Homemade is Profitable
There is something about
homemade items that people
like. Not many of us have time to
create things for ourselves
anymore but still value the time
and care that went in to a one
of a kind creation.
Take a critical look at your work.
Is it really quality? If you have
been spinning for a period of a
few weeks then selling your
handspun fiber is not going to
be very lucrative, however if you
make beautiful hand made
papers, and have made them
long enough to do it well and
consistently you may have a
product people want to buy.
Are you going to want to make
the craft numerous times over?
How are you on deadlines? Are
you thick skinned enough to
accept criticism? While you may
enjoy knitting a few hours a day,
how are you going to feel when
your needles are flying and you
have hours more knitting in front
of you?
How To Charge
You can't make money if you
don't charge enough. First, take
a look around at what others
are selling a similar item for. You
should be able to sell yours at a
profit for a similar price.
Figure up how much time it will
take to make the item, electricity,
materials, and other incidental
costs and then price the item
accordingly. Do a web search to
see what that item is selling for
across the Internet. Look at the
pictures of items like yours and
be sure you are offering a
product that is as good as or
superior to them.
Craft and Antique Malls
One way to market your product
is to rent a booth at a craft mall.
Small booths rent for about $
60.00 a month in my area, with
the mall keeping a small
percentage of sales.
This is beneficial in that you get
to know your customers
personally. You can walk
through the mall and see what is
selling and what is not, you can
talk to people and they can talk
to you. That brings a personal
touch to your item, it helps your
customer to value your product
if they know the face behind the
product.
Different craft and antique malls
have different rules. Sometimes
the crafter has to work so many
hours per week. There is a
contract involved. Be sure that
you visit as many as possible and
decide on the best one for you.
Read the fine print in the
contract very well and make sure
you understand everything that
you sign.
Need More Ideas?
Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative
Hobby into a Business
Amazon Price: $9.99
List Price: $16.95
Craft Inc. Business Planner
Amazon Price: $9.90
List Price: $16.95
In Home Parties
I knew a homeschool mom
about fifteen years ago that
sewed and she sewed well. She
made adorable prairie style
dresses and bonnets. She began
sewing them in many different
fabrics and sizes and had a party
at her friends house. She almost
sold out the first night and came
home with many orders to fill.
Tupperware does not hold the
copyright to home parties! If you
have a product that is easily
transported and that would
work well in a party type setting,
and if you are the outgoing type
then a home party may be the
way to go. Plan on taking several
things and then taking orders for
items you sell out of. Be sure
and fill the orders promptly!
Home parties should be fun so
plan some prizes, and give away
items. Try to book the next party
while you are there. It is
traditional to give the hostess the
gift of one of your products for
hosting the party.
This would work especially well
for handmade books, papers,
and candles.
A Craftswoman Talks About
Etsy
On the Web
If you don't want to leave home
there are still many ways to sell
your crafts. Maybe more than if
you tried to sell them locally. Of
course the best solution is to do
both.
eBay is the place people think of
when they think of selling an
item. You post your product at a
price and set the auction for the
number of days you want it to
go. At the end if your item sells
eBay takes a small percentage.
etsy is a huge craft mall online.
With etsy you open up your own
store and sell from your store.
There is no auction. Sign up is
free, your own shop is free.
Listing an item costs 20 cents and
when you sell it there is a 3.5%
fee. That's it. All listings include
five images and stay up for four
months
CraftMall is another site similar
to etsy. The prices are, however,
based on a monthly fee with no
percentage taken from your
sales. There isn't a contract or
time commitment and you are
not required to meet a minimum
amount of sales.
Krafter's Korner on Homestead
Exchange network is just about
to be launched. There will be a
yearly fee for members of
Homestead Exchange Network to
open a store but then no other
fees will be charged. This is one
of my favorite websites anyway,
and the personal involvement
there will make this a must check
out for anyone.
YabbleBabble is an online craft
mall that you can get in by
approval only. It takes a straight
12% out of your sales and
collects the shipping information
and money upfront.
Lily's Country Crafts Mall charges
$10.00 a month for you to list
your crafts with them.
You can also advertise on sites
such as your local Craigslist
You can also set up your own
website. The initial outlay will be
a bit more than with other
methods but if you have a good
product and a good
understanding of search engine
optimization then this is probably
the best way to start.
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