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Running a craft business - collective wisdom!

13 replies

wheresmymojo · 08/09/2020 10:19

Hi,

I run a group for women looking to leave their corporate careers/jobs they hate!

One has started a craft business selling hand dyed yarn and made items.

I know that establishing a good customer base when starting from scratch can be hard work and wondered if the MN hive mind had any collective wisdom to share...

What do you wish you'd known when you started your craft business?

What did you find most useful to establish a customer base?

What did you do that got sales started?

Hopefully if this thread gets some answers it can be inspiration, support and idea swapping (women supporting women) who run or want to run a craft business...

OP posts:
CuriousaboutSamphire · 08/09/2020 10:28

I have prevaricated for years because of the lack of a customer base.

I now have the glimmer of an idea and am considering starting up a craft based idea, alongside my current self employed job.

I am now prevaricating in a dfferent manner:
Changing my room set up to make it easier to use
Sorting my stash according to the new idea
Planning, sorting, researching, reading... I still have yet to actually make.

But I do have a real timescale and a launch idea! End of September I will quietly launch on a single facebook page.. and see where that takes me!

But I would love to hear from others... next steps, errors etc.

wheresmymojo · 08/09/2020 13:31

Great that you've set a goal curious!

OP posts:
speakout · 08/09/2020 13:40

Decide where you want to sell.

Will it be Facebook? Etsy? Amazon? ebay? Local shops? Craft fairs? Your own website?

Depending on what you make some of these platforms are better than others.

You don't need to "establish a good customer base" for instance if you sell on Amazon or ebay.
Even if you have no repeat customers there are enough unique buyers to sustain a business.

If you sell one off or unique custom items Amazon may not be great- but craft fairs, etsy or Facebook may be good platforms.

Selling hand dyed wool could work well on Amazon, having a product that is easy to replicate and sell in bulk.
Point I am making is you don't always need an established customer base to make a success selling craft items.
I sell craft items full time- and have zero customer base!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

AriettyHomily · 08/09/2020 13:50

Amazon and eBay wont make you money. What's your USP? Why would I buy homemade things from you over someone else?

speakout · 08/09/2020 14:05

Amazon and eBay wont make you money.

I couldn't disagree more.
I sell on both platforms, and struggle to keep up with my level of orders.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 08/09/2020 17:01

You don't need to "establish a good customer base" for instance if you sell on Amazon or ebay. That's not what I meant by 'establishing a good customer base'. It's not what most people mean at set up, is it? Maybe it is. I can see it has two very different possible interpretations!

What I meant was identifying who they are, where they would be looking, establishing whether or not there was enough weight at any given point to make it worthwhile spending time and effort marketing into it! Does a space have the opportunity to be money making, will it support me?

Amazon and ebay are big places. How do you filter them down a bit? How do you keep up with demand once something hits? That, for me, is current well and truly identified as "Running before I can walk!"

So I have identified a smaller space. A niche market to get started in. It has good opportunity for both custom makes and generic ones but should be a slow enough initial trickle to be manageable!

So I suspect we are just using different terms for the same idea! And if it works for you, it works. Congratulations on making it pay your way!

sallyshirt · 08/09/2020 18:14

I'm about to start a handmade/craft business, I imagine selling solely online.

I'm going to start on Etsy.

It seems very daunting at the moment, but I know lots of people (friends of friends) who earn their sole living this way, so I know there is potential.

I just hope I've got a product that lots of people want and don't mind paying the price for a handmade quality item.

Seafog · 08/09/2020 18:47

I run to small sideline business, the first is beachcombing and making art from my findings, and it is a lot of work.
I comb for all my stuff, photograph it (for calanders , selling prints) , make art from it to sell, teach small classes on beachcombing and beach crafting, and sell the driftwood and seaglass as well. I also wrote a short guide book, and answer questions on my page.

I also thrift and flip small collectable items like vintage dishware, bags and clothes that have a high mark up.

So far I have learned that you need to be using the right platform to sell, I wont sell heavy items on Ebay, because of their shipping costs/relists, and I don't use Etsy anymore because I was losing too much of my profit margins in my cut to them.

I mostly use my FB page, FB marketplace, and local selling pages, as well as Instagram. It keeps the costs down, and matters.

When you sell something, ask the buyer to leave a review, and follow up right away of there is an issue.

Holding sales on a different featured item each week/month allows you to remind people you are there, contests (occasionally) where you share, like and follow to be entered are useful.

I do craft shows, but only a few now, as they can be costly with table fees, travel costs, display sets, food while traveling, extra staff etc.
I stick to ones that do well every year, and have mid range table fees.

Keep a close tab on your spending, keep receipts, and be honest about how bad things can be, before you would stop. Are you using family money to support a business, what it the timeline to pay off any investment costs, etc

Talk to people doing what you do, locally. Network, go to peoples shops, or markets, see what it compares to what you have planned.

Sorry for going on, it's been a passion project for me!

Seafog · 08/09/2020 19:02

Also make sure you have consumer liability insurance, so you dont void your homeowners insurance

CuriousaboutSamphire · 09/09/2020 06:52

Thanks Seafog!

I'm writing my 'ethos' at the moment - 90% recycled, upcycled, 100% unique kind of thing. I hadn't thought of flipping... good idea! I shall trawl with that in mind!

And yes to the liability insurance. I have PI and PL already for my main business, they will add a little to cover fairs and other sales.

Thanks for the thoughts!

FelicityPike · 09/09/2020 07:03

Remember to pay tax.

LunaLula83 · 09/09/2020 07:40

I wish i had never started a craft business. It distraced me from having a real career and money. Now im nearing 40's with no savings, home or pension.

speakout · 09/09/2020 07:48

LunaLula83 I am sorry you feel that way.
For me it has been a life saver. My craft business has allowed me to save for my future, buy a house and give me an easy way to continue to earn even past retiement age. I am in my 50s and I am excited about my future business plans.

I don't think it is the craft per se that has put you in this position LunaLula83, the same could have happened with any type of business that stumbles along for years with little financial reward.

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