🚨NEW FREE WORKSHOP FOR 2022🚨 Learn how to create a PROFITABLE handmade business online without keeping up with social media 🔽 Watch the free workshop here: bit.ly/3IUyTAR
Is there a video on how to keep invoice for etsy! I just started this month! I have a crochet business. But I have no idea how to track everything. Please help!
With crochet, I think it's important not to do whatever everyone else is doing. Case in point, with the pandemic, I saw an explosion of people making face masks without even knowing if they were effective or safe. Everyone jumped on it to make a buck. Choose the projects that you are passionate about - that's your niche. Seriously - the world does not need another shop that sells face masks or messy bun hats.
Finally, advice specially for a crochet business. Thank you. I am taking my hobby to the next level and I am enjoying your channel. You are very helpful.
I'm happy to hear this resonated with you, Elizabeth! We definitely do have to acknowledge the differences in handmade business and that there's no one-size-fits-all way to success with them.
This is the first video of yours that I've seen, and 30 seconds in, I loved your energy so much that I hit subscribe! You seem so sweet and genuine; don't lose that! Thank you for the tips as well!!
Thank you so much Mei! I am a crocheter and have been looking for ways and where to sell my items. I have enjoyed watching your videos and you have helped me in figure things out in so many ways!
Thank you so much for the info! It's a big help. I've been doing this "part-time" and working full time for a few years now and I've been trying to navigate away from Etsy for the past few weeks but its hard to get the traffic to my website. I would love to do this full time but I'm not the greatest at keeping up with the social media side of the business. Love your channel! Thanks, Dianna from Knotty Fibers Knits
Thank you, Dianna! It can definitely be difficult to keep up with, especially when you have another job. But slow and steady wins the race, so if you keep trying to do small things now, it will slowly build on itself.
Thank you so much for this very informative ideas for crochet business. I've been in 4 years of my crochet business but until now i couldnt say to myself that i already have enough knowledge about it.Thanks a lot!
You're so welcome - I'm happy to hear it was helpful to you! If you haven't seen it yet, I'd love for you to check out my free Three Secrets workshop! www.creativehiveco.com/workshop/?
I'm still at the custom order phase so I am making whatever is being ordered so it's hard for me to find time to create my niche. Of course I love crocheting so I crocheting anything being ordered (if I can). So it's scary and overwhelming to think about narrowing down but it really makes sense from a customer pov
Custom orders can make it tough to focus on a niche, especially when you love crocheting a variety of items. It’s definitely a balancing act. Narrowing down can feel overwhelming, but it can also help you stand out and attract more of the right customers. Maybe you could start by focusing on one or two types of items that you enjoy making the most and see how it goes from there.
Have been doing some research on the crochet business , I have friends that have their own on line business in crochet which seem to be making a good profit. Good video for people to get a Idea of what the crochet business is all about.
This is perfect! I've been wanting to start a business all my life, and now I'm ready. But I have a question: I understand that we should avoid 'garage sales' but what if I have two specific things I'd like to sell. I love creating crochet things, but I also would like to do floral bookmarks. What would you do in that situation?
Thank you for watching Bella! With regards to your question, I highly recommend you focus on just one business idea/niche to start (i.e. crochet or floral bookmarks and not both at once). Once you've got one business doing well already, you can then start with your second business in mind. That way, you don't need to split your focus, mind, energy and resources with 2 businesses at once. The last thing you want is to get burnt out.
Hi Regina! Thank you so much for the suggestion! ❤️ In the meantime, I think this article can be helpful for you: stepbystepbusiness.com/business-ideas/start-a-crochet-business/ Good luck!! ❤️
I just started my crochet business and I found your video! Love your energy as well as your constructive guidelines , I am going to watch all your videos (it may take a while 😂), I am sure I will learn a lot from them! Thank you x
I make washi ningyo/ kimono origami as a bookmark, card, and framed. But, I have very little knowledge of how to sell it. Thankfully, your videos help me a lot.
Thank you for this video. I live in the country and there are no jobs hiring and I want to make money in other ways. I also use crocheting as therapy and I want to be able to keep affording my therapy..
Thank you Mai for this video. Very helpful info, many notes taken. Subbed and full bell notifications. Question: what about starting a not for profit loom knitting business? A company called Bombas makes socks and other underwear and for every item they sell, they donate that same item to the homeless. But they are for profit. I want to loomknit custom made, hand made socks for customers and donate a second pair in the customers name to the homeless so the customer gets a write-off. I had been buying retail for my yarn but will buy from Brown Sheep from now on to both save money and add the "made in the USA from USA materials." I have a tax specialist who works to get businesses every deduction possible to talk to and there's the local chapter of SCORE Service Corps Or Retired Executives, I will go to but I also would love your and your fan basses input.
Starting a not-for-profit loom knitting business with a mission to donate socks to the homeless is a wonderful idea! Your plan to purchase materials from Brown Sheep, supporting local and American-made products, aligns well with your mission and adds value to your business. You can consider reaching out to local homeless shelters or organizations that work with the homeless community to understand their needs and how your donations can best support them. Building relationships with these organizations can also help amplify the impact of your donations. I think is this awesome!
Im 16 and wanted to try a business but then dont have money to start. I have few yarns and right now im doing two products and my cousin and aunt will buy the items but i dont know if the money i get will be enough yo start.
If you are able to keep making things, then you are able to start. If it takes some time to build up your inventory then that is okay too. You don't have to do everything all at once, just keep taking small steps forward.
Am think I already started my crochet business 😂 but its not organized so am working hard to know the main types of yarns and number of pieces am going to offer. Yarns are really expensive so the pieces will cost alot 😢 am not sure about the pricing yet. So my problem now is the pricing plus the pieces I will create I think I have one piece that I already know it has a demand but other piece are not that much so I have to sit and think about it deeply. Thank you so much for the video I found it really helpful.
You will really have to figure out if you can make it work. For pricing crochet I would use the same standard pricing formula but use some tweaks. For example, I might choose never to sell wholesale, so I wouldn't mark up costs by 4 to get retail price. I would just mark up by around 2 or 3 times, depending on what the market can bear. I would also lower the labor rate since crochet is time consuming. The real money you make from the product shouldn't be from the labor anyway, but from the profits (from the markups). Then, where the art comes in, definitely check out what comparable products sell for and let that inform you of where you want to ultimately price. Another good idea is to work backwards and let pricing inform your product design. If you know you have to sell a crocheted hat for $40, then you know roughly how many hours you have to make it.
I was thinking about starting up my own Etsy and I was wondering if I wanted to focus on making food/animal plushies, when I sell them do I have to give credit to the person who came up with the pattern? Say I watched a tutorial on RU-vid and made a cute pig plushie and decided to sell it on my Etsy. Would I have to credit the RU-vid channel, if so how would I credit them on my Etsy?
Hi Lupe! I think it's best to ask permission from the designer/pattern maker if it's okay to use his/her pattern for your products and it always wouldn't hurt giving credit to where credit is due. You can also check out the links below for some reference. All the best!! ❤️❤️ www.hookedbykati.com/selling-items-someone-elses-pattern/ crochetpreneur.com/sell-crochet-items-someone-elses-pattern/
This probably fits under the video I just came from (5 things you wish you knew before starting your business), but I'm super hooked to your channel and it's kinda a burning question I have if you could help me ^-^. If you don't really have an audience, how would you know what to sell? And have you ever felt like you were compromising your artistic sensibilities if that's the case? I was looking into designing art for stickers/enamel pins and I know if I draw pokemon or something, that'll probably sell better because there's a set audience for that, but doing that wouldn't really help me grow as a brand would it? It would just strengthen the brand of something that isn't mine.
Hi Jemma, you should sell something that you enjoy creating, plain and simple. First of all, there's all kinds of trouble when you start selling products with trademarked and copywritten material. It's a huge no-no to take someone else's work like that. Second of all, you want the work to be unique to you so that the style is your own. When someone looks at your work they can see a theme of what you are creating. But if it's not something you are passionate about doing, you won't succeed because you will likely lose interest once it gets tough going.
The biggest challenge with the crochet business in Africa particularly Zambia is the availability of wool I'm different textures and colours. Thanks for your tips
Thank you so much for your amazing videos, I have been watching quite a few of them. What I'm finding hard is trying to figure out how to buy yarn wholesale, there isn't much information around about it. I'm hoping my business will take off 🙏
Sometimes you can go straight to the brand and see if they offer wholesale accounts. You can also contact their customer service to ask if you don't see anything.
So glad it was helpful to you! You might also like my 3 Secrets Workshop, if you haven't seen it yet! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-W3wRBMh0kAo.html
My mom and I would like to start a small crochet business from home. How can we get started? Ps Thank you for the video I have to watch a few more times just to get all of the information you have provided glued into my brain. It was very helpful.
Hi Patricia! That's really exciting that you're looking into starting a business with your mom!! ❤️ If you prefer reading over watching, you can also check out my blog post here: www.creativehiveco.com/how-to-start-a-crochet-product-business/ You can start by choosing a niche and then create products that will appeal to your chosen market/niche. It's important that you're creating profitable products that your ideal customers will love. Good luck! I wish you and your mom all the best!! ❤️
Yes I was wondering if selling my handmade crochet hats from preemies to adults with styles of animals Characters and regular hats as i sell them for $15 without earflaps and $20 with earflaps. So I was wondering what you thinl about that
Hi Renee! Here's another video of mine that could be helpful for you in pricing your products: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-H3r9M3QhnNQ.html You can also download a free copy of my Online Pricing Calculator here: www.creativehiveco.com/pricing-handmade-items-guide/ Let me know if you have any questions. 😊
Thank you very much for sharing this information! You are very helpful! What is your opinion about macrame art pieces? I would appreciated if you could give me an advice where and how to sell them better? Many greetings from Greece Irene Kalatzi
Super helpful. Thank you. I have a hard time deciding what niche to go into. I actually have the most success crocheting cat toys, but I haven't really advertised anything but cat toys so far 😅. The hard part is I also really enjoy making toy food, and a specific style of doll/monster. I was thinking of putting some feelers out in the local community group and see what sells. Idk. I'm really talented but really nervous too. 😭
@@CreativeHiveCo yessss. I was just thinking that today. I'm kinda getting excited about selling cat toys. I watched your video about staging and got excited about putting catnip jellyfish in a fish bowl with my cats a bit blurred out in the background 😊
Shiny Happy World doesn’t seem to sell safety eyes anymore. ☹️ Are there any other sites that sell wholesale safety eyes? Or has Shiny Happy World just changed the way you purchase their safety eyes?
Hi! You can check out Alibaba for other possible suppliers. Here's a helpful link too with other alternatives: www.reddit.com/r/crochet/comments/cdxchw/safety_eyes_in_bulk/ www.reddit.com/r/Amigurumi/comments/14lef7p/safety_eyes_in_bulk/
People are going to have similar ideas and that's fine, as long as you are doing your own designing of the product and not copying exactly what others are doing. For example, if you see a line of greeting cards with a saying written in a certain font, you aren't going to want to also do that saying in a similar font. But you can be inspired by the TYPE of greeting card and come up with your own message and style.
I crochet with chunky wool because I prefer it, but it also makes my products tale shorter time to make. I really like making hats and scarves instead of amigurumi things. This makes my products cheaper, easier, and quicker to make. Luckily I'm only doing craft fairs and school orders, so it doesn't really matter. But I just thought it was cool how I got a good buissness strategy from just my preference of yarn and makes.
Hi Nilima! It's important that you pin down your ideal customers first. Once you get your ideal customers/target audience/niche figured out, conduct a research on your target market and see if there's demand/competition for your products. Are your products going to be profitable in that market? Is there any gap in the market that your products can solve (or you can incorporate in your products to put a unique spin on them)? It doesn't have to be a complicated one. If you need a transcript of this video so you can really savor in the information you got from this video, feel free to check out my blog post here: www.creativehiveco.com/how-to-start-a-crochet-product-business/ Also, if you're interested to know how you can scale your handmade business online (i.e. with your own website), you're more than welcome to watch my free online workshop. Here's the link to register: bit.ly/3EGGC47 Good luck!! You got this!! ❤️❤️
How exciting to get started on your own business! The best place to start is with my free workshop The Three Secrets to Selling Online. After that I recommend watching this RU-vid playlist!
Hello, I know that there’s a loom machine (small, that you can easily buy online or hobby lobby, not an industrial machine) for knitting. Is there a similar tool for crocheting?
Hi Vanessa! You can check out this link for some helpful reference: littleworldofwhimsy.com/are-there-crochet-machines-i-asked-an-expert/ Feel free to also check out Ravelry. You might get some helpful info in there. It is a knitting and crochet community. Hope that helps. Good luck!! 💕💕
If they are well-made products of high quality, then I don't see why not. Just make sure the yarn is suitable for the product. If it's for babies, I'd say make sure it isn't too coarse and scratchy.
I do crochet knit plastic canvas and now a cricut should I sell a variety and all in one shop or just one thing or all and different shops I'm wanting to start a business
Hi Julie! Great question! It actually depends on you. You could have a variety of different products in your product line if you wish to as long as it's cohesive and appealing to the same audience/ideal customers. 😊
Do you have any tips on how to manage stock? I want to be made to order, but can only take so many orders per week and reach shipping deadlines. I don’t want to get overwhelmed by orders but I’m not sure placing an order cap, marking everything out of stock, and then next week everything comes back in stock is the right way to go.
I've got a video on inventory management apps that you might find helpful: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-W3wRBMh0kAo.html and then this post on inventory management systems: www.creativehiveco.com/top-4-inventory-management-options-for-etsy-shopify/
For pricing crochet I would use the same formula but use some tweaks. For example, I might choose never to sell wholesale, so I wouldn't mark up costs by 4 to get retail price. I would just mark up by around 2 or 3 times, depending on what the market can bear. I would also lower the labor rate since crochet is time consuming. The real money you make from the product shouldn't be from the labor anyway, but from the profits (from the markups). Then, where the art comes in, definitely check out what comparable products sell for and let that inform you of where you want to ultimately price. Another good idea is to work backwards and let pricing inform your product design. If you know you have to sell a crocheted hat for $40, then you know roughly how many hours you have to make it.
A great place to check is www.thelavenderchair.com/all-about-pricing-your-crochet-projects/. It covers everything and usually comes out to a pretty reasonable price for the item while paying yourself fairly.
Hiya, does anyone in the UK have any advice please. My local Trading Standards said all the yarn I use needs to be EN71-3 tested and azo dye free. They also need to been flammability tested and cords on bag handles can't have a loop that's got no brake in it. Any advice would be extremely appreciated
Hi! You can also try posting this on the Creative Hive Facebook group to get some insights from our UK-based members. Here's the link to the Creative Hive FB group in case you want to join: facebook.com/groups/creativebizmarketing/ 😊
How do you deal with laws about testing? For instance if you were making childrens dolls would you have to safety test them for choking hazards, flammability, etc?
Yes, you have to be compliant for children's products and testing is involved. This is a great group for anyone making children's products: facebook.com/groups/227360430739322/
Hi there! If you're looking for someone to help you sell them, you might consider reaching out to local craft fairs, artisan markets, or even online platforms like Etsy. You could also enlist the help of a friend or family member who enjoys marketing and sales.
I am planning on creating a business in the future with my creations but the stuff I’ve been making are using patterns from other individuals is it bad to use those patterns? If I’m planning on selling?
It depends - do those patterns say "only for personal use" anywhere on them? If they do then you can't use them. Or you can ask the maker if they require a commercial license to use the pattern to sell items from their patterns. Better to cover your bases ahead of time.
You may have to change the files type so that it is smaller. Here are the accepted file types: help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115015628347-How-to-List-a-Digital-Item-in-Your-Etsy-Shop?segment=selling
@@CreativeHiveCo I use pdf, but too large, I saw others also contain many pictures but they can still upload it. Do u have any video showing how to make it?
I don't, but here is a thread that I found that might be helpful: community.etsy.com/t5/Managing-Your-Shop/TRYING-TO-UPLOAD-LARGE-DIGITAL-ART-FILES/td-p/7039050
Ravelry is great and I know a lot of stitchers who use it and have loved the community! It's a fine option for you for sure. Two things to note - Ravelry recently changed their homepage and they were having some issues with it affecting users negatively - migraines, eye strain, some reporting seizures, and when pressed for changes they refused (knitting.craftgossip.com/ravelrys-new-look-knocked-for-accessibility-issues/2020/06/27/) and they decided to ban all Trump supporters from the site, which led to boycotts and a lawsuit (www.vox.com/2019/6/27/18744347/ravelry-trump-ban-backlash-community-reaction).
Hi creative hive you are sooo prettty. I would like to ask you a few things: There's a gap in crotchet market in my country i haven't seen any really big brand of crotchet Yarn in my country is cheap becuase it is produced here There is definitely demand of crotchet items Etsy and Amazon isn't available in my country bussiness is mostly done on instagram Is it a good idea to start keychain, hairclips, baby shoes , baby toys etc is it good to start with
Hi Isma! That's a great question! I would suggest you start with finding your niche/ideal customers first before you decide on what product to make/sell. What market would you like to target? The more specific you are with your niche, the better. Once you've decided on a niche you want to target, that's when you think of what profitable product you can sell in that market. Conduct a research. Feel free to check out this blog of mine for some reference: www.creativehiveco.com/what-you-need-to-know-before-starting-a-handmade-business-in-2021/ If you're interested, you're also more than welcome to join my free workshop. Here's the link to register: www.creativehiveco.com/profit/? Hope that helps! Good luck!! ❤️❤️
If I watch a tutorial to help me out with an item I am making and I want to sell the product is that considers copyright? I’m not trying to take anyone’s else’s product just wondering.
It can depend. Some will have their tutorials marked "for personal use only" or "not for commercial use", but you can always reach out to the content creator to ask them directly.
You could start looking for supplies in places like Michael's, Joann, or Hobby Lobby, which are convenient for most people, or you can shop online on Etsy or Amazon as well.
