William's Arts / Crafts Business Blog February 2008 Archive

Wholesale Versus Consignment
Should you sell your products through consignment or wholesale? Many crafters cannot mark down prices enough to sell to wholesale outlets. There is just too much competition to sell at a ... Read More

Sunday February 24, 2008 | permalink | comments (5)

Finding A Tax Preparer
I've always recommended a good CPA to handle your taxes for your business. Unless you are trained in tax preparation, you are better off hiring someone who knows what they are ... Read More

Sunday February 24, 2008 | permalink | comments (0)

Where Do You Make the Most Money?
I think most crafters still make the majority of their income from shows. However many are beginning to create a substantial income from other sources like sites, consignment and even sales ... Read More

Sunday February 24, 2008 | permalink | comments (4)

Home-Office Tax Deduction
An age-old question for craft professionals who work from home is: should I take the home office deduction? I've always been a firm believer that you should take all legal deductions ... Read More

Sunday February 17, 2008 | permalink | comments (3)

What's Your Inspiration?
There's a great discussion about what inspires an artist to create going on in the forum right now. It seems that many people are inspired by "what sells", in other words: ... Read More

Sunday February 17, 2008 | permalink | comments (0)

What's Your Story?
Telling the story behind you and your craft is an excellent marketing tool. People are interested in how you got started, what makes you creative and where you are going with ... Read More

Sunday February 17, 2008 | permalink | comments (3)

Pricing Crafts
Beginners and old-timers alike would benefit to take a serious look at their pricing structure. Most crafters know to include raw materials in their pricing scheme. However make sure that things ... Read More

Sunday February 10, 2008 | permalink | comments (3)

Liability Insurance
Many crafters will not need this type of insurance since promoters would be liable for most accidents that would happen at a show. However, if you have people come into your ... Read More

Sunday February 10, 2008 | permalink | comments (1)

Small Business the Old Fashioned Way
What would grandma tell you about running your business? Possibly, that you should start small, save money and make sure that you operate on a cash basis. Remember that debt can ... Read More

Sunday February 10, 2008 | permalink | comments (0)

Local Shows
Local craft shows are the easiest and the least expensive way to get your business off the ground. Not only will you learn about show etiquette, but you will also save ... Read More

Sunday February 3, 2008 | permalink | comments (2)

Seminars or Real-Life?
A good thread in the forum this week is all about seminar training versus real-life experience. What is better? Workshops and seminars about small businesses can offer valuable advice for running ... Read More

Sunday February 3, 2008 | permalink | comments (0)

Cyber-Crafting
Most crafters have a web presence in one form or another these days. If you are online and want to increase you sales, you might consider cross-links with other websites, ... Read More

Sunday February 3, 2008 | permalink | comments (1)