I have begun to make a series of lists. A list of things I need to list, if you will.
- What do I want to sell?
- Who will buy the products?
- Do I want to specialize?
- How much does each item cost?
- How much is shipping?
- How much time to I have to spend on this project?
- What inventory do I have on hand?
- What do I need to buy?
- Where will I sell the items?
- How will I promote myself?
- What are my goals?
I am a consummate list maker, so this part is easy for me. Gathering all of this information is necessary for creating a business plan. Every successful business owner has created a business plan at some point.
Today, I simply have a ton of information rolling around in my brain and very little on paper. What I do have is this:
What do I want to sell? Hand-made crocheted items and original patterns, mostly with a vintage or Victorian look. The reason for this is because I love lace and lacy items. I love crochet thread items. I love trims on pillow cases, napkins, curtains, doilies, doll dresses, lacy cuffs, lacy collars, lacy gloves... well, you get the idea.
The first piece of advice I can give anyone who wants to follow in my slow and plodding footsteps is to KEEP VERY CAREFUL RECORDS OF EVERYTHING. This information will be important to your business plan and also to the IRS at tax time.
Also, subscribe to any newsletters that pertain to your craft. For instance, I have just recently subscribed to Creative Income from FaveCrafts.com . Not only should you subscribe to the newsletters, make sure you read them as they may contain something that will give you that jolt of encouragement you need right at that moment.
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