With the rise of sites like Etsy, more and more people are taking to the internet to try and sell things they have made. Whether it’s homemade, unique jewelry, artwork, or upcycled clothing, there is certainly a market for things produced by cottage industries, and so if you are an enthusiastic crafter you may be wondering if it would be possible to sell your crafts online too.
In short, yes, of course you can do this, if your crafts are good, but there are a few things to think about before you take the plunge into transforming your crafting from a hobby into a source of income.
What Is a Fair Price?
Pricing your products can be one of the most difficult things. You may well be competing with mass produced items that can be made far more cheaply than your crafts, and while your customers may be willing to pay a little more for something unique and handmade, finding the sweet spot of what people think your products are worth and actually making a profit can take some work. You also have to consider the cost of your materials and tools – you don’t have the benefits of the economies of scale larger manufacturers do, so for things like beads for jewelry making your materials may be quite costly.
On the other hand, in some crafting businesses your materials can be very cheap compared with the finished product, for example if you can create a stunning one off evening dress from the collection of yellow bridesmaid dresses you can buy cheaply secondhand, then you can have a high profit margin, which is why upcycling businesses are so popular online.
How Much Can You Produce?
Some crafting businesses make things to order, but this can be a risky strategy. If your products take a long time to make, for instance if you knit them, then all it would take is a few simultaneous orders to see you letting down customers just because you simply can’t make the products in time. When you are starting out then, it is best to only offer things you have already made unless your products can be made fast and in large numbers.
Are Your Crafts Repeatable?
Some things can be made over and over again to look almost the same, as long as you have the materials. Others are not so repeatable, for instance if you make upcycled clothing and your best creations are the results of lucky thrift store finds. If you can’t make identical things time and again, then it is important not to show customers things they can’t actually buy because they’ve already been sold without making it clear that they are just examples of your work.
Making money from your crafts, assuming they are good quality and attractive, isn’t necessarily difficult in itself, but make sure you have thought through the questions we’ve talked about here before you plunge in to selling DIY pieces on the web.