10 Steps To Being a Successful Craft-Selling Entrepreneur

For years, you have spent spare time pursuing your craft, creating objects widely admired by friends and family. "You could sell these," is a comment you frequently hear. How can someone who has mastered woodworking, beading, knitting, or quilting turn his avocation into an income-producing business? Anne-Marie Littenberg, a self-taught fiber artist whose medium is the traditional American craft of rug-hooking, and who has authored several books on the subject, offers a number of tips to get you going.

1. Establish whether there is a market for your merchandise. Does your product have value to people other than you, your family, and friends? Scour the internet, exploring whether products like yours are available via online retailers and auction sites such as Etsy and eBay. Also look online for individual galleries that might carry your type of craft in other parts of the country. Do galleries or gifts shops in your community sell comparable items? Visit craft fairs in your area, and study the merchandise, presentation, and pricing. Are comparable products produced in other countries for sale in the United States, and at what price?
2. Get an objective evaluation on the quality of your product. Seek thoughtful, unvarnished feedback. Friends and family admire your work, in part because they love you; that makes them incapable of objective feedback because they only want to tell you the good news. Go outside your established circle of admirers. Call local galleries and gift shops and ask the managers if you can visit and get their feedback about your work.
3. Submit applications for your work to be juried into exhibits and competitions. After the jury process -- especially if your application is declined -- request specific feedback about your work. What were the jurors' comments? This can be the most emotionally wrenching part of the process because crafters often work from the heart, and no one wants to hear that their work is less than perfect. Do not conflate objective feedback ("The finish is coarse and unprofessional...") with personal insult. Remember that you will be rejected, perhaps many times. Learn from each rejection, apply what you have learned, and keep going.
4. Make your product as perfect as you can. Those finishing shortcuts you can get away with at home won't fly when you start to sell your work. When buying craft, the first thing a customer often does is turn it over and inspect the finish.
5. Understand your costs. Once you decide to go into business, you will likely be able to reduce the price of your raw materials since you will be able to buy your supplies wholesale (you will likely need a state-issued tax id number to qualify). However, the time costs involved are often greatly under-estimated by crafters. Keep track of how long it takes you to produce each item.
6. Price your product appropriately. The price of your work must reflect a complex balance of the cost of materials, time devoted to production, and the amount the market will bear. Many hobbyists produce hand crafted items that require a great deal of time. Calculate if the price you must charge for your item is one the market will bear.
7. Make the presentation of your product look great. You can have the most beautiful craft item in the world, but people will not notice how great it is if it is presented in an unattractive manner. If you set up a display of your wares at a farmer's market or craft fair, make it spectacular. People are drawn to color and contrast, so design a presentation table, board, or display case that draws the eye to the object. Keep it simple, gorgeous, uncluttered, and clean. If you are selling on the web, invest in excellent photography. (You can save a fortune by learning how to do the photography yourself. Initially, this is a serious investment in time, experimentation, and equipment, but it can save you a fortune in the long run.)
8. Create labels and business cards that are beautiful, eye-catching, and have all the information potential customers need to contact you. Every label and business card should have your name, email, telephone number, website, address, etc.
9. Get the word out. You can create the most gorgeous piece in the world, but it won't sell if no one knows that it is available. Get to know your local craft community. Join the local professional craft organization if one exists in your community. Explore whether craft fairs and farmers' markets are a good place to start showing your work. They are accessible, inexpensive venues to begin with. Participate in online communities relevant to your work. Join appropriate internet networking groups. Apply to galleries for representation. Visit gift shops and ask that they take your work on consignment. Volunteer to demonstrate your craft at county fairs and community centers. Give talks at the local library or senior center. Apply to arts and craft exhibits that might show your work.
10. Seek unusual venues to display your work. Upscale hair salons and restaurants are high-traffic venues where the foot traffic feels good and has money to spend. So are trendy coffee shops and wine bars If your craft is two dimensional (such as a quilt or weaving), approach the owner/manager about using your work to decorate their space, offering them a percentage of sales. Donate items to local charities that hold silent-auctions for their fundraising events. Make sure your name and contact information (phone number, website, email) are clear to anyone looking at your work in any setting.