Do you have tips for having a crochet business?

[Barbara G.]

Hello members,

Do you have tips for having a crochet business? Here are a few to get us started. Please post your thoughts and ideas. Thanks!

Tip: Organize your supplies in an efficient manner

Keep you supplies organized to allow the most efficient use of your time. Keep main supplies in one area. If traveling with crochet items, keep these items in one travel tote if possible.

Tip: Keep track of receipts if working as a business

Keep track of receipts to figure your income and expenses. If you take time on the internet to look for patterns to make for income, a portion of your internet fees are considered deductible.

Looking forward to hearing your tips. I will post some more later!

[crochetgal]

1) Keep accurate records for everything, including your time.

2) remember that if you are running a business, you need to pay yourself. Pricing of your work should reflect this.
You don't work for free!

3) Be careful when using other people's patterns when you are selling items. Many patterns have copywrite and are for personal use only.

4) Know your limits! Don't take on more than you can adequately handle in the time allotted. Remember to leave 'wiggle room' in your planning time.

[Barbara G.]

Tip: Don't cut yourself short

Crocheting takes time to create patterns. Don't cut yourself short on how much you are making. This is especially true if you are doing high quality work.

TiP: Decide how you are going to sell

Decide how you are going to sell. Some will start out selling to friends locally. Others will decide to make their own blog site or web site. There are also other sites that allow members to sell their items. Don't forget that Crochet Talk has a thread available to buy, sell, or trade.

[Catdoll]

I would add don't get so bogged down that you stop enjoying what you're doing. Crochet can be a beautiful art form as well as something warm and personal. Never forget you're doing something special!

[Barbara G.]

Catdoll,

You are totally right! Why have a business if you can't enjoy what you are doing! Crocheting is neat and fun to do - keeping that prospective is a great tip!

[Barbara G.]

Hello members,

Here are a few more tips on having your own crochet business.

Tip - Plan your dreams and visions for the business

If you have a dream to earn money while doing some crochet projects, plan your dreams and visions. How many projects would you like to make? How much money would you like to contribute to the family or a special charity through your actions? Decide some goals and make a plan. You have to start somewhere and know where you would like to go with the business.

Tip - Setting up a Schedule

If possible, set up a schedule to work on your projects. Everyone will be different here. Some will have plenty of time to work on projects. Others will need to set aside time to crochet. If you are not able to set up a "schedule" then plan to side aside a certain number of hours each week.

[Barbara G.]

Here are a few more tips for you:

Tip - Seek Knowledge and Add Action

Seek the knowledge you need to become successful and place it in action. Take time to learn in the area of need. It can be as simple as working with a popular pattern, learning new stitches, so on. Adding to your existing knowledge will help you to become successful. Then, you must put action into the formula for anything to work.

Tip - Keep Honesty in Your Business

Keeping honesty in your business is important. You have to be honest with yourself in making choices, as well as your clients. Can you REALLY produce that afghan in a weekend? Don't cut yourself short on time when it comes to making a project for a client. Be honest with them if it will take you some time.

[Theresa L]

I don't have any tips for this thread as I have never really sold my crochet work as a business but I have loved reading these tips. It makes me wonder about where and how you sell your work. Would any of you who do this mind sharing info on that?

[Barbara G.]

Thanks Theresa,

I personally have not sold items that have been crocheted, but I know there are several in the group that do. Some sell at craft fairs, eBay, and on Etsy. Hopefully, we will hear more about other ways to sell.

I do know that some people set up a website and sell from there. It is definitely a way to increase funds if you really love to do the work on a regular basis.

[Theresa L]

Yes, Barb, I really love to do the work but my "day job" is being a freelance writer. After a long day at the keyboard, sometimes my arthritis flares and my hands aches so badly that crocheting is out of the question. Having a website though sounds like a great idea. I do hope some others comment. I would love to learn more about how they do it. Maybe if I built up an inventory slowly, I could open a store down the road.