21 Survival Tips for Your Craft Business

by: James Dillehay

1) Organize yourself: Write your creative ideas down on paper when they first occur to you.

If you delay, you will probably forget. Make frequent notes. Create files for ideas, receipts, customer addresses, and supplier information. Stay informed about crafts business news: Publications for home businesses can help you gain insights into your crafts business. Here are some of the online craft magazines:

2) Craft Marketer News – Get the free email newsletter that brings you articles and tips for craft selling, pricing, funding and more: subscribe to Craft Marketer Newsletter by email. You will receive a confirmation message in a few minutes with a copy of a recent issue. Newsletters go out around twice a month.

3) Arts Crafts Show Business – Magazine and website for the craft artisan who sells. Includes show listings, articles, links and more: http://www.artscraftsshowbusiness.com/

4) The Crafts Report – Online version of print magazine discussing all aspects of crafts business.

5) SAC News Monthly – Articles on craft business and promotions and reviews of craft shows: http://www.sacnewsmonthly.com/

6) Sunshine Artist – Online version of print magazine discussing art and crafts business. Also links to craft show locators. http://www.sunshineartist.com/

7) Take classes: The more you know, the more you can do. Increase your technical skills and gain competitive advantages in the marketplace. Craft shops and schools usually offer courses in craft and art techniques. This is a good way to pick up tips for faster production methods.

8- Work at home: Make products at home. Since you are already paying utilities, rent, or house payments, you won’t increase your expenses and you can still spend time with your family.

9) Use what you got: Before spending money for equipment and supplies, honestly assess whether you need them. Be creative with materials that have gone unused for awhile. Once, I took some ghastly colored yarns, indisputably useless, and over-dyed them with great results.

10) Cut costs by sharing expenses: I share studio space with three other crafts persons, saving on rent and utilities. As a group, we also help generate enthusiasm for each others work and business. We sometimes make large materials orders together to receive bigger discounts. Sometimes we share booth space at craft shows. More ways to cut costs of doing a business in The Basic Guide to Pricing Your Craftwork.

11) Prepare for hot sales times: Be ready for the good selling seasons, like the months before Christmas, with plenty of inventory. Once the season is past, its several months before sales pick up. Use a production quota to insure you have the goods. Order your materials far enough ahead of the production time so that you arent ruined by out-of-stock problems with suppliers. Budget so that youll have the money to buy what is needed.

12) Get phone service in your own name: The phone company will charge you a higher rate for a business phone than for service in your name.

13) Save on travel expenses: Lower your travel costs by doing shows in cities where you have friends and relatives. If you do many shows, chances are you will make good friends with other craftspeople. When your show schedules coincide, why not share motel costs?

 14) Do your own building and maintenance: Cut down auto expenses. Learn how to do easy repairs on your car like changing your oil and tune-ups. Build, or find a friend to help you construct your display booths, inventory shelves or tables for your studio.

15) Make mistakes pay: If your project doesnt turn out for some reason, write it down and think of other ways to use what youve made. Can a piece be taken apart and rebuilt?

16) Get payments for orders in advance: Whenever a customer wants something special made, ask for payment in advance. When a new store account places an order, require them to prepay or accept the shipment C.O.D.

17) Contract the drudgery: If detail and finishing work drive you crazy, hire someone to do it for you. You can pay them by the hour or by the piece; this gives you more time to design and sell.

18) Think BIG: Save time and increase profits by “ganging up” your production. For example, work from several piles of assembled raw materials. This cuts down production time per piece, increasing profits.

 19) Avoid undercutting your wholesale store accounts: If you do a craft show in the same town where you have a store account, be sure to charge the same retail price that they are asking for similar products.

20) Use contracts in all business arrangements: When working with galleries, designers, or large exhibitions, draw up agreements clearly defining liability, how pieces will be shipped, who pays for the shipping, and who’s liable if something goes wrong. Require purchase orders from stores. Clarifying these things in advance can save you hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars in the event of confusion or unexpected misfortune. Source of business and legal forms for crafts.

21) Keep your eyes open for new opportunities: If you come across a store that sells handcrafted items, but not your craft, approach them about carrying your work. Adding a new product line will increase sales for both of you.

 22) Use suppliers that offer credit terms of 30 days to pay for purchases: Many suppliers will extend you a month if you can come up with a couple of references. Approach the major suppliers as a retail supplier if you want to receive wholesale discounts. If you set up a retail business to other crafts persons, you can buy supplies for about 50% of the average retail price. If you teach classes, resell these supplies to students at the full price.

23) Hire the physically disadvantaged: The government has a grant program for businesses that offer training that leads to employment for individuals with handicaps. Contact: Office of Program Operations, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Dept. of Education, Washington, DC 20202.

24) Save money on your long distance phone bill. Through a network cooperative plan, Ive cut my long distance phone costs by 50% and more. Interstate rates through this program anytime of the day are only 5.9 cents per minute billed in six second increments. I get the same 5.9 cent rate for a toll free number I provide my customers to order through. Since ATT, MCI and Sprint bill you in 1-minute increments, you are paying for time you aren’t using. This program is a must for cutting phone costs. See http://www.tollfreenumbers.bigstep.com/.

25) Networking with a group who shares your interests opens doors to new opportunities. Many resources exist to help increase contacts, expand marketing efforts, provide information about funding, insurance, and legal advice.

This article is copyrighted and excerpted from the book The Basic Guide to Selling Arts & Crafts by James Dillehay.

Leave me a comment if you enjoyed this article. I think I’ll get the book! These tips are great.

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21 survival tips for your Craft business

Have you given it everything you have? Or do you just think you have?

This video was shared with me today. It’s so good I cried. And I know it’s going to inspire you too.

You’ve probably heard or been told that what you believe is what will be. This little story illustrates that point very effectively.

Inside each of us is the capacity to do more than we ever imagined. All we have to do is put blinders on, put our head down and go to work.

Yes, Yes it’s cliche. Don’t stop before the goal line. The thing is…we don’t know where the goal line is located. So we make up our own goal line that’s good enough.

Have you given up on your home business? I hope you’ll feel inspired to give it your best today.

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Moms Working From Home – Have You Given Up on Your Home Business?

• The sacrifices to spend more time nurturing their family.
• The lessons being taught to the kids about planning, working, organizing, goal-setting, dreaming and so much more.
• The chaos of being together so much.
• The creativity and ingenuity to get things done.

I like to research, read and write. I like to talk about true home business opportunities. Those born of inspiration, perspiration (and maybe even a little desperation to make it work.)

There are plenty of people who talk about other stuff. The home business ideas with big headlines and large claims. I know some of it probably works. I know some of it probably only works for certain people. That’s OK.

Real passion, hobbies and interests of real people are more interesting to me. I’d rather choose to solve problems and share genuine ideas over searching out get rich today quick-fixes.

Why is Passion Important?

Ever wonder what the secret of successful moms working from home is? Do you think they know something you don’t? Do you think they just have more connections? Maybe you are sure they have better luck?

If I were to guess, I would guess that successful moms have a passion for their business.

• It consumes them. They could work all night without a care.
• They could talk about their business all the time.
• They could make any stranger a friend by discussing the what’s and the why’s of what they do for their business.
• The truly enjoy what they do.

Passion Turned into Starting a Home Based Business

What if you haven’t found anything in your life that you enjoy so much that you could start a business with it? Well, if you are serious about striking out on your own you have some work to do. These are my suggestions for finding a topic your are passionate about.

1. Start with your hobbies. What do you like. Why do you like it. Get a piece of paper and come up with 30 ways you could make money from your hobby.  List silly ways, crazy ways, ways you have no idea how you would make them work. Come up with some ideas that seem outrageous.  Once your list is done, fold it up and put it away for a while.
2. Head to the library and get yourself to the non-fiction section. Start wandering around. Pick out a few books. 4,5 or 6 about things that just sound interesting. It doesn’t matter if you know anything about them or not. Check them out and take them home. Read them if you enjoy reading and have the time to read. If not, then just start skimming them. Pull out a piece of paper and make another list of 30 ways to make money around these topics. Fold it up and put it with the first list.
3. Try a new hobby. Learn it. Take a class. Have fun. Read some blogs about your new hobby.  Make a third list of 30 ways to make money. Put that list away.

Starting a business – moms working from home

So, now it has probably been a while. A few weeks or months have probably past. And you know what… while you have been busy learning new things your mind has continued to think about those lists you made with all the ideas about how to make money. I bet you’ve even found yourself thinking more often ‘hey, that could be a business’.

Now is the time to take action. Pick the idea that won’t go away. The scary idea even. I’ve heard once that the more scary something seems and the more you say to yourself  ‘There’s no way I could do THAT’, then that might be the right idea to pursue.

Start your business plan. Pick a start date. The ultimate goal (in my mind anyway) is to be an independent business owner. You control it. You control where you get your supplies. You control the pricing. You control your website, your blog, your advertising and your online store. Um…overwhelmed yet?

Why is this important?

In the end, you don’t want to be subject to someone else’s business policies. You don’t want changes decided by another person to negatively impact your business.

How did all those moms working from home learn everything they need to know?

Honestly, the ’school of hard knocks’ is a great teacher. And the only way to learn the lessons is to get started and take action on your business plan.

Second, find a small amount of positive resources you can trust. Your own mind can generate more than enough fear, anxiety, worry and doubt. The last thing you need is to read and participate and talk about those topics even more. I say get a small amount of resources (a nice blog, a favorite book, a friend, an online forum) because you don’t want to spend so much time talking that you aren’t doing!

Third, do you your own thing. Your intuition knows what is best and right or wrong for you. This is not a race. It is not a popularity contest. There is no right or wrong way to run a home business. There is YOUR WAY!

It is your passion and your business. Make it be what you want it to be.

In the end, as far as my passion goes,  I hope I can help a few moms stick on the path to their dreams like other moms working from home.

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Moms Working From Home