Work At Home Craft Business
An at home craft business would be like a dream come true for many people who have that creative flair. They would be able to do something they love, and earn their living by doing it, the best of both worlds.
There are many different kinds of at home craft businesses, all of which can be very successful for the owner. Many artists have made their favorite craft into a business for themselves, crafts such as woodworking; flower pressing, soap making, candle making, crocheting, and beading all have turned profits.
If you are a man, don’t automatically assume that you couldn’t have a successful at home craft business. It is often thought that crafting is something that only women are good at, but that simply is not true. All you have to do in order to have a successful at home craft business is to focus on your talent, use it to create beautiful items, and then enjoy gaining the profits from the sale of those items.
Woodworking is often thought of as an old-fashioned craft, but the reality is, that very few people can turn down a beautiful, handmade wooden piece. From furniture to handmade wooden toys, you shouldn’t have to worry about people not wanting your crafts, as they are all very popular, especially of late.
You should be familiar with all of the ins and outs of woodworking, and it should be something that you really enjoy doing. If this description fits you, then you would likely be very happy with your own woodworking business. You should be able to earn a living with it as well!
If you like the art of flower pressing, and consider yourself to be good at it, then you could probably make a good profit by turning it into a home based business. Pressed flowers are used for many purposes, including gifts for special occasions, weddings, and home decor.
The art of flower pressing is pretty simple and quick to learn, and you don’t have to be a famous artist or even have a lot of creativity in order to be good at it. You can do something that is pretty easy, and still make a nice chunk of change doing it.
One home craft business that is sure to give you plenty of profits and enjoyment is a soap making business. People are gaining more and more interest in all natural products, so if you make special soaps that contain only all natural ingredients, you are filling a need that not many people in business recognize or cater to.
There are many resources that can teach you the basics of soap making; you can find them on the internet, or in your local library. Your local craft store may also have a soap making kit to help get you started.
Many people have become successful with their own at home candle making business. It is a very popular craft, so expect a lot of competition. But, the good news is, candles serve many purposes, one of which is great gifts for all occasions, so you shouldn’t have any problems with not having customers.
Candles can be scented, and used for relaxation purposes, as well as beautiful home accent pieces as well. Any size, shape, or color that you think of can be made into candle form, so let your imagination run wild.
As of late, beading has been regaining in popularity, and now is one of the most successful types of at home craft businesses that you can have. If beading is your thing, chances are you can turn out many lovely, high-quality pieces each day.
Now all you have to do is sell them for a decent profit, and you are in business. You probably even have pieces that you have done just lying around, that could be sold for a tidy profit as well. To be successful with a beading at home craft business, it has to be more than just your hobby; you have to be skilled enough to make your work unique.
People who buy crafts are looking for something that is different, something that no one else has, so making your work stand out above all others in quality and design is the key to you having a successful business.
Vincent Murphy
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/work-at-home-craft-business-72090.html
admin on September 2nd 2009 in soap making
janet h responded on 02 Sep 2009 at 7:05 am #
Would like to find a at home craft business of my own?
I am a wife of a husband with a Post Polio, so he cannot work no more. And I have custody of my grandson of 51/2 years old. And I love crafting and would like to make a small home based business out of what I love to do. Would like some adivse on how to get started. I don’t want to get rich, just want to be able to make enough money to be comfortable. I am 51 years old and just want to be home with my grandson so I will be able to send him to school and be able to be involved in his school programs, as well as make alittle more money on the side. Thanks for any help that could be given
ann_other18 responded on 02 Sep 2009 at 12:07 pm #
Selling your stuff is the problem you’ll need to solve – it sounds like you can’t be out and about doing that all day, every day, so you’ll need to not just make stuff at home, but possibly sell it there, too. Here are some ideas to consider:
1) Do you have friends or acquaintances who also create handmade and craft items (pottery, fabric arts, jewelry, glass arts, paper arts, photography, etc.)? If so, you can plan regular events where all of you show your work and invite everyone you know. You can have this event in your home and use mail, email, and phone calls to get the word out.
Have a little food and drink and find other little ways make it a fun event for people (like a party, but don’t let people lose focus on why they’re there). Be sure to have a mailing list so people can sign up to increase the number of people who come to your events. Plan to have at least four events in the year. I have friends who have been doing this for a number of years; their customers came to look forward to each event and now they’ve gotten so successful they have a store.
2) Do you know anyone who does "direct marketing" parties? You know, those events where people get together and learn all about and buy candles, or kitchenware, or lingerie, or vitamins. There are parties for clothing, jewelry, food, wine – you can find them in just about any city. You can use these parties in a few different ways.
First, you can ask someone you know who does this to include your work in their event – you can tell them that having your work will enhance the appeal of their event and bring in more people (from your list of friends and acquaintances).
Second, you can bring a number of various direct marketing sellers to your home to do one big event. It has become more and more popular to combine multiple products that are different from each other in one event (and that includes mass-produced stuff combined with hand-made stuff). This type of event gets a whole lot more people (multiple mailing lists) and they get more interest because people may have already seen one of the offerings, but not the others.
The more people you can reach using these methods, the more likely that you will meet someone who will continue to help you sell your work (in one way or another). Be on the lookout for connections that will help you sell your work in more places. Perhaps you will meet someone who does the craft show circuit who would be willing to take your work with them when they exhibit; maybe you’ll meet someone who can help you sell your stuff online (that’s a whole other ball of wax I’m not covering).
3) The craft show circuit is where many people make a living. It sounds like you can’t personally travel, but there are craft shows that do not require the craftsperson to attend the event. You might consider looking for someone who would be willing to get into craft shows and exhibit your work for you. You would also be able to enter any craft show if that same person were to actually help you make your crafts.
Here’s a set of pages that explain the ins-and-outs of craft shows:
http://artsandcrafts.about.com/cs/retailcraftshows/a/aa072601a.htm
Here’s a database of many craft shows (notice all the ways of searching on the left side):
http://www.artandcraftshows.net/
Best of luck!
References :
TradeMark Express responded on 02 Sep 2009 at 12:09 pm #
The best routes to take are to research the process of starting a business as well as the industry you’re interested in.
I recommend checking out the SBA, Entrepreneur, The Start Up Journal & Nolo. All 4 are great informational resources for the new/small business owner. I posted links for you in the source box.
Associations may be a good avenue to explore as well. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you’ll inevitably have as well as many you haven’t anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.
Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can about the industry. Here are some book titles that are relevant:
* Start Your Own Crafts Business (Entrepreneur Magazine’s Start-Up ; Guide #1304) by Entrepreneur Press
* How to Start a Home-Based Craft Business, 4th by Kenn Oberrecht
* The Basic Guide to Selling Crafts on the Internet by James Dillehay
* The Crafts Business Answer Book & Resource Guide: Answers to Hundreds of Troublesome Questions About Starting, Marketing, and Managing a Homebased Business Efficiently, Legally, and Profitably by Barbara Brabec
There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.
Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!
References :
http://www.sba.gov
http://www.entrepreneur.com
http://www.startupjournal.com
http://www.nolo.com/resource.cfm/catID/9FA25870-14F1-4657-9778F19FB41FB93D/111/228/ — Nolo’s Starting a Business – Resource Center
Associations:
http://www.craftassoc.com/ — The National Craft Association
http://www.hobby.org/ — Craft & Hobby Association
http://www.nrhsa.org/ — National Retail Hobby Stores Association
Articles:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Turn-An-Arts-And-Crafts-Hobby-Into-A-Business&id=14800 – Turn an Arts & Crafts Hobby Into a Business by BB Lee
http://ezinearticles.com/?Art-Marketing-Tips—Launch-A-Successful-Business-Selling-Your-Art-Or-Crafts&id=185533 – Launch a Successful Business Selling Your Art or Crafts by Ralph Serpe
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Start-Your-Own-Successful-Crafts-Business&id=115359 – How to Start Your Own Successful Crafts Business by Conleth Onu
Becky F responded on 02 Sep 2009 at 12:11 pm #
yuo can make your things and get some craft booths in summer and fall on saturdays that r at your leisure to get your name out there and make business cards. maybe if you had a front room in your house that u could turn into a shop with a outside door and set your own hours
References :