 So You Want To Sell Quilts...
I periodically get emails from quilters who want to work at home and start their own quilt business. Most start with the idea working from home is attractive, making a little extra income from something you enjoy doing very enticing. Frankly it's also a lot of work, and work that's hard to get away from because it's at home! Here are some basics about running a home quilt business:
How Much Does It Cost? Too many people don't have a clue what it costs to make something - and understandably are scared to find out!? Focus on one item you want to make and break it down: cost of supplies, equipment use, your time. Can you get supplies wholesale? Can you change the price if you make several at once? How many would you have to make to bring the price down....What are people paying for a similar item provided by other suppliers. You'll soon find there are a number of cost and supply issues that change when you are thinking of making many of one item.
Come Clean and Be Honest... Sit down in a quiet spot and list your strengths and weakenesses. Be honest. Are you a little disorganized? Great at packing but can't generate a spread sheet if your life depends on it? You'll need to prioritize that list and figure out how to be or get efficient in key areas you may not necessarily want to work in.
Find Out What it Means to Have a Home Business Talk to a lawyer and an accountant. Get a sense for the records, etc. you need to keep. Also ask about how best to set up the business: sole proprietorship v. S corporations v. limited partnerships. If for no other reason, if you want to buy your supplies wholesale or get a little grace period before you pay your bills you're going to need to organize into some sort of registered business.
Take The Work at Home Idea Out For A Test Drive
Try Ebay or Etsy. This will give you a taste of what it's like to sell. Both these online market places makes the process easy. You'll need to sort out how to take best pictures, fully describe the product, ship and take payments. It can be time-consuming at first but once you set up your business support systems and understand the process it will go faster. It will also help establish the quality of your products and services through the independent feedback those customers provide sellers. Also visit other small business people. Ask them what they like most, least, etc. If you can, spend a day with them to see how things evolve with suppliers, customers, family members...If you don't know of anybody, contact your local AARP chapter, business or vocational school or chamber of commerce. Most offer either classes or have personnel who can help you talk things through.
Participate In Shows and Try Direct Selling Observe and participate in local arts and crafts shows, farmers markets, Xmas bazaars. Being a part of those will give you a feeling for what it's like to plan for the event, handle customers, see what people are buying and at what price, etc. Often people find out they don't like the selling part and prefer just the making part. Find this out early before you make any sizeable financial investment in your home business.
Okay, you've covered most of these and you're still itching to try it.
Develop A Written Business Plan Might as well get used to it, you're going to be up to your ears in paperwork! And if you talk to professionals who have watched businesses go under they'll tell you there are three reasons why most beginning businesses don't make it. Not thinking things through is a big one. So go online, find yourself a free business plan outline and walk yourself through it. Check with your local university extension office or chamber of commerce. They often have business assistance programs that can walk you through a plan. Really. Those plans will identify areas you have perhaps not considered, give you some questions to help you define success and overall give you a good sense of what it takes to run a business.
Be Kind to Your Banker! This is the second reason most beginning companies don't make it. They didn't plan enough start up money to get them past the hump. We've all heard the stories of millionaries who started with $500 in savings. What they haven't told you is that somewhere along the way they sat down with a financial advisor who helped them with a financing plan based on that business plan. Bounce the idea off of him and ask how he or she can help. The usual rule of thumb is have enough money on hand for 2-5 years.
Be Careful of - Oops - Growing Too Fast? That's the third reason small businesses fail - growing too fast, not able to efficiently and effectively keep up. Marketing specialists will tell you that for every positive sale you are lucky if the customer shares a positive comment 3 to 5 times. But make one bad sale and that person will tell at least 7-10 people. Once you get behind and make errors and bad sales, it's hard to catch up so start slow. Stick with a few items, do them well, be consistent, then refer to your business plan to see what you should be doing next...
What We Need Is a Website! A website is only as good as how easily people can locate it. If you are able to design a website and get it listed in the first 2 pages of the category of your main products, then you have a good tool to help sell your items. If you are lost in the millions of pages on the net, the website will function only as an online catalog listing you can refer to when contacting customers. In addition, if you have an unreliable and untrustworthy webmaster, you will pay in more than lost sales so take your time and pick your webmaster wisely. Learn search engine optimization basics so you set up your website based on your critical keywords.
It Takes Two! Finally, when we interviewed small business owners several years ago about their formula for success, the one key element they all mentioned was having a partner, someone you can trust who can lend a helping hand, who you can bounce ideas off, who can drop that emergency shipment off at the post office. They can't drop shipments off at the post office but having a pet with you can add a lot to your home business experience. We hope these help you get you started on the road to running your own home quilt business. Good Luck!
Feel Free to Contact Me With Your Questions and Successes
Give me Charlotte a call at 877-598-1908 or email at info@bluebirdgardens.com with your success story!
From Our Customers"After taking care of family members for the past few years, I am ready to
earn money again. Yet this time I want to have more fun at it! Your business tips and ideas were on target. I'm planning a quilt business geared toward who I am. You are right in that HOW to start is the big thing. Thank you for being a 'buddy' to someone you do not even know. If you have more comments, answers, thoughts, or just plain advice please let me know. P.S. Your site is very clear and lovely. Refreshing." -- Debra
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