from standing on the other side of the booth.

Holiday Shoping Trends for 2012

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:50:19 -0500

Want to know what holiday shoppers are going to buy this year, how much they are going to spend and what are the motivations behind their purchases so you can sell more this holiday season? Here's my analysis of two top holiday retail behavior surveys from a craft business perspective.

Selling on Etsy - Stats Analysed

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 13:50:19 -0500

Have you every wished you could see the data from all of the monthly Etsy Weather Reports compiled and organized on a few easy to read charts so you could understand what those numbers really mean? I hope so, because that's what I've spent the last week working on. Here's my analysis of Etsy sales statistics from 2008 to 2012. Enjoy!

Are You Using Pinterest to Promote Your Craft Business?

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 15:16:44 -0500

Pinterest for Business was unveiled earlier this week. Now you can have a Pinterest account that is specifically for business purposes. Happily, the days when you were discouraged from promoting your own material on Pinterest are over. You'll find the announcement here: http://blog.pinterest.com/post/35710687813/new-tools-for-businesses-in-the-pinterest-community I've just changed over my own Pinterest account to a business account. It was easy to do, and there are some nice new tools and resources for businesses available.

Here Are Some Things to Keep in Mind

If you already have a Pinterest account that you use to promote your craft business, the conversion is easy. You can make the conversion here. You can also verify your website so users know your account is the official account for your site. It's a simple matter of getting a verification file provided by Pinterest and uploading it to your site. Full instructions for verifying your site on Pinterest are here Once you verify your site, you'll see a red checkmark beside your site's address in your profile. You can see an example on my account.

Resources for Businesses

There is also a handy business section now. On your Pinterest account home page, hover your cursor over "About" (top middle of the page) and click on "for businesses" to get to the business information. The page http://business.pinterest.com/what-works has some helpful information.

Widgets!!

Also, there are some handy new widgets for businesses. You can add your business name to a Pinterest follow button like this: The Craft Business Guide And there's a new widget that you can embed on your website to give visitors to your site a sneak peek at your Pinterest boards (handy if you're trying to grow your presence on Pinterest). You can play around with the dimensions of the widget to get it just right for your own site. If you create a widget for your site, unless you are a tech genius, ignore the link that asks if you want to load the widget asynchronously. It is not necessary - Seriously - I had to look up asynchronously in the dictionary, and I'm still no further ahead. Also, when you're creating the widget, make sure you change the URL to your own Pinterest profile URL. If you don't, you'll be sending everyone to Pinterest's account. You can see an example of the widget at the bottom of the left navigation column on this site. Happy Pinning!

Booth Setup for Holiday Bazaars

Fri, 9 Nov 2012 10:46:28 -0500

Here are several Christmas craft booth photos and last minute ideas for selling at holiday bazaars.

Portable Clothing Display Ideas and Pictures

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:01:16 -0400

This page of craft booth pictures focuses on handmade clothing. Whether you make adorable dresses for little girls or chic women's apparel, you'll find ideas for your clothing displays here.

Pictures of Art Show Displays

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:57:03 -0400

If you are looking for ways to display your paintings, photography or prints, this is the page for you! I've posted 25 pictures of art show displays along with tips for setting up your art booth. You'll also find information about where to buy useful items like display easels, grid walls and mesh panels.

Plenty of Craft Display Pictures

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:07:47 -0400

I've just posted 13 more craft display pictures! Stay in touch. There's still more original booth photos to come.

Printables for Christmas Craft Fairs

Mon, 1 Oct 2012 19:55:20 -0400

It's getting close to that time of year again - Christmas craft shows! This season is a huge opportunity to make sales. So, to help you spruce up your booth for the season, I've created several free printable Christmas tags, frameable images and matching alphabet bunting that you can use in your displays. It's all free, and you can find it here.

Jewelry Display Ideas

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:02:48 -0400

As promised - More craft booth pictures. This page has over 20 jewelry display photos that you've never seen before. Enjoy!

Handmade Candle and Soap Displays

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:55:59 -0400

It's one thing to describe in words how to set up a great craft booth, but it's so much more helpful to actually see photos of booths to get a sense of what works. I've been collecting tons of pictures of craft booths for months now, and over the next few weeks I'll get them all posted for you. So, there's a lot more to come, but to get started, here are plenty of pictures of handmade candle and soap displays.

Pricing to Match Your Business Goals

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:47:17 -0400

When you really delve into the issue of pricing your crafts, it's amazing how many factors impact and are impacted by the decision you make. Here's a look at how to price your crafts to match your business goals.

How to Price Crafts

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 12:23:20 -0400

This craft pricing book is a fabulous resource that will take you through all of the complexities of pricing you handmade items for maximum profit.

Pricing Your Crafts

Wed, 5 Sep 2012 21:25:42 -0400

Ready to turn everything you know about pricing your crafts upside down?

If I told you you could put handmade doll's clothing for sale on an eBay auction starting with a 99¢ bid and end up selling it for well over $100 (maybe even $300) would you believe me? That's exactly what the author of Price it Like Picasso has done many times over. Intrigued? I certainly was! Read my review of the book to find out more.

Marketing Ideas

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 18:47:22 -0400

Developing a winning design and product isn't enough to guarantee you'll make plenty of sales. You need to carefully think through and plan your marketing strategies to ensure your work is seen in the right context by the right people.

Determine What You Really Want to Make Smart Small Business Management Decisions

Thu, 9 Aug 2012 10:45:48 -0400

Not convinced that you should put a lot of thought into all of the small business management tasks and decisions that come with building a business? Keep in mind, all of the seemingly small decisions you make about pricing your work, registering your business, where you sell, your design and production process, etc. can come together to have a huge impact on the type of business you end up creating. These questions will help you think through the the type of business you want to create, so you can make small business management decisions that lead you to create the type of company you really want.

Home Based Craft Business - How to Work From Your Home Effectively

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 10:41:35 -0400

Learn how to work from home effectively when starting a home based craft business. Discover how to set up your work space and how to manage your time.

Starting a Craft Business

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 21:48:03 -0400

Tips for starting a craft business including types of businesses, how to work effectively from home and how to manage your company.

Best Selling Crafts and Most Profitable (They are Not Always the Same!)

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 20:10:36 -0500

Discover the best selling crafts as well as the types of crafts that generate the most profit for professional artisans.

10 x 10 Canopy Buying Guide

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:28:36 -0500

There are a lot of things to consider when you buy a 10 x 10 canopy. This check list and craft show canopy comparison chart shows you what to look for and helps you keep track of details as you research different brands.

Jewelry Display Stand

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:33:05 -0500

Step by step instructions for making a handmade jewelry display stand. This inexpensive craft show jewelry display stand is attractive and easy to make.

A Withdrawal from Your PayPal Account is Going to Cost More Soon.

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 10:09:53 -0500

PayPal Fee News

It seems that the PayPal fee for withdrawal is about to change. If you use PayPal to accept payment from your customers, especially if you live outside of the U.S., you'll want to take a look at the new PayPal withdrawal fee structure to ensure it is still the best form of payment for your business. I received an email this morning (February 9, 2012) from InfoLinks, a company that I use to host ads on my site. They informed me that the PayPal withdrawal fee will change as follows:

Customers in the U.S. will pay $1 for any size withdrawal.
Customers outside of the U.S. will pay 2 percent of the withdrawal amount to a maximum of $10.

To my knowledge, I have not received any information from PayPal about these changes (I've been known to skim read emails from certain senders, so it's possible they sent the info, and I missed it). I have checked the PayPal website for information about these withdrawal fee changes because I wanted to provide readers with a link directly to the new terms, but I haven't found anything on the PayPal site at all. If/when I do find something directly from PayPal, I will edit this post to add that information. For PayPal users in the U.S., a 1 dollar fee to make a withdrawal from your PayPal account seems reasonable, especially when you start looking at the terms of merchant accounts for small businesses and when you consider the trust factor inherent in using PayPal. For business owners outside the U.S. who receive payment via PayPal, you might need to keep an eye on your PayPal fees and consider making changes if necessary. For example, since the fee is capped at $10, if you are in the habit of making a $300 withdrawal from your PayPal account every week, you may want to switch to making one large withdrawal every month to save on fees. It may not seem like a lot. A few dollars here and there. But, in my opinion, it is extremely important to manage business expenses, and every dollar counts.

Talk to Your Customers at Craft Shows

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:37:21 -0500

When selling crafts, whenever possible stand. I understand as we get older we tire much quicker than the younger crowd. It is good to have someone helping

Threads Magazine

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:26:09 -0500

Threads is a seamstresses dream come true. As I find myself cutting back on the amount of magazines I subscribe to this is one I will never discontinue.

Crafts that Sell

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:27:13 -0500

I am a ceramic artist. I have sold my wares at various craft fairs etc., and I blog about how to make mosaics. So I have a discerning eye, and only buy

My Custom Display Risers and How I Designed Them

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 20:40:41 -0500

Detailed information about how I designed my custom display risers, with photos, so you can design your own for your craft booth.

Folding Tables

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 11:54:28 -0500

These detailed instructions describe how I created my folding tables for my display booth and show you exactly how to make your own display table to fit your exact specifications.