Creating a Successful Craft Business

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    Creating a successful craft business takes a lot of hard work. Succeeding at building a small business takes total commitment and a steadfast internal belief that you can make it happen. If you're wondering if starting an art based business is right for you, one question you might consider is this:

Do I believe that I control my destiny, or do I believe that external forces, like chance or the actions of others, control my destiny?

A professional life coach or art business coach would call this concept your "locus of control." People who feel that their success is largely dependent on factors outside of their control are said to have an "external locus of control." People who believe that, for the most part, they hold the keys to their own success are said to have an "internal locus of control." Psychologists have actually complicated this concept a bit more than that, but for our purposes here, this definition is thorough enough.

Any good professional business coach will tell you that people who have an internal locus of control typically do better in maintaining motivation and achieving their business goals.

So, how does having an internal locus of control have anything to do with creating a successful craft business?



Having an internal locus of control (where you believe you have a lot of control over your success) will set you on your way to creating a successful craft business because you’ll be less likely to give up when the going gets tough. Building a home business is full of challenges. When a challenge arises, you’ll look for ways to address it if you feel you have control. If you feel that most things are beyond your control, you’ll be more likely to give up and won't have the motivation it takes to look for another way around the challenges that arise.

Also, if you believe that your future can be largely determined by the actions that you take, you may be more inclined to want to start your own business in the first place. If you have an internal locus of control, you'll be more likely to be independent and self directed and probably won't submit as easily as others to being told what to do. You'll believe that you have the power and ability within yourself to create success, and that relying on chance or other people as the basis for your success is a less promising strategy. Those kinds of beliefs, that often come from having an internal locus of control, may lead you to start your own small business rather than relying solely on an employer for your income.

It's worth taking a bit of time to consider whether you feel you have control over creating a successful craft business or whether you feel that people with successful craft businesses are just lucky, or knew the right people. A simple test of your own locus of control is to think of a time when you had a disappointment related to your business and ask yourself if your reaction was to think something like, "I'm just not lucky." or "I wish I could just catch a break." Thoughts like that indicate that you feel that you don't have a lot of power to affect the success of your business.

If you think successful people in your field are just lucky, then you could have a harder time seeing and building your own path to success. You'll feel you have no control and will believe that creating a successful craft business depends on pure chance or luck.

On the other hand, if you believe that successful people in your field used every tool they had available, and ultimately created their own luck, then you'll be better able to see what tools you have available to grow your own business and how you can create your own luck.

There is much made of analyzing the psychology of the typical entrepreneur, and there's a lot of disagreement on that subject. It makes sense though, that if you don't believe you have the power to influence the success of your business you'll be less likely to dig in and solve problems when the going gets tough. On the other hand, if you believe you have the power to greatly influence the success of your business, it will be easier to do what it takes to get your business through the challenges. That frame of mind will pay off in your goal of creating a successful craft business.

 
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