Creatives are impulsive and impatient. Well, many creatives are. I know. I’m a creative. And you’re creative. You are a maker. You’re a maker who wants to jump into starting a crochet business right NOW, right? Okay! I feel you. I get it. I’m super impulsive too.
My Disastrous Quick Start
When I started selling crochet, I decided on a Wednesday that I’d start selling on the following Friday. Brilliant, right? I’m a get-er-done kind of girl and I was going to do it! Or so I thought.
That Friday (and very long Saturday and excruciating Sunday) craft fair actually totally bombed for me because I wasn’t prepared. I showed up to the fair as an artist. I had my paintings well branded and displayed in my booth and set up my crochet hats in a little corner on the side.
Hint: People want to buy crochet from a crocheter, not from an artist … unless she’s a crochet artist, but that’s a different blog post.
I started all wrong. My hasty setup showed my naivete, branded me as a hobbyist, and the sales showed it. I don’t want that to happen to you.
Let’s get you started off on the right foot so you can start selling your products quickly. And by “selling,” I don’t mean sitting in the corner of a craft fair and NOT selling. I mean actually making money from your products!
Side note: This is simply a “quick start” for those who cannot wait to have all the Is dotted and Ts crossed. This is not the firm foundation of your business. I just don’t want you to pass on the urge to start, then NOT start and wait another year or 5 to wish you had started today.
And don’t worry, I’m not leaving you in this process. This list is to help you with starting a crochet business now, but this is just the beginning and we’ll get the foundation firmed up in the days to come.
So, what are my tips for getting your products sold?
Here we go:
1: Figure out who you’re going to sell to.
Who is your target market? Now, you might say, “My target market is anyone who wants to buy crochet.” OK, well, yes. But is there really a large group of people out there that you can target who is typing “crochet” into their Google search bar, looking for crochet products?
Probably not.
Your target market will be much more specific.
A good start might be, “My target is female. Her name is Ashley and she is 34 years old and has two children. She is married and works full-time as an event coordinator. She loves to dress her children in coordinating accessories and is always looking to stay on top of the hottest fashion trends for kids. She loves buying brand name clothing and is willing to pay a little more for great quality.”
Again, this is a good start. We’ll delve into Ashley’s story more in the coming weeks.
Who is your Ashley? What is her story? What is she looking for? Where does she shop and how much is she willing to spend?
2. Determine what your buyer wants or needs.
What is your target market’s pain point? What motivates him/her? What does he/she need?
In the example above, Ashley wants her kids to be adorable. She’s looking for trends and will jump to purchase the next mermaid tail or fox hat or owl blanket as soon as it’s listed. Then, she’ll take a photo of her kids for her Instagram followers and tag you in it … which is a huge bonus for you!
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3. Figure out where your customer is and how you will connect with her.
How will you connect with your target market? Where does he/she make purchases?
You might find your target at a craft fair, at a local mom’s group, hanging out in an online group, or someplace even more out of the box. Get inside the mind of your buyer. Where will you find her?
Ashley is busy with work and kids. But whenever she has a free moment, she’s on Facebook connecting with other moms and on Instagram sharing photos of her family’s latest adventure to the water park or ice cream parlor. You can connect with her there.
Join groups that your target market is in to find out what she’s looking for and like her posts on Instagram. Follow her and she may follow you back and will be ready for your next great product offering!
4. Create an AWESOME product.
This goes without saying.
We will definitely be talking more about product and pattern selection, tips to make the product your own, creating quality items that stand out from the rest, branding and more. But for now, creating a product that you believe is awesome is a perfect place to start.
5. Research pricing.
This is a tough one because pricing is tricky. I have a sort of revolutionary take on pricing strategy for crochet that I’ll share at a later date. But for now, research what others are doing and be sure that you’re paying yourself a fair wage. Consider the cost of the product, how long it takes you to make, incidental costs and embellishments, and your profit.
Please don’t price your product below the market. Please don’t underpay yourself in hopes that a lower price will bring in more sales. By doing this, you do a disservice to yourself and the marketplace.
If you are selling a hat, for instance, that some are selling for $12 and some better-established branded artisans are selling for $35, consider coming in somewhere in the middle. $25-$27 for a hat that takes one hour to make and costs $4 in yarn is definitely a fair price for an up-and-coming brand (which you are).
6. Take a great photo (or create a great display).
Whether you will be connecting with your buyer online or in person, put your best foot forward! Have your product modeled, if appropriate, for photos. And please find yourself a model who will speak to your target market.
I am 52 years old. I am not my target market. Therefore, I do not model my own products.
My market is a 26-year-old college grad who loves looking cute and is a bit of a hipster. So, I have a cute, young model who is my target market to model for me in exchange for products. It’s likely that you can find a local photographer who will take photos in exchange for product as well!
For in-person sales, be sure you have a display that says (without words), “I’m a professional.” Have a cloth-covered table, get a mannequin head from the local hobby store or make a display that is appropriate for your product. Nothing says, “I’m a hobbyist,” like a table with a small, disorganized pile of products on it.
Even if you have very few products, by creating levels beneath your tablecloth (use shoe boxes, bed lifts, or even cereal boxes) or on top of it (with wooden crates, stainless steel tubs, or cake stands), you will make your product stand out and get attention.
7. Have a way for them to contact you.
Yes, this means starting a Facebook page for online sales or placing a small order for business cards for in-person sales. Your customer needs to know how to find you and these are the very least you need in order to be found.
8. Go for it!
Just go for it. You can do this!
There is no time like the present to take one step closer to your dreams. If you’re ready to take that leap, subscribe to my weekly crochet business newsletter so you can stay on top of upcoming, more in-depth, and foundational ways to grow your business.
Subscribe HERE and I’ll send you my free Handmade Business Binder, which will help you organize everything you need for starting a crochet business off on the right foot!
I can’t wait to share more with you soon and to hear about your great, running start to Crochetpreneurship!
Until then, stay cozy and keep yarning, Pam
Great post, my first craft show I had too much product, but I did make money.
I’m so glad you had a successful show! Managing inventory can be so tricky. I’ll put that on my list of topics to brainstorm about and come up with a helpful strategy for the future!
I never have enough product
Hi Cheryl, Boy, that can be a good thing or a bad thing…are you happy with the way your craft fair sales are going? It’s so tricky to manage inventory. I typically create 2-3X the amount of product that I project to sell so that I don’t get stuck with nothing left. If you need help planning your inventory, this article might be beneficial: https://crochetpreneur.com/craft-fair-inventory/
Finding my target customer is my biggest challenge. I have sold a wide variety of items including adult and children specific hats, scarves, amigurumi, scrubbies, etc. And at my craft shows they ALL sell, but online, not as much. I’m looking forward to exploring your site and blog posts to help me narrow my “niche”. So happy to have found your site. Thank you!
Hi Jennie,
Welcome! I’m so glad you found me. 🙂 I get the pull to sell a little bit of everything and I find myself getting pulled in that direction, too. I’ve found, though, that it’s just easier to define my brand and move to the next level with a niched business. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the post: https://crochetpreneur.com/why-you-need-to-create-a-niche-market/ It may point you in the right direction.
Looking forward to helping you grow! Pam
I gave up on my local craft fairs, as I didn’t sell enough to pay for the booth! Too many comments of “I can make that”, “too expensive!”, and even “your prices are too cheap for the beautiful work” (So please, just BUY it already, Lady!)
I sell on Etsy, but not enough. Trying to show my work to my ‘niche’ on Instagram is a mixed bag, at best. Lots of interest, lots of praise (“heirloom quality!”), but they aren’t coming to my Etsy shop to buy (and I have links in my bio and have put links with the photos).
I am looking forward to seeing your method of pricing. I have tried cents per stitch, dollars per square inch (like some painters are doing), time + materials x 2 (Whsl) x 2 (Rtl), and even only selling “sure bet things”, which are to me as boring as watching paint dry.
Great post – I think one thing that could be added to the list is to be sure and tax care of all of the business registrations before starting to sell. Registering for the sales tax license is probably the most important and guessing most states require one even if selling occasionally at fairs.
Yes, Crystal! Thank you for that. In my area, craft fair coordinators sometimes collect and submit the sales tax for the sellers who don’t have a tax license yet, but I’m sure it’s not that way everywhere. I’ll be sure to add that tip to the post!
Great post thank you. Could you take a look at my website and see if everything is ok? Also what are the best ways to drive traffic to my site?
Hi Melissa,
I don’t currently offer website critiques, but I do offer Etsy shop critiques. If that’s what you’re interested in, you can book yours through my site at https://crochetpreneur.com/work-with-me/ but if you’re looking to get your own website looking great, check out the help offered by my friend, Heather, at http://www.masteryourmuse.com – I know she has a free website building challenge that might be just perfect for you!
Pam
Thank you Pam, I’m glad that I have’ve found your website, thanks for the valuable info, miving from hobby to entrepenuer, and how to price my items, is one if the things I struggle with, si I been in hold as ti what to do, now I have to find my niche.
Hi Tamara, I’m so glad you’re here and hope you find some helpful information to get out moving forward and creating a business you love!
Should I build up inventory before going public with my business?
Hi AryAhna,
Thank you so much for stopping by! In answer to your question about inventory for your crochet business, it totally depends on the business model that you choose. Many crochet business owners do fine by creating inventory before they open for business. Others find that starting out with a small inventory, coupled with making the majority of their sales with made-to-order items, helped them reinvest profits into their business so that they could create enough inventory to have on hand for craft fair season. That’s the way I did it when I started my physical-products part of my business. I hope that helps. Best of luck to you with your business!
How do I obtain a business liscense?
Hi Joss,
Every locale is going to have different rules about obtaining a business license. Your best option would be to contact your local Chamber of Commerce or Small Business Administration.
Best of luck to you!