Late post for Friday, 27 FEB 2015 :: Developing your craft business.

I am so sorry that this post is late, but it was the best thing for me to do in my situation... I haven't gotten to the point of pre-writing and scheduling blog posts, but I am heading in that direction for some topics.  So, I write on the day it appears, or as close to it as I can.  Last Friday I went out for some craft supplies and pricing, but it was too much for my body and made me ill... until pretty late in the evening...and I didn't think it would hurt anyone at this point in my blogging if I waited to write it later. 

Friday night and Saturday daytime is what I try to honor as the Sabbath. It is hard not to do anything, and I don't agree with some of the regulations I have heard about in the Jewish community, so I have been trying to find my way through the Sabbath questions on my own.  I decided to wait until the Sabbath was over before I even thought of blogging. 

As it turned out, I was preoccupied until now...about 10 pm on Sunday night... my planned curfew! 

I will get my schedule figured out... it is taking time and making me find the best use of my energies and resources as I search. In fact, that is part of what I was doing this weekend (Sunday)... going over my goals, organizing my records, trying to decide on the best options for selling.

I think I told you about the videos I watched from artbizcoach.com (Alyson B Stanfield) -- one was about establishing regular "studio hours" for making the things you want to sell.  I have a four hour goal for studio time.  I tried to get settled into a morning routine (8am to noon), but that didn't work well...once I get on the computer to check things, it's a lost cause. 

Today I decided to try an afternoon time - noon to 4pm.  My main workdays are Monday to Thursday, so that is the extent of my studio time commitment.  It should help with my challenge, but deciding what is considered studio activity has become another issue.  I do a lot of prep work, have a lot of different projects I want to do (besides art), so is that part of my studio commitment or does it have to lead to an item to sell?  I haven't decided yet.  I have to make my definition of studio time as I go along.

Deciding what to make and sell is also a challenge to selling online.  I have been creating a list of "price points" I want to build my inventory around so I can reach a lot of different customers with my products.  Mine currently go from "0 to $10" to "Over $500" -- I hope to sell art and jewelry in the upper levels when I can.

Pricing things is a BIG problem for me. I have been trying to find out the best way to do that as I wander around Etsy and other sales sites.  When I have a greater variety to offer, my sales will (I hope!) rise. After I make them, I will need to work on a marketing strategy.  Facebook and Twitter aren't all there is.  :-)

I do thank you for taking the time to visit and read.  I hope you will continue to follow my efforts here.  I am thinking of more and more topics to share as I go through the weeks.  In working on my own goals, I thought it was time to talk on some of the subject associated with running a craft business, with trying to sell online.

Until next time... May GOD help you find the way to your income goals.

In Christ, Deb