If you’re one of those individuals who is talented and creative enough to make something out of just about anything, then starting a crafting business could be a great way for you to generate some extra income or possibly turn it into a full-time business. However, just because you have this great idea doesn’t mean that you’ll start getting clients right away. Starting a crafting business will take a lot of work, and using the following tips will help you be on your way to having a nice business you can be proud of.
- Focus on your specific crafts.
Before you start letting people know about your skill, it’s important that you focus on the specific crafts you’re going to create. For instance, are you interested in sewing projects? Do you woodwork? Do you create stained glass pieces? There are many different crafts out there you can start doing for a business, but you need to hyper-focus on what you’re good at and what you can handle. If you try to do too much, you could overwhelm yourself too quickly. The best idea is to focus on a few crafts at first and then expand as your business grows.
- Have some inventory.
Get some inventory created before you start to market your crafting business. For instance, if you are making t-shirts, have a few t-shirts made that you can use to show off your skill. Even if you don’t end up actually selling these, they will make good starter pieces you can use for pictures to put on websites or as materials to bring to craft shows.
- Get some start-up capital.
Starting a crafting business may be different from starting another business because you may not need as much start-up capital as you would with some other endeavor, but you may still need some extra money to put towards materials and marketing. If you have a savings account, you can always take a chunk out of your savings and use that to start your business. However, there are other ways you can get money too, such as applying for a standard business loan or making some extra cash by opting to sell a damaged car, old items you no longer use, or by taking on odd side jobs. Once you have some start-up capital, you can get to building your business.
- Market the right way.
Marketing your business is the number one thing you must do in order to generate interest in your new crafting company. This can be done in a variety of ways. First, though, you must have some type of website where you can add pictures so potential customers can see what you can do. You can either create your own website using tools like WordPress, or you can simply create an Etsy Shop Account and start that way.
Once you have a website with pictures and descriptions, start to push people to those places. Be sure you push your link out via all your social channels and use the power of your friends and followers to generate interest. Add links to other online sites like Craigslist or Pinterest too to help expand your reach.
In addition to online marketing, you can also go the traditional marketing way. Put signs around your neighborhood letting your neighbors know about your new business and talents. Bring items to craft fairs and show off exactly what you can do. Also, you can give some of your crafts away for free to local stores in hopes of generating some interest. Finding ways to push your product out there is the best way to gain interest.
- Provide exceptional customer service and/or incentives.
Most people would rather give money to someone they know for something custom than to just buy some mass-produced item at a local store, but you need to ensure you provide the right customer service and possibly add some type of incentive in order to drive business. If you take too long to answer customer inquiries or fulfill orders, it will only come back to hurt you. Be sure you don’t overpromise and be sure to keep your customers constantly in the loop.
In addition, an incentive can also help to drive business. For instance, maybe you offer discounts if your customers buy more than one item from you, or maybe you offer a discount for any referrals they may provide. Doing this will entice people to keep buying from you.
Starting a crafting business can be something you do for fun or something you turn into a full-time job. Either way, using these tips will help you find more success in your endeavor.
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