Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

My friend`s mother does this. She makes everything from handmade clay pots for plants, to hand made woven baskets, to her own dipping sauces mixes where you just add sour cream. 

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The ConsumerTreehouse.com Team
www.consumertreehouse.com

For handmade crafts, we`re seeing it`s likely better and easier to do them direct, through the shows. The key is to have something unique. We`ve been to a number of craft and art shows, and there`s the boring, boring, same, same, typical, and THEN....there`s the "Holy Cow is THAT cool..!"

If you were to sell them online, you`d either have minute sales, or you`d have to get into some sort of commercial production. That being said, you can try eBay, but keep in mind the prices there are rock-bottom and depressing.

What is it you make?

Hi Craig,
    I make the following:
Crocheted Items, Christmas Ornaments, Gourmet Dog Treats, Jewelery, Gifts in a Jar, Candy, Glass Painting, Gourmet Food, Silk Flower Wreaths and Arrangements, Plastic Canvas, Cross Stitch, Latch Hook, Magnets, Bookmarks, and Nature Crafts.  I`ve also put up a storefront on the site etsy.  I plan on opening January 2008. 
What is a minute sale?
Shawlee Manning

In addition to participation in local & regional art/craft fairs; in my area we have them year-round, you should look at etsy.com.  Etsy is gaining in popularity as the go-to website for handmade items.  I`ve spoken with a few "crafters" that have developed a good stream of online income. 

Keep it original and unique.
Good luck.

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"Minute" sales -- pronounced "my-noote," as in very small.

I`m looking at the above list and wondering how to structure it into some sort of brand. There`s nothing wrong with a diversified set of products, particularly in crafts, but to my way of thinking, there needs to be some connection--some sort of coherency that becomes memorable.

When you go to a bath and candle shop, you don`t expect to buy floral arrangements or candy. However, when you get there, you may find all kinds of different things, including flowers and candy. So what I`m trying to say is that if you want to make money in crafts, choose a product line you can focus attention onto.

Let`s say you decide you`re going to focus on "things having to do with cloth, thread/yarn, and stitches." You could still sell gourmet dog treats, but package them inside or with a handlmade doggie sweater. Something like that.

I`m thinking of, say, a tea company that sells a whole breakfast package. There are some cups and saucers, a small teapot, jam, spreading knife, and of course, the tea. The idea is to have an identifiable "thing" people can hold in mind. That way, when they go shopping, they can say, "Oh...let`s go to that great little shop that sells `thing.`" See?

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Visit http://www.teepetals.etsy.com Indie crafts
http://www.teepetals.net

ebay, craigslist, your own website . . . perhaps contact stores like michaels and see if there is taste for what you have to offer?

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