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Do you make something? Do you consider yourself a “crafty” person? Do friends and family ask you to make things for them? Has anyone ever told you that you should sell your items? Putting up a website and hoping to get sales it not really a great way to start a business though. There are some good methods for testing the market and seeing if your items will sell.

Host an open house in your home. Invite all of your family and friends over to view your items and possibly buy them. Ask them what they think and what they would be willing to pay for your handmade goods. If you do not have much money to spend you could have product samples available and take orders. You could also offer a “Grand Opening” discount.

Renting a booth at a local craft fair can be a great place to get instant feedback from strangers. You will need to spend some time and money in building up inventory. Find a show in your area that advertises well and gets a good amount of traffic. Perhaps there is one that you go to every year that fits the bill. If not, spend time talking to people that you know to find one. Make sure you ask the organizer questions about the number of people at past shows.

Check out Etsy and EBay. Both of these websites offer a low cost way to set up a store to sell at. Etsy is a community that only offers handcrafted items. There is jewelry, scrapbook items, clothing, and blended loose leaf teas to name a few. Listings costs are pretty reasonable and you get your own “storefront” at yourstorename.etsy.com. On EBay you can find just about anything and handmade items are no exception. It may be a bit more difficult to find your listings on EBay though, so Etsy is my first choice.

Do you have a handcrafted item you have been thinking of selling? What has been the best place for selling your items? I am not very crafty but I do love to buy handmade items.

Warmly,
Mia