What Could I Sell?
Selling hand made items is a good way to make money while doing something you enjoy. Do you like to knit? Perhaps you could sell knitted baby blankets or sweaters. Are you good at woodworking? That cute toy you made for your child would be appreciated by many other parents and their little ones. Quilts, clothing, needlework, hand-painted crafts, ceramic items, and hand made decorations are just a few items that can be crafted in your home and sold.
If you are talented in an area of "fine arts", that is painting, sculpting, pottery and the like, try opening an online gallery to introduce your work to potential buyers. While the prospect of opening a gallery or selling your work in local circles may seem expensive and difficult, an online gallery will cost you little or nothing and expose your work to an increadably large audience, all of whom are online looking to buy art!
When considering what to sell, think first of what you enjoy and are good at. Once word gets out, you may be making the item(s) over and over, and you want to make sure that you enjoy what you are doing. Then consider how many items you can realistically make and sell in a month's time. You need not limit yourself to one item or one kind of craft, you can put several items on one webpage or use seperate webpages to sell your goods.
What Should I Charge?
When you are considering pricing your items, it's important to take into account the amount of work put into making the item, the cost of the materials, and the cost of shipping. Don't be afraid to charge what the item is worth! Our favorite saying in the arts and crafts world is "Sure you can make it yourself.......But will you?" Hand made items are, by nature, one of a kind.....and people who are in the market for them appreciate that. Your products are unique and you deserve to be paid for your hard work!
A good place to start when deciding what to charge is to check out what other people are charging for items similar to yours. Surf around on the internet, and take stock of what is being sold and at what price. But don't let other people's prices be the only factor in your decision. You are the person what knows best what kind of work goes into your product, and therefore you are the one most qualified to decide what to sell it for!
A good rule of thumb when selling craft items is to take the amount you will spend on supplies for each item, and then add a reasonable amount for the work you put into it. For example, if you will put in 4 hours of work on each item, give yourself an hourly wage (don't skimp here, what would you pay an employee to do the same job? ) and charge 4 hours of work for each item plus the cost of the supplies. When considering the costs your supplies, figure in the most it could cost. If you can get the supplies for cheaper, great! But be sure that you can cover your expenses and still make a good profit. The same rule should apply for shipping. Be sure to figure in the cost of postage, packageing materials, and some compensation for your work in packing up the product and taking it to the post office.
How Do I Sell My Work?
Arts and crafts can be sold at craft shows, in galleries, or on the Internet. The internet reaches the largest number of people if you set up and promote your site well. You can build your own website, we suggest you use Homestead's free sitebuilding program to get started. Bookmark our Web Resources page for all the links you'll need for great site building. Or, skip the work and let Mommerce set up a site for you! We do the programming, maintenance, and promoting and put your products online to your specifications. Check out Join Mommerce for more information.
Whether you set up a site by yourself or have Mommerce create one for you, there are several ways you can handle the actual business transactions. There are many companies that will set up credit card transactions for you. Your customers use their credit card to pay for your products online, then the company writes you a check or direct deposits the payments to your bank account. Mommerce recommends PayPal for credit card transactions. PayPal is free to you and your customers. By offering credit card payments for your customers, you eliminate worry about bad checks or money orders made out to the wrong party. Very simple, very safe, and very convenient for you and your customers! If you choose not to accept credit cards, you can bill customers online or through the mail and give them the option of paying by check or money order.
You will want to advertise and promote your products offline as well. Get the word out and increase your sales! Don't be afraid to ask you friends and family to tell others about your terrific products. More information about advertising your business can be found in our Promote Your Business section.
