A Word of Advice for the Beginning Crafter

Written by Eileen Bergen


A Word of Advice for a Beginning Crafter By Eileen Bergen http://www.theartfulcrafter.com

Even though my site is fairly new, I have been getting letters from crafters looking for advice on how to get started selling their wares. I thought that this letter and my answer would be of interest to anyone beginning a new home business.

This is an example:

I would like to get started selling crafts to make some extra money, but I don’t have a lot of it to spend. I can sew a little. What isrepparttar best way I can make some money quickly?

Betsy by e-mail

Dear Betsy,

I have a little bit of bad news for you. Getting started in any business, crafting or otherwise, is not something that can be done quickly or cheaply.

First let’s look atrepparttar 116657 product you want to make. You say you know how to sew, but that really does not give me enough information. But assuming you have good sewing skills, what is it that you plan to make? Is it a hand appliquéd vest or a hand made hot pad.

The truth is thatrepparttar 116658 market for each is vastly different and that some things are worth much more than others. If you are serious about getting a business going, you must start with a quality product that people will pay a nice markup for. Among other things, this means using good quality materials and unique or original ideas.

You can get many patterns for free onrepparttar 116659 Internet and in magazines, but I believe they are only starting points. The best patterns will not be given away for free. If you are going to start with a free pattern, you have to do something to make it different - to make it your own. You must have something good to sell.

How Long Should You Hang Onto Your Home-Based Business Dream?

Written by Vishal P. Rao


A home-based business becomes forrepparttar business owner, an entity in and of itself. Because so much hard work, blood, sweat and tears goes into every home-based business, it is easy to view it as having a "life" of its own and a home-based business can be more real torepparttar 116656 business owner than anything else in their lives.

However, there is also a dark side to a home-based business, especially one that is failing miserably. Part of being successful within a work-at-home dream also means knowing "when" to quit, or "fold". A home-based business can be like a game of cards, whenrepparttar 116657 "losses" exceedrepparttar 116658 "wins", it may be time to give up onrepparttar 116659 business and either start another one, or look into other forms of outside employment.

It has been said, "that most entrepreneurs fail three to five times" before they actually start a business that succeeds. Although it is imperative that entrepreneurs be persistent, not being able to accept failure, when it is obvious that failure has occurred, can be extremely detrimental.

So, how does an entrepreneur "know" when it is time to give up or when they should continue? Simple,repparttar 116660 amount of actual "suffering" needs to be measured. The following "suffering measurement" should take into account:

1. What type of debtrepparttar 116661 entrepreneur is accruing, and how many bills and necessary needs are being neglected. No one should live without food, clothing, shelter orrepparttar 116662 necessary medical care needed for a gratifying life. If a home-based business is constantly leavingrepparttar 116663 business owner without funds with which to sustain life, then it is probably time to quit.

2. What type of emotional pain isrepparttar 116664 entrepreneur facing? Ifrepparttar 116665 business has become so stressful because of mounting debt, orrepparttar 116666 entrepreneur's family is turning against them because ofrepparttar 116667 business, then it is probably time to quit.

3. If there is a chance of losing a home or other holdings and property because ofrepparttar 116668 bills engendered duringrepparttar 116669 business, then it is probably time to quit.

4. Ifrepparttar 116670 frustration of havingrepparttar 116671 business and handlingrepparttar 116672 day to day operations surroundingrepparttar 116673 business is greater thanrepparttar 116674 pleasure of owningrepparttar 116675 business, then it is probably time to quit.

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