Successful Crafters Need Business Sense

I found this short craft business article on the Asbury Park Press website. In the article, a couple of crafters discuss the need for some business skills if you are going to be successful on the craft fair circuit. There's also some encouraging words about the amount of business done at many of these craft fairs, and how successful others have been.

Take a couple minutes to check out the article.

Happy Crafting!

Chuck

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, small business, work at home, craft fair, craft show, craft project, craft plan

Taking Your Craft Business to the Retail World

I found this very interesting article in The Courier News (a Chicago area paper) about a woman who is offering custom-made body and bath products - shampoos, lotions, shower gels, etc. - out of a retail outlet in St. Charles.

The interesting thing is that the owner, Dina Marie Tenuto, started out selling her handcrafted products from a cart at craft fairs and shows. Customer demand soon outstripped her ability to handle customers with just the cart, and she opened the retail store. To open the shop, she quit her finance job and is now a full-time craft marketer.

Here is an example of someone who took their craft business to an entirely new level.

Happy Crafting!

Chuck

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, small business, work at home, craft fair, craft show, craft project, craft plan

Grants for Local Cumbrian Crafters

This is a very specific post, but as I have a number of readers in the UK, I thought it would be worth mentioning...

The Distinctly Cumbrian programme offer rural Cumbrian businesses the ability to receive a grant for a new or existing business. You can find out more at the Cumbrian Rural Enterprise Agency website.

There's also a story in the Times & Star that discusses this program.

Again, if you're in the Cumbria region, you should check it out. It may be a way to start your own craft business, or expand your existing craft business.

Happy Crafting!

Chuck

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, small business, work at home, craft fair, craft show, craft project, craft plan

Why So Many Emails, Chuck?

I've received a number of complaints about the amount of email I have been sending to my pre-launch list and to my regular craft business email list over the past week about my new product, "How to Start Your Own Craft Business." So I'm going to explain the logic behind the flurry of emails, and I hope you'll understand...

As someone who has been selling information products on the Internet for over four years
now, I have seen a lot of changes in the way that email has been treated. When I started out, email was received as a novelty, and everyone looked forward to receiving emails.

But with all of the dirtbag spammers who have come out of the woodwork over the past few
years, emails are now very difficult to get through to the intended audience. Filters and a general dislike for email have reduced emails effectiveness so that emails have trouble getting delivered, let alone getting read. Basically, most email is viewed as "junk mail."

So, in order to get my message through, I tend to send out a lot of email around events like
the launch of my new product. With people being busy, emails getting filtered or just plain lost, and a general disregard for junk email, I try to keep my message in front of the readers who are interested in starting and running their own craft business.

I know I can be a bit long-winded, but I truly believe in my products and I know they can help people in achieving their dreams of being their own boss in a business they love.

So, if you don't like all the emails, you have a couple of options:

1. Just delete the emails - this is the easiest thing you can do (like throwing out your junk mail, except you're not filling up our landfills).
2. Unsubscribe from the list - it's not going to hurt my feelings, and if you don't think the information can help, then you should just click the unsubscribe link.

I hope this clears things up about my email plans. I am going to be sending out more emails this week leading up to the end of the launch promotion - midnight EST on Friday. So don't be surprised if you see 4 or 5 more emails about the launch - I'm that passionate about the new product, and I want as many people as possible to take advantage of this special promotion.

Thanks,

Chuck

P.S. You can check out the info page for "How to Start Your Own Craft Business" at www.mycraftbusiness.com/cbsales.htm

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, small business, work at home, craft fair, craft show, craft project, craft plan

I'm Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Well, the worst case scenario has happened for me. I've run into some technical issues in
recording an audio and creating some online videos for the launch of:

"How to Start Your Own Craft Business"

I've been working non-stop for the past couple of weeks to polish up the craft business guide I've been developing. It's 95% there (maybe 97%!), but I've run into a couple of snags.

I don't think it will take too long to have a couple of my friends help me through this, but it does mean I am going to have to delay the launch.

Initially, I was going to announce the availability to this pre-launch list on Thursday evening. I've been struggling with when to announce, and I've decided that the official launch date will be:

Monday, November 6th at 7:00 am EST

I thought about a Friday launch, but a lot of you will likely have plans. Same goes for Saturday and Sunday. So, I came up with first thing on Monday morning (at least for me).

As members of this pre-launch list, you will be the first to know. I'll send out an email at 7:00 am EST on Monday to let you know where you can find the info page for the new guide.

Later that day (probably around noon), I'll be releasing an email to the entire Craft Business list (it will be over 6,000 by then), as well as to some other list owners who have 1,000s of people on their lists.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

If you want to take advantage of the special bonuses available to the first 100 buyers and during the first 24 hours (until Tuesday at 7:00 am EST), then you need to check out the
info page as quickly as possible.

Here's the bonuses again:

• First 24 Hours - You can send me 2 questions you have about starting, running, and marketing your own successful craft business. I will take all of the questions submitted, and record my answers in MP3 format so you can listen to them on your computer or on an MP3 player (like an iPod), or burn the file to a CD.
• First 100 Purchasers - I am recording a special downloadable video that shows you how you can create your own FREE craft business website. The solution I'll outline is as easy as filling out some forms online. And, best of all, the search engines love these sites and your customers will be able to interact with you easily.

These two special bonuses are my way of saying "Thank You" to the very first buyers of what
I think of as my best product ever.

So watch your email on Monday morning for an email from me titled:

"Hurry! The craft business guide is ready!"

Have a great weekend and...

Happy Crafting!

Chuck Smith

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, small business, work at home, craft fair, craft show, craft project, craft plan

What's It All About, Chuckie?

Sorry for the silly subject line for this email, but I've been burning the midnight oil putting the finishing touches on my new craft business guide...

"How to Start Your Own Craft Business"

(As a side note, I'm still not 100% happy with the title, but it sure says it all. I'll keep working
on it.)

As of right now, 961 people have signed up to be notified when this new craft business startup kit is released. I'm amazed at the response, and at the sheer numbers of people who are looking to start their own successful craft business.

And I wanted to let all of you know that as the first to get the word, you'll be the first in line to take advantage of a couple of special bonuses I'm offering as part of the launch.

• First 24 Hours - For those of you who purchase my new craft business guide in the first 24 hours, I'm going to do something I've never done before. You will be able to send me 2 questions you have about starting, running, and marketing your own successful craft business. I will take all of the questions submitted, and record my answers in MP3 format so you can listen to them on your computer or on an MP3 player (like an iPod), or burn the file to a CD.

• First 100 Buyers - In addition, for the first 100 buyers, I am recording a special downloadable video that shows you how you can create your own FREE craft business website. The solution I'll outline is as easy as filling out some forms online. And, best of all, the search engines love these sites and your customers will be able to interact with you easily.
  

These two special bonuses are my way of saying "Thank You" to the very first buyers of what
I think of as my best product ever.

Now, based on the response I've had so far, the first 100 copies of my product are going to be
snatched up before the first 24 hours, so if you are even thinking about getting this craft business startup kit, make sure you watch your email for notification.

This list gets notified first (almost 1,000 strong), and then the main craft business list gets their
notification (5,506 people and growing at more than 150 a day!). So these will go fast!

Happy Crafting!

Chuck Smith

P.S. Since you're on the pre-launch list, I'll make sure you get notice as soon as possible.
Like I said, I'm working night and day to get the product finished up. My plan is to launch
on the evening of Thursday, November 2nd. Most likely sometime around 8:00 pm EST. Keep your eyes out for an email with the subject line of:

"Hurry! The craft business guide is ready!"

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, small business, work at home, craft fair, craft show, craft project, craft plan

The Craft Product Review Jackpot

I've been sneaking a peek at the TV every once in a while, but for the most part, I've been working on finishing up the craft business gude...

"How to Start Your Own Craft Business"

It's killing me not being able to sit in front of a full day of NFL, but I really want to get this
product out to you this week, so I need to buckle down and finish it up.

I did receive an email from one of the folks on the Craft Business email list, and they told me
about a great web site that has tons of product reviews, including arts and crafts product reviews.

You can find it at:

www.expotv.com

This site is awesome! There is a ton of different product reviews submitted by visitors. It's people like you and me who take a few minutes to tell others about what they like or dislike about different products.

I almost got caught up in watching product reviews, but I finally pulled myself away to keep working on the business guide.

But, if you have a few spare minutes, you should check it out at:

www.expotv.com

I hope you had a great weekend, and I am looking forward to Wednesday or Thursday this week when I can finally let the "cat out of the bag" about the new craft business guide.

Thanks,

Chuck Smith

P.S. I just wanted to share with you the fact that my son't Pop Warner Football team, the North
Middlesex Rustlers, won their first game of the year today! The won 18 to 6, and the kids (all of
them 7 and 8 years old) were very excited after a long year of getting beat up. This was their last regular game of the year, and it couldn't have ended any better. Go Rustlers! And thanks for everyone who asked how they were doing.

Technorati Tags: craft business, crafts, sell my crafts, small business, work at home, craft fair, craft show, craft project, craft plan