Updated 9/12/08: Katrin, Commenter #65, is the winner. Thank you to everyone for playing along!
Addendum to yesterday’s post:
- I didn’t take pictures of the boxes, magazines, and textile piles lining the hallway from Leil’s room to mine.
- The closet door opens in otherwise I’d close it
- I failed to post about the 8 bags of fabric and books I took over to Linda Johnston’s home 3 weeks ago to donate to the Clothing & Textile Advisors sale scheduled for this Friday, September 12 (I’m verifying the details and then I’ll let you know the exact time and location).
- I’d prefer not to discuss the inactive plastic tubs lurking in the garage.
Then there are the duplicate books and the contest books I’ve been meaning to pass along.
First up is Craft Inc. I won this on Whip Up after commenting on a post reviewing the book. I read it cover to cover. Meg Mateo Ilasco touches on EVERY relevant topic related to running a craft business. No stone is unturned. The level of detail is impressive. Business books often have a way of trying to be so broad that they end up being devoid of any nitty gritty details, this books is chock full.
Meg’s interviews with real life artists/business owners steal the show. You’ll recognize familiar names like Lotta Jansdotter, Denyse Schmidt, and Jonathan Adler. Each share enlightening advice as well as glimpses into their early start-up days.
To enter the drawing leave a comment sharing some of your own craft business wisdom or if you’re in start-up mode leave a question that you’d like me to discuss in future posts. I’ll pick a random winner this Friday.
I also came across this CraftSanity Interview with Meg. And as another side note, the lowest priced used copy of this book on Amazon is currently $129.94. What’s up with that? I think it’s cool. Good luck.
* updated to add: the fabric behind the book is Tip-Top Buses
Kathy Mack
Carrie + Diana
I love what I do and make for people, and people tell me all the time I should sell my products. But I fear that turning it into a business will kill the passion and essentially “take the fun out of it” for me. And how could you outsource and still feel like the product was your own? (You have no idea how timely this post is, by the way)
My daughter (12 yrs. old) and I would love, love, love that book! She’s wanting to start selling her coin purses, bags, etc. that she makes with a little help from me. Here’s our question… We’re selling at a little school craft fair in a month. How many items do you make ahead and take?
$130! Wow!
I’d love the read that book since all the ones I’ve got seem to cover the boring aspects – business plans, accounting, legal stuff, etc.
Here’s my question: Where do you store your inventory? I foresee things totally taking over my house and I don’t think the garage is sufficiently dust-free. I’m thinking of getting one of those little sheds for the backyard.
That book would be great to have! I’d love to turn my hobby into a business but have no idea how to start. How does one start this?
Thanks!
~Angie~
OK, two things totally unrelated to the book:
1. Your addendum warmed my heart, Kathy. The “horror” of your closet was not unlike the stacks that I had in the middle of our floor up until last week. The state of my shelves is still dismal (but little by little….)
2. Your fabric choices for your shop? So excellent. I love this Tip Top Buses print! Do I have a use for it? Not that I can think of. Must I have some? Perhaps (she says, ignoring the state of aforementioned shelves.)
I would like to know how you got started with getting fabric from the wholesalers. You can find the book at Powells.com for $16.95, but it’s on back order right now.
O Serendipity, I’ve been trying to find an affordable copy for a while now, would love to read it.
My question came up already a few times: pricing of handmade items. You may know the theory and the formula and the market, but still… how do you decide?
gosh I’ve been wrestling with that idea for several years and decided that it can wait till my kids are older. How do you make the leap–or do you do just that, make a leap and see what happens? a la The Alchemist?
I’m on the waiting list at my local library for this book. I couldn’t believe it when there were 50 people ahead of me, now reading what it’s going for on Amazon I most certainly can believe it! Here’s hoping they bought lots of copies to check out. Oh, and I applaud your ability to give away things you know you won’t use. I’m still working on that
I’d love to read this as well. I’ve often thought of starting a business based on the crafts I do, but don’t know that it’d be worth it for the labor involved. So then I think I could write craft books since in my past life (BC–before children) I was a technical writer. It would help to read a book about the business of crafting.
Here’s one question: How do you start up when you have no start up cash???!!
Time, time is my issue. Do you ever find enough of it to start up or do you just need to do it and loose sleep. I feel as though etsy is calling my name, but between all of my commitments where is the time!?
I’ve been thinking about a craft business and am at “square one” and need the basics in a book like this to get my mind going so I can think “creatively”. Big question is how much cash is needed to start?
Thanks, and it looks like you’ve learned a lot along the way and are very talented!
That is so funny…
My friend told me about that book (Craft, Inc.) just yesterday and even sent me an Amazon link. When I went to put it in my cart…here I ALREADY HAD ONE THERE. So I took it all as a sign and bought it. I should have it in a couple days. I’m also taking it as a sign that I should indeed get off my butt and make my business happen!
For some reason this book is going for big bucks…in the $100′s…but there are some reasonable sellers out there…I got mine for about $16.
I find the price finding process for hand made items very difficult, I would love to here how fellow crafters find prices for their products.
Maybe there are some helpful tips in the book for me?
I would love to have that book! My question is, is it best to start up online, or should the crafter try dabbling in local fairs first, to get an idea of what customers want? I know it would be such a small demographic if you started locally, but is it better to jump right in and put it out on the internet right away? (ok-two questions
Starting your own business is all about networking! networking! networking!
And a lot of hard work!
I would love to read that book! I have sold one quilt, that’s it. On consignment in a decor store in my city. My question… is it better to pursue online or locally (I’m in the Fraser Valley, BC so I have a huge metropolis to work with?)
Oooh! Sounds like this books a gem. I’m presently in business plan hell on the way to launching an illustration business and would absolutely love to hear what Lotta and Denyse have to say. Their business’ are so cohesive. At the moment I’m struggling to work out my target market, Kathy did you know who yours were off the bat?
Oh I need to read this one. Many years ago I setup at a craft fair and had an original idea/pattern copied by every craft/antique vendor in the county, and yet I did not SALE ONE at the show! It has made me very gun shy about setting up again, and yet I am wanting to so badly. I think that I am accepting the fact that it could happen again, and I just need to focus on my design, construction and packaging, and really the artists behind the product is often the reason that I buy, and therefore marketing myself and product are vital. I’d love to read the interviews and the strategies that have already been tried. Thanks for the opportunity at the book, and I really enjoy your blog.
My question is TIME. How do you budget your time to make it cost effective or even to find time to craft at all. I work full time and have two small children (3 and 5 months) and I just can’t find the time to be productive. Help!
Kathy, My question is How do I organize paperwork in a logic and useable way so that I can track things? Thank you for offering this wonderful book and all the wonderful advice. Take care and God bless, Cory
i LOVE your blog! and all your fabrics! my question is how can i keep the business end more organized so that i don’t lose orders, and can easily track inventory, etc. i’ve tried so many methods and nothing seems to work for me. this book sounds great!
This book sounds great! I have so many questions, but the most pressing is: Can you share some internet marketing methods? My knowledge of business is limited, but I do realize the need for effective and inexpensive marketing methods to let the world know about one’s craft business.
Start up mode: I’d like to market online but I don’t know where to start except from my blog…which involves increasing readership which would increase my name/product out there, which would in turn generate sales. That’s the idea anyway! What do you think? What do you think of Etsy?
I’ve not been knitting for a long time – less than a year, in fact – but I am enjoying it and, prompted by fellow knitters, I have been thinking about whether it would be a good idea to someday turn it into a business of some kind. That is far in the future, of course, but I have noticed that after a decade I tend to be fed up with what I’ve been doing for a living and like to start something totally different. So why not a crafty business? I just have no idea what all one needs to be aware of when starting it! So my question is really: what’s the most vital thing to consider?
how do you balance family/business? How do you price things? taxes? tax write-offs? I think I need this book.
Thanks for sharing.
The best advice I can think of is to know your target audience and then find them. I tried to sell papercrafts at craft shows for years–then realized that most people coming to that particular craft show only wanted a bargain–and that they saw my wares as things they COULD make themselves–even though I knew (and they knew) they really wouldn’t. When you find the people you want to sell you, you need to find an avenue of sales to reach them. It’s probably not the local, get ‘em cheap, craft fair.
These are exactly the questions that I’ve been asking myself for quite some time now… Are they answerable? Do I just have to jump in the water and learn to swim after – I don’t think so!
Maybe that book would help: I sure like the cover
Thank you.
Am I too late for the drawing – the book sounds great.
My business advice – write some goals, prioritize them, then break them into small manageable tasks and get to work – do something small each day to move you towards your goals. Reprioritize often to reevaluate your current position.
How does one go about doing Market Research to make sure that the craft market is not already flooded with a similar product?
How you do balance tension between what you enjoy doing and what sells?
Wow! I can’t believe the book is sold out. I’ve been meaning to buy it. On Meg’s blog, she mentions that more will be available in October. I can’t believe the publisher let that one slip by them.
I’d like to know, what is the best way to find your market, or at least tell the world about my amazing product?