Arts and crafts are a very popular choice of hobby and it’s easy to see why. It’s therapeutic and there is a lot of satisfaction in seeing your efforts create beautiful art pieces. If you have a passion for crafting, you may have thought about turning it into a career. Many people sell their creations as decorative and practical items, and it’s possible to turn very good profits doing this.
However, if you are thinking about turning your hobby into a career there are a few points that you will need to consider first.
Research
Any business—big or small—needs to carry out thorough market research and create a solid business plan before it gets started. There are plenty of resources to help you carry out this research, both online and at professional advice centers. You will also need to organize funding to get you started, whether you apply for a business loan from a bank or turn to organizations that specialize in funding start-up businesses.
Open an Online Shop
You can open a physical store too, but at the beginning selling your crafts exclusively online could be a more cost-effective option. You can sell your products from the comfort of your own home and you won’t have to pay for leasing a retail space. Websites such as Etsy, eBay, and Amazon are all good places to start in the early years of your business.
Invest in Equipment
As you craft for a hobby, you might already have boxes full of materials and equipment for whatever it is you specialize in. However, if you’re going to start selling your products you will need to be able to make enough to keep up with demand and give your customers plenty to choose from. This is why you should invest in more professional crafting equipment, for example, custom stencils, to create beautiful products that people will want to buy. You might also want to find a good space at home to turn into a workshop area, in order to keep your equipment and products stored safely and well organized.
Branding
As part of your business plan, you will need to think carefully about your branding. You will need to use this on your online shop/website and throughout your marketing campaigns. It’s a good opportunity to be creative and your logos and tag lines should reflect the kind of work you do, as well as your artistic flair. To help make sure your branding is unique, look at other independent companies that sell handmade items and use them as a guide for what works well and what doesn’t.
Promote Yourself
Finally, part of running a business is successfully promoting it. There’s no need to be shy, you should be proud of your work and shout out about it! Social media platforms are very useful, especially for start-up companies and sole traders as they are an affordable promotional tool. You could also start a blog on your website to help customers get to know both you and your business better.
It’s an amazing achievement to start a business, and even better when you are turning your passion into a career. If you want to take a chance and turn your crafting hobby into a full-time job, consider the basic steps outlined above to help you get started.