Many artists paint, stitch and print their way through the world. Crafting is a great way to unwind and let your creative side shine.
You can turn your passion into a profitable online business by building an online craft company. You can choose to make it a full-time job or if you would like to use it as a side business that generates additional income.
What do I need to start a craft business?
Identify a gap in the Market
First, decide what products you want to sell. What “craft” you want to make will partly depend on your passion. It’s important to research the market to see what your company could sell.
To get a better idea of what’s hot, stock up on secondary market research groups such as MarketResearch.com or Nielsen. There are many options:
- Custom Art: Customers love to commission pieces tailored to their specific needs. You can sell portraits of customers and their pets or create art based on unique items your clients love, like a book or videogame.
- Gift Baskets: It is often difficult to find the right gift for someone you care about. You can take the pressure off your audience by gifting them custom-made gift baskets specifically tailored for their occasion.
- Beauty and skincare: This industry is huge. Selling perfumes, soaps, and bath bombs is a great way to combine your love for beauty and passion for creating.
- Jewelry: Create your double pearl earrings. You can also make your necklace. It’s easy to sell jewelry. If people are drawn to your designs, you might open a jewelry shop to make a living.
Learn more about your audience
There are many options for those who want to start a crafts business. This industry allows you to target different consumer segments and demographics based on what products you sell.
You might target older customers by selling home accessories like blanket covers and key hooks. You can target a younger audience by selling handmade friendship bracelets or bath bombs.
Make a business plan
You’ll get distracted by choosing the products to sell and identifying your audience when you learn how to sell crafts online. It’s not enough to get excited about it.
A craft business plan is essential. It is your compass and will keep you on the right track no matter what happens in your industry.
Get crafting
It’s now time for some fun!
This step will help you create a plan of how you want to make your crafts. This process can be started in many ways. You could take online lessons or watch webinars to help you improve your skills. You could, for example, learn how to make necklaces or create your earrings if you are passionate about jewelry making.
Locate a Manufacturer/Supplier
Scaling a business is difficult when you are the only one creating your ideas. You’ll likely need help maintaining a healthy work-life balance as your business grows. It could be easier to manage your business by finding a manufacturer that can produce your designs.
It is important to find a supplier to supply you with the raw materials necessary to make your products. You might need to pay extra for specific types of wool or threads for the embroidery business.
Create Your Brand
A craft business’s brand is the most important thing you can do. People will buy from brands they trust and like. It would help if you made a lasting impression by branding. A memorable company name, an appealing logo, meaningful colors, and a distinctive voice are all part of good branding.
Fulfill your Legal and Logistics Needs
Your checklist should include ensuring that your company is properly set up from both a legal and logistical perspective. Even if you are selling handmade scarves, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to register them.
Create Your Online Craft Store
It’s a lot of fun to design an online shop, just like creating your favorite crafts.
This is your chance to combine different aspects such as your brand colors, logo and product pages to have an entire online store. Shopify makes it easy to create a professional-looking website.
Market Your Crafts
Learning how to start a business in craft is not easy. It’s difficult to find customers for your shop. Selling crafts is only possible with marketing. Your budget and your strategies will influence how much you spend on promotions.
