Craft Blog

If you are interested in selling your home made crafts at craft fairs and art shows, then there are some things that you need to know.  These tips can help you make your craft business financially successful.  By following these common sense guidelines, you can be successful in your craft marketing, craft pricing, and your approach to attracting and catching long term customers.

Craft fairs and art shows can be a fantastic place for you to make great business selling your homemade crafts.  Craft fairs attract a large number of people who are only there to purchase your products.  Selling your crafts at craft fairs allows you to do what you really love and to make a living doing it.  It also allows you to reach the best customer pool so that you can find long term consumers and clients.

Selling your crafts at craft fairs is a great option for you if you are outgoing and if you are willing to drive around a lot, visit a number of different places, and have a good retail personality, then craft fairs can be a good option for you.  Otherwise, you might want to look at other ways to market your crafts, such as at boutiques.

If you think that selling crafts at fairs is for you, then here are some great tips that can help you be successful on the craft fair circuit!

1.  Check out different craft fairs.

First, you need to do your research to make sure that your products are actually right for craft shows.  How good are your products, really?  Do you think that you can sell them to people other than your family?  If so, then keep going! 

2.  Do your homework about different shows that you can go to.

In order to successfully sell your crafts at fairs, then you need to find the craft fairs that are right for you.  Find out everything that you can about the different fairs that you are considering attending.  Call up the craft fair organizer and ask the following questions:

 – What types of products are going to be sold at this fair?
 – What niches are going to be demonstrated at this fair?
– How many vendors are gong to be represented for each niche?  You want to avoid a glut of people in your particular niche.
– What types of fees are involved?  What are the upfront costs, what are the application fees, and what else will you have to end up playing?
– What about the booths?  How big of a booth can you have?  What is the setup going to be like?
–Putting it all together, can you afford this particular show, combined with all of your other costs for travel, lodging, and materials?

3.  Start small when it comes to going to craft fairs.

Instead of going to the multi-state fairs initially or the regional fairs, you should start small with craft fairs.  Local fairs can help you keep your costs down so that you can have a higher profit margin.  Also consider borrowing a booth from another crafter so that you can save even more costs.  Or you can go in on a booth with a crafting friend.  Attending a number of local fairs, combined with larger fairs, can help you build a loyal customer base in different regions and in different areas.

4.  Price your crafts correctly.

A problem that many people have when trying to sell their crafts is that they don’t price their products correctly.  You need to determine what your actual production costs are.  Then you need to double that price (the labor costs combined with the material costs) in order to come up with your retail price (the original price is the wholesale price). 

Make sure that you check with other people who are selling similar products in your niche.  Are your prices much lower than their prices are?  Then you need to start charging more.  Are your prices much higher?  Then you need to change the amount that you are calculating for labor costs, or you need to cut down on your material costs.

Successfully selling your crafts at craft expos takes some savvy marketing, some intelligent pricing, and some great display approaches.  Here are some tips to help you sell your crafts at expos in a way that will make selling your home made crafts a financially viable business.

Selling your crafts at expos is a fantastic way to make money by selling your crafts.  And what is better than making money by doing what you really love?  However, expos can be a difficult way to actually make money.  Why?  Because in order to sell your products successfully, you have to set yourself apart from the crowd.  And the number one characteristic of an expo is a large crowd.  So many of these tips will help you set yourself apart from the crowd at any expo.

1.  Find an expo that has room for your particular niche of products.

 Most craft expo organizers try to have a good mix of vendors at their expos.  This helps ensure that people will have a chance to actually sell their products in a relatively open market rather than struggling to sell any products in a totally glutted market.

However, many expo organizers do not take this balanced approach to organizing their expos.  Sometimes—a lot of the time—you will end up at an expo in order to find out that more than 20% of the booths have sellers who sell in the exact same niche as you are.

The way that you can avoid this particular situation is by calling the organizer before you sign up and pay fees to have a booth at the expo.  Ask the organizer how many different vendors in your niche will be at the expo.  Ask the organizer what types of items and products will be marketed at the show.  You might have to ask a lot of questions, and the organizer might not be willing to share the information, but if there are too many other people there selling the same products as you are, then it won’t be profitable for you to go to that expo.

 Don’t go to expos where you won’t have a chance to actually make a profit.  Research that is done beforehand can keep you out of places where you will only make a minimum of profit, if you make any profit at all.

2.  Think local.

You might be tempted initially to attend really huge expos that are regional or even national.  However, these are the kinds of expos where there will be a glut of people in your niche.  This means that it will be much harder for you to stand out in the crowd at these expos.

Local expos can be a much better avenue for you to follow if you want to market your crafts.  Local expos are usually very well organized.  They are also usually very well promoted combined with very good attendance.  Local expos tend to have less vendors, which means that there will be fewer people who are selling products in your particular niche.

3.  Other tips to help you market your crafts at expos.
– Make sure that your prices are clearly marked.
–Ensure that you have it marked if your products are priced wholesale or retail.
– Have a sign up list available for consumers to sign up for your email and your snail mail mailing list.
– Have brochures available with your website clearly marked, along with your contact information.
– Don’t clutter your display so much that people aren’t interested in stopping at your booth. 

Selling your crafts at boutiques is a fantastic way for you to sell your crafts successfully and have a financially viable business with your homemade crafts.

There are some things that you need to know when it comes to selling your crafts at different boutiques.  Here are some great tips that will help you successfully sell your crafts at boutiques.

Tips for selling crafts at boutiques

1.  Find a boutique that fits your needs and your product style.

 If you are considering selling your homemade crafts at a local boutique, then you need to find a boutique that actually works well for your own craft products.  Just like you shop around for the best price with furniture and food, you need to shop around for the best place to sell your own crafts.

 Check out the boutiques in your area.  Decide on the geographic range where you are willing to sell.  You might be willing to ship your products to places far away.  Perhaps you are willing to drive your products around to boutiques 50 miles away.  Maybe you don’t have the time to do so.  Decide on what you are willing to do, and then shop at the boutiques in that area.

 Look at the types of products that each boutique is selling.  Are they primarily holiday?  What about patriotic?  Are they more eccentric and quirky?  What about high end crafts?  Shabby chic products?  Quilting products?  Bath and body products?  If you are selling products at the wrong boutique, then you won’t find any customers who want to purchase your crafts because you aren’t marketing in the right area.

 Talk to the boutique owner.  What are the policies on vendors?  What types of fees do you need to pay to sell your product in that boutique?  What are the policies on pricing?  What types of prices are other vendors paying?  Ask the vendor about return customers.  Are there are lot of them?  What sort of cut does the boutique owner get?  Will you have enough left over that you will make a product?

 Talk to customers in the boutiques.  Are they satisfied with the boutique?  How many times do they come back and shop in the boutique?  Do they tell their friends about the boutique?  What type of money are they spending at the boutique?  What types of products are they looking for?

Finally, when you are choosing a boutique where you want to sell your products, look at how the boutique advertises.  Does the boutique advertise aggressively?  How successful and how professional is the boutique’s marketing campaign?  Does the boutique work hard for its vendors?

2.  Set up your marketing inside the boutique.

When you choose a boutique where you want to sell your products, then you need to start thinking about your selling plan.  Look around at the other set-ups that other vendors have.  Don’t make your display too showy, but make it stand out.  You need to have it be attractive for the customer.  Make sure that you mark your prices clearly.  And don’t forget to price your products accurately; too many people under price their crafts!

3.  Market yourself outside the boutique.

Don’t depend solely on the boutique owner to market your products.  Market yourself.  Advertise your product, and don’t forget to advertise where your product is available for sale.  Advertise online.  Advertise in local newspapers. 

 Find magazines and forums and newsletters that cater to consumers who will use your product.  Advertise in those particular avenues.  Send free products to the editors of different magazines so that they can see how fantastic your products are.  Then you will get even more publicity, and this time it will be for free. 

Knowing how to sell crafts online is one of the key components of a successful approach to marketing and selling your homemade crafts.  Here are some tips to help you learn how you can sell crafts online and make a profit doing so.

Thousands of crafters have discovered the Internet as a great way to sell their crafts and to supplement their crafting business.  Using the Internet to sell crafts can be a great tool and a great opportunity.   However, a number of people who make and sell crafts are missing out on a great business opportunity with the Internet, either because they aren’t using the Internet at all, or because they aren’t using the Internet the right way.

Let’s start with people who aren’t using the Internet at all.  Here are some ways that you can use the Internet successfully to sell your crafts online.

1.  Set up your own website.

A website is a fantastic place where people can learn all about your different products that you have to offer.  A website is a place where new customers can find out about you.  A website is also a fantastic place for old customers to find out about your new products.  Old customers can also reorder products through your website.

Make sure that your website is designed well.  If you don’t know anything about website design, then you should think about hiring a professional.  The upfront cost will be recouped through the profits that you will win.

When you set up a website, buy a domain name that will be easy for people to think of.  Don’t find some freeware site that assigns you a random web address that’s full of numbers.  Instead, purchase a domain name that has your company’s name in it, or your name in it.

2.  Use email to your advantage.

Email lists are a fantastic way to contact people who are interested in your products.  Whenever you are selling at a trade show or at a craft store, have a mailing list available for people to sign up on.  Ask for their name, their address, their city, their state, their zip code, and an email address.  Even if you only sign out a hard copy snail mail newsletter once a year, having states and cities can help you send out regional emails.

Send out your emails about every couple months.  Send people updates on your products.  Let them know about any special deals or discounts that are going on.  When you are visiting a trade show in a particular area, then you can send out emails to people in that region.

3.  Use other people’s websites.

Ask other crafters to add links to your website on their own website.  Also advertise on other people’s sites and on the sites of major magazines and forums.

Common mistakes that people make with the Internet

Even when people have websites and use the Internet, a lot of the time they make mistakes with what they do.  Here are some common mistakes that people make when they try to sell crafts online.

1.  Badly designed websites.

Many times, people design poor websites.  Their websites are too bloated with too many graphics and sensory overload.  This takes the website a long time to load and is confusing for people to navigate.  They’re going to leave before it happens.

2.  Lack of contact information.

Do you have your phone number, your fax number, your toll free number, your email address, and your mailing address on your website?  Otherwise people won’t be able to contact you.  Have the information on every page of your website, easy to find and easy to see.

3.  Inability to order online.

If people are looking at crafts online, they are going to want to be able to purchase your crafts online.  If they can’t buy online, then they’re going to go somewhere else where they can.

Knowing how to price your crafts is difficult for anyone who is trying to make a business out of their homemade crafts.  However, knowing how to price your crafts is one of the key components to actually making a profit out of your work. 

One of the biggest mistakes that crafters make is actually under pricing their craft work.  By following these tips and guidelines, you can figure out how much your crafts are worth, how much you should charge for your crafts, and how you can make a profit from doing what you truly love.

1.  When you are at a trade show or if you are selling in a store, make sure that your pricing information is clearly marked and easy to see.

Many people at craft shows and craft expos will walk right by a booth if the pricing information is not easy to find.  Ensure that prices are clearly marked for each piece that you are selling.

2.  Check with the organizer/promoter of trade shows or the owner of craft stores.
Whether you are selling your crafts at a trade show or vending them at a local craft store, check with the promoter or the owner of the venue.  Ask them what their normal price range is for similar products.  Then you can price your own wares at comparable prices so that you are neither too far over the prices nor too far under the typical prices.

3.  Decide whether you want to sell for wholesale prices or retail prices.
If you are selling at a trade show, then you will want to decide whether you are going to show the wholesale price or the retail price of your product.

Most buyers that go to trade shows—buyers who are going to market a substantial amount of your product—expect to pay a 50% markdown from your retail price.  Sometimes this price is referred to as the keystone price.  If you are marking the prices as retail, then ensure that you clearly display the markdown or the discount amount. 

However, you might prefer to simply mark the wholesale price of your products.  However, ensure that you make it clear that you are displaying the wholesale price, or else they will be examining your wares and thinking that they will be paying half of what is advertised.

4.  Determine your wholesale price of your product.

 1.  Decide how much you are going to be paid per hour to make your products.

2.  Multiply this hourly wage by the number of hours that will be worked per week.  You have now determined your weekly cost of labor.

3.  Work out what the total cost-of-supplies is for one finished product.  This is absolutely everything that you have to use to produce a product, from material to glue to staples to raffia to wood to paint.

4.  Work out how many products you or your employee can produce in one week.

5.  Now take the cost of supplies-per-piece.  Multiply this number by the number of products that will be made in one week.  This means that if you work out a supplies-per-piece cost of $1, and you can create 75 products per week, you will have a total of $75.

6.  Now, add this weekly cost of supplies-per-piece and add it to your weekly cost of labor.  Let’s say that you worked out your weekly cost of labor to be $300.  Now you will have a figure of $375.

7.  Divide your figure by the number of items that you produce in a week.  $375 of parts plus labor divided by 75 products per week comes to $5 for each product that you create.

8.  If you are determining the wholesale price of each product, multiply the number by two.  Now you have a retail price of $10.  But your wholesale price is $5.

9.  Check out other products that are for sale.  Is your pricing similar?

10.  If you have a higher price than other similar products, then you have to cut the amount that you pay yourself per hour or you should buy supplies that cost less.  Or perhaps you need to increase the time of production.

11.  If your price is a lot lower than other similar products, then you need to up your price.
 

Knowing how to market your homemade crafts is one of the most important things that any serious crafter can learn how to do.  No matter how beautiful, how unique, and how well made your crafts are, if you can’t market them, then you will never be able to make any sort of profit from your crafts.

Here are some tips that will help you successfully market your crafts so that you can create a viable financial venture from doing what you really love, which is creating beautiful works of art that bring pleasure to both you and those who buy them!

Tips for successful marketing of homemade crafts

1.  Use the Internet to your advantage.

There are a number of different ways that you can make use of the Internet.  You should not base all of your expectations and aspirations on online marketing; there are simply too many craft merchandise websites out there to expect that a large number of people will find your site.  However, you can make profitable use of a number of different Internet tools to improve your marketing.

Create your own website.
Having your own website is a great way that people can find out about you.  They can also check your website for new products, for a calendar of local craft shows that you will be attending, and for any more information.  A website is also a place where people can reorder crafts from you.
 
However, a website won’t do you much good unless your website looks good and is easy to use.  You might want to consider hiring a professional to design a website for you.  Otherwise, you will be spending a lot of time and effort on something that you don’t particularly understand. 

Make good use of email.
Email is a fantastic way to keep in touch with clients and expand your customer base.  Whenever you go to shows, you should always have a sheet of paper available for people to sign up to receive more information.  You should also have a list available at any stores where you vend your goods.

Emails are fantastic because your clients can also forward your messages on to other friends who would be interested in your products.

When you have a sign up list for your email list, ensure that you get the following information from clients: name, address, city, state, zip code, and email address.

Send out emails at least once every couple of months.  Talk about new products and any developments.  Because you have people’s addresses, you can also send out regional emails to people in areas where you will be attending shows periodically.

Don’t forget the power of snail mail.  Send out a brochure or news letter once or twice a year.   Many customers don’t have email addresses, so you can contact them at least once a year to remind them of your products.

Include specials for loyal customers.  Also include coupons, particularly when you are sending out your regional emails.
2.  Make use of other opportunities to market your homemade crafts.
– Sell crafts at local craft shows. 
– Sell crafts at any church or community get together or bazaar.
–Sell your crafts at local farmer’s markets.
– Consider having shows in your own home for family and friends.
– Take out ads in largely circulated craft magazines and mail order magazines.
– Take out ads in local newspapers.
–Discuss product placement in local gift shops, tourist shops, consignment stores, or boutiques.
–Post flyers around your community, especially in any fabric stores, craft stores, or knick knack shops.

Are you wondering how you can make a viable, financially profitable business out of your love for making crafts?  Well, if you want to turn your crafts into a business, keep reading for some essential tips that will help you break from the world of hobbying to the world of actual business success.

5 tips to make your crafting hobby into a real business

1.  Start thinking like a business owner, instead of a hobbyist.

 One of the biggest problems with all businesses, not just crafts, is the fact that the owners of the businesses just can’t bring themselves to play the business game with all of their heart.  Well, the fact is, that to succeed in business, you actually have to start acting like a business person.

This does not mean that you have to go back to school and get an MBA.  It just means that you need to stop thinking in terms of “this is a great hobby and I love giving beautiful, unique gifts to my friends.”  Instead, you need to start thinking in financial mode.  Start making plans for marketing your crafts.  Think about advertising.  Start considering how much you spend in terms of time and labor.  Think about minimizing costs and maximizing profit.  Decreasing overhead and increasing marketability.

In order to be successful at turning your crafts into a viable business, you need to start thinking about what it will take to make a profit.

2.  Come up with a powerful marketing plan for yourself.

 There are a lot of talented crafters out there.  You need to make yourself stand out from the crowd.  This uniqueness is important whether you are a vendor at a craft store, whether you are a vendor at a craft fair, or if you are selling online.

Come up with a unique marketing plan.  This doesn’t mean that you have to be tacky or out of control.  But think of a cute slogan that people will remember.  Consider consulting a marketing advisor just once.  The price that you pay off right now can be recouped by your increased profitability.

3.  Stay on top of the trends without being trendy.

There are two things that will help you sell your crafts and have a successful business.  The first component is being unique.  Why would people buy your crafts if they are like everyone else’s?  Make sure that you have your own voice and a unique draw.

 However, you also need to be aware of current trends, such as the popular colors.  Then you can combine your own style with what people are looking for right now.

4.  Learn how to price your crafts.

Do you know what the value is of the amount that you spend on materials, labor, and time for each craft?  If you don’t know what you’re spending, you need to figure it out.
 Once you have determined a cash value for the overall cost of each craft, then you can determine what you need to price your crafts at in order to actually make a profit.
Don’t underprice your crafts.  People will be suspect of them, and you also won’t make any profit on them.  Check out comparable products and price your crafts at about the same amount.

5.  Use the power of the Internet.

 Don’t overlook the incredible marketing power of the Internet.  This is a great way that die hard consumers can reorder crafts from you.  It’s also a great way to get new customers.
Market yourself just as carefully, online.  Hire a professional web site designer so that your website stands out.
Come up with an email list of loyal clients so that you can notify them of periodic developments.
Make sure that your website is easy to navigate.
• Purchase a domain name that can be personalized so that people will be able to find your website.

Finding the right boutique to sell your crafts is a key component of developing a successful business selling your crafts.  Here are some tips that will help you discover a boutique that helps you sell your crafts, find consumers who want to purchase your products, and will enable you to actually make a profit doing what you love.

4 tips to finding the right boutique to sell your crafts.
 
Step 1: Find a boutique that works for your style, your niche, and your product.

Not just any old boutique is going to work for you and be successful for your product.  Different boutiques cater to different niches.  They have different customer bases. You want to sell only at boutiques that appeal to the type of customer who will be buying your particular crafts.

The first step to finding the right boutique to sell your crafts is by doing a little research. Look in the yellow pages to find boutiques in your area.  Then start visiting the boutiques.  Look carefully at the types of products that they are selling, what the set up is like, and what the customers seem to like.  This can help you determine if this boutique will be a good match for you, and if you will be a good match for the boutique.
 
Step 2: Contact the boutique owner.

Introduce yourself to the boutique owner, either in person or over the phone.  Tell the owner that you would like to be a vendor in their boutique.  Discuss why you think that you would be a good match.  Bring the owner samples of your products so that the two of you can discuss how it will be a beneficial relationship.

– There are some items that you need to discuss with the boutique owner.  Here are some questions that you should ask.  Make sure that you write down the answers.
  –Will you have to rent a space from the boutique owner?
  –How much will the rental fee be?
  –Will the boutique owner require a portion of your profits?  Is so, how much?
  –What types of crafts sell well at this boutique? 
  –What types of customers frequent the boutique?
–Does the owner have a well-formed marketing plan in place?  Will this be a profitable place for you to sell your crafts?

Step 3: Compare boutiques.

 Now, you have gathered all of the information that you need about each boutique.  It’s time to compare.  What are your own personal selling goals?  What kind of budget are you planning on?  What kind of profit are you gearing towards?  Which boutiques will fit within your budget and will help you turn a profit?

 Think about your experience with the boutique itself.  Did you get along with the owners?  Did you feel welcome and treated well?  If you didn’t, then it’s time to find another business relationship with someone else.

Step 4: Sign your contract.
 Sign a contract with the owner of the boutique.  Look carefully at the contract.  Are there any surprises?  If there are, then you should walk away.  Ensure that everything is clear on payments, on dates, on stipulations, and on fees.

Congratulations!  You have now secured a place in a boutique to sell your crafts.  Now it’s time to get to work on your display and on your pricing.

Becoming a vendor at a craft store or a craft show is not particularly difficult, no matter how daunting the prospect may be.  Here are some helpful hints to show you how you, too, can become a vendor and start selling your own fantastic crafts at any local craft store or craft show.

How to become a vendor at a craft store

1.  Find a craft store that fits your style.

This step might seem like a no brainer.  But it’s one of the most important things that you have to do.  Different craft stores sell to different niches.  You want to sell only at stores that will appeal to the type of customer who will be buying your particular crafts.

So what does this all mean for you?  It means that it’s time for you to get out there and start checking out all of the craft stores in the area (as if you haven’t done this already).  It can be just in your city, or it can be in several surrounding cities.  It all depends on what works best for you and how willing you are to drive further to deliver your crafts, or how far you want to ship them.

Check out the kinds of goods that each store is marketing.  Talk to the people at the store to see what they are interested in.  Talk to the shoppers at the stores to see where they like to shop and what they are looking for in their crafts.

2.  When you find a store, then you have to talk to the store owner.

When you find a craft store or craft stores that seem to work well with your own craft style and craft niche, ask to speak to the owner.  Ask for the owner’s phone number, if he or she isn’t there.  Tell them that you are interested in becoming a vendor in their craft store. 

Ask about any fees that you will have to pay and what the arrangements are for portions of the proceeds.  Will you have to rent a space from them?  Most craft stores will have this type of arrangement.  Ask about the types of crafts that sell well.  What is the owner’s marketing plan?  How much freedom will you have to set up your own display? 

When you find a craft store or craft stores that fit your style, then it’s time to sit down and compare.

3.  Compare stores to figure out which one(s) best fit your own needs as a vendor.

Make a list or a spreadsheet comparing the different craft stores that you have found.  What is your budget for fees and for rent?  How much of a profit are you looking to make?  How much of the proceeds are you willing to share?  Which owner’s personality did you like the best?  Which store(s) seem(s) to work the best with your particular style?

You need to decide if you have the money to be a vendor in just one store or in several.  Then you need to decide which store(s) will be the best for you.

4.  Contact the owner of the craft store and fill out any necessary paperwork.
Sign a contract with the craft store owner.  Make sure that there are no surprises in the contract.  Ensure that you are clear on dates, on payments, on fees, and on stipulations.

5.  Set up your display!

Go to the store(s), inventory in your car, and set up your display.  Make it look as great as you can.  Ensure that your prices are clearly marked so that there is no confusion when your customers get to the counter to pay for your crafts.

Another thing that you need to ensure for successful selling at a craft store is that you are pricing your products successfully.  If you are under pricing your products, then you aren’t going to make a profit.  If you are overpricing your products, then you definitely won’t make a profit because nobody will purchase your crafts.  So make sure that you compare your prices to similar products made by other vendors to ensure that you are pricing reasonably.