So you want to start a handmade business… but you don’t know what you want to sell. Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Starting a handmade business can be daunting, especially if you don’t know where to start. I get it, I really do—because I’ve been there. But you can have a successful handmade business if you want one and I’m here to help you get started.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
We All Start Somewhere.
I started my first handmade business in 2015, after buying a copy of Chris Guillebeau’s “The $100 Startup” on a whim. While I hadn’t intended to start selling handmade products when I picked up his book; the idea was intriguing to me even though I had no background in business and there was no indication that I had any skill in the area. But I’ve always been stubborn. The idea of entrepreneurship fascinated me, and Guilbeau’s book inspired me to take a leap of faith in myself.
It’s okay to take a different route to the end goal.
My foray into selling handmade goods didn’t stem from a passion for a particular craft; instead of falling in love with a product, I fell in love with the idea of making something people would want to buy. Maybe you’re in a similar boat. You love to create and you want to turn your passion for art into a source of income… but you have no idea what that could look like. If so, this series of three posts will help you figure it out.
You aren’t limited to the skills that you already have.
You might be thinking, “well, I already know how to knit, so I guess my best chance of success is to sell knitted things.” Except, this generally isn’t true. There’s a whole lot more that goes into selling handmade products than just selling something you currently know how to make. (Don’t get me wrong, you will have to know how to make the thing you’re going to sell, eventually. But oddly enough, that doesn’t have to come first.)
Your best chance at success is in selling something where a strong need already exists, or, finding a way to create a need. When you create a product, you need to know not just what you’re making, but who you’re making it for and why they should buy it.
The best place to start is to consider what interests you, and what communities you’re already part of.
When I decided to start making handmade products, there were no art forms I was already particularly good at. I dabbled in sewing, but I certainly couldn’t make anything worth selling. I can’t draw or paint well enough that anyone would give me money for it. Despite having been “crafty” all my life, I had hopped around from hobby to hobby so often that I had never developed a real proficiency in any one artistic endeavor. (If you can relate, you should check out my post on The Art of Responsible Hobby Hopping!)
Instead of looking at what skills I already had, I looked at what my interests were. I loved history, art, books, cats, musicals, and the Titanic, in no particular order.
Make a list.
I want you to take a few minutes to think about the things that interest you. Set a timer for 5 minutes, or 10. Make a quick list. Do you love video games? Surfing? Do you have a fascination with broken electronics, or perhaps a great passion for sandwiches? Think about
Don’t think about how these things might be crafty. Just think about the things that bring you joy.
What Could You Make That Aligns With Your Current Interests?
Got your list of interests? Great.
When I was thinking about what I wanted to make, I decided that I wanted to do something with books. There are tons of people who love books, myself being one of them, and if I could make a product that they might like, my potential audience was significant. I could have focused on any of my other interests, or even chosen to merge some of them if I had wanted to. (I wonder if there is a market for historical cat-themed merchandise…)
Next, I started to think about products I could make. I could sew book bags or book sleeves. I could make bookmarks. What about wall art with famous literary quotes? Book-themed stickers could be cute. Book-themed jewelry could be fun. How about handmade dolls inspired by classic book characters? (Who wouldn’t want to snuggle a little Lucy Pevensie or Wendy Darling?)
In thinking through these options, I also considered what skills, or equipment, I might need to produce a good product. In the case of a Lucy Pevensie doll, for example, I’d need to improve my sewing skills significantly. I’d probably need to invest in some doll patterns, and definitely in doll-quality fabric.
What stands out?
Take a look at your list of interests. Is there one that stands out to you? It’s time to do some more brainstorming. Grab a piece of paper and write the interest at the top. Then make three columns. Label the first column “products”, the second “skills needed,” and the third “supplies needed”. Then set a timer—maybe 15 to 20 minutes—and think broadly about the products you could make, the skills they would require, and the materials/equipment that you might need. If you don’t know for sure that’s fine because you’ll do more research once you pick a product.
Pick Something and Get Started.
Now that you have your notes, what you choose—if anything—will depend on a few factors. How soon do you want to start? If you need to start making money quickly, something that requires a lot of new skills probably won’t be your first choice. If you have very little funds to get started, something that requires a lot of expensive equipment probably won’t be an option right away.
Go back through your list and highlight anything that seems doable or anything that you really want to tackle. This is where you’re going to start. If there’s nothing that seems good, either go back to brainstorming or start over with a new interest from the list you made earlier. Keep going until you find something that you’d like to explore further. Repeat the process as many times as necessary.
For me, I settled on book jewelry. I didn’t know exactly what that was going to look like, but I knew I was going to make jewelry and I was going to make it… bookish.
That’s it for part one! Before you move on to the next part, make sure you have your product idea(s). It’s okay to have a few to start with; we’ll narrow it down more in the next step.
I can’t wait to see what you create!
