Comments on: What are your biggest challenges regarding running your Craft Business? Tell us & win some Amy Butler goodness!!

By: What are your biggest craft business challenges…..contest winner is…. | CraftBoom!

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:59:02 +0000

[...] so there were 36 entries in the ‘What are your biggest challenges regarding running your craft business’, draw.Â Today the Random Number Picker (so you can blame it; it’s nothing to with me!) chose [...]

By: Kylie

Kylie — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:20:27 +0000

1- The thing that I would like help with is pricing because I’m not sure that if I charge for my product and time then I might price myself out of the market. And how much do you charge for your time?…

2- I would like more advice from people that already have a crafting business (I find the interviews that you do really helpful – thanks) and maybe a market place sorted by country so we can chat with others in our own countries. (New Zealand sometimes feels a little isolated as the handmade movement is only really just taking off).

By: Stacey Ah

Stacey Ah — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:31:58 +0000

1. What would you like help with: logistic and legal sides of business set up, how to protect copyrights, and increasing sells in non-obvious or non-popular ways.

2. What kind of features would you like your craft business meeting place/forum to have: Gallery of once-monthly write-ups about how a select business person/s recently found success, news about the most-recent fads and hot-selling items online, some kind of graph-like display that overviews pricing trends for different types of craft/art items, and links to best-bargains for resources.

By: Hilary

Hilary — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 05:52:10 +0000

Great questions! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

So many people have so many terrific ideas above me, not sure I have anything new to add, but so you have the input…

1. I am pretty new to this so I can learn from all topics, but those that probably vex me the most are promotion and marketing. Creative (and inexpensive!) ways to get the word out about what I’m doing would be wonderful.

2. Tutorials would be terrific. Lessons learned from people with a lot of experience would be helpful as well.

By: Kristin

Kristin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:51:06 +0000

1. I think the biggest challenge for me has just been getting set up. I knew that the actual making of goods was just a part of selling, but I didn't realize just how much else was involved. Things like writing descriptions, coming up with a name, figuring out shipping...I found it a bit overwhelming. 2. I find forums very helpful. Photo sharing is fun, but I find it hard to feel like I'm not just copying someone else when I spend too much time looking at other's products. Kristin's last blog post..Mandy's Delicious Spaghetti Sauce

By: Terri

Terri — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 03:36:10 +0000

1. My shop has only been open for a month, but I have been trying to do craft shows and sell a little here and there for almost a year. My biggest challenge right now is trying to promote and make a recognizable name for myself. Promoting and marketing takes away from crafting time, which of course, is what I really like to do.

2. I like forums that give info on new, time efficient ways to promote. I would like to see forums with info from buyers – what they want from sellers. How we can promote to them in ways that will be easy for them to find what they want and spend more time shopping (and maybe even promoting for us!)

Just discovered this site – like it very much

Callidora

By: Lis

Lis — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:36:05 +0000

I would love help with everything! Mostly driving traffic, I think, and general needs for running a business. My business has been very slow to start because I’m so scared to “really” start–that it might take too much work, or be difficult from a tax or legal standpoint, or it might fail and take my money with it, etc. Things to alleviate those fears would be great!

I’d also like information on wholesalers. I have no idea where to get my supplies from except the ubiquitous middlemen of Michael’s and HobbyLobby! Even when I find a cheaper online supplier, they’re still getting the supplies from SOMEONE, and I want to know how to find those someones!

I would love to see tutorials, advice, and classified! I don’t see a need for photo-sharing, because Flickr handles that so well, at least for me.

This site is wonderful, btw! It’s been filling that business-oriented niche for me!

By: Holly

Holly — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:11:16 +0000

I would like to learn more about pricing your items. How do you determine markup for actual products and how do you price your own time?

By: Jessi

Jessi — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:38:04 +0000

My two biggest challenges? I would have to say one – 1) finding the time and the most efficient method for getting people to see my shop. 2) Prioritizing – trying to find the right balance of working on new items to stocking older items, doing advertising, etc. Just trying to figure out how best to spend my time.

By: hollie

hollie — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:38:37 +0000

This all sounds great. I think the help I would be looking for would be getting started. I am hopeing to get an etsy shop opened. I have noticed it seems to be helpful to have a blog to go along with that. I think any kind of photo inspiration or tutorial would be greatly helpful. I hope this goes well for you it sounds like it has great and endless potential!!

By: Kerry

Kerry — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 20:18:37 +0000

Thanks for the giveaway! As someone in the beginning stages of developing a business, the start-up stuff is always helpful...legal, taxes, etc. I feel like I'm always discovering something else that I'm supposed to do...there's no convenient place to find all the info I need. Tutorials are great, and info about upcoming workshops and opportunities would be nice, too. Kerry's last blog post..Slavic Soul Party!

By: Creative Mom Cafe » Blog Archive » Saturday Morning Creative Speedlinking

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 12:03:21 +0000

[...] What are your biggest challenges regarding running your Craft Business? Tell us & win some Amy …CraftBoom was already one of my favorite blogs for learning how to sell crafts, but this contest has cemented my love. You should definitely enter! [...]

By: Stefanie

Stefanie — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 02:20:02 +0000

I am having a hard time finding information about buying from wholesalers. I sew and while I love certain prints in order to buy from a wholesale aspect I would have to buy in large quantities. So I have to buy fabric at retail costs so I need to figure out other ways to cut costs so that my pricing isnt competitive. Any ideas for cost cutting measures? As for a meeting up place I would love to have other business people to still be featured to give their advice to see their work space. Also tutorials are always great I will never say no to a good tutorial! Stefanie's last blog post..List it and it might get done!

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:05:54 +0000

My biggest challenge has been time management, since I’m a full time mom and run my business out of my home.

I’d love help with promoting my site (anything from a list of links where one can advertixe to tutorials).

I’d also love links to tax information/requirements by state for small business owners.

Thanks for the opportunity and I love this site!

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:34:11 +0000

The thing I am trying to figure out right now is how to increase traffic and sales. I have a website and a blog and an etsy shop. Products on my site link directly to etsy. It was too much work to maintain two shops. Anyway, I’ve just started online advertising this year in two indie blogs. I wonder how long I should advertise in each blog/place. The indie blogs already have an audience that supports indie, which is good but I’ve been thinking if I shouldn’t also try advertising in other types of blogs with different topics, e.g. cooking, mothering, feminist, etc.

Thank you.

By: Thien-Kim

Thien-Kim — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:08:13 +0000

I would love more help with start-up. I have all of these ideas but I get some overwhelmed, I don't do anything. Crafty business type tutorials would be great! I enjoy your links to things like where to buy labels. More more info on taking photos of your product. Thien-Kim's last blog post..Fa-la-la

By: Mackenzie

Mackenzie — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 04:00:43 +0000

promotion & marketing, driving traffic, sales advice. I really am trying to divide my time to marketing/promoting and everything else that goes with it AND creating! ALso, as another person mentioned above – what makes YOU stand out in the crowd??

Website design, press, customer testimonials, sales # on etsy OR being a “true designer” and launcing seasonal lines/fabric selections/original designs??

I find my biggest challenge is finding time for everyhting in marketing/promotion – submitting to blogs for review, figuring out what a “press release packet” is, getting my newsletter into circulation (at least once a month!), running advertsing/free product promotions!

Argh!!

I would love to talk with others in the same boat!!

Also, I would love ideas about how to manage your blog…..any advice really :>

LOVE this blog and your other!!

simplesweetcakes1.blogspot.com
http://www.simplesweetcakes.com

By: Tonya Tucker Jenkins

Tonya Tucker Jenkins — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:15:31 +0000

The main items that I see a need for include:
Start Up
A “pratical, yet usable” Business Plan Template with lessons for how to complete and why…
What is Breake – even and how does it impact pricing (Direct Cost – Overhead)
Pricing my goods as a Women in Business not a Women with a hobby
Finding my target Market in my backyard or on the internet
How to bulid a marketing plan
Tax Write-off
Finding Financing

Features would include:
craft businessy tutorials, classifieds,networking (area and regional, events (area and regional) and workshop by area and craft for both business and crafts, links to assocations and professional resouces and tools

By: ruth

ruth — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 23:34:42 +0000

Can I say I need help with it all? 1. Start up help as I am still in start up purgatory. Especially help with taxes, bookkeeping, copyright, etc. 2. I would love to see tute's, pic's and classifieds would be great to connect with suppliers of crafting needs. ruth's last blog post..Crazzzzyyyy Days

By: Candy Glendening

Candy Glendening — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 23:26:28 +0000

I'd love some info on how to find reliable info on craft/art fairs, beyond going to the fair one year and then submitting to become a vendor a year later! On the forum, I'd love tutes, and it'd be great to be able to see pix. However, I'm not so sure about the classifieds... Candy Glendening's last blog post..Steno Cover 008