Starting a Craft Business
On a Solid Foundation

This website,Starting a Craft Business from the comfort of your home is, what the professionals call a "a content rich site."

That is, this is one of the rare websites that is filled with helpful resources. Resources such as:

1. "How To" start a home based craft business,
2. "Hundreds of free or low cost ways to market your crafts online," and
3. ”How to get your share of millions in grant money."

Yes, we are different.

When you're starting a craft business, you're investing precious time and financial resources.

As a small business owner, I know the pressures, the time crunches and the hopes and aspirations you have. I have been there!

So, I've cut to the chase.

Your time will not be wasted. You can trust my craft business advice!


Prior to continuing, would you like to help yourself and others?


YOU'RE INVITED: It is such a great feeling to know you're helping others. So here's an opportunity to enrich everyone's life.

If you have starting a craft business experience

or, really, starting any home based business,

or if you seek help from others about the business you're thinking about starting,

or possibly you have stories, advice or tips you wish to share ,

please take the time to do it now.

We all benefit by Paying It Forward .

Others want your help and will thank you for it.

Thanks for sharing.


So...let's continue.


First Things First

Starting a craft business will take your work, time and focus to make it not only profitable, but also profitable enough to meet your income expectations.

So, make sure you're comfortable with the following:

1. It takes a lot more work to turn your hobby or interest into starting a craft business. By definition, "business" means, "making a profit."

   Are you prepared?

   Is you're support system on-board? Does everyone understand the objectives and what you "each" must sacrifice to achieve them?

2. In starting a craft business, is it to be a "wholesale" or a "retail" based one?

   Wholesale means you're selling "in bulk" at a lower price to a distributor (such as a retailer).

   Retail means "the buck stops with you." You must do the "actual" selling.

   I recommend you consider both.

3. Before starting a craft business, I strongly recommend you determine the "market demand" for your crafts.

   The easy proven way to do this is visit eBay and etsy.com to see what is being offered for sale.

   Visiting craft shows also will give you a great indication of what is in demand.

   If there is little demand for your product, then marketing it requires a different path to take for profitability to be achieved.

4. Are you planning to use the Internet as "part" of your craft-selling distribution system? I hope so!

   Are you only going to use established sites to sell your handmade crafts?

   I’ll show you where to find 85 online sites which will make starting a craft business a whole lot easier!

   Do you want to build your own website (and blog) in addition to using the normal Web-based distribution channels?

   I'll give you all this information too.

   NOTE: In today’s world, the more distribution channels you have the better off you are. Examples: craft fairs, auction websites, niche retailers, your own website/blog, use existing online sites, facebook, youtube, myspace, twitter, etc.

How To Start a Home Based Craft Business

Your goal (and the goal of Starting a Craft Business) is to know the successfully proven ways to start, operate and market a solid profitable home based craft business.

The following two resources are excellent in scope, and provide an overview of what’s involved and “how to” make the most of starting a craft business.

Crafters typically try to do everything themselves, but many times it pays to pay someone else for business advice.

To “cross-reference” your skills with what others bring to the table is wise and often, very inexpensive.

Reviewing their craft business advice will give you a comfortable craft business plan as you get started.

A great road map is essential for profits to follow.

I totally recommend both of the following resources to you!

• Chuck Smith, with over 17 years of marketing and business management, brings to the table the definitive guide on “how to” make money in your craft business. His Craft Business Start-Up Kit is written with the novice in mind. He gives you nuggets of information that will help make you money.
• Terry Couch has over 40 successful years in the arts and crafts business. Her The Complete Guide to Starting and Running Your Home Craft Business has been a top seller for years. You’ll find this ebook informative and easy reading.

For less than sixty dollars, these two resources, I believe, will save you money and untold mistakes plus place you way ahead of your competition.

Hundreds of Proven Free or Low Cost Online Marketing Suggestions to Achieve Success…Sooner!

You can make all the great excellent quality crafts you want, but selling them is another matter.

Today’s craft professionals know that achieving ones income objective requires strong use of the Internet.

Selling online is a way to work smarter and not harder.

Starting a craft business by developing and marketing your own craft business website is one way to go.

Notice I did not say, developing and marketing your own “website.” I said, a craft "business” website.

A friend or relative can probably make a website for you. It will look good, you’ll be happy and the sun will shine.

However, your bank account will probably be sad.

Why?

Chances are that your friend-built fantastic website will never be found!

There are over 190,000,000 websites and thousands of craft related ones. What’s your chance of being on page 1 or page 2 of Google?

Want proof?

Please answer this question. When was the last time you clicked on page 3, page 4 or pages 5 through 5,974,749? I thought so.

The moral of the story is that in business, one needs a website that “will get found.”

Over 100,000 entrepreneurs (and myself) use Site Build It to build a business site that is in the top 1% to 3% of all websites.

If you do not want to build it yourself, the best website builders on the planet can build an excellent site for you for far less that what you think!

Or maybe you want to build one for yourself.

Good!

Over 100,000 entrepreneurs have used this proven method.

To help you build your business site here is a FREE ebook called Make Your Words Sell which will add strength to your site.

3 Must-Have Resources for Every Crafter

James Dillehay, is a professional craft artist and author of nine books.

He is a national treasurer helping readers of major magazines like Family Circle, Working Mothers, Better Homes & Gardens, The Crafts Report and Sunshine Artist.

He is a sought after lecturer and on the Advisory Board of the National Crafts Association .

The following ebooks are, without a doubt, the standards of the craft industry.

No crafter, and I mean NO CRAFTER should be without these 3 invaluable resources, if you want to build a very profitable business.

The three ebooks are:

1. Sell Your Crafts Online . A 134 page guide providing a road-map to the absolutely best online sites from which to sell, promote, get reviewed and find new customers.

   His Guide reveals at least 500 free and low-cost online promotional ideas for those who make and sell handmade crafts. His experience shows you how to attract

   (A) More Links

   (B) More Traffic, and

   (C) More Sales

   His Guide will save you hours of tedious research and give you “instant access” to every resource. (This alone is worth a fortune!!)

   You’ll also find 85 online places to sell your crafts.

   Promote your handmade products from 42 craft-related communities and get product reviews on 51 shopping, community and blog sites that seek unique products.

   You receive

   1. 33 art and craft search directories to list on and get links from,
   2. 33 top social and bookmarking sites to grow your network and fan base,
   3. 36 places to syndicate your images, blogs, videos and articles,
   4. 20 affiliate programs to sell your art and craft through and much, much more.

   And, I’ve only scratched the surface on what is contained in the Guide…and all this for a measly $12! WOW!

2. Sell Your Crafts on eBay is also a must have gem!

   Obviously, you’ll learn the ins and outs of selling crafts on eBay including a cool section on identifying overlooked and hidden opportunities for more profits.

   But, just as importantly, even if you’re not going to use eBay as one of your distribution methods, the information contained in this 91-page ebook will greatly enhance your craft business.

   How?

   • See what art and craft products are in demand
   • What will people pay for craft items like yours
   • Get 25 examples of sales copy that works
   • Make use of 18 tactics that help your craft photos increase sales opportunities
   • Protect your art and craft designs from pirates
   • Get over 100 craft business advice tips for increasing your income

   And all this for a remarkable $7!

   When starting a craft business, your $7 can not be better spent!

3. The Basic Guide to Pricing Your Craftwork is an easy to understand manual for pricing crafts and other handmade items.

   This guide takes the guesswork out of pricing handmade products to ensure profitability.

   In this jammed-packed 86-page ebook, hosts of craft pricing tips are found.

   • Retail and wholesale pricing formulas
   • One-of-a-kind product pricing
   • How to increase the perceived value of your products
   • Get strategies to increase sales by pricing crafts “higher”
   • Discover the many tax advantages from your craft business
   • Keep records (with examples) and boost your cash flow

   Finally, “The Basic Guide to Pricing your Craftwork” was recommended on HGTV’s The Carol Duvall Show.

   No wonder this book is a #1 must-have!

Grant Money for the Asking

Many artists and crafters consider their profession a cottage industry.

That is, an individual or couple just working away in a craft room, “all by themselves.”

While that has merit, crafters seldom think that ”millions of dollars” are available each year to support their handicraft business.

But this is true!

And for a mere $7 all the research has been done for you and found in James Dillehay’s Directory of Grants for Crafts & How to Write a Winning Proposal .

Listed in his Directory are solid, successful proposal writing tips and lists over 1,000 foundation, corporate and government grant givers.

For the serious artist or crafter this is a “no-brainer!”

The Directory provides the following plus much more.

• Shows you how to obtain grant money for your craft
• Discover the secrets to writing a winning proposal
• How to find dozens of “local” sources of funding for craft grants
• Using the Internet to obtain grants

Think of your return on this simple low cost investment!

Starting a Craft Business: A Solid Opportunity

Starting a craft business, by following the proven craft business advice provided within the resources recommended above, will provide you with a solid practical business plan.

Your reward will be a home-based craft business, which is sustainable and profitable.

For less than $90 (the cost of the above named resources), you are already light-years ahead of your competition…

plus you will have saved time, anxiety and avoided mistakes.

Quite a bargain, I’d say!

NOTE

By visiting Craft Business Ideas , you’ll find thoroughly researched craft business opportunities waiting for your review.

Each of these ideas is backed by a resource that explains in easy to understand language “how to” begin turning your interest into starting a craft business.

This is a fantastic resource!


Related Articles:


GREAT List of Home Based Business Ideas that Actually Work

Fresh Home Based Business Ideas w/ "how to" start-up guides

Please go to Best Small Businesses to Start

Business Ideas for Women which are proven, practical and low cost

Don't have anything to sell? See how to prosper at Moms Work at Home

Find the best bang-for-the-buck in Money for Surveys

See over 50 Home Based Business Start Up Opportunities with a proven money-making track record




Please go from Starting a Craft Business to 10 Best Home Based Business Ideas

Please go from Starting a Craft Business to the Profitable Small Business Ideas Homepage.