How To Start A Business?

I have been working toward starting my own business selling some craft projects and there is a lot of research that you have to do at the beginning. Find out how much it is going to cost to purchase the supplies needed to make your products and then research what you could reasonably sell these items for and make a profit for yourself. I think you should start off by creating a journal of the above and then figure out how much labor it takes to make your product and where you could sell them at. Ebay and Etsy would probably be a good starting place.

 

Internet is a relatively easy place to start -- you get to have a space to present yourself, your products and your story without renting or putting in the hours to do it except at the beginning (though you need to play on social medias and other advertising if you want to reach people and grow), and it's sort of a "no risk" (not many risks, let's say) since you can then see what gets feedback and what catches people interest in things, without having to invest everything you have in the very beginning.

 

Before wading in research your market.

How will you find potential customers? How will you reach them? How will you get them to buy what you've made? Other ways you can promote your business?

This should give you an idea of what you should expect. Once you have some certainty that you'll profit from the business, get back and research all things acrylic. Find out what would make you the most money and work with that.

Then go ahead and make something. Try to sell it on Ebay, Craiglist, anywhere. Should you get a sale then immerse yourself into it. Make more "acrylic products" and sell. Rinse and repeat.

You may need to register your business but all that comes later when you are making some decent cash from your business.

 

Etsy might be a good place for you to start, to see if what you have to offer is even sellable. If you find that people like your stuff, the next thing I'd do is start talking to local shops in your area - consignment stores, boutiques, even hair salons. Many local businesses love to feature other local sellers. You give them a percent of the products sold and in return they give you a "free" place to set up your goods. A win-win, usually.

 

I would start by deciding on a name (it may change later) and then set up a blog or website so you can advertise you work online. It takes a few months before images get indexed, so it's good to start soon and think of a name that no one else has.

Local art co-ops are good for local artists if you have one nearby. You can sell the work there or at local craft fairs, so it's good to have a website and some cards you can leave in the art co-op. Besides the making of the items, it's the marketing so you should be prepared if someone asks for your website. If you haven't got one set up, people may not take you seriously.

 

Definitely, OP could start selling her acrylic projects on Etsy but those sites are competitive so it's important to market yourself and reach out on social media. Thanks to the internet ,you can literally start a business in less than an hour.

 

Hey! Good thing I stumbled upon your thread. I wanted to start my own business a few years ago, but due to mainly financial reasons, I decided it wasn't my meadow. Have these advices:

1) Internet Promotion - You can find Facebook promotion packages, for example, for as low as $10!

2) Offline Promotion - Banners, stickers... etc. Try to reach to your friends.

3) Build a website and promote it through any means - That is a plus ... there are many wordpress templates that you can get started with.


... and many more ways if you're creative!

 

Oh, you could also think about promoting in different ways -- like, showing off your skills through some YouTube vids or tutorial and ebooks. You can get money out of this too, as a "side business" that is intimately connected to your main work, and people would then build up a connection to you etc. It's a good way of showcasing your stuff while building a fanbase (who will be more willing to follow you then, especially since for them, watching a video is free etc)

 

My advice would be exactly the same as that given by Denis Hard - particularly as - although many people dream of having their own business - actually doing it and making it a success is an entirely different matter altogether - and its often the eagerness to get started without being fully prepared - that is one of the main reasons why many small business tend to fail.

For the simple reason that - unless the concept has been thoroughly investigated as well as financially planned - which means fully researching the marketplace, making realistic and detailed business plans - as well as learning how to effectively market the proposed product or service and make it it stand out from the competitors - trying to start a business without first doing that and without a plan of how the business will evolve in order to achieve the necessary financial goals - it is unlikely that it will get off on the right foot and be a success.