Thanks to websites like Etsy and ArtFire, we are currently seeing a boom in the handcrafted goods business. This is great news for those of you who are interested in running a craft-based business of your own because it shows there is a market. However, it does also mean that you will have lots of competition.
The good news is, you can beat the competition to run a lucrative craft business if you go about things in the right way. Here are some things which are ESSENTIAL if you want your craft-based venture to be a success:
Make Sure Your Creations are Saleable
You might love weaving sweaters out of dog’s hair, but how many people would actually want to buy them? Unfortunately, some crafts and creations are more popular than others, and you might have to compromise your enjoyment with what the market wants if you want your business to be lucrative, rather than a side project. This will require some research only our part, but it’ll be worth it when you’re  a big success.
Make Space
If you just plan to make crafting a side business, you can probably get away with working in your kitchen or living room, but if you plan to make your business your living and you want it to be lucrative, you’re probably going to have to expand your space.
Don’t panic about this because a simple steel building from Armstrong Steel or even a sizeable shed set up in the garden should be sufficient. Of course, if you have the capital to rent space, you could do that too. All that matters is that you have adequate space, both physically and mentally to run a professional operation.
Create an  Attractive Online Presence
Whether you’re selling on Etsy or you plan to launch your own online store, it’s important that your little slice of the internet is attractive, that your content is descriptive and interesting enough to actually get views, and that you present a professional air. If you can do all these things, it’s much more likely that your business will get the kind of positive attention you need to be a success.
Take Amazing Photos
When you’re selling handcrafted items, it’s important that you take really wonderful photos of your goods, and that you do so from every angle. Buyers of handcrafted items look for beauty, and they like to know exactly what it is they’re buying before they hand over any cash, which means you need to invest in a decent camera and an attractive backdrop to take those all important sales shots.
Items that are Reproducible
Although creating one-of-a-kind items can be fun, and you can make a  lot of money from doing so, the bulk of your goods should be easily reproducible if you want to focus on being lucrative because, to be successful, you will need to create a lot of products each week – something which is a lot easier when most of your offerings are uniform.
Putting your crafts up for sale is easy; selling them is somewhat more difficult, but if you stick to the above it should be fairly simple.
