This blog post was originally posted by Bobbie on A Vision to Remember.
Have you ever wanted to start your own business, a handmade business, but don’t know how?
Let me tell you….I’ve been in your shoes. It had always been my goal to make my car payment each month. That’s it.
Just one measly $312 payment.
With that in mind…I tried several things. I started by decorating weddings and receptions. I was pretty good at it, but it was soooo stressful too.
My husband hated doing it. I don’t blame him. It was a lot of packing the trailer, unpacking the trailer, packing decorations into buildings, setting it up, tearing it down, and repacking it all, then putting it all away. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.
Then I tried a MLM scheme. It was a huge flop. I was getting in “on the ground floor” I was going to make my car payment, easily.
NOT. Not even close. It was more like I was paying 2 car payments.
Thankfully, we got out. Quick.
Then one day, I couldn’t find a pattern that I wanted online. All I needed was a simple belly band pattern. I had the fabric to make one. I had the machine. I just needed to know how.
I couldn’t find that pattern anywhere. But during my research, I found lots of patterns. Lots of tutorials. Lots of people were getting paid for the patterns.
A light switch flipped. But I was skeptical.
But I still wrote the pattern. I took a “selfie” {before it was cool mind you, *wink, wink*}
I had no idea what I was doing, but I jumped in and tried it.
BUT, I didn’t tell anyone that I did it. I was too embarrassed and worried that I would fail, so I didn’t even tell my husband.
Then, something amazing happened, I sold 1 pattern. I sold it within a few hours of listing.
No kidding! I was floored. Then I sold another one, and another. In the first month I sold 3 patterns. I was excited. Maybe I could, maybe I could make my car payment. Eventually.
Now, I know. 3 patterns is NOTHING. Right? $3 times 3 = $9. Then I have to minus Etsy fees and paypal fees. Comes out to next to nothing.
But I was a stay a home mom to 1 little girl. I didn’t want to work. My husband didn’t want me to work outside of the home.
And lets be real…I was bored. I tried scrapbooking {cause it was the “cool” thing back then} and I didn’t love it. But it was something to do.
I hated cleaning my little apartment. I hated watching tv all day. I liked going for walks, but that is only realistic less than half the year where I live and only for an hour or so every day. What was I to do with the rest of those hours?
My husband worked crazy hours and we were still “poor”.
I was BORED and Poor. Not fun.
So $9 was awesome. It was something. It was a start.
By the end of the summer I had brought in $219.
I was almost there. I had almost made enough money to make my car payment the next month.
So why do I tell you all of this?
I hope….beyond hope….that if you are wanting to start your own business that I can inspire you, because I know you can!
Here are a few tips that I think will help you.
5 Easy Steps to a Successful Handmade Business
1. Idea
It starts with an idea. For me, it was a problem that I found I needed solved. It wasn’t a big problem. It was an itty bitty problem. In reality, that problem that I solved wasn’t a big money maker. Looking back through my stats I’ve been able to make 1 car payment with that one pattern. Just one payment. But still my dream was being fulfilled.
The catch – That one idea started me down a path of thinking about what other patterns I could write. My next pattern I wrote was the Flower Applique Rag Quilt and Car Seat Canopy.
This one pattern has been able to make 4 of my car payments.
Hey! Now we are onto something!
Next I wrote another pattern, and another, and then I started getting requests for the finished quilts, and so on and so forth until I got to where I am today.
And it all started with that one little pattern idea and implementing it.
2. Research
Like I said before, I was researching when I found the problem. While I was mulling the idea over in my mind, I was looking around at other tutorials and noticing what was missing and how I could make it better or what I didn’t like about it. I also took the time to look around and see what other patterns were priced at. I didn’t feel like a belly band pattern was a huge deal. There wasn’t any pattern pieces, there wasn’t any high quality photographs. It was just a straight forward way to make a belly band. Simple. So I priced it accordingly.
But I really believe that I was able to sell those first ones because I had taken the time do a little bit of research.
DON’T get stuck by too much research. There is such a thing. Promise. Its called “analysis paralysis”. Basically you research and analyze so much that you get overwhelmed and don’t do anything. Its a real thing. DON’T DO IT!
Make sure to also take a little bit (or a lot) of time and learn and research SEO (search engine optimization. It is a special way to use special words to tell search engines how to find you and what you are. It will help. A ton.
Also, learn a little bit about photography. It is a big deal, but you will also learn and grow in your photography skills as your business grows.
One other thing to learn about is social media marketing. Because, as we all know, this world is a social media world we live in.
3. Focus
Those first 3 months I only focused on the patterns. I did think of all the things I could do in the future, but I focused on the patterns. I wrote 5 patterns in those months. Pick what you are going to do and FOCUS on it. Once you have determined that your idea is going to work {or not work} and you have worked it well, then you can move onto the next thing, but don’t divert your focus too far.
For example, I started with writing the patterns. The first was a belly band and the second was a quilt pattern. Then after I felt comfortable with those, then I expanded to making and selling the quilts. Then I focused and expanded the quilts for awhile, until I started to feel comfortable again. Then I found I had too much fabric, so I started to sell it {plus now I can be legit fabric hoarder and its not “weird”} I stayed Focused.
For me, the worst decision I could’ve made is to move my focus on the second product to something completely different. For example, I wrote the belly band pattern first, and then the rag quilt pattern, and if my next product was something completely not relevant to my first 2 products it would have completely removed my focus from the first two products. That would not be good. It is important to stay in the same genre. Switching from patterns to wood carved products would have been an uphill battle to grow and sustain the business, but staying in the same genre made it easier on me and my customers.
There are a few reasons you don’t want to completely switch. Your target market (those that are interested in your products) will stay the same or be very similar, your places to promote will be similar or the same, and your shop will stay cohesive and will not be confusing to your customers.
Win-win…Right?
4. Platform
Figure out the platform you want to sell from. I chose Etsy. It was the only choice for the most part at that time {circa 2009}. Now there is a plethora of choices. You can build your own website, you can sell on Etsy or another handmade site, you can sell on social media sites, and you can sell at craft fairs.
Lots of choices to pick from. Once again…don’t get “analysis paralysis”. Pick one. Do a little bit of research, but pick one. You can change and expand down the road. So just pick one.
I will say this….Etsy is a great place to start. They have built in traffic. It is really helpful to have built in traffic when you get started (and when you are established) as long as you utilize SEO.
5. Just Do IT!
This, I think, is the most important part to building a successful handmade business. Just do it! You can read and learn as much as you can/want about handmade businesses but until you actually jump in with both feet and learn as you go you will NEVER be successful. When I put up those first patterns, I had no idea about photography. I had no idea about SEO. I had no idea! I just wanted to try it. Then as I wanted to sell more and build on what I had I learned and grew. In turn, my business grew.
Now you might be saying “what do you know? You’ve only made your car payment a few times! Why should I listen to you?”
Let me just say…the proof is in the pudding *blush*
Not only am I able to make my *cough* more expensive car payment every month, but I also am able to put my 3 girls in competitive dance and piano lessons, and have extra money to go out to eat and buy groceries and lots of other little things that would have been a huge stress or not a reality for us without this income. To me, that is worth every.single.minute that I work. It is such a huge blessing to me and my family.
Now, I don’t want you to take this as bragging, Its not. I just hope that I can inspire you to Jump In with BOTH feet and give it a try. This business isn’t for everyone, but it is for someone and maybe that someone is you!
Is it you?
Now, here is your homework…comment below with why you want to start your own business. What is your motivation?
I would love to hear!
Bobbie
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I really appreciate this post! I’d love to start a side craft business to allow myself and my husband to have extra income for payments/projects. I’m definitely like how you described your early self–timid and a little embarrassed! To be honest, I’m not sure where to start. Every time I think I have an idea I talk myself out of it because the market is “too saturated,” and “maybe it won’t sell.” Your tips where great, though!
What motivates me is its my passion to create items that are unique and interesting for my customers.
I really appreciate your Blog. Like the previous comment is where to start? What is something that you can make money at without having to invest in a lot of materials? Like for instance I like machine embroidery and I have a one needle machine. By the time you price you materials and your time many people don’t want to pay that price for it. Many people say you need to reach that market of people that will pay. I say right now with our economy there are less of that group right now. I get discouraged when I go to many machine embroidery websites many have had to reduce selling their embroidery patterns to make sales right now which to me is discouraging. Then the issue of someone saying you copied their idea? Like right now they say their is a big flood of crafting people trying to work from home more than ever and have heavier competition. I also has thought about doing photos to machine embroidery. It takes a long time to digitize, takes lots of colors of thread to embroider a photo. By the time I add the hours of digitizing, supplies to embroider it nobody would not want to pay over 50.00 for that one piece of machine embroidery photo artwork to machine embroidery. I think that is the hardest part is trying to find something that you possibly can be successful with on your first try. With embroidery doing special orders and getting them done in a timely matter with one needle machine. Many say not to do special orders because of that. I had thought about doing machine embroidery camp chairs. Then their is big shipping cost shipping a chair, hard to find vendors all year long and when camp chairs are in season I don’t have room to stock up on a bunch. Many I hear depending on your area where you live some say they take a big loss paying for a table or spot and end up not selling enough for participating in a local craft show. Many are not making much money from some facebook groups I am in. The hardest part is coming up with on simple product to compliment your work, easy to sell and make some money with it. You brought up some great things to think about. Thanks for your blog it is motivating me again.
Thank you for a great article. I recently retired and found that I needed a creative outlet to fill my time. I am now the proud owner of my own fabric stash, much to my husbands dismay. I followed several of the same steps you did to get me to my Etsy store, littlebirdproductset I still struggle to stay focused and will be in my first craft show, The Velvet Stocking here in Texas this month. I love to sew and enjoy creating new aprons and pillows for others to enjoy. I have learned a lot about myself (focus – challenged and fabric – love it too much) along the way. I have not sold anything on Etsy but did sell enough pillows on EBay to fund a small part of my fabric stash. I moved my store to Etsy because it seemed like a better site for my type of products. I am reconsidering lately and may duplicate my inventory on EBay.
Thank you for all of the information in your blog.
Can patterns be available in Spain? English version?
Thank you for your inspiring article! Initially I am selling just to recoup my costs and hope to grow into selling so I don’t have to work full time in an uninspiring job. I love hearing about how other people get inspired…it helps me to keep going and work towards my dreams and goals. Xx
I have a passion for the fiber arts. I would love to be able to earn some income doing something I love to do
Wow! All these 5 steps are what I was looking for a long time. I did not know how to start. Too many fabrics, ribbons, laces, yarn,etc. I thought that I needed to buy all the material supply to complete all my projects. But is like you said. Start with one idea and be focused on it. I spent hours and hours looking for the best ideas and did not concentrated on any. Too many ideas but doing none. Short of money for everything that I need but solving anything at all. I guess, I was confused thinking that all my projects needed to be very professional and of the best quality. You’re right! I need, I have to start from scratch and focus on one item at a time. Thanks to my younger son; he was telling me constantly I never paid attention. He was right and willing to help me with the photos and the website. It’s all my fault I had never started it. Thanks very much for these all 5 steps and your experience.
Use them all! Or at least some of them on one project. It’s called Mixed Media. You can use fibers, ribbons, lace, fabrics, cords, leather strips/cords, beads, pearls, paint, clay, and other craft supplies. They can be used on cards, journal and photo album covers, articles of clothing, purses, tote bags, etc, etc. . . Only limited by your imagination. Even then, look at other items in stores, catalogs, on TV, other people’s creations for inspiration to make your unique products. Good luck.
This has been so helpful. Instead of focusing on a few things I have been trying to make something for everyone. I know what sells and am going to concentrate on that. Thank you.
Necessity is laid upon me. I used to alter bridal gowns and do custom sewing to support myself, but that is long behind me. Now that I’m retired and recently diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, I need to add to my retirement income to afford the natural healthcare I want. I love sewing small, now. So, I have found sources of fine scrap fabrics to make things I can sell locally. I am inspired and looking forward to see what I can accomplish.
Lorie you mentioned that you’ve found “sources of fine scrap fabrics”. Can you elaborate more on that please? Thank you.
Your blog has been really inspirational. I have been trying to figure out a way to make money and pay bills and help my fiance with our expenses. I just had a baby and we have a 9 year old and working outside the home isn’t something I want to do at this point because I want to be able to be home with my kids. Your blog has given me hope that I can stay home and still make the money we need.
how does everyone figure shipping costs? is there a book? Post office was not helpful.
Go online to USPS. You will have to do a lot of searching. I eventually got to the area where the fees for regular mail is posted. There is also a page With fees for priority mail. Then copy those pages ao you have them at hand when you need them
Lorie you mentioned that you’ve found “sources of fine scrap fabrics”. Can you elaborate more on that please? Thank you.
Hi Lauri. Ir will depend on the weight of your item. if they are small enough and you can’t weigh them at home, take them to your local post office and weigh each one. Besides the info that was already shared, the post office also offers flat fee shipping, if your items will fit into their specific-sized boxes. Check out the sizes of boxes and large padded shipping envelopes while at the post office. Good luck.
I am super inspired by all your blogs..but this one has gotten me pumped. Starting a small business has been my dream. I have been doing a lot of “researching” and for the past two days, have stumbled upon blogs about how easy it is to get started. I think this now the time. I have a knack for handy crafts and has a lot of ideas of things I can do to kick start. Thanks for sharing. Etsy, here I come.
Hi Bobbi, first off tgank you SO much for this article. I’ve been wanting to start a home-based crochet/knit business for about two years now because I want to be a self-sufficient entrepreneur. I got my business cards already, have plenty of suppiles to make my inventory to sell, but I keep getting sidetracked with LIFE and otger peoples’ drama, plus I have a *fear of failure* mindset that I am slowly but surely trying to change. My mistake was trying out all these used patterns when I could’ve just written out my own pattern by now and sticking with that so currently I’m working on my own pattern, it could only get better thanks to your advice, thank you again. 🙂
I am retired and have being making beaded bracelets and necklaces also mending friends beaded jewelry’s. I keep putting off starting this has a business because of living in the Caribbean imported beaded jewelry can be bought very cheap but reading what you published have given me the motivation to do some research on steps to start a handm
I am retired and have being making beaded bracelets and necklaces also mending friends beaded jewelry’s. I keep putting off starting this has a business because of living in the Caribbean imported beaded jewelry can be bought very cheap but reading what you published have given me the motivation to do some research on steps to start a hand made jewelry business
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I’m on Step 1 now. 🙂
I’m wanting to make more money so that we can do more fun things with the kids and eventually be able to take a vacation. We could also use some extra money for bills and food of course.
I’m a nurse and we never have enough lotion. I am making a great lotion with all natural Ingredients and its part of my retirement plan also
thank you so much for this inspirit story I have to plant my feet on ground and get going on building my business again thank you so much
I left my professional career of 16 years to become a stay-at-home mother to my two children. I want to start an online handmade business because I want to earn pocket money from doing what makes me happy, and to help support my family.
You inspire me a lot…hope I can be successful like you too…
I am glad you made your dream come true. I love to sew and make my own designs. I also enjoy making one of a kind items. I am able to make anyone’s idea for them. I am 62 years young. I have enjoyed sewing since the 9th grade. My Grandparents and Mom and Aunts and daughter and granddaughter all sew. I have sold things on buy sell trade site on my phone. I also buy things online. I know that your organization will also inspire me to promote my crafts better than what I am doing for myself.
Thank you soooo much for all you have done to help others.
debra
The reason I want to start a craft business is because my family always tell me that my crafts are very nice and I should try selling them. I always have given them as gifts or raffles for family parties. Your advice is really helpful and some of the points you commented about is exactly what I have been doing. Over researching. Thank you for sharing this information.
I, consider my self as a creative person, but when I see other creations from quality creative people out there and I feel intimidated.Lately things have been rough with us and I want to push myself to do it but i don’t know how and where to start, I don’t’ even know how to open a website. Sometimes I just close my eyes and ideas appear, I have ignore them for so long that some of them have faded, that makes me depress; but like you say you have to focus and go with both feet in. I also realized that I need to do lots of research, you have give me a good start point, thank you so much! feel free to give me some feed back.
Hi Carmenza,
You can do anything that you put your mind to! Keep learning and you’ll get there.
This was really inspirational to read. You hear a lot about overnight success stories and see a lot of people out there able to achieve their goals and wonder why you can’t. This makes me feel like I can even when I’ve only had like 40 people read my blogs and most of them my family!
I have been working toward starting my small craft business for about a year. I am in the process of making inventory now for a big craft fair in October. I know it sounds ridiculous to start now, but I have so many ideas left over from this past holiday that I didn’t get a chance to make, so I want to make them for this fair. I have always wanted my own business and I have tried various things (as you have mentioned), but it wasn’t until this past year when I started gifting my creations to new friends and co-workers that I was encouraged to sell them. I have only written a few patterns myself, and after seeing patterns for similar items from other crafters, and noticed how similar they are, that I prefer to sell my finished products versus trying to sell the patterns for fear of being accused of copyright infringement! But I was starting to waiver in my resolve after researching the SBA.gov and all the “holy cow that’s alot of stuff” that is required for small businesses, until I saw this post on a website I was looking at for small heart shaped patterns. I’m really glad I read it because it has encouraged me to continue through all the red tape and stay “focused” on my goal! I thank you very much!
I would like to thank you for the pep talk! I have been hemming and hawing about getting my own business going for several months, since I retired really. But it seems so overwhelming to start. I appreciate that you narrowed it down so that I can focus and get started. I do worry if whether creating the craft becomes drudgery, that is my biggest fear.
Thank you for your great post! I am the person who over analysis EVERYTHING and I eventually talk myself out of it, before ever really starting.
My inspiration is to get out of debt and be free to do what I want to do.
I am trying to open a hand-blown glass business – I have all the stock, I just need to figure out about selling it… I got as far as making an Etsy account, but I can’t work out how to put choose the photos, when they’re such tiny thumbnails, so I’m a bit stuck… I need to do it because frankly darling, I can’t seem to hold down a normal job!! My boyf makes the art, and we so much want to build the business together, but like, ahhhh!!!