A lot goes into choosing the pallette and the selection is primarily based on making the colors different enough from the past year that people feel they must update. Yes, it’s all about merchandizing. So, while the colors for 2012 shades of orange, gold, purple, aqua, green and brown, they are very specific hues of those colors. The  pinks are “sweet lilac” and “cabaret” and the while aqua has been big for a couple of years now, this is a very specific “cockatoo”.

So why does this matter for you as a crafter? Because people are going to buy those colors or compliments of them subconsciously. They get used to seeing them in shops and catalogs, recognize them and are attracted to them, possibly because of the familiarity. If you make wear-ables such as jewelry or scarves, your customers are probably looking for pieces to compliment their wardrobe so you do need to become familiar with the color trends and make sure that you do have at least a portion of your line in that pallette. If you attend bead shows or wholesale fabric shows, be sure to bring the pallette along and use it as a guide for purchasing your supplies. And by all means, if you exhibit at wholesale tradeshows, the pallette should be part of your booth display because retailers will be impressed that you have planned your line around what will sell best in their shops and that will increase your sales.

How has color trend influenced your craft business in the past year? As always, you’re invited to comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts and observations on this.

If it’s a job you’re looking for, I’m not your gal.  But, if you’re seeking inspiration and guidance to be your own boss, to join a tribe of inspired entrepreneurs, let’s talk. You have the equipment since you already sew. You can do all the sewing yourself or create your own community, your sewing circle. And we’ll all be making a difference, making income doing what we love. That’s what inspired livelihood is all about.

If you haven’t yet received your “13 Quick, Easy, Low-cost or NO-cost Ways to Turn your Craft into Cash” go to the right and get your free gift.

You’ll find many of these tips can be implemented NOW.

Have you noticed that many of the small boutiques and galleries that sell handmade are low in inventory two weeks before Christmas? I have, and I know why. And this is to your advantage as a craftsperson.

As a result of the media’s fear-based reports, small retailers ordered light this season anticipating slow sales. But guess what? Discerning consumers are searching for unique, handcrafted, meaningful gifts this season, catching retailers unprepared with insufficient supply and no time to re-order handmade gifts.  Most people say they haven’t even started shopping yet which means shop owners are missing out on revenue if they don’t have inventory. While the big-box retailers can mark their wares down after the holidays, and still make a profit, as you know,  craft retailers don’t have the margin to discount since their markup is so low. So, they are afraid to purchase this late in the season.

But this is where YOU come in. Boutiques and galleries that may not have had space to display your work previously need the inventory between now and Christmas. You likely have pieces you’d love to turn into cash and the shops NEED your work now. It’s risk free for them if you put pieces on consignment and you have nothing to lose either. (review previous tips on consignment.)

Don’t limit yourself to galleries. The next three weeks, women are dressing for holiday parties and looking for that one-of-a-kind accessory to add pizazz to their outfit. Approach apparel shops and offer to consign your handcrafted jewelry, evening bags, shawls, etc.

No one can buy them if they are sitting in your studio unseen,

Check back frequently for more “eleventh hour” tips on selling your crafts.

I look forward to reading your questions. Remember to post below or email me now at coach@craftbizblog.com. because you can’t win if you don’t play! 

The easiest solution is to design a new version of what you already make but in a spring-summer material. At a craft fair in Florida this past weekend  I met a woman who is crocheting fabulous sun hats in cotton. I will be purchasing several for myself and gifts. They are washable, crushable and summer friendly.  How can you take what you already do and make it four season friendly? Feel free to post your questions and let’s see what we all come up with.

Now, let’s assume you are absolutely married to your current textile-say you make felted wool items. Well, short of completely changing what you do, how can you find a market for your craft year round. My first thought is, “Are you forgetting that this is a global economy-you are on the World Wide Web.?”  Your customers no longer have to share your zip code let alone continent. Remember, while spring is sprouting in your corner of the world,  there is a whole southern hemisphere just heading into a long cold winter. I think a great idea would be to work an exchange with some fellow crafts Down Under. I know they are in our network because I am hearing from them.  Let’s brainstorm some ways to share talents and market one another’s crafts. Remember, when the sun is shining where you are,  our crafty friends in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are shopping for scarves, mittens and hats. And you might want to think about also doing a materials trade as well. They have amazing fibers that we don’t and we have some they covet. Get into the conversation and say G’day!

Your target customer is the discriminating shopper who wants something unique and handcrafted. Yes, people are being more careful with their dollars now and you have the advantage in that when times are tight, consumers want what they are spending on to be special. They may not be shopping for household appliances right now but when it comes time to purchase a gift or a piece of artwork for their home,  they are making conscious choices and want something they don’t see everywhere.  

Keep sight of who you are and what your work is all about. You are an artist and unless you are not staying ahead of the off-shore knock-offs, you have no reason to be concerned about ‘competition. You have something special that your customers are proud to give. They love to tell the recipient that they met the artist in person-it’s important to know the story behind their purchase. 

Right now it’s more important than ever to have your products “shout” of handmade. Take the time to put hangtags on each piece, identifying it as handmade, maybe even talking about the technique. Include a bio and ideally a headshot.  Remember, it’s the human connection that makes the difference.

My advise to any artist, craftsperson or retail gallery is always, in any economy, to make sure your line has a variety of price points. Of course this is easier to do in certain medium than in others.  In jewelry for example, you may want to produce more of the pieces that you can price in that gift range-work that can be cast in quantity or easily and quickly assembled. With the hand forged, more labor intensive pieces, you may want to use more precious metals (gold, platinum) and gemstones. If you sell midrange paintings, this is a good time to expand into some moderate priced prints, small matted or simply framed card sized prints and also to do a few originals on a larger scale. Any work you can print, cast, or otherwise produce inexpensively is a good idea. Put the originals of these less expensive pieces aside. (Don’t exhibit them at the same shows as your prints.) Then have some other work that you only show the originals of at this time.) Do be sure to scan these for future printing.)  

Whether it’s wearable art or home furnishings, try to focus on the two extremes -this is not the time to try to sell mid priced work. 

Keep in mind also that with the big box stores closing and manufacturers losing those accounts, this may be a great time to move into having a segment of your line outsourced for licensed production. Printers, casters etc are hungry for work so they are likely to be more flexible with minimums and also willing to give you a price break. 

How can you repurpose some of your work to sell well in todays’ economic climate? Are you ready to reach out to a new target customer?  It might feel a bit uncomfortable at first if you aren’t used to commanding high prices, but now is the time to see who your collectors are. Not only will it keep your business thriving but you also might just enjoy seeing the fruits of your labor and products of your passion bring in the big bucks. It’s  a boost to the ego as well as the wallet. Who will purchase an original piece that is priced significantly above your normal range? Is it time to do some custom work? Id’ love to hear what you are doing to get into a different price point and and a new audience. 

Yes, I do listen to the news. I know people are losing jobs and retailers are shutting their doors. And I also know that most of my self employed friends with small businesses are    reporting record breaking sales. Because when you’re self employed, you create your own economy. When something isn’t working , you can make changes quickly without the bureaucracy of a board of directors. On the corporate level, by the time reports are generated and changes approved, it is frequently too late. Too much has been lost. Not so in small business. Results are evident almost immediately so adjustments and corrections are made quickly. . In your own business, it’s much easier to tweak things and keep the cash flowing. 

Let’s say you work for a large company and they lose their bread and butter account. You were the brainchild behind the product, and while it was making everyone wealthy, you were a hero. You head up the department that handles that part of the business. The CEO calls a meeting of the board and after lengthy discussions on how this will affect the balance sheet, it is determined that they will cut out your division. They’re sorry, but they have to let you go.

Now, let’s take the self employment scenario. You are a jewelry designer and your line was picked up by a major retail chain. Rather than rent a large studio and hire employees to help you with production, you enlisted the help of some stay-at-home moms to help with the orders. They are paid by the piece and happy for the extra cash. It’s worked out beautifully. Now, that retailer has cut back on the volume they’re ordering and fortunately for you, there’s no lease or payroll to meet and rather than you losing your job, YOU get to choose how to restructure and who gets to stay on. You have the option of doing more of the work yourself and focusing on the numerous other markets for your business. It isn’t likely you’d have this option if you worked for someone else. . 

If you are still employed,  Im not suggesting you quit your job tomorrow. But, don’t believe you are indispensable. And don’t lose sleep worrying about what you will do if (when) you lose your job , You’ll be in good shape if you START NOW to plan your safety net. 

WHY is right now the best time to start a craft business? 

Because if you begin now to build a part time business you’ll bring in extra money and build some savings incase you are laid off. And if you don’t become a “labor statistic tragedy’ you’ll have the option to leave your job eventually if you choose to be a full time entrepreneur. 

Right now you have a huge pool of talent to pull from for any subcontract work for your cottage industry-and that IS absolutely the way to go. You can design your line and have people who are out of work help with the production while you continue your day job.

Suppliers are giving better deals right now on materials and lowering their minimums, so you will be able to purchase at prices that were previously reserved for large businesses. 

If renting space for a studio, office or retail gallery is pat of the plan, commercial property owners are much more flexible on price and terms of lease because they have high vacancy rates. 

Regardless of the economy, people are still buying gifts but they are more conscious than ever of choosing something special that they don’t see everywhere. Consumers are spending wisely and that means a gift or purchase for the home must have meaning . 

People, particularly women, still love to shop and now more than ever,  they want it to be an experience. They crave items that make them feel better or connect them to humanity.  Consumers want to know that hands, rather than machines, have created the products they purchase. 

While many of us have been conscious of purchasing domestic products, the general public is more aware now of the need to support American made. 

So now that you see why a recession is the perfect time to start your craft business, what steps can you take now to begin building your own job security?    I’d love to hear your ideas and help you create a company that will always have a position for YOU?

You’ll be amazed how much less anxiety you’ll feel when you know that YOU are in control of your own financial security. 

My old attitude came from a misguided background in fine art. Actually,  I was a misfit in a competitive Design , Art and Architecture College at a large university.   It was immediately apparent they’d made a mistake accepting me into the art education program. I’m a creative idea generator but this was pre-computer and to say I’m not a perfectionist is an understatement. Several of our design courses were combined with architecture and industrial design students and, well, let’s just say,  I didn’t fit in.  Another part of the curriculum was classic training in the fine arts of drawing, painting and sculpture. It was unacceptable if not laughable to even consider creating anything functional. The only time I felt in my element was the one semester we got an abbreviated sampling of jewelry and textiles. 

Decades later as I walked the aisles of the Buyer’s Market in Philli or the ACC show, I thought, “Why didn’t I know in the early 70s that this was a option? And as I looked around my gallery full of  delighted customers purchasing “functional” art (craft), I visualized the disapproving face of my old college painting professor and smiled, happy I that I’d followed my heart and opened my mind to the world outside of fine art. 

Yes, I’m still in awe of painters and sculptors and I do have fine art hanging in my home. I’m also proud of the funky, fun, functional craft I own. It makes me happy and I know that the crafts people I purchased it from are artists as well.