(This is a sponsored post written by me in collaboration with Direct Line For Business. The opinions and text are my own.)
Are you a Christmas crafter? So many of us get our fingers busy crafting up gifts for friends and family over the Christmas period because there’s really something so special about homemade items isn’t there?
I wonder if you’ve ever thought of selling your creations? Or perhaps you’re already one of over 3 million Brits who are working their crafting magic at home to make items to sell this season? Can you believe British crafters are generating a massive £365 million of sales over the Christmas period! You can read more about this Direct Line for Business research here, and it’s easy to see that running a crafting business from home is certainly not to be sniffed at!
Turning Your Hobby Into A Business
There’s a lot to be said for running your own business from home. It can give you an immense sense of satisfaction and a flexibility that you are unlikely to find elsewhere. However, taking that first leap of faith to turn your hobby into something profitable can be really daunting!
Real life stories from people that have already taken the plunge can really help us think about whether running a craft business from home is a practical and desirable decision for us to make. If you’re already a craft lover the chances are you visit craft markets regularly so why not be brave the next time you go and ask the crafters there some questions? Talk to people that might be in your niche and find out what’s worked for them, how long it’s taken them to get established, and what the pitfalls were. Crafters are generally a friendly bunch who delight in sharing their experiences with like-minded people. You never know, you may just come away ready to take the next exciting step!
In the meantime you might like to watch a video of the lovely Francesca Kemp on Direct Line For Business. Francesca founded her own craft business Crafty Revolution in 2012 and by 2015 was named one of Kirstie Allsopp’s Top 100 Crafters at The Handmade Fair alongside household names like Annie Sloan and Cath Kidston. In the video she talks about why she decided to start her own business and the benefits of working from home. With hard work and dedication dreams really can become realities!
Top Tips For Christmas Crafters
Once your business is up and running, whatever you make and wherever you sell it, the Christmas rush can be exhausting and exhilarating! Here are our top tips to make the most of the season:
- One of the most important things to make sure you have in place for a successful selling period is the correct insurance for your craft business. We all hope that nothing will ever go wrong but knowing you are covered for any eventuality means you don’t have to worry and can concentrate on immersing yourself in the thrill of one of the busiest times of the year.
- Think carefully about your prices and don’t under price your goods. It’s easy to think that things we make ourselves aren’t worth much. You’re wrong! Handmade is special and not everyone can do it. Customers are willing to spend more on something quality and unique for the home or as a gift and a very low price tag shouts “I’m not worth much”.
- Use online technology to connect with your customers and maximise sales. More and more people are shopping online and connecting with friends, family and businesses via their lap tops, tablets and phones, especially at this busy time of year. Think about setting up a blog or having a social media presence. Tweet about your special offers, use your Facebook page to tell your customers which craft market they can find you at next. People love the ease of connecting instantly on the internet and you can use that to get to know your customers and let them get to know you too.
- Direct Line For Business’ infographic below has lots more great tips to help you get through the Christmas rush with your sanity in tact and enough energy left to enjoy the festivities with friends and family.
Let’s raise our glasses to all our fellow crafters and wish them a well deserved rest come Christmas day and an order filled New Year.
Merry Christmas you crafty lot!
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