Starting your own business is a challenge and a handmade business is no different. You still need to create a business plan, keep good records, track inventory and if your business is online, know how to set up shop. Granted most people who sell handmade products start out as a hobby but legally, if your intent is to earn an income from your product, it is considered a business and you should treat it like one.
5 Things You Should Consider Before Hanging Your Handmade Shop Shingle
1. Business 101
Be sure to start out by getting the proper paper work. This is different for each state and each city so do your homework. Register with the tax board and properly collect sales tax. Keep all receipts and keep accurate records of income going out and income coming in.
2. Copy-writing
There are just three steps to writing good copy. First you need to state the problem of your customer. If your business is crocheting hats your customer’s problem might be how to keep his head warm while staying fashionable. Second, you need to answer the problem which in this case is providing warm handmade crochet hats that look cool. Finally, you need to give a call to action. All this means is you need to tell your customer to buy your hat.
3. Photography
If your business is going to be online the importance of great photographs is important. Even if you only work craft shows most will ask for photos of your past work so investing in a good camera and really knowing how your camera works is vital. Be sure to use natural light whenever possible and if at all possible snap a shot of your product being used.
4. Keywords and Search Engine Optimization
This will apply to those handmade businesses who are online. If most of your selling is at craft fairs you might want to create a blog or website for your customers to contact you after the show. When deciding how best to optimize your website or blog you need to ask yourself a couple of question. Who is your target market? What are they searching for? and When and Where are they searching? Once you know the answer to these questions you can guide Internet traffic to your site.
5. Working from Home is Work
You would be surprised to find how many people do not believe this to be true. Just like an 8 hour shift at the factory, working from your home is a job. You have deadlines meet, supplies to buy, packages to ship, calls to make, email to answer and a number of other tasks to do. Consider all that is involved when working from home – time you spend creating, time you spend marketing and time you spend maintaining records.
Taking the time to research what you need to open a handmade business or a business online is worth your time and effort. There are many sites that offer free tutorials and guides to help you along the way. Have faith in your dream, work at it little by little and before you know it you’ll be proud to claim that you are a self employed home based business owner.
About Sara Duggan
More than 1,200 FREE crochet patterns. 
Great tips Sara! My favourite tip is that an at home business is work! thank you for sharing!
cheryl recently wrote…Money Running Scarce?
Cheyl, surprisingly many people still give you that weird look when you say you work from home. Huh? Oh. It’s work just like a day job maybe even a bit more challenging as you have to manage both house and job simultaneously.
I had an Etsy shop for a while, but I didn’t really invest the time and resources to get it up and going. It does take an investment of time and energy to be successful.
Sarah B. recently wrote…Praying for Boston: A Christian mother’s response.
Investment of time and energy is a must. I had an Etsy at one point too. Business in general causes us to be on our toes and expert time managers.
Very succinct in your 5 steps in business planning and execution….
Liz Who Motivates recently wrote…UBC#15 04/15/13 We perceive v. They see
Thanks for stopping by again Liz. I enjoyed reading and watching your post today. I think I would describe myself in a completely different way than someone else.