Owning Your Own Craft Business - Is it Really Possible?
By Dawn Burden Bate
How many get rich quick schemes have you seen on the Internet or advertised on late
night television? Some of them sound pretty feasible, don't they? Have you ever found
yourself considering buying into one of these plans? Have you ever actually taken the
plunge? If you were successful, you would not be reading this article. Even though the
marketing for these schemes is genius, they are what they are, schemes. The reality is
that the only way to get rich quick is to win the lottery or inherit a fortune.
Yet the reason the get rich quick schemes seem so reasonable is because the argument
for owning your own business is usually a good representation of how many of us feel. The
commute back and forth to work, the daycare if you are a working parent or caregiver, the
overtime, the corporate red tape and the boss that is less than fair or friendly. Wouldn't
it be a dream come true to own your own business and leave all that behind? I don't know
many people who haven't at least thought about it, even if just for a minute.
The reality is that many people DO own their own businesses. Just do a quick search on
the Internet for oh, let's say, scrapbooking supplies. Google returns over one million
results. For argument's sake, let's assume large corporations such as Michael's, Hobby
Lobby and JoAnn own 75 percent of those sites. The remaining 25 percent or 250,000 web sites
listed are individuals who own their own business selling scrapbooking supplies. How
did these entrepreneurs get started? If they did it, why can't you?
The key to starting and running a successful business of your own is to begin
considering what you love and what you are good at. Do you have a hobby you love that is
crafty? Creating and selling handmade items can be an excellent way to start your business
while allowing you to keep the safety net of your current job. You can sell the unique
items you make on the Internet, on eBay, on Craigslist, in a local craft store, at a craft
fair or to your friends. Some crafts that come to mind are:
• Sewing, embroidery, knitting, crocheting, appliqué, cross stitch,
needlepoint, quilting, weaving, macramé, lace making
• Pottery, sculpture, ceramics
• Woodcarving, metal work, glass art, leather art, mosaic art
• Candle making, soap making
• Scrapbooking, rubber stamping, card making, stenciling
• Photography, graphics
• Painting, artwork
• Jewelry making, beading
• Floral arranging
• Doll making
I'm sure I'm leaving out several craft types, but the key here is that there are
numerous ways to create beautiful handmade items that other people will pay you money to
own. Yes, you can actually own your own business and make money doing what you love. I've
seen people become so wildly successful that they had to hire a staff to keep up with
demand. I've done it and had to turn away business because of my backlog of orders. It
isn't a get rich quick scheme. It isn't easy and it takes a great deal of initiative and
dedication to be as successful as the individuals that I referenced, but the work you do
is your own. It is something you love doing and you answer to no one but yourself (and
your clients). And with that in mind, all the hard work you put into your craft business
is worth it.
Dawn Bates is a wife, mother and avid scrapbooker. Her scrapbooking layouts have
appeared in several issues of Creating Keepsakes and Memory Makers magazines. Dawn's
scrapbooking layouts have won several awards at scrapbooking conventions and she is a
frequent contributor to published books featuring scrapbook layouts. Her custom scrapbook
design business has been so successful that she is now helping other scrapbookers start
their own scrapbook business. Her helpful business plan can be found on her web site,
SolarFlair Designs.
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