The 6 P's For Professional Crafters
by Penny
Stewart
Are you
considering becoming a "professional crafter"? Do you have a
burning desire to make money doing what you love: making crafts? Most
craft artisans share this desire, but there is more to consider than
just the actual creation of the craft items that you plan to sell.
Once you decide
to take the plunge and go into "business", you'll need to
budget your time very carefully. In addition to the time needed for
making what you’re going to be selling, you'll also need time for
pricing, packaging, promoting and selling. Many crafters simply don’t
realize just how much work is involved with running a business.
It’s best to face
facts before making a large scale commitment in terms of
time and/or money. Talk to some other business owners who are
successful, as well as some who have failed. Learn from their
experiences; what they do right and what they did wrong. If you do
this you won’t have to make all the same mistakes yourself.
Finding an outlet
If you're still determined to start your own
crafts business, then try selling to your family, friends, and
co-workers first. This allows you to experiment with no overhead and
fewer commitments than doing craft shows. It also helps establish a
price range for your products and determines whether there’s even a
market for them. Eventually, if your sales go well, you’ll want to
expand your customer base, increase your profits, and move on to
bigger and better things.
Where should you sell
You can choose from Craft malls, consignment
shops, boutiques, craft shows, and more. The opportunities for selling
your crafts are almost limitless today, especially with the
proliferation of computers.
Virtually every day a new shopping mall pops-up
on the web asking you to sell your crafts on their site. This can be
an excellent way for you to test market your products. If you shop
around, a "booth" in an on-line mall can cost as little as $10
per month. There’s usually a small set-up fee and the mall may take a
percentage of your sales. Be sure you understand and agree to any and
all charges spelled out in the contract before you sign it.
If the mall has a system in place to process
credit card transactions, handle sales taxes, and provide a convenient
method for shopping (like a virtual shopping cart system), then it
might be worth a trial run. But you should be prepared to give it at
least six months to find out how you're doing. It usually takes a
little time for shoppers to get to know you.
A winning combination
By teaming up with other craft vendors, you can
go into business without the headaches that often come from going it
alone. Crafters like crafting, but they don’t particularly enjoy the
business end of entrepreneurship. In a mall, the store usually has the
responsibility of paying the taxes, collecting the money, and dealing
with the customers. This allows you to spend more time doing what you
love to do most - make more crafts. It’s a lot like renting space in a
real crafter’s mall, only you ship the merchandise out to the
customers after they order it so you don't have to stock much
inventory.
The mall also has the responsibility of
advertising and promoting your craft items. The more traffic the mall
gets, the more crafts are sold through their site, which leads to even
more crafters wanting to join the mall. Word of mouth advertising
works better on the internet than it does in the "real" world. Email
tends to disseminate information faster than the "grapevine" and
everyone benefits.
Be sure to do some shopping around for a mall
that suits you and your products. If you hand-craft your items, there
are many advantages to joining an online mall that sells handmade
items exclusively. This prevents you from having to compete with cheap
imports. Browse around the mall and order something. Find out how well
the mall treats their customers.
The 6 P's...
1 - Purchasing - Even if you
plan to sell your crafts through a mall or boutique where the mall
owner collects the sales taxes, you still need to obtain a state
resale license and order your supplies in bulk. The money you save by
buying your raw materials wholesale will boost your profit margins by
a large margin.
2 - Preparing - Plan to make
anywhere from six to twelve similar craft items in each session.
Working in assembly line fashion, do the repetitive tasks all at once.
This will enhance your profits by decreasing the time it takes you to
make an item and you can create more inventory in less time.
2 - Packaging - Consider
buying some labels and price tags with your name professionally
printed on them. You can also use your PC to make some hang tags that
create an "image" for your line of products. This will
encourage potential customers to contact you directly for special
orders. They'll also get your advertisement every time they buy one of
your products!
4 - Pricing - You should
comparison-shop to aid you with keeping your prices at a competitive
level. But while you need to be competitive, you don't have to
undervalue your time and talent. Most reasonable people do appreciate
quality, so if your goods are better than the competition, don’t be
afraid to ask for a better price for them.
5 - Promoting - Advertising
pays, but as with everything useful in life, you must pay for
advertising. A small ad in a cat-lovers magazine promoting your
collectible cats will do wonders to boost your sales. Co-op ads save
you money since the cost is divided between all the people involved.
If you sell in a craft store that advertises by direct mail, ask if
they will add your mailing list to theirs. And be sure to let your
customers know where they can find your crafts. Put your website URL
and email address on all written materials and in any
print ads that you run.
6 - Professionalism - Always
do what you say you will do. If you promise to deliver a special order
in four days, do it. And never promise what you can't
deliver. Taking an order for 250 stuffed teddy-bears for a department
store when you aren't sure that you can do it is not only foolhardy,
it's also very unprofessional. Don’t be afraid to tell a customer, "no
thanks" or "I’m very sorry, but I won't be able to do that."
Most people will appreciate your integrity and they just might come
back to you on another occasion and ask for something that you can
deliver!
About The Author
Penny Stewart
has been a professional crafter for quite some time, selling her
decorative tole painted pieces in boutiques, craft malls, consignment
shops, beauty salons, and craft shows. Visit her website:
Crafty Lady Boutique
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