Handmade and tailor made products are increasingly
popular in today's busy market, so if you have a flair for creative
work, you could turn your hobby into a full or part-time occupation,
or just earn a bit of extra cash for your handy-work.
People are always on the lookout for original items
to buy as gifts, or want that special handmade Greeting card. Bookmarks
make excellent gifts nowadays and people are happy to pay that little
bit extra for a decent, hand-crafted, original bookmark that they can
confidently give as a lovely gift, you could even make 'personal' bookmarks
for individual clients. Jewellery is always popular and makes a fabulous
gift or personal purchase. The list for hand-crafted work is endless
but includes handmade cards, bookmarks, jewellery, candles, paintings,
dressmaking, knitting, woodwork, pottery, wedding or party invitations
and more.
Getting started
If you want to pursue a career in this industry then
you really do need to be able to produce professional, quality items
as well as have an artistic flair, as it is a very competitive market.
So, where and how can you sell your items? You can
sell your artwork at Craft Fairs, which are held regularly throughout
the UK, or at Car-Boot sales, Summer Fairs and Coffee Mornings. Contact
establishments in advance to book your stand and try to keep your prices
at a reasonable rate, particularly to begin with to ensure sales and
popularity.
Try contacting your local library and ask them if
they'd be happy to display your cards or bookmarks for a small commission.
Libraries are usually keen to help newcomers with artistic flair. On
a larger scale you could contact some local shops with samples of your
work, they may take you on on a sale or return basis. In both cases,
make sure that you keep your records in order. Keep an account of how
many items you have left with each outlet and the prices you have marked.
Selling your items online
Another popular way to sell your items is online.
A study conducted by BMRB in February 2007 revealed that 19.7 million
people in the UK shop online. With this type of statistical evidence,
it is worth trying to sell your items on the Internet. There are various
ways to sell online. The obvious is on auction sites such as ebay
or Amazon.
But you can also try alternative sites such as Preloved,
where the competition may not be as fierce.
Once you become established you can make a good living
from selling at Online Auctions. Another way raise your business profile
as well as increase online sales is to create your own website. You
can create a FREE professional looking website in a very short space
of time using the award winning sitebuilder Moonfruit.
Get some FREE business cards printed
While achieving a good position within the search
engines is very important, don't dismiss off-line marketing. Off-line
marketing is equally important, which is why large enterprises still
spend huge amounts of money on traditional advertising. To help you
along the way consider getting some free professional cards printed
at VistaPrint
for local distribution. You could pass these onto family and friends
who may be willing to help you out.
Buying wholesale materials
Buying materials for your products is another important
aspect to consider. You can get cheaper products from wholesales. If
you don't have a contact then consider signing up to Wholesale
Pages - a website that puts you
in touch with wholesalers across the UK. They cover a broad range of
wholesalers, which will save you the time of trawling through the Internet
looking for wholesalers in your field
You can buy your craft materials from:
Johnson
Crafts
Amazon
Ebay
You may also do an online search for alternative craft
suppliers, there are thousands of wholesalers selling raw artists materials
- give them a try.
How much will you make?
You should expect to make a fair living from Arts
and Crafts if you market your products well and produce high quality
and desirable items. As it is a seasonal market, you should have increased
sales at Christmas, Easter, Valentines' Day etc., Make sure that you
register as Self-employed once you start selling. More details can be
found on our Tax page.
Craft Businiess Insurance
And finally, consider taking out some public
liability insurance for your Craft business
insurance to safeguard yourself against any losses or accidents. Compare
public liability insurance here.
Get yourself a free website
Create your own website to promote your arts
and crafts business. You can create a FREE professional looking website
in no time at all using the excellent tools of a sitebuilder at the
award winning Moonfruit.
For more information on Craft Work contact The
Crafts Council.
Share this article:
