Crafting a Business

  

Have you read this book from Kari Chapin? I really can't believe I hadn't heard of it until I stopped into a local bookstore last weekend and picked out from a shelf of Art and Design books. In The Handmade Marketplace, Kari has detailed and sourced all that good info found on the web about " how to start and run a successful online crafting business" and compiled it into one stellar resource.  The book is broken down into three sections starting with "Getting to Know Yourself and Your Business" , "Spreading the Word-and Images" and then ends with " Getting Down to Selling". She has even collected interviews from top sellers and bloggers with nuggets of golden advice for people like me who are slowly trudging along trying to find myself "out there". I am thrilled that it is easy to read and I can read bits at a time as needed and then refer back to it as a handbook.

So how about you? Are you an artist or crafter or creative entrepreneur trying to find your voice and make an online presence for your work? What advice would you offer? Im all ears and excited to learn more as I begin to approach my own work with more seriousness.

images: heather spriggs thompson

Comments

[Daniella]

I had no idea this was available! Thanks for sharing...

[Down and Out Chic]

i really enjoyed this book as i felt like it had a lot to offer both for bloggers and crafters which for me is two fold! i'm still trying to figure it all out so i don't have much advice to offer other than great customer service and being kind in general. a little kindness goes a long way in this field!

[Brigitte]

I'm trying to toe the delicate balance of filtering all the good advice out there to just start already. The best advice I've heard is from Seth Godin...set a launch date and stick to it. I think we can so easily get caught up in reading and dreaming, especially as creatives, that it's difficult to just sit and do. Things can always be more perfect, more ready.

Not at all meaning to say that books like these don't rock! I'm just in a place where I've done A LOT of reading, and it's time to get moving.

[Heather]

Thanks for this brigette. do you know i had those very thoughts enter my mind when i bought ths book and realized that i have been researching for over 2 years now. you'd think i'd have gotten by now. but i really feel like i needed to hear you say this. thanks for being bold. will you be my accountability partner? (ps. when's the date?)

[Small Sweet Steps]

I think the best advice I can give is to show up and follow through. Don't get overwhelmed by all of it. Take it one small sweet step at a time. There were so many times that I talked myself out of following my dream. My work was never quite right, I didn't have enough money for start up costs...if only you could have been in my head, it was exhausting. I finally decided to just do it and developed my "I can do this" mantra. I nibbled away at my to do list and every time the negative self-talk started I would repeat my mantra. It actually worked. There is still a lot I need to do but being on the other side of putting it all out there for people to see is a much easier place to live. Good luck, you are amazing. Please share it with the world!

[Twiggs]

This was really amazing! I actually don't have any advice to offer at this moment, because I just started my business a month ago... a common Etsy business of Fine Art Photography aka I sell my pictures! However I keep reading advices and actually write them down, so I won't forget... and I always keep in my mind Elle Moss' advices "be sure your shop has a specific mood that reflects your style", "make something people want" and "make something other people aren't"... so, I'm trying to figure out how to use my creativity in something else asides photography, that reflects my personal style! Thank you for sharing!