One of the best methods to sell more craft is to make sure it’s seen at holiday parties.

If you have friends or family who host holiday parties in their home or office, ask them if they would like to borrow some of your art for the party. Whether it’s wall art, table-top or  wearable, your work will be seen by lots of new potential customers. Just be sure your friend has cards with your contact info handy to give to anyone who admires your work.

Obviously, if your make jewelry or wearable art, you should wear it every single time you leave the house, even to run to the grocery store. And always have cards with your contact info in your pocket. But especially over the holidays, you can get other people to be your billboards as well. My employees and friends always knew they could borrow a piece of handmade jewelry, a scarf or other wearable art to attend special luncheons or parties. The only requirement was that they keep my cards in their handbag and anytime someone complimented the piece, they told them who made it and where they could purchase one or something similar. It’s not imposing. They’ll love wearing and talking about your work. It’s often a good ice-breaker at cocktail parties.

If any of your friends work in a place where they see lots of people every day, they can be a great source of marketing for you just by wearing what you make and telling anyone who admires it how they can contact you.

Don’t over-look how many women are shopping for the perfect outfit to wear to the holiday parties. They will need accessories as well so it’s a great idea to approach some upscale boutiques and ask them to display your work with their dresses. If they don’t already sell jewelry or whatever accessories your make, they can up their average ticket by showing the customer a piece of yours to match the outfit. They have nothing to lose if you do it on consignment. And you have everything to gain.

For more tips, get your free copy of “13 Easy Low-Cost or NO Cost Tips to Turn Your Crafts into CASH NOW” by going HERE now.

For years I’ve bucked the adage “don’t re-invent the wheel” because I believe some of the most creative and inspired ideas and businesses are a result of doing it differently, putting your own spin on an existing concept. If you find an existing business that you love and that has a sound track record of profit, ask yourself the following questions:

• How could I take this idea and make it even better?
• Is this business missing a demographic that I could target with a similar model if I tweak it or add something to it?
• Do I like the service or product they offer but not the location?
• Would this concept or model work with a different product?

Here’s an example:
Last week, I spotted a unique business in the parking lot of the community swimming pool. A young man was making crepes on the back of a cool little teardrop-shaped trailer. Of course, I had to interrogate him as I always do when I discover a business I haven’t seen before. I learned that he sets up every Thursday in the summer at this location and at a different location every day of the week. He takes his portable creperie to local soccer games and other community events.
As I continued my walk, I thought of other items this concept could be applied to and taken to various locations where the ideal customers gather. The list of products someone could peddle this way is endless: candy, ice cream and even non-food products.  OR,  what if you loved the idea of starting a crepes business but not moving a trailer to a different location every day? Could you set up on a college campus permanently?
If you spotted this business on vacation and loved the idea, you might consider  duplicating in your own community. Do you know enough or could you research and learn about it to start up on your own or would it make sense to approach the entrepreneur who’s already doing this about hiring him as a consultant to help you start your own traveling crepe cart? Or purchase recipes from him?

While I generally encourage people to start their own business, there are times when it makes sense to purchase an existing business.

Years ago, my partner and I sold our home furnishings business to our controller.  Since he had all the inside information about vendors, advertising, employees and the systems of the business, he probably could have started from scratch, particularly since that business was not dependent on repeat customers. He chose instead to purchase the existing business because we had ideal locations and all the suppliers, vendors and personnel in place, saving him a lot of time which  meant he could immediately begin earning.

If you’re considering starting a personal service business, it might be best to start from scratch. When I decided to discontinue bodywork, it would have been foolish for another therapist to purchase the practice because I WAS the business. My clients liked my style and may have been unhappy with the work of another therapist. The same would hold true for some other very personal services like hairstylist or aesthetician. It is possible to  profit from your knowledge, however, when you are ready to close a business that isn’t really salable and I’ll address that in a future post.

So, when does it make sense to buy rather than start up on your own?

The couple who purchased my contemporary craft gallery made a wise choice to buy rather than start from scratch because I had a favorable lease on a building in an ideal location which was a valuable asset in that community. I had also established strong relationships and exclusive agreements with artist and vendors. I’d already figured out what works and doesn’t so they benefited from my early mistakes which saved them a lot of money. The gallery had a loyal following with locals and was a destination for tourists. All of those factors made it a wise choice for this couple to purchase rather than start a business on their own.

If you’re not sure whether to purchase an existing business or start your own, ask yourself these questions about any business you are considering.

• Does it have an established loyal following or clientele?
• Is the location ideal or would you be able to start-up in a better spot?
• Are there a number of years left on the existing lease and is it transferable to a new owner?
• Does the seller have exclusive agreements with vendors or sources?
• How much time would it take before you would be able to generate income if you started up on your own?
• Does the existing business have a strong reputation in the community?
• Does the market warrant another like business?

What if you spot a business you love but want to open your own in a different location? I’ll address that in a future post.

One issue that keeps coming up in my one-on-one work with crafters is that it’s not crystal-clear how someone will give them money.

If your site visitors don’t know HOW to give you money, than they probably won’t!

Here’s a quick list of ways you are making it hard for me (or anyone!) to give you money:

It’s not clear what you do, or that you take money to do that thing
You have an Etsy or Artfire shop, but I can’t find it on your website (or your blogger blog). If I have to scroll down to find it, it’s too hard to find.
You sell in ways other than Etsy, but I can’t find that information.
I’m not sure WHY I would buy from you. What are the benefits? What makes your thing different than Joe’s thing?
I don’t know who you are. If your About page describes a faceless business, I’m not going to get that thrill of buying from a real, live person.
You only have an Etsy or Artfire shop, so I don’t know how to find more about you. I can’t get to know you via Twitter or a blog or an About page.
You list your prices in your country’s currency. What is it going to cost me, a self-involved American?
This is only a partial list!

Do you have examples of what businesses do that makes it hard to buy from?

Share it in the comments!

I look forward to reading your questions. Remember to post below or email me now atcoach@craftbizblog.com. because you can’t win if you don’t play! 

Yes, I do listen to the news. I know people are losing jobs and retailers are shutting their doors. And I also know that most of my self employed friends with small businesses are  reporting record breaking sales. Because when you’re self employed, you create your own economy. When something isn’t working , you can make changes quickly without the bureaucracy of a board of directors. On the corporate level, by the time reports are generated and changes approved, it is frequently too late. Too much has been lost. Not so in small business. Results are evident almost immediately so adjustments and corrections are made quickly. . In your own business, it’s much easier to tweak things and keep the cash flowing.

Let’s say you work for a large company and they lose their bread and butter account. You were the brainchild behind the product, and while it was making everyone wealthy, you were a hero. You head up the department that handles that part of the business. The CEO calls a meeting of the board and after lengthy discussions on how this will affect the balance sheet, it is determined that they will cut out your division. They’re sorry, but they have to let you go.

Now, let’s take the self employment scenario. You are a jewelry designer and your line was picked up by a major retail chain. Rather than rent a large studio and hire employees to help you with production, you enlisted the help of some stay-at-home moms to help with the orders. They are paid by the piece and happy for the extra cash. It’s worked out beautifully. Now, that retailer has cut back on the volume they’re ordering and fortunately for you, there’s no lease or payroll to meet and rather than you losing your job, YOU get to choose how to restructure and who gets to stay on. You have the option of doing more of the work yourself and focusing on the numerous other markets for your business. It isn’t likely you’d have this option if you worked for someone else. .

If you are still employed,  Im not suggesting you quit your job tomorrow. But, don’t believe you are indispensable. And don’t lose sleep worrying about what you will do if (when) you lose your job , You’ll be in good shape if you START NOW to plan your safety net.

WHY is right now the best time to start a craft business?

Because if you begin now to build a part time business you’ll bring in extra money and build some savings incase you are laid off. And if you don’t become a “labor statistic tragedy’ you’ll have the option to leave your job eventually if you choose to be a full time entrepreneur.

Right now you have a huge pool of talent to pull from for any subcontract work for your cottage industry-and that IS absolutely the way to go. You can design your line and have people who are out of work help with the production while you continue your day job.

Suppliers are giving better deals right now on materials and lowering their minimums, so you will be able to purchase at prices that were previously reserved for large businesses.

If renting space for a studio, office or retail gallery is pat of the plan, commercial property owners are much more flexible on price and terms of lease because they have high vacancy rates.

Regardless of the economy, people are still buying gifts but they are more conscious than ever of choosing something special that they don’t see everywhere. Consumers are spending wisely and that means a gift or purchase for the home must have meaning .

People, particularly women, still love to shop and now more than ever,  they want it to be an experience. They crave items that make them feel better or connect them to humanity.  Consumers want to know that hands, rather than machines, have created the products they purchase.

While many of us have been conscious of purchasing domestic products, the general public is more aware now of the need to support American made.

So now that you see why a recession is the perfect time to start your craft business, what steps can you take now to begin building your own job security?    I’d love to hear your ideas and help you create a company that will always have a position for YOU?

You’ll be amazed how much less anxiety you’ll feel when you know that YOU are in control of your own financial security.