Selling your Crafts - first steps for beginners

So you’ve decided to sell some of your home-made wares. Either you want to make your hobby self-funding, you’ve got a pile of stuff you keep falling over and which is threatening your family relationships - or perhaps you’d just like to earn your money in a way you enjoy.

So where do you begin?

Here’s my top tips:

1. Research – and plenty of it. Are people selling similar items to the ones you make? Be objective – could you compete? Where and how are they selling it? And how successful do they seem to be? (Be aware: they probably won't give you all their secrets!)

2. Keep a diary and a to-do list. Maybe both in the same book. The diary keeps a note of what you’ve done, and the to-do list keeps you on track. Keeping your to-do list in a book is a great reminder of how far you’ve come as well as what’s still to do.

3. Start a blog. Yes, early on. It could be one of the first things you do. Blog about anything you like to start with. It gives you a history with Google – which counts for a lot: Google likes longevity. Go to http://www.blogger.com/ or http://www.wordpress.com/ - it's free, it's very easy and you can be set up and online in minutes. What are you waiting for?

You can also buy a domain name for your website if you like at this stage. You get a whole year for less than it might cost for lunch in Macdonalds. You don’t need to do anything with the domain name yet. Have a look at www.123-reg.co.uk/ or www.heartinternet.co.uk/

4. Look at websites or selling sites. You could open up shop on one of these sites:

www.etsy.com/

en.dawanda.com/

http://www.folksy.com/

www.coriandr.com/

or even good old eBay (personally, this wouldn't be my choice, but it does score well in Google searches).

A web presence makes you look more professional in the eyes of Joe Public and gives them a reference point for future buying.

5. Look up the craft fairs and other relevant events. Fun Days, Pamper Evenings, Wedding Fairs, Baby Fairs and Mediaeval Fairs are all events which you could hire a stall at. Depending on your product, of course. Find them here: http://www.stallfinder.com/. Visit as many as you can, compare them, make notes, check out the advertising and signposting. If in any doubt whether your products would be suitable, ask the organiser.

6. Talking of organisers, check out events first if you’re in any way unsure of them. Any reputable organiser will be able to give you ideas of visitor numbers, advertising campaigns, security for goods left overnight, etc. Talk to other stallholders. Look around. Is it busy? Is money changing hands? Do stallholders appear bored? (Or, worse, are they excited at the sight of a person entering the room??!) Check up organisers on Google. Disreputable organisers are, fortunately, few and far between but those who are will have been discussed on forums – comments about them will appear in abundance in a simple Google search.

7. Is your product saleable? Can you achieve a reasonable price for the amount of work/cost of materials? Sit down and do a little bit of basic maths. Nobody really wants to work for 50p an hour, no matter how enjoyable the work. However, there are times in the first few months when you are putting a lot of hours in for little or no return.

8. Keep it legal – you’ve got 3 months from starting up before you need to inform the Inland Revenue (these are UK rules – please check your own country’s laws). If you’re unsure – ask them. More here: www.hmrc.gov.uk/index.htm

9. Don’t forget the marketing. It isn’t just about gaining a sale. Getting your name out there to people who may buy from you next month or next year is also key to building your business. Get professional-looking business cards or fliers made up. Put them in with all purchases, hand them to interested-looking browsers, give them out at any opportunity.

10. Start selling! Book a craft fair, sell to friends at your workplace, have a sales party at home, list things on eBay, sign up to folksy – the choice is yours. To be successful, do as many as you can! Within reason, of course. If you spread yourself too thinly, you won't be able to give each one the time it needs and deserves.

You'll need to think about tax, insurance, book-keeping, etc., too. One step at a time, though. We'll look at these soon.

NOTE: These tips are intended as guidelines to help you get started. Please don't hesitate to get legal advice or professional business support if you think it may help you. Useful link: http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/