Crafting is a stress-reliever and it is one of those things that digs deep to bring out the creative side in us. Sitting around with a bunch of friends; catching up over a glass of wine and some choccies, it’s fun to enjoy some sort of craft activity together.
Over the years I have tried candle making, candlewicking, stained-glass paintings, knitting, baking, repurposing, scrap booking and paper-mache making. I am not good at knitting.
But those are only a drop in Picasso’s ocean. You can also make items based on themes such as baby-showers, the holidays, 40th birthdays – anything that your mind can think of.
And of course – try making products through recycling.
So then let’s take a look and see how you can transform your craft into a business that you can run yourself, most likely from home.
Start Planning
If you are going to move from crafts as a hobby to crafts as a business, you need to have a plan. You need to know where you are going. You can draw a large mind-map poster, create a visual mood board or write up a business plan but have a few basic points included:
1. Your product
2. Where do you source your materials from
3. How long does it take to produce one item
4. When will you create your products
5. What is the name of your business
6. What type of business will it be registered as
7. Work out a price point
8. Where will you sell your products
9. What is your marketing plan?
This is not set in stone and you can tweak as you figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. You will find that by having some simple guidelines in place you will not feel so overwhelmed and it won’t seem so scary.
Pricing
When working out your pricing, you need to consider where you want to take this business. Are you looking for a side hustle? Do you want to leave your 9 – 5?
The Etsy Seller Handbook has a favourable way for you to calculate what you should be selling your products for.
Here is the basic formula:
Materials + Labor + Expenses + Profit = Wholesale x 2 = Retail
Regarding the labour, know how much you want to be paid hourly. If you were going into a new job and were offered R80.00 per hour, would that be suitable to you? Or do you deserved R150.00 per hour?
If your pricing does end up being too high and your crafts are not selling there are a couple of things you can try and do.
Try to source cheaper materials. You could buy in bulk, never buy retail and always buy wholesale or even better, buy them on sale. Or collaborate with other crafters and have a larger buying power to negotiate from. Would it be possible for you to figure out how to make more of that item per hour?
Marketing
You need to ensure that you take gorgeous photographs of your products. The image/s should be on a non-distracting background to clearly showcase your goods.
Read this article from Lindsay at Create a Mama – she gives brilliant advice on taking photos of your crafts with your mobile phone.
Once you are happy with your photographs, look at where you are going to use them. Social media is most.
Concentrate on one or two social media platforms. Rather become an expert in one or two rather than just ‘tickling the tops’ of many but make sure that you have found which social platforms your audience hangs out on.
You should also have a blog. Or a website with a blog page. It’s a quick way to keep your site fresh with new content and keep your audience returning to see what you have been up to.
Use all of this to interact with your audience and keep them engaged and updated with your business.
Selling Your Crafts
There are various places that you can sell your crafts.
You can contact one of your local markets and find out how to book a table and if they have space for you. Don’t bank on calling them on Monday to set up a table on Saturday as tables might limited.
Host an informal market in your home or garden. I have been to a few of these and they are lots of fun as it’s usually friends, and friends of friends so while people are shopping, they are chatting together and are feeling relaxed. Crafters should provide free tea & coffee and biscuits to allow shoppers to feel ‘at home’.
If you know of shops that will purchase your products and resell them for you, make sure that you have your figures right and are slightly negotiable.
Work out your hourly rate, include the costs of materials and add a little bit ass a buffer for you to negotiate with.
It’s usually best to phone them first and then meet face-to-face. They want to meet you and they want to see your products. Karen Jinks from UK Handmade suggests that you take along some samples and your packaging, and tell them your sister. You are easily more memorable if you have a story.
Explain to the store seller why your products will sell. They don’t want to keep stock on the shelves that won’t sell.
You can also stock your products at home in a spare room or Wendy House and then try sell them online if you have a blog or website, or via social media.
