Sell Your Crafts From Home
Other issues to consider if you choose to sell your crafts from home
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LOCATION
You'll need a place in your home that can be private, and of course have enough room to contain the furniture and equipment you'll need, as well as being a pleasant showroom. It's best to use an area that is separate from your family surroundings and living area, and that can really be a professional environment in which to sell your crafts.
BUDGET
If you want to sell your crafts from home, do you have what it will take to outfit your home store/office? You will probably have a few things around the house that you can use or revamp, but you'll more than likely also need to outlay some money on other essential items such as furniture and equipment. Shop around to get the best prices, and also consider the option of leasing instead of buying. Make sure that you can comfortably afford what you need to spend.
LEGAL ENTITY
How are you going to set up your business legally? A good idea is to chat to a tax consultant who will be able to give you more information on the options available and how they will affect you. Just because you've chosen to sell your crafts from home doesn't mean that certain legal business issues won't apply to you. From the beginning, you must establish a good record keeping system for all your income and expenses.
INSURANCE
Your stock, equipment and furniture will need to be covered, and possibly also your vehicle, as well as public liability. Chat to your insurance company to get the finer details, and get a quote on what the additional premium will be if you decide to sell your crafts from home.
AVAILABILITY
You won't always be at home if you have kids to get places or if you're attending meetings elsewhere, so you need to decide how calls or visiting customers are going to be dealt with during those times. You could always get an answering service with your telephone company, or an answering machine, or divert your calls to your mobile phone, but that doesn't solve the problem of what happens if a customer decides to visit in person. If you schedule specific times or days when you won't be available, perhaps you could get a family member to step in for you, or even hire a temp. You've chosen to sell your crafts from home, make sure that is what gets done!
IMAGE
Project professionalism. Choose a color scheme and logo and use it on your stationery, business cards and any other related printed material, carry that theme throughout. Once you're established, this is a great brand builder, and you can even created branded gifts for your good customers, brand your vehicle with your logo, and use it if you ever have an opportunity to be part of a sponsored event. Rent a local post office box that can be used for business correspondence, which will make it less obvious that you're working from home.
DISCIPLINE
This is a full time job, and you have to treat it as such, which can be difficult when you work from home. Cut yourself off from the usual household distractions when your working day starts, and focus on your business. If you don't discipline yourself, things can get out of hand quickly and your effectiveness in managing and growing your business will be seriously hampered.
In Conclusion
The reality with any new business is that it is hard work, and it doesn't all happen quickly and easily. Yes, you have the benefits of being your own boss and of course flexibility, but you also need determination, drive and discipline, as well as energy and passion, and all those other lovely positive traits of successful business owners! Spend time researching and learning about how to operate a business, and create a business plan to clearly define your goals and how you expect to achieve them. Know your competition, and learn from them. But above all, have fun doing it!