has anyone turned their hobby into a small business?
was it a difficult transition? i would be interested in personal experiences pros & cons xx

hi! its worth having a look at Etsy.com and folksy.com. these are both crafting websites where you can sell your stuff. They also have forums on there where you can ask questions like this and youre more likely to get a good idea of how easy/hard it is from like minded people.

hope that helps

has anyone turned their hobby into a small business?
was it a difficult transition? i would be interested in personal experiences pros & cons xx

i thought about doing that but didnt know how to go about it if you get any information about would you let me know and if i get any information i would let you know thanks

It might be worth trying a few craft fairs first there are lots about over the summer and you can see how things sell then

http://www.crafts-for-all-seasons.com/crafting-for-profit.html

Copy and pasting answers again brilliant!

Being a seller of cool stuff, I have seen the awesome development of a handful of people over the past few years...

PM me if you want help, but Etsy is a cool place to start!

...but Etsy is a cool place to start!

it is but its very easy to get lost as its so huge.

why not support local business as folky is sheffield based?

i will stand witness to the forums being an invaluable source of info (and also the blog) as well as being jam packed full of helpful and supportive members.

the hardest part is pricing- what is your time worth and can you charge that for your work as well as the cost of materials.

your time isnt just your making time though, its your admin/promotion/event/research/sourcing/postage time too.

for many years i have been underselling my items and i now realise that my prices have to rise if i am ever going to realise my dream of going part time at work.

good luck in your venture.

x

ps. if you want to snap up a bargain whilst the super low prices last, i am running 25% off slaes across my facebook shop until midnight tonight and then across the folksy shop from midnight tonight until the end of the month....but i need the space to make room for the new collectiosn and the materials for the new collections.

it is but its very easy to get lost as its so huge.

I totally agree, even if I want to find new and exciting items it's a matter of meticulously searching through endless items...

So yes. Etsy is good, but not for attracting major attention to yourself.

I didn't know Folksy was Sheffield based - that's brilliant to know :)