Читать книгу Crafting a Successful Small Business - Joanne Dewberry - Страница 6

 Income is variable and irregular.

 It takes a lot of effort to get your name ‘out there’ – especially when you probably just want to be creating products.

 When you first start up there is you and only you. YOU are jack-of-all-trades; photographer, accountant, PR, sales, customer services, tea maker, etc. It can be incredibly hard being spread so thinly, especially if your products are time-consuming to make. However, they are all necessary parts of making your business successful.

 You can get lost amongst other crafters, especially on websites such as Etsy or MISI.

 Competing products produced in factories can be made at a fraction of the price, so stay clear of the obvious and think unique, kitsch and limited edition.

 It can be lonely working from home. Make sure you join business networking groups to learn new skills and meet other small business owners. Also think about attending craft coffee mornings, enabling you to network with fellow crafters. If you can’t find one, then start your own!

 You can easily be distracted by people, the telephone, social networking, cleaning, etc. Procrastination is easily succumbed to when working from home.

 Margins can be low, therefore make sure you have a good pricing formula and that you know the cost of all your materials. Also, ensure you factor in the cost of your time.

 Paperwork can be vast for a small business! For example, handmade toys require a CE mark. You are responsible for knowing the relevant laws.

 Many of the crafters I have interviewed made the same point about having their creative license copied as soon as their product is ‘out there’. Unfortunately, those tools which enable you to promote your business online can be your downfall too. When your products are selling well you inevitably open yourself up to being easily copied.

 You can lose motivation, passion and interest.

Turning a hobby into a business has a huge learning curve. I believe that to be successful you need to have had experience in all the key areas and know the ins and outs of how the whole business fits together.