Did you know that research has shown that crafts are currently one of the fastest-growing industries in the business world? In 2018 alone, crafts contributed a whooping £420 million to the economy. Since then, the number of craft-related businesses has grown significantly, as has the income from them.
More people than ever before are choosing to launch craft-based or creative businesses, and it’s easy to see why – it’s a great way to transform a hobby that you’re passionate about into a viable business concept. When it comes to how to turn a crafting hobby into a profitable and prosperous business, it can seem rather overwhelming, can’t it?
The fact is that selling handmade crafts doesn’t have to be overwhelming at all, it’s just a case of making sure that you know what approach to take, and how you can give yourself the best chance of seeing success from your venture. Of course, knowing how to do that isn’t always easy, is it? There’s a lot to think about when it comes to launching a craft-based business, so it’s no wonder that the whole process can seem somewhat overwhelming.
Bearing that in mind, below is a guide to everything that you need to know about how you can make a success out of your handcrafted product-based business. Read on for all of the best tips, ideas and pieces of advice that should help to propel your business forward and ensure that you see results!
Hone your concept
The first step to seeing success from launching a product-based business is to take steps to hone your concept. You most likely have the start of an idea linked to a hobby or passion of yours, such as turning your passion for wax melt making into a viable business concept. However, it’s not just a case of deciding to sell your products, you actually need to think about how you can make the concept a profitable one.
What you need to do is to take the time to think about what it is specifically that makes your business concept special. Why is your offering going to be unique? It’s important to think carefully about what it is that makes your product range wonderfully unique, and thus a good business concept.
For instance, let’s say you decide to sell handmade wax melts, you need to think about how you can make your product stand out. Simple things like opting to make them using eco-friendly wax that’s also vegan is a good step to consider. In terms of the scents that you use to make your wax melts smell good, it’s important to think about using essential oils that are cruelty-free, vegan, and environmentally-friendly. Creating a product that is earth-conscious is a good step to take in today’s environmentally conscious climate.
Deal with the legalities
When it comes to handmade products, it’s important to be aware of the legal side of things. While a lot of people opt to simply start selling their products without taking the legal implications into account, this is not a mistake that you want to be making. If you are going to give your business the best chance of success, you need to treat it like a business from the get-go and ensure that you are managing things in a professional way, such as taking the legal side of things seriously.
For instance, say your business centres around your hand-crocheted children’s toys. In order for you to legally sell these, you would need to put each design through rigorous safety testing. This kind of testing would look at how safe the toy design was, such as whether it was a choking risk and how flammable the product was. It’s important to undergo safety testing, otherwise, you might find that your insurance is invalid as a result.
Think about your selling platform
The next step is to take the time to think carefully about how and where you will sell your products. In addition to selling them at local events and markets, you might also want to consider selling your products online. Selling online can be a great way to increase your success, it’s just a case of deciding what selling platform to utilise and take advantage of.
There are lots of platforms to choose from, from Etsy and Facebook to WooCommerce and Shopify; it’s about finding out which platform works best for you and your business. That being said, a lot of people prefer to use Shopify over other platforms as it can be easier to use and setup. If you are going to use Shopify as your platform of choice, it’s important to ensure that you understand Shopify SEO and are able to utilise it to help enhance your business’s chances of success.
Be clued up regarding marketing
When it comes to seeing success form your handcrafted product business, it’s vital that you are clued up regarding the marketing side of things. Unless you know how to effectively market your business, you will struggle to see success as a result. That’s why it is so important that you take your business’s marketing needs seriously, and understand the importance of honing your marketing skills.
For selling online, making use of social media platform such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook is crucial. You can use these platforms to drive traffic to your Shopify store and increase your sales. Of course, understanding how to use these platforms isn’t always easy, but with a little practice and some basic training, you can get to grips with how to effectively market your brand using social media to drive traffic and increase sales.
There you have it, a simple guide to the ins and outs of how you can make a success of your handcrafted product-based business.
