How to be Successful at Your Craft Business
How to be Successful at Your Craft Business
Lets take a brief look at each one of the chapters in the Ebook
Introduction
This gives a brief overview of who I am and the struggles with my craft (blacksmithing) which is not a high demand craft so has to be marketed carefully and ingeniously. I also introduce the concepts covered in the ebook.
Retail
Retail is the back bone of the craft industry. I discuss operating your own retail store, gallery, studio, indoor and outdoor craft shows. I explain how to qualify your customer, and how this can save you time and dollars. Especially at a craft show.
Wholesale
Wholesale is a viable alternative to retail and has much fewer hassles associated with it. You do sacrifice some money to have the reduced problems. I discuss finding and setting up for wholesale trade shows. (This is a very different beast than a retail craft show.)
In this chapter I also discuss consignment which is another type of wholesale. How to avoid losing your merchandise if your consignment store happens to go out of business.
Custom Work
Cutom work is working one on one with the customer to create exactly what they want. You could be making a stained glass piece to fit a space and their decor, or custom wood table, the options are endless. Custom work requires extreme consideration of the customers needs and finances. Contracts are also important to protect you and your customer.
I also discuss what you can do if you recieve a bad check. This refers to the other catagories as well.
Teaching Your Craft
Once you become proficient with your craft you may opt for teaching. This can be both lucrative and rewarding as you help people become proficient working with you medium.
Advertising
Advertising in one form or another is what drives our income. It may be face to face, word of mouth, or an internet presence and many others. Which ones have I found to be right for the crafts market. As a subsection of advertising I discuss in some detail photography and how important it is for your advertising.
Book Keeping
Book Keeping is no-ones favorite job but it is an incredibly important part of your business. I explain how I set up my books and record the items and their various categories. I also describe when and how you should use an accountant. Taxes and keep sanity dealing with the government.
General Tips
These are just a miriad of information I have picked up ove the years that will help you do things faster and more cost effective. It is OK to pay for some things that you would struggle with for hours.
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