Business Set Up: Part 1

So you've been thinking about how you can turn your creative hobby into a business, but now you have this idea - what next? Well the absolute first thing you need to do is become serious about your dream and don’t just limit your idea to earning a few coppers on the side because you never know where it might lead!

Earning an income from your creative hobby is not purely about someone buying your products; it’s about making a livelihood that works for you. The early days are about development stages where it is important to include all the activities you love or you will soon grow tired of something that started as a hobby.

One of the first items on your business “to-do” list has to be deciding on a business name. The name should reflect your product but ask yourself this: Will the name still sound good in 5 years time and will it give me the space to grow? I chose Butterfly-Crafts because I am fascinated with butterflies and how they go through many changes, I could develop a good brand and also cover many crafts. If I’d chosen Butterfly-Cards, I would’ve put a constraint on myself.

Coming up with a business name can be fun, just remember though that you will have to live with the result so it pays to do some homework and groundwork. Research on the Internet to see if your name has been taken, check with any agencies if necessary but overall, make sure the name you choose is a perfect fit!


Coming in the next Business Tips blog on Friday: Business Set Up Part 2 - Basic Necessities

Monday, 6 July 2009 | 3 Comments

Welcome to Butterfly Crafts

Hello and welcome to the Butterfly-Crafts blog.

I write this blog to coincide with my store, Butterfly-Crafts, on Artfire, where I sell one-of-a-kind handmade cards and gifts along with taking custom orders.

I have enjoyed crafting for as long as I can remember and it is a hobby I can never grow bored of, every time I pick up a project to continue I keep saying - oh just stitch one more row or make just one more card before i can pack away for the night.

Cross stitch will always be my weakness, I love nothing more than picking up some fabric and sifting through patterns for a new project. I have made small 'initials' pictures up to much larger fire screens and baby samplers and my friends and family frequently have an cross stitch card.

I have been making cards with mixed media for a few years now. I love the way a few pieces of paper and card can be turned into something wonderful and given as a gift.

I am always trying to expand my craft skills and I have been knitting and crocheting since 2008 and I am thoroughly enjoying them and learning new stitches all of the time! I knit on the train to work, in my lunch break, on the train home from work - heck, any chance I get!

This blog will feature my handmade items, general comments regarding my life and running an online store, along with a twice weekly blog featuring business tips (hopefully Mon & Fri). I will also be featuring a fellow Artfire artisan every fortnight (Wednesday) and help promote the Artfire Crazy Marketing Train - featuring a different artist every 2 days.

I hope that you will enjoy following this blog, please do leave me comments on what I write and if you would like me to write about anything specific.

Best Wishes
Victoria,

p.s. - that's me eating ice cream in Siena.

Saturday, 4 July 2009 | 1 Comment

This butterfly is changing her wings

I have been running Butterfly Crafts for a little over three months now and I have never regretted a single minute! Artfire is an amazing site to have a store on, the staff are brilliant, the other sellers are my online "friends" and I feel a valued member of the gang!

But, after these three months I feel it is time for the butterfly to get a new set of wings! On Saturday 4th July, I will be having a mini relaunch of Butterfly Crafts. This will include
  • A new banner and avatar,

  • A whole new blog with a different layout and features

  • An artisan of the fortnight feature on the blog (If you wish to take part leave me a comment)

  • A mailing list which you can sign up to and receive an email every 4-6 weeks with news of special offers, new items and general news

  • A better utilised Facebook site

  • An up-to-date Flickr site

  • A more up-to-date byhand.me site

  • A new style of picture in the store listings,

  • A whole big bunch of listings to fill up the virtual shelves

  • And hopefully some well placed adverts to get my brand 'out there'
  • A written blog series on turning your craft into your business.

Here is a sneaky peak at my avatar:

Make sure you check back on 4th July for an overview of what has happened!

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Thursday, 2 July 2009 | 2 Comments