How to Turn Your Handmade Crafts Hobby into Cash

How to Turn Your Handmade Crafts Hobby into Cash by KAREN MUSSELMAN MORE ARTICLES FROM THIS AUTHOR If you have a good time making handmade crafts and you always hear family and friends advising you that you should sell your products , it may be time to head into the world of money. Like opening any type of home-based business, entering the world of selling handmade crafts must be thoroughly planned out. There are a great deal of websites and venues where you can sell your crafts both online and off. Before jumping in to sell your crafts, whether locally or through an online website, make sure to take some time and do research first. Ask yourself the following questions as you think of the idea of selling your crafts: * Will folks even want to buy my pieces ? This is the foremost question you have to ask yourself. If there is no target market for your goods , you will have a difficult time trying to sell your crafts, not because your items aren't appealing , but they may not be in demand. * Who is my prospective target market? Your target market is the traffic who would possibly pay for your items . You will need to know who to promote to and how to successfully pull your target market to your goods . For example, it would be a bad use of time looking to sell baby clothes to someone who do not have children. * What will I charge for my crafts? Pricing is an most important strategy. All too often, people under-price their crafts, forgetting to take into consideration the time and materials that go into a product. Make sure you take into account both the cost of the materials as well as the time and effort you put forth to create your goods. Also be sure not to overcharge . You might find that your products can't sell largely because they are priced too high . * Where will I sell my items? Sell Your Crafts Online There are quite a few websites where you can sell handmade goods. There are websites such as Etsy and Artfire who only permit the sales of handmade goods or the materials needed to produce them. eBay is also another widely known venue to sell handmade goods. recognize though, that you will be in competition with a number of other goods that are not handmade and may be cheaper . A good presentation of the item and its benefits is always a good idea. Sell Your Handmade Crafts at Craft Fairs If you choose to sell locally, you can set up at area craft shows . Craft events are frequently a one or two-day local sale where you rent space or a table for the day. Other crafters will be there also so you can sell to the customers and sell to other crafters. Partner with a Local outlet store Check with local stores that sell handmade crafts and see if they'd be interested in displaying some of your crafts on consignment. Be sure to get all of the sales terms in writing, particularly if the store owner will be getting a type of commission. It is very plausible today to make a great deal of money selling your crafts. With some work and planning, your handmade crafts hobby may even turn into a source of full-time income and you'll be able to "quit your day job." Author Resource Box: About the Author: Karen Musselman and her husband set up at a several craft fairs during the year displaying their lighted wine bottles and lighted mason jars, as well as selling their crafts on eBay and through their own websites. Karen is also the author of "Make Money at Craft Fairs: How to Turn Your Crafts into Your Gold Mine of Cash." >>Pam Wylie says "Thank you Karen for such a fine article regarding crafting and how to turn a hobby into a business. Your ideas are an inspiration to all."