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Thinking of Starting an Arts and Crafts Business?
By Dan Diewald
It seems to me that now may be the best time to start planning and developing your
own Arts and Crafts Business. A lot of people are searching for ways to supplement their
income. Selling your own handmade products may be a great way of earning an income and
working for yourself.
There are many factors to consider when planning your new Arts and Crafts Business:
Do you have the time to run your own arts and crafts business? Remember, you may need
to make a hundred pieces of your specific craft to display at Arts and Craft Shows. If it
takes three hours to build each craft then you need to set aside 300 hours to prepare for
the show. Also, keep in mind that many of the shows are on weekends and you may have to
work many weekends to sell your products.
What is the material going to cost to produce the crafts I need for a show? If it costs
$3 in material for each craft you make and you need 100 pieces to display in the show then
your investment is going to be $300 in materials or possibly more if you consider extra
material for mistakes in assembly or faulty materials.
The cost of the Arts and Craft show must also be considered. If the show costs you $100
to exhibit, then you must take these costs into account.
Other costs to consider Many people forget to consider the "other costs" which may be
necessary to take part in a Arts and Craft Show. Other costs may be: Advertising or
Marketing costs. The cost for a helper to assist you in your business. The cost to move
your products to and from the show.
Where can I store my merchandise when not being displayed at a show? For smaller crafts
this may not be an issue but with larger crafts you may have to rent a storage room or
storage locker.
What happens if my work doesn't sell at the show? Everyone wants to sell their products
they worked so hard to make in quantity for the long awaited Arts and Crafts Show but
sometimes it just doesn't happen. I personally would not plan on selling anything for
sure, in other words don't count on it paying your rent. I will give you a few examples:
When I was 12 years old my brother and I built about 100 A-frame birdhouses and took part
in a craft show. We spent several days building the birdhouses and spent the entire day
at the craft show and did not sell one Birdhouse. My father took part in a craft show a
few years ago and had sold all his product and was unable to continue the show because he
did not have any other product left to sell.
Where is the best place to get the supplies for the crafts? It all depends on what
crafts you are making. It make be that you can go to Hobby Lobby or Micheals to get
what you need at an affordable price. I believe checking around for the best price for the
supplies you need. You can check online and do "Google" searches for the items you are
looking for for your project. Otherwise, consider Ebay or Craigslist for a inexpensive
source for your supplies.
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