Start your own craft business, work from home, earn extra cash, working in crafts, work for yourself, be your own boss

Step by step

1. The first step is to find a craft. If you already have a craft which you do as a hobby or make things for friends and families then skip this step. There are hundreds of different crafts out there, although I would advise to refrain from card making and jewellery as the market is already flooded. For ideas click here, or visit our on-line shop for inspiration. 
Ideally find a craft that you genuinely enjoy doing - you may find it hard to sell your crafts if you loathe every minute of producing it! Everyone has an artistic streak - think back to your school days - did you enjoy painting? Or perhaps sculpting? There are also lots of college courses and part time private courses advertised in local newspapers that you could perhaps attend. Try your hand at several different crafts until you find one that you enjoy. If you enjoy different crafts then even better - there are no rules that say you have to stick to one craft! Over the years I myself have had several different types of crafts for sale, even now that I have an established business, I still try other things.

2. Now that you have chosen your craft - make it! Make lots and give them to friends and family - get their honest opinion and feedback. If you are making children's clothes or toys then give them to children and let them run about and roll on the ground. If your craft can withstand what it is designed for and more then your one more step forward. Craft Plans / projects are available by clicking here.

3. If you are happy with your craft then now is the time to contact your local 'Trading Standards' via your local council. Do not be daunted by this aspect as they are there to help and advise. You may find that your craft does not need regulated, but there is no harm in finding out. Make an appointment for them to examine your work, in some cases items may need to be sent away for tests or to check if they are flammable, child friendly etc. In most cases you will be given a simple check list to make sure that your items are safe - this mainly applies to items that are for children or electrical etc. 
(Please click here for a summary of standard regulations)

4. When you have the all clear from Trading Standards then skip this step. If you have had to change aspects due to recommendations from the trading standards then go back to step 2 with your altered design.

5. Now that you have your craft, you must now collect all the paperwork with regards to the making / designing of it. Work out how much it costs to produce each item, include time taken to make and any other expenses. If you are using paints / varnishes etc then it is advisable to write to the manufacturers and ask them for a detailed list of their product. (This is mainly to help for your insurance and for trading standards if they know that the paints are toxic / flammable etc.). Label all your goods with your contact details not just for repeat orders but incase there is a fault or problem. You must also work out how much you are pricing your items. Although you have the advantage of not having a shop's overheads you still have fees for craft fairs, advertising etc. Ensure that you take everything into account. 

6. Once you have all your paperwork in place then it is advised at this point to make an appointment with your bank for advice. It's free and worth taking advantage of - ensure that they realise you are a small part time craft business, banks are business's too so do not let them try to sway you into opening accounts etc that will not benefit you. 

7. Register your business name. If you have a business name and are a sole trader then technically you do not need to register it, unless it would ultimately affect you if someone were to use the same name, then there isn't really any point. You should however, get insurance, not just for your workshop, home, premises but also for craft fairs (i.e. public liability insurance). If you shop around you will find an insurance company that will give you a good package not just for your premises and goods but also to cover you if someone should hurt themselves, either at your craft stall or by your product.

8. Contact inland revenue - make an appointment with your local office and they will discuss all your options and help you fill out forms, set up and register everything properly. There are also small business centres throughout the U.K. that can offer free help and advice.

9. Now that you have set up you can now start selling! Of course there is this web site where you can advertise and sell your products online, click here for details,  you can also join craft associations and sell at craft fairs click here for craft associations, alternatively, sell direct to shop outlets. Trade fairs are ideal for targeting the larger companies, however this is not recommended until you have established yourself and are able to supply, (i.e. you could get hit with an order of 10,000! Which sounds fantastic, but if it is just you making the craft then obviously you would not be able to supply.) Don't run before you can walk... for craft insurance click here

10. Enjoy your craft, if you get bored try a different craft. As with most business's you will have quiet times and busy times. This is why most crafters keep their full time job or work another part time job for security. You could also set up other craft business's which would bring in profits all year round i.e. garden furniture for summer, knitted jumpers for winter and something mutual for all year round.

Copyright 2008 Scottish-Crafts.  All Rights Reserved.  If you wish to copy, duplicate any of the material please click here to contact me. Thank you.