Who doesn’t love crafts? There are endless ways to express yourself and serve your community using art and design, from macrame wall hangings to upcycled terrariums. Crafts can make a space more beautiful and functional. They bring people joy and serve as works of love and passion.
It is no surprise that many people dream of turning their craft into a business. If you want to be the one who makes the world more colorful or brings smiles with each piece you create, then this may be something that excites you! It is possible to grow from selling your craft on Etsy into having a web store of your own.
The good news is that there are several simple steps you can take to start a craft business—even if it is just a hobby at this point in time. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Get Your Craft Noticed
Unless people know about it, it will be challenging to make any money off of your craft, right? Even Etsy says that the best way to attract customers is through strong marketing and social media presence. How do you bring yours to fruition? Do some research on local businesses or boutiques (which may be willing to carry your products) and make sure everyone knows about your offerings via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter… basically everywhere you guest post normally should also be considered for your business.
You can also set up a shopify store, connect it to a print-on-demand company and start selling your own products online. This will allow you to reach a much wider audience than just local stores.
If you are tight on time or simply don’t know where to begin, try a website like Etsy for starters, which can be a great place to get your feet wet and start turning your passion into a business.
Step 2: Keep It Legal
In order to protect yourself from any legal problems in the future, make sure you understand how taxes work with small businesses and learn about having an LLC. In addition, talk to someone at your bank who will specialize in working with small businesses to find out what kind of paperwork needs to be filled out in order for you to open a business account that allows you access to capital funding (which may help).
Step 3: Market It Well
Try selling it locally after you have found a way to get people excited about what you do via the internet. Look on Craigslist or ask local boutiques if they would be willing to carry your product. In addition, take it a step further and set up a booth once a month at the nearest market or craft fair. It might take some time to see your products sell, but handling the flow of traffic is an important first step in getting your goods into other people’s hands!
Step 4: Keep Learning
When you think about starting a business, always consider how much learning will be involved. You may have been practicing your art or craft for years now, so why not aim for something even greater? The best way to build on what you already know is through learning from those who have built successful businesses before you.
With these four steps, you are well on your way to turning your passion into a profitable business! And once your business starts to grow, you can begin implementing MRP software into your business to take it to the next level and carve out a career for yourself and even others.
