By guest contributor Amy Anderson
When my dear friend Kristy started her crafting business, Contentments, last year, I was impressed that she knew how to get her name out in an always growing indie world. She now sells successfully on Etsy, in local shops, and at craft fairs.
Luckily for us non-business minded folks, pro magazine editor and crafter Grace Dobush realized that starting a business can be complicated. Her book, Crafty Superstar, is a practical look at marketing your wares to the world.
The first chapter is the most important for someone just starting out. Before getting into the logistics of sales, Grace addresses why you want to be a crafter and expectations for your business. For some people, it’s better to just keep making greeting cards and scarves for friends and family. For others, the time and resources are available to open shop and start selling.
Grace’s questions such as “Would I have fun crafting for others instead of myself?”; “Do I have the cash to beef up my output?”; and “Is there an audience for my work?” are great ways to get thinking about a craft business sensibly.
If you decide selling is the right path for you, the rest of the book gives step by step instructions for setting up shop, pricing, places to sell, and marketing techniques. The appendices are full of helpful worksheets and resources to always keep on hand. Stories and tips from well known DIY-ers like Design*Sponge‘s Grace Bonney and Sublime Stitching‘s Jenny Hart add to the wealth of knowledge.
Being a professional or even just a part-time-extra-cash crafter isn’t easy. But if you love what you create and take some business tips from Crafty Superstar, the end result will at least be a fun crafting adventure.
About the contributor: Amy Anderson is a former Indie Fixx intern and is a recent graduate of Northwestern University. Amy has wanted to be a journalist since she was just 5 years old and she is into the indie design and crafting scenes as well.
