If you have a craft business or are a hobbyist who is considering branching out into the world of selling your crafts, then it is important that you find as many ways as possible to bring your products to potential buyers. Being versatile so you can use both online and offline methods to sell your crafts is a great way to maximise your sales and establish a profitable business.
1. Consignment Shops
These are stores that sell your crafts on a sale or return basis without risking the store-owners money in buying up a lot of stock. This makes it easier to get your products onto the shop shelves but it can also mean that you have to pay higher fees, with many shops charging a monthly fee as well as taking a cut of what you make.
2. Craft Shows and Trade Shows
People attending craft shows and relevant trade shows are generally a great group of people to get your products ion front of as they understand the time and skill that has gone into producing your work. You generally have a greater level of control as you can set your prices, design your own displays and interact with your potential customers as you sell your crafts. It can be expensive to secure a place at a good show, so make sure you factor in all costs.
3. Museum Shops
Museums are generally keen to include local crafts in their shops, which are often run by volunteers. Depending on the nature of the museum, the amount of trade you do may vary. The best way to approach this is to visit the museum and get a feel for it, then speak to someone who makes decisions and chat with them about how you could sell your crafts and what they could bring to the visitor experience.
4. Sell from Home
By selling from your own home, you can be still take care of domestic duties and/or childcare, as well as being able to continue crafting your products so that you have more to sell! To sell your crafts from home, you need to invest in advertising so that the right people know where to find you.
1. Ebay
In order to sell your crafts through ebay, you need to be prepared to invest time researching prices so that you are competitive in a marketplace which is designed to help people find a bargain! Good listings with excellent photographs will help, and as you build up a reputation for quality, your sales should increase.
2. Online Craft-Based Marketplaces like Etsy
These online craft-based marketplaces can be extremely competitive, so you need to be prepared to put a lot of time into creating a professional profile that highlights how unique your product is. With low start-up costs and good online support, these can be a great way to sell your crafts.
3. Amazon
There are handmade categories on Amazon which are becoming increasingly popular, so this can be a great option for you to sell your crafts if you want a global marketplace with a high profile. Costs may be quite high, so be sure to research and factor in the fees when you are pricing your products.
Stay on top of the latest trends on craft selling or pick up a good business book to give you further tips on managing a craft business. Remember that the crucial thing when selling your crafts is to ensure that your price is reasonable enough to appeal to customers and yet still give you a profit on your time, effort and materials.