You’ve been a longtime maker who’s perfected your craft, and now you want to take it to the next level and start selling what you make – yay! While on the surface, deciding what to sell among the things that you make might seem obvious, there are definitely details to think about and nuances to consider that may not have occurred to you. So, here are some questions to ask yourself as you decide what to sell as a small handmade business.
Will it sell? While all art is valid, if you are going to open a business, you do need to think of your products from a sellability perspective. There’s a niche for just about everything, from both aesthetic and artistic standpoints, so I am not saying you need to “sell out” and make things for the masses. Keep doing you and making your funky, unique stuff. But if you want to sell them, then you need some level of confidence that somebody somewhere will buy them. You don’t need to do extensive market research at this stage – after all, you have the product already. It can be as simple as thinking about who your ideal customer is, and why they would want to buy your product. Which brings me to my next point –
Is it of sellable quality? I have to be honest, I think a lot of new creative business owners skip this step initially, and it’s a very important one that will save you time and frustration. You need to make sure that your product is of a quality that people will and should pay for. Is your crochet hat going to unravel after one wear? Is paint going to instantly flake off the canvas? Are your beaded bracelets knotted securely? Are you using archival ink to create an original piece intended to last?
Regardless of aesthetic appeal or personal style and taste, craftsmanship is important. Everybody wants to purchase things they are sure will serve their purpose, and trust is a critical piece of small business ownership. So you will want to make sure that the product you want to sell is the output of a craft you have actually honed — not the thing you made 3 of after watching a YouTube tutorial.
Trying to sell products that are not at a sellable level of quality is setting yourself up for failure. You’ll get frustrated from lack of sales, or worse, you’ll have upset customers, negative reviews, and refunds to issue. Not an ideal position to put yourself in as a new business owner.
Can I scale production? There are two paths to explore here. The first is for products that are fully handmade from start to finish, like a bracelet or a piece of pottery. If this is you, your biggest factor is going to be your time. How long does it take you to make one product? How many can you make in the time that you have? When you’re thinking about the time it takes for you to make a labor-intensive product, be sure to consider the human factor for yourself. You don’t want to have to pull multiple all-nighters cranking out bracelets, or risk an injury from repetitive motion without a break. (This is where pricing can come in – more on that next!)
A secondary factor is the cost and logistics of your materials – as you sell more products, can you afford to buy a larger amount of materials and supplies at one time? Can you source them quickly?
The second path is for products that you handmake once and reproduce in an automated way, like a sticker or other printed product of your artwork. Your biggest factor is going to be that production cost and speed. Here again, ask yourself: Can you afford to restock a larger quantity? How quickly can you restock? Frankly, this path is easier from a scaling perspective – make a product once, and it’s immediately able to be used over and over – and this is the option I prefer personally. I started my business making original watercolor greeting cards and quickly encountered frustrations stemming from being restricted to making one-off products.
Of course, many creative products cannot be scaled in an automated way – and in fact, the non-automated characteristics of a product, like hand-dyed yarn or thrown pottery, may be your differentiator. So for most creatives it’s extremely important to ensure that you have the capacity to make more of the product you want to sell.
Can I make a profit? This is tied closely to the scaling considerations, since you will want to make sure you are charging enough for your product to account for the time it took you to make and the cost of materials. Meanwhile, you will also want to make sure your prices are in line with typical market value, so you actually get sales.. (If you want to market your products as premium and charge accordingly, that’s completely fine! Here, I’m talking about extremes, to where you completely price yourself out.)
This is especially tricky with labor-intensive products; it might take you hours to knit a wool sweater, but customers may not be willing to pay that higher price point that accounts for your time and high-quality materials. Thus, you may decide not to sell your knitted sweaters and save them as gifts for knitworthy friends and family. Mittens may be more feasible for you to sell, or you could opt to sell patterns, stitch markers, or findings.
Can I ship it? Okay, in theory, anything can be shipped — but is it going to be straightforward and affordable to do so? If you are planning on selling your products online, you will really want to research how you would ship them. This ranges from what mail services you can use, what packing materials you will need, approximate costs, and potentially other considerations like insurance.
A solid shipping plan is especially important for original, one-of-a-kind pieces like artwork; you have to get it right the first time. There is no replacement product to send in the event of damage. This is also a bigger consideration for, well, bigger, bulkier, and/or heavier products. A larger size and weight means a higher cost to ship and a higher likelihood of damage. You’ll want to be prepared with secure packaging, insurance or another CYA contingency plan, and clear communication with customers on pricing and policies.
Another thing to think about is what packing and shipping needs you will have for each product you plan to sell. Shipping supply costs can add up quickly, so you don’t want to put yourself in a situation where you need to buy several different box sizes and multiple types of packing material to accommodate a wide range of products. To keep shipping simple, you may want to start off with just selling one or two types of products — which will actually keep a lot of other things simple for you too. Thinking of this another way, every time you introduce a new type of product to your line, you can’t actually sell it until you can ship it. You’ll want to be crystal clear on how each product will make it to your customer.
Am I confident in my product and product knowledge? Building on the second point; you will want to be confident that you can stand behind your product and the claims you make about it. You know that your hat won’t immediately unravel because of your extensive crochet experience. You know your art piece won’t fade because you used archival professional grade materials. You know your stickers are waterproof because you’ve stuck them to your own water bottle and ran it through the dishwasher.
Additionally, you’ll want to be prepared to answer questions customers might have, like around sizing, materials, or your turnaround time. You’ll want to give them concise yet thorough answers that instill confidence in your product and establish you as a trusted authority on them. A lot of your product knowledge comes with time, as you spend time on your craft and gaining experience; that time and experience will also lead to an increased quality. So said another way, starting a new craft and immediately selling those products is a recipe for unhappy customers.
And there we have it! As I alluded to, this list is most definitely non-exhaustive … but answer these questions and take these steps, and you will set yourself up for success — which will lead to unlocking more of those resources (time, energy, funds) to continue to grow your business. I hope you found these helpful and that they gave you some motivation to get started selling those products you love to create!
Lemon Press Studio 