Getting Crafty: Selling Your Own Arts and Crafts
by Veronica Stone on October 11th, 2007
Many a crafter has pondered the notion of making money from their craft. If you are among them, you will find you must look at your products a little differently. Instead of thinking of one project at a time, you will want to develop a product line. You will also want to find the least expensive sources for the components you use to make your products.
Developing a product line may be as simple as producing your best work in a range of colors and sizes. You may want to choose a theme and develop a set of products within the theme. However you choose to do it, you will need more than one product.
You need a product line so that you can appeal to a broad range of tastes and pocketbooks. Ideally, your line should have several price points, so that everyone who sees your work is a potential buyer.
As you develop your line, do some marketing research. How will you sell your product?
If you will sell locally, visit craft shops. Ask about consignment sales and look at what is already on display. If you plan to sell at craft shows, visit as many as you can to see what is being sold. You will want to create your own niche, not duplicate what other vendors can provide.
If you will sell over the Internet, visit sites with similar products. Again, you will want to develop a line that is unique in concept and design. Do not be caught in the trap of selling your product more cheaply than a similar one.
When you choose your products, be sure to pick items that you can make over and over again without dying of boredom. Try to select products you can make on an assembly line basis. In the craft business, as in any other business, time is money, and your time is probably your most valuable commodity.
Remember that you cannot use a product you have seen in a magazine or on the Internet (unless the magazine or Internet site gives you explicit permission to use it commercially). You can use techniques you have seen or read about. But you cannot simply change the color of an item. You must design your own products. If you do not, you can be subject to lawsuits and penalty payments.
Now that you have developed a product line and explored the market for it, you need to find the least expensive sources for the components you need. You need to begin buying at wholesale prices.
You will need an identification number from your state. The terms under which these numbers are issued vary from state to state. Check with your state Department of Commerce or the equivalent.
Make a list of the components you want to buy at wholesale . Use your current and projected sales figures to determine how many of each component you will use in a month, in three months, in six months and in a year. Wholesalers usually have a minimum number per order for each item they sell and they may have a minimum total dollars per order as well. Some wholesalers even have a minimum total annual purchase amount. As a broad rule of thumb, the more units you order, the less you will pay per unit. However, you do not want to tie up your capital by having more units than you can use in a reasonable time.
To find local wholesalers, look in your local business-to-business telephone directory. If you do not have one, your library does. You can also search for local wholesalers on the Internet. If you begin with local wholesalers, you have several advantages. You can see the merchandise before you buy it. Sometimes you can purchase less than the usual minimum. You can take advantage of sales and closeouts. You can ask about a lower price when the wholesaler has only a limited amount left of a certain item. You might also be able to negotiate a lower price when you order in large quantities.
However, you might not be able to find a local wholesale source for the components you need. Furthermore, local wholesalers do not always have the lowest prices. You must begin your quest for the best quality at the lowest price.
The Internet is a great resource. Do not limit yourself to wholesalers who have websites, since many of the best sources do not have them. If they do have a website, you will usually need a password to access it. Blogs and discussion forums can lead you to other wholesalers. Do not hesitate to check up on a supplier’s credentials before you send money.
You may also find sources in magazine advertisements, especially in trade publications. Virtually every type of shop has a trade magazine. You can also try the trade magazines aimed at gift shops. These magazines are usually free to shop owners and to designers.
If possible, attend one of the trade shows for your craft. You will find many wholesalers and have a chance to see their products.
Once you have found a wholesale supplier for a component you need, cultivate a relationship. Be sure you have a particular salesperson who handles your account. Always be pleasant, even when you have a problem. Do not hesitate to develop a personal interaction. The time will surely come when you need a rush order or other special service. Your salesperson is more apt to go the extra mile for you if you have a friendly relationship.
This is my dilemma and I so hope you can help. I am starting a homebased business, I will be embellishing flipflops for women and girls, men and boys. What I would like is the ornate some of the flipflops with silk flowers. I’d like to use a flower with a lot of spikey petals mums, chrysanthemums, peony, most economical would be gerberas. I’d order in white or cream so that I could use a floral spray paint to color to match the shoe. I would only need the heads of these flowers and the centers of the flower should be pliable so that I could use the appropriate pin/tack to attach to the shoe. Ok that’s the 1st half of my problem. Secondly, I wanted to apply these flowers on lower “V” area of the flipflop, so I need to purchase a grommet or suggested notion w/ the appropriate tacks? Where? I have several people willing to assist w/ this project, so I need to outfit w/ the necessary items. I don’t believe I am being overly ambitious, it’s doable, I just need some direction. I appeal to you to please help me, I have been out of work since October and before I throw in the towel and go back into the job market I want to at least know that I attempted to make a vision come into fruition. Any constructive advice will be much appreciated.
Blessings,
Margie L. Cattouse
Owner
Celestial Comforter
P.S. I have 500 pair of flipflops in my basement. It’s either adorn and sell or Merry Xmas, Happy Birthday everybody for years to come.
Margie Cattouse
April 27th, 2009
at 6:44 am
hi I’m just starting up also . QVC UK
has a pink universal grommeter thats
strong they have a 30dy return if not suitable
reveiws and maybe a forum suggested in these
they have good custumer service so although
you’ll find cheaper elsewhere it’s a good place
to start you can phone them all hours
if you need help finding it hope this helps
love and light teri
teri
April 29th, 2009
at 3:47 pm