Chris Franchetti Michaels - The Complete Idiots Guide to Selling Your Crafts

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Table of Contents

ALPHA BOOKS

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3,

Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi110 017, India

Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore, Auckland 1311, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

Introduction

Craft selling differs quite a bit from other selling ventures. Instead of merely searching for premade merchandise and offering it for sale, you serve as both the creative mind and the source of skilled labor that bring your products into existence.

Why is that significant? It affects all the decisions you need to make as a seller, from pricing your wares to selecting the right sales venues to devising customer service polices. It also means that your selling goals may be very different from those of a typical businessperson.

This book is unlike most introductory business books because it focuses on your unique situation as a crafter. I wont tell you how to outsource your designs to workers in another country, apply for investment funding, or become a corporation. Instead, Ill show you a practical approach for getting started selling online or in person while you take some time to decide just how serious you wish to become.

How This Book Is Organized

The Complete Idiots Guide to Selling Your Crafts is divided into the following five parts:

Part 1, First Things First: This part is where Ill help you decide whether its the right time to start selling. Ill also explain how and where you can sell your crafts and how to get your ducks in a row before you start.

Part 2, Getting Started as a Casual Seller: The chapters in this part show you how to evolve from a pure hobbyist into a low-key, casual craft seller. Youll learn how to establish an inventory, set prices, adopt a marketing style, function as a seller, and promote your crafts.

Part 3, Sales Venues for the Casual Seller and Beyond: At this point, youll be ready to decide exactly how and where youd like to begin offering your crafts for sale. Well examine some of the most popular types of sales venues for beginners and more active sellers alike.

Part 4, Transitioning into a More Active Seller: When youre ready to get more serious about selling, this part will guide you through the changes you need to make.

Part 5, Sales Venues for the More Active Seller: Heres where well cover the traditional places where you can sell your crafts as a more serious seller. Ill explain the basics of setting up an e-commerce website, getting involved with craft shows, and finding wholesale accounts.

Tips, Tricks, Definitions, and Warnings

As you read each chapter, youll occasionally notice a box containing extra information thats not covered in the regular text. This is where I tap you on the shoulder and make a suggestion or explain something important about what were covering.

Here are the four types of boxes youll encounter:

Term Tag

Read this box for a more complete definition of an italicized term in the text.

Selling Secrets

These are special tips that only an experienced seller can offer. Save time and frustration by learning them now.

Hitting a Snag

Common mistakes can unravel your plans pretty quickly. Learn how to avoid them.

Bits and Pieces

These little gems of advice will help you meet your selling goals.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to my agent, Marilyn Allen, for her ongoing help and encouragement, and to senior acquisitions editor Karyn Gerhard for identifying the need for this book and inviting me to write it. Thanks also to the entire team at Alpha who worked hard to whip the book into shape, including our development editor, Jennifer Bowles; senior production editor, Janette Lynn; and copy editor Lisanne Jensen. I also thank my husband and (in this case) business and legal consultant, Dennis Michaels, for his advice and guidance. And finally, to all of the crafters whove shared their advice and experiences with me over the years, thank you for your honesty and openness. This book is better because of you.

Trademarks

All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be or are suspected of being trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Alpha Books and Penguin Group (USA) Inc. cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

Part 1

First Things First

Even if you never plan on turning craft sales into a serious business, its important to get started on the right foot. This first part of this book shows you how. Youll start by deciding whether youre really ready to start selling. Then well take a practical look at how and where you might decide to sell your crafts, who you might sell them to, and how you can connect with other craft sellers for support, advice, and friendship.

Finally, Ill help you prepare for the adventure by setting up your work space and getting ready for some simple bookkeeping. Ill also introduce you to the different types of taxes that you may eventually need to file as a craft seller.

Chapter 1

Are You Really Ready?

In This Chapter

Making sure your crafts are ready to sell

Hobby selling versus selling as a business

Time and money you need to commit to selling

Setting reasonable expectations

Choosing the right time

You have a passion for your craft. Youve devoted many hours to honing your skills and developing your own style, and youve learned a lot about yourself in the process. Your craft work is your art: its part of you, and you have the freedom to approach it just about any way youd like. Are you ready for the changes that selling might bring? To help you decide, lets take an introductory look at what it takes to sell crafts.

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