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Have you been wondering how to start a photography business since you were a teenager? In the present times, if the work-from-home culture is stressing you out. Then, this could be the perfect time to turn your long-lost hobby into a flourishing side hustle.  

It seems simple to click pictures and upload them on your Instagram. Then, wait for the orders to pour in. Voila!

But to tell you a fact, businesses do not work that way. If you intend to start a small photography business, you need to treat it like an actual business.

To know more about it, please read further. 

How to Create a Profitable Photography Business

With the work-from-home culture setting in, a lot of us are considering working on our hobbies. Photography seems to be a popular one that everyone tends to pick up. 

If you are an avid photographer or intend to become one. You can use the points listed below to jumpstart your dreams into a reality.

Learn All the Tricks and Tips of Good Photography

I do not know anyone who does not delete their poor selfies. Likewise, I am sure no one goes to a photographer who does a poor job.

It implies that a thriving photography business requires good photography skills.

Buying an expensive camera is not enough. You also require technical aspects of shooting.

You have to better your photography skills to widen your existing knowledge.

For the same, you can intern under a senior professional photographer. Or you can also enroll in an online course. 

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this article through routing via the links in this post. Then, I may end up receiving a certain monetary percentage from the sale. Though the one who purchases through the link does not end up paying anything extra apart from the mentioned MRP on the product. Full disclosures on the Affiliate Page.

Though not all photography courses are the same. The one you consider would vary upon the purpose for which you wish to start a photography business.

Starting A Business Of Photography

That is why you need to —–>

Niche Down Your Target Market

Irrespective of the kind of creative handmade business you start. It is of prime importance to know your niche. 

Do not confuse yourself with that term. It means that you should know who will buy from you. 

As a novice in the business of photography, it is naive to conclude that a photographer sells pictures. That is simple, but when it comes to branding, that is a confusing proposition.

So, it makes sense to call yourself a:

nature photographer like Ansel Adams

lifestyle/fashion/ glamorous photographer like Subi Samuel

street style photographers like Vineet Vohra 

product/industrial photographer like Karl Taylor

wedding/ events photographer like many of my friends 

There are several niches/types of photography businesses as below:

1. Advertising
2. Aerial/Drone
3. Architecture
4. City Skyline
5. Documentary
6. Event
7. Fashion
8. Fine Arts
9. Food
10. Industrial
11. Nature
12. New Born
13. Night
14. Pets
15. Photo Journalism
16. Portrait
17. Product
18. Social Media
19. Sports
20. Stock 
21. Street Style/ Candid/ Random
22. Time Lapse
23. Travel
24. Under Water
25. Video Editing
26. Wedding
27. Wild Life 

After selecting the desired category. Next comes building your brand to attract the right target audience. 

Building and maintaining a reputation in a niche photography business starts with ——>

Identify Good Photography Business Name Ideas

There is no identity without a name. So, what you name your photography business has an associated impact.

Your business name should conform to the universal rules of branding. Hence, it should be small, memorable, and unique.

Photography has a direct association with the photographer. Thus, you can name your creative business on your name as well. 

But if you are creative, you can play up with anagrams to create some unique names. The brand Kodak is one such example of clever naming in photography-related business. 

Since your customers would relate to a name, you must brainstorm it well. Moreover, you and your business will identify with that name for the years to come. Hence, appropriate branding of your business name is a top priority. 

Invest in Equipment

Even for starting a photography side hustle, you need a high-quality professional camera. 

Along with the camera comes other costs like the editing software and storage devices. Moreover, while starting, it gets challenging to afford high-end lenses and accessories. In such a scenario, you can use rented lenses, gear, backdrops, and lighting equipment.  

To control the costs of physical prints, you should be careful with the photo lab you consider. Consider the one that gives high-quality vis-a-vis cheap to avoid re-do costs. You could negotiate prices with them by promising exclusivity and long-term business.

Figure Out a Business Plan

The business of photography is an expensive one. Setting up a studio and procuring equipment is a fixed cost. Furthermore, the unplanned costs increase with the upgrade of lenses and outdoor shoots.

To incorporate a steady flow of operational funds, you must work on a business plan. An influx of projects is essential to recover high expenses.

Irrespective of the niche you select, marketing expenses will be a part of fixed costs. Those expenses include an SEO website/blog to attract customers. Then, turning those customers into repeat ones with email marketing. Plus, flyers, business cards, and institutional advertising add to the list of costs.

Brush up Your Basics

The field of photography is ever-evolving. To remain in this business, you have to stay abreast with all the updates. 

Even companies like Olympus that had a glorious past exited the business. Thus, proving that most successful photography businesses keep updating themselves. 

To know the trends in the world of photography, you can join relevant forums and groups. Though the online courses teaching photography are always a savior. That way, you will not miss out on any updates that could hamper your business income.  

Conclusion

Most of us go through a mid-life crisis when we regret not doing what we wanted to do when we were younger. Creative pursuits top the list of unfulfilled dreams for retired folks. 

Taking pictures is one of the most common hobbies worldwide. With the success rate of some of the famous photographers, it makes sense to pursue it as a profession.   

This article will help you to know how to start a photography business with no experience. You can use it to begin your creative business to have a satisfying work-life balance. You can also share it with someone who intends to start their business of photography.

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Have you been thinking of starting a fiber arts business? Or have you ventured into commercial avenues related to crochet/knitting?

If you have not, then this is the best time to transition your hobby to a business. 

Handicrafts made out of threads have worldwide popularity. A few creative entrepreneurs have made a 6 figure business with handmade yarns.

You can read further to know how to weave a success story with threads.

Starting A Fiber Arts Business That Is Successful

You need to be aware of the various kinds of fiber arts before you plunge into entrepreneurship.

Below is the list of major ones that you can consider: 

 Learn About Various Options for Fiber Arts

1. Felting

The process of matting fibers to make a fabric is felting. There are various ways to do felting. The most common ones are with the application of water and using a felting needle.

It is a versatile art. Toys, slippers, rugs, mats, jewelry, and scarves are popular felt products

2. Weaving

It is the process of making fabric by placing two threads at right angles to each other.

The thread that goes along the length is a warp, while the other one is the weft. Alternating the threads as warp and a weft makes a weaved cloth. 

Different ways of alternating the warps and wefts create textures in fabrics. That is how it becomes plain, twill, or satin.

Handloom weaving and power loom are popular methods to make weaved fabrics

3. Knitting

It is the process of creating fabric by interlocking yarns with a pair of knitting needles.

There are several projects possible with knitting. Some of the examples are shawls, blankets, jackets, caps, and gloves.

The knitting technique involves hundreds of stitches. Thus, several projects are possible by combining different colored yarns and stitching techniques.

4. Crochet

Much like knitting, crochet involves making fabrics with yarn. Though the difference is that crochet involves a single crochet hook.

You can make all knitting projects through crochet hooks. Moreover, with crochet, you can also do jewelry and amigurumi since they sell well.

5. Tapestry

It is a kind of weaving where the warp threads do not show on the right side of the fabric.

Tapestry is an expensive art form that depicts a story through its weaves. In the medieval era, tapestries narrated stories related to knights and castles. Though, these days hanging mandala designs are popular with tapestry weaving.

Tapestry artform creates wall decoration items which are popular these days. Fiber artists use a loom with threads of various colors to create tapestry art forms.

6. Quilting

The word quilt comes from a Latin term that means a cushion. It involves stitching together three or more layers of fabric. The quilting technique finds use to create furnishings, quilts, and garments.

Quilting is an easy way to starting a fiber arts business for anyone who knows basic sewing. Moreover, it also works as a therapy to calm and relax the mind. 

Various regional cultures have influenced quilting techniques. Some of the popular ones are – Hawaii, South Asia, and African-American. 

7. Macrame

It is a form of fiber art that uses knots to create art pieces. Some of the common artworks of macrame are jewelry, wall hangings, and plant hangers.

Many beginner crafters sell macrame bracelets and then move on to dream catchers.

8. Lacemaking

It is the process of making delicate fabric that borders garments and linens. The technique of lacemaking involves intertwining fibers to form a tight web-like pattern.

9. Flocking

Flocking refers to the process of putting fiber particles called flocks on a surface. The technique of flocking enhances the texture and appearance of the base surface.

One of the examples of flocking is putting a snow-like texture on a Christmas tree. Another one is adding a velvet-like surface to the upholstery to give a rich appearance. 

In recent times, T-shirts have a flocked structure to depict a color-blocked appearance. 

10. Embroidery

Embroidery is one of the most common types of fiber arts. 

It involves the use of a thread and needle to create intricate designs on fabric. There are numerous forms of embroidery styles ranging from simple to complex. Chain stitch, running stitch, and cross stitch are the common ones. Whereas stitches like Pekinese and Fishbone are amongst the complex ones.

Some of the embroidery styles are common to regions inspired by local folk art. For instance, the Kutch embroidery is popular with the local tribals residing there. Though, Phulkari from Punjab consists of colorful floral designs done with silk threads.

11. Selling Fiber

Apart from creating fiber art through hands, you can also sell fibers.  Several fiber artists need different kinds of yarns and threads. By starting a shop selling fiber, you can provide raw materials to the creatives. That fulfills the needs of the fiber artists.

Along with fiber, you can sell accompaniments like crochet, knitting, and embroidery needles. Some other complementary products include embroidery hoops, jewelry findings, and shawl pins.

Pick Up Niche Within Fiber Arts

As a handmade artist, it is good to have multi-skills. But if you intend to be successful as a creative entrepreneur. Then, it makes sense to nurture a single skillset and excel in one single niche.

So, for starting a fiber arts business, you must pick only one kind of art within the various forms of fiber arts.

The list above is not a comprehensive one. But it includes the main ones. You can pick up one from the list to create products at home and sell.

Prepare A Business Plan For Your Handmade Business 

No matter how big or small a business is, a business plan is a must. It is because a well-laid-out plan works as a structure to take action.

A business plan takes care of the what-if scenarios much before they occur. Thus, the business plan helps in sorting the un-planned issues. 

Most business plans require complex data that makes their usage difficult. As a small creative business, you can set up your craft business with simple number crunching.

If you know your end goal and how many hours you can put in to achieve it. Then, creating a business plan is easy. 

After selecting a niche within the fiber arts, prepare a business plan. Then, as per the plan, you can then begin to —–>

Procure the Materials

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this article through routing via the links in this post. Then, I may end up receiving a certain monetary percentage from the sale. Though the one who purchases through the link does not end up paying anything extra apart from the mentioned MRP on the product. Full disclosures on the Affiliate Page.

To start a fiber arts business, you need raw materials like fibers. There are several kinds of fiber. You can classify them into three major sets as per their source from plant/animal or synthetic ones.

The common plant ones are cotton, bamboo, hemp, and rice.

While the popular yarns from animals sources are silk, merino, and cashmere.

The popular synthetic fibers are rayon and polyester.

The fiber art materials you would buy would depend upon your project. As a beginner, the popular place to source them would be Amazon. As you grow your business, you can move on to the exclusive yarn shops or stores like Alibaba that sell in bulk.

Figure Out a Marketing Plan

A marketing plan is a subset of the handmade business plan. Depending upon your business plan, the marketing plan will vary.

Much like the business plan, a marketing plan is compulsory to reach your target audience. 

The most inexpensive and effective way to market your fiber arts business is through a blog. You can set it up to stay in touch with your customers and to execute sales. That also helps to boost your income when your Etsy shop is not doing well.

Scale as Per Your Profit Margins

Running a handmade business involves a lot of permutations and combinations. You need to identify what sells and what product fetches maximum margins. 

Then, as per that data, you retire the products that do not sell or bring substantial revenue.

From there, you focus on creating fiber arts that help in achieving financial goals.

Conclusion

With the advancements in technology, it is easy to start selling crafts online. Though, you must know the wants of your audience and how well you can fulfill their demands. 

As a creative fiber arts entrepreneur, your chances of success increase once you fulfill the above two factors.

You can also help other creatives in starting a fiber arts business by sharing this article. 

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Did you ever think of creating digital products to sell on Etsy to up your falling sales?

Creating, selling, shipping, and then handling customer queries must be taking a toll on you. That is why you should think about branching your handmade crafts into a digital art business.

Digital ventures are technology-oriented. But do not fret if using computers/phones/software overwhelms you. You can go through the long list of product ideas listed below to start.

Digital Products to Sell on Etsy

1. Album Covers

With the rise in independent artists, the demand for album covers has increased as well. 

Album covers require professional designs to cater to their target audience. Hence, as a designer, there is immense scope to create album covers for individual artists. 

Album cover designs intrigue indie artists as it helps them establish their singing careers. But, album covers are also popular as customized photo plaques.

2. Book Covers

Much like music album covers, book covers are a fast-selling digital item. You can create ebook covers for the indie authors that sell on Kindle. 

Also, a category exists for selling memorabilia products related to popular book covers. For example, a digital poster from the Hobbit series is one of the best sellers on Etsy.

3. Calligraphy

The art of writing beautiful letters brings in opportunities to sell digital products. Some of the options to create calligraphy related digital products are :

• procreate brushes
• workbooks to learn calligraphy
• font bundles
• customized signs and quotes
• practice sheets to improvise calligraphy

4. Cards

Cards have always been the medium to express greetings. With the advent of digital technology, cards work as a quick tool to network and express feelings.

To make quick bucks through digital products. Designing cards is one of the ways to expand your digital products portfolio. Plus, there are numerous occasions to greet people. Hence, you can make use of such events to find relevant sellers for your products.

5. Code Based Products

Digital technology has brought in a lot of codes in our daily lifestyle. Few examples are the QR codes for payment, Spotify codes, and morse code messages.

That is why custom codes related products sell well on Etsy.

6. Coloring Books

I am a huge fan of coloring books. In the past, I have spent money on coloring books. So, I know how well they sell. That is why I also sell digital coloring books in my handmade business.

I lack graphic design skills, but still, I design adult coloring books. They are easy to create with any entry-level design software and paid graphics.

7. Comic Strips

Much like coloring books, there is a market for products related to comics.

The popular comic series and their characters offer numerous options. A few examples are posters of batman, spiderman.

Also, there is an immense scope to create personalized comic books. Comic illustrations of how people met for the first time work as gifts for couples.

8. Copywriting

While writing this article, I realized that I am ghostwriting for more than a decade. That includes blog posts, website copy, ads copy, and other kinds of writing.

I still advise people to write for others before quitting their 9-5 jobs. When I started, there were few options to showcase content writing skills. Though, the good news is that these days, copywriting sells on Etsy as well.

As long as there are human beings, writing will always be in demand. If you are not confident about where to start. Then, you can go ahead with Instagram captions/hashtags or writing captivating headlines.

9. Designs and Patterns

Patterns have been a great help for creatives. As a crochet enthusiast, finding patterns and keeping them organized is a huge part of my chores.

Likewise, there is a big market for patterns for fiber art like –  embroidery and knitting. The scope widens for crafts like quilting, sewing also. You can market your pattern designs as small digital gifts for people who love to sew as well.

If you are a woodworking pro, then you can add to your earnings by selling project designs. That will help you upsell your best-selling woodworking projects. 

10. Digital papers and Patterns

While making a To-Do list of skills I wish to acquire, making digital paper tops the list.

There is a worldwide demand for patterned paper for scrapbooks and decoupage. Therefore, there is a demand for patterned paper in a plethora of designs. 

You need to look at the crazy amount of sales papers and patterns in digital formats garner. Gingerbread patterned paper sells like crazy owing to gifting momentum during Christmas. That is a cue to design patterns as per trending events and celebrations.

11. Dynamic Calculators and Spreadsheets

Not all of us are good with numbers. That is why pre-made spreadsheets and calculators help. Their designs make complex number-crunching easy for the end-user.

Few options to make calculators and spreadsheets are – 

• Return on Investment Calculator
• Pricing Calculator
• Construction Cost Calculator
• Hourly Rate Calculator
• Bookkeeping Spreadsheet
• Profit Margin Calculator
• Weight Loss/ Calorie Intake Calculator
• Debt Payoff Calculator
• Etsy Sales Tracker

12. E-Books

You could be unsure about how to create passive income from Etsy digital products. Then, e-books are your best bet.

Digital books are the most common digital products to sell on Etsy. You can write an e-book on almost any topic of your choice. 

Over the years, I have written books on hair care, business, recipe books, short stories, and erotica. 

After making e-books you can move further towards other digital products.

13. Fashion Lookbook

Fashion lookbooks are catalogs of creatives that convey the visual brand story. So, every creative person selling their ideas needs a lookbook for their customers. 

A lookbook is a medium to showcase distinct styles in a capsule format.

As someone with knowledge of design principles, you can create lookbook templates. These would attract designers or boutique owners. You can sell them in editable formats to ease customizations.

14. Games for Kids

Activities for kids is a big market for designing digital products. If you can think of an activity that could engage kids. Then, you are on track to create some of the best digital products to sell on Etsy.

The options are endless to come up with ideas that work. Some of them are:

• Games that teach sorting/matching/organizing
• Treasure hunt activities for engagement and thinking stimulation
• Flashcards for learning
• Road trip activities
• Party games

15. Graphic Design Elements

A graphic design artist will never have enough graphics design tools. Therefore, the scope of selling design elements for other artists has increased. There is tremendous scope for designing related digital products to sell on Etsy. 

It is common to find listings selling logos on Etsy. But you can also create and sell the following:

• Icons
• Clip Art
• Fonts
• Procreate Brushes   
• Color Palettes

16. Image Filters

In today’s times, even the ones who are not technology-savvy understand image filters. 

Image filters have made our life more beautiful and funky. That explains their growing demand. If you know how to create filters that enhance images. Then, you can sell filters as per the applications. The most common ones are Instagram, Snapchat, and Lightroom presets.

17. Invitations and Announcements

Celebrations and announcements need catchy and inviting designs. Hence, creating e-invites for various themes makes good digital Etsy product ideas.  

There are more than 300,000 digital invitations listed on Etsy. Some of their popular themes are – Unicorn, Peppa pig, and Pokemon.

18. Motifs and Designs

Motifs and designs are vital elements for creating various other digital creative products.

As a designer, if you have the knack to create popular trending motifs. You can create patterned digital papers, wall art, clip art, or even stickers with your designs.

19. Packaging Designs

One of the charms of handmade products is their attractive packaging. The packaging ideas for handmade products are diverse. So are the digital options to create and serve the demands of the growing market.

For shipping my handmade creations, I rely on digital prints to create DIY shipping boxes. So, I know that there is a demand for this specific niche.

Designs and prints for wrapping papers, cut-out boxes, and labels are a few of the options.

20. Paper Dolls

You would find it hard to believe, but there is a big market for paper dolls. “Printable paper dolls” as a search query throws more than 12,000 results.

Creating paper dolls is not as challenging as creating other designs. You can even draw them with your hands and then scan the drawing to sell as digital products. 

Paper dolls of Freida Kahlo art designs are an instant hit with this category.

21. Party Printables

I am sure you must have been a part of games for bridal showers and baby showers. Those games are a goldmine of inspiration to create digital products to sell on Etsy. 

Apart from digital printables for games, you can create the following digital products:

• backdrops
• props
• gift tags
• party favors
• decoration products

22. PDF Information Resources

Creating PDFs is a catch-all for creating all kinds of digital information resources.

That means you can create pdfs on topics ranging from food to travel and other categories within them.

The PDF resources could be recipe books/cards/meal planners or e-books and guides.
My planners and organizers are also in PDF format.

23. Photoshop

All of us know about the transformation brought in by Adobe photoshop. 

If enhancing images interests you. Then, selling photoshop services will be a good Etsy product idea.

You do not need fancy design skills, but learning this software takes some practice.

There is more to editing services with Photoshop. You can even branch out to selling preset bundles, backdrops, gradients, and overlays. 

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this article through routing via the links in this post. Then, I may end up receiving a certain monetary percentage from the sale. Though the one who purchases through the link does not end up paying anything extra apart from the mentioned MRP on the product. Full disclosures on the Affiliate Page.

24. Planners, Trackers, Worksheets, Calendars, and Checklists

These are my most favorite digital products to sell on Etsy. My earnings skyrocketed after I started selling cheat sheets, planners, and organizers.

If you are a recipient of my email marketing content. Then, I am sure you would have made use of my checklists and organizers for your handmade business.

The best part is that you can create organizers for almost any topic. If you are looking for resources to begin your journey to design digital planners. Then, I recommend the course which I took – Printables by Number by Suzi Whitford.

25. Play Books

This term is different from the sports playbook. But it does have similarities as it contains strategies to achieve a specific goal.

For instance, Etsy lists playbooks on various topics such as:

• Social Media Content
• Email Marketing
• Business Marketing

Consider it as a done-for-you template that you can modify as per your goals. It is a fill-in-the-blank kind of content that you can cater to your requirements.

You can create playbooks for topics that have a consistent workflow. That will help customers follow them as per the laid-out instructions.

26. PLR Products

Consider these as the digital products that you resell to other sellers. For this reason, PLR stands for Private Label Rights.  

These products are a great way to cater to several niches. The buyers can then rebrand and modify the PLR products to fit them for their audience. 

You can create PLR products for a wide variety of products like ebooks, planners, and articles.

27. Plugins

Do you run a craft blog for your handmade business? Then, you must be familiar with plugins. 

Plugins got popular with CMS (Content Management Systems) like WordPress and Squarespace.

They are the add-ons that improve the capabilities of CMS. Consider them as the shortcut to do the technical jobs for which you lack the skills. 

But if you are competent with the technology to create plugins. Then, they are the niche products to sell on Etsy.   

28. Podcasts

Podcasts are the current favorite way of creating digital content. If you are comfortable with audio. Then, you can start streaming your podcasts.

Furthermore, there is scope to expand to other digital products as well. For instance, you can make planners/playbooks to help others start a podcast. That way you can combine your skills sets to scale up your arsenal of digital products to sell on Etsy.

29. Portraits and Caricatures

In recent times creating personalized caricatures and portraits is a rage. You can also seize a pie of this booming niche.

There is a sizable amount of competition in this category. Hence, you can brand yourself with portraits and caricatures inspired by popular culture.

Marvel comic themes and cult movies are the ongoing popular trends. You can also upsell by sending framed portraits of your artwork. That way, both the physical and digital art forms combine.

30. Stationery

Two million-plus results on the search query term “stationery” cannot be wrong. Plus, more than 700,000 results of this number belong to only digital ones.

The stationery category includes a lot of digital products. A few of them are business cards, letters, bookmarks, envelopes, diaries, and guest books.

The digital products to sell on Etsy under the Stationery category are ever-evolving. Thus, you can grow your product portfolio to achieve your handmade business goals.

31. Stickers, Decals, and Labels

All of us have grown up using stickers and labels. They are great to personalize or identify with a theme.

That is why the options to create them are endless. They are great for complementing planners and journals as well.

I plan to learn how to make stickers since they will be a great addition to my planners.

Decals are also included in this category since they have a stick-on base. You can make them for walls, furniture, cars, or even nails. From there, you could even progress to creating wallpaper designs.

32. Stock Photos

There is no need to mention how popular stock photography websites are. As a photographer, you can start selling your images. Etsy, as a platform, can initiate your handmade business journey.

In the beginning, you can offer photos for a particular genre. You can grow from there and can even start your stock photography website.

33. SVG and STl Files

Numerous artists are selling their custom digital design files on Etsy. Buyers use these files as stencils to create custom T-shirt prints, paper crafts, etc. 

The popularity of gadgets like Cricut has further fueled the demand for SVG files.

STL files are for 3D designs like packing boxes. Their popularity is also on the rise. That is why the combined results for both SVG and STL surpass 2 million results.

34. Templates

Templates are pre-made structures that make it easier to achieve an outcome. 

For instance, resume templates help present the work experience in a professional format. Likewise, product mockup templates and social media templates work. 

Other examples are templates for gift certificates, coupon codes, and magazines.

Moreover, if you are pro with Canva. Then, you can make several Canva templates for a variety of purposes.

35. Theme Designs

Starting a website/e-commerce store for your handmade business requires themes. You could be using WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, or any other custom-built CMS.  

The use of CMS will define what theme you could use to showcase your work. 

One of the best SEO tips for crafters is to use a theme that is functional and lightweight. That loads the page faster and reduces the bounce rate. That means that a user ends up spending more time on your website that may increase conversions.

A coding geek who understands design principles is ideal for creating themes.

36. Theme-Bound Challenges

These could club in other headers such as PDF resources or Planners/ Workbooks. But owing to their growing popularity, they deserve a separate mention.

As you can imagine, challenges exist for any goal-oriented project. Hence, there could be challenges for – 

• Blogging
• Product creation
• Craft room organizing
• Controlling expenditures
• Weight loss
• Book reading

You could deliver these through emails, PDF resources, or videos. For more ideas, you can check out Etsy to create challenge-based digital products to sell on Etsy.

37. Video Courses and Workshops

Learning as an activity during the pandemic has proved to be a survival tactic. That could be one of the reasons for Udemy (a popular learning website) to surpass $100 Million in revenue.

If you are teaching online, then you can try offering a pre-recorded video course series. That could reach a wider audience without investing in a 1:1 teaching model.  

There is also an option for live interactions through online workshops. Then, you can share them by hosting on Etsy, Udemy, Skillshare, or on your website.

38. Wall Art

As surprising as it may sound, but the truth is that digital posters/prints sell the most on my website.

Likewise, there are several digital arts like posters, prints, and quotes that sell on Etsy.

Professional education in designing helps in creating these kinds of digital products. But the best part is that it is not mandatory to have a professional qualification. Moreover, it is not even necessary to have expensive professional software. You can create high-quality wall art on Canva as well.

39. Wallpapers and Screensavers

Much like wall art, creating wallpapers and screensavers are options to dwell on.

Etsy lists wallpapers/screensavers that are even less than a dollar. So, you can make use of that opportunity to introduce your products to test the market.

You can niche your artwork as per a particular brand of phones/ computers too. Thus, you can bring in iPhone exclusive wallpapers to categorize your digital artwork.

Conclusion

As a handmade business owner, you are always on the lookout for increasing your profit. That could mean increased sales and increasing your prices, or both. But both these variables also imply increasing output. That becomes the Achilles heel of operating a small creative business. 

To counter that issue, creating digital products to sell on Etsy is a great idea. You can list a digital version of any art form on Etsy. 

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How to start a soap business is the most common query amongst creative entrepreneurs. If you dig down the reasons, then it is not surprising to know why.

You can start the easy way with melt and pour kits. Plus, once you figure out profit margins in your soap business. Then, it is all about scaling what works and getting deeper into the artisan bath and body business. So, as a home base entrepreneur, you start with soaps. But then you progress to bath bombs, lotions, shampoo, conditioners, and much more. I hope you get the idea. 

If you have a zeal to succeed as a solo business owner, combined with digital marketing skills. Then, there is a lot you can do as a handmade soap business owner.

Read more to know —–> 

How To Start A Soap Business That Earns Profits

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this article through routing via the links in this post. Then, I may end up receiving a certain monetary percentage from the sale. Though the one who purchases through the link does not end up paying anything extra apart from the mentioned MRP on the product. Full disclosures on the Affiliate Page.

Learn How To Make Soap

In case you intend to start a handmade soap making business. Then, you need to know how to make soaps. 

But if you are a small-scale handmade business owner. Then, you have no other option but to take charge of production.

That means you have to know how to make soaps. Since you are reading this article, it shows that you have some idea about soap making.

If you are a complete beginner, you can start with soap making kits. But once you have enough experience with beginner melt and pour techniques. Then, you can move on to the complex process of handling lye with oils. 

Moreover, you can make use of online courses to master the basics of soap making. That will give you the knowledge to experiment with different ingredients.

Prepare A Bath and Body Business Plan Sample

But if you do not have a plan. Then, the chances are that it might get cumbersome to reach your goals. Thus, having a successful artisan soap-making business requires a solid plan.

You can make use of any business plan that you can get your hands on. But if you are a complete newbie trying to convert your hobby to a business. Then, the various generic business plans that you find for free on the internet might confuse you.

Or rather, you can make use of the one that I offer at my shop. It is a simple one that you can fill up in a few hours. It will help you put the ideas and fears stuck in your head on paper.

So, the moment you zero in on the niche of your bath and body business. After that, your next step should be chalking out a plan to visualize your business.

Procure Ingredients and Equipment for Soap Making Business

The next step is to begin making soaps and other bath and body products. The list of materials to buy will depend upon your niche. Though a few ingredients will be the same for all categories of bath and body businesses.

Some of those materials include:

Base Oils – Coconut, Safflower, Mustard

Essential Oils – Rosemary, Sandalwood, Carrot Seed, Tea Tree

Lye – Sodium Hydroxide (for bar soaps); Potassium Hydroxide (for liquid toiletries)

Soap Moulds – Various shapes as per your niche

Additives – colors, fragrances, and added materials as per the type of soap

Melt and Pour Base – this is helpful if you cannot handle lye

You can source the above materials from wholesalers to get the best price. That way you will be able to make the best profits.

But if you are unsure of what niche to start. Then, buying in bulk might not do you any good. That way, you will end up wasting your money on a stock that will go to waste.

In that scenario, buying from online stores like Amazon would be ideal.

Work on a Marketing Plan

After, you have created a soap business plan. Then, you can create a marketing plan with ease.

Depending upon how much budget and time you have allocated in your plan. According to that, you can designate relevant social media channels.

Irrespective of how many marketing channels you land your hands on. Your marketing strategy will be incomplete without search engine marketing and email marketing. 

The combined ROI on both is phenomenal compared to social media and paid advertising. I have been able to scale my handmade business because of SEO and email marketing. When done the correct way, they both help you expand your business without investing a lot of time and money.

If online marketing perplexes you. Then, at least start with a blog for your craft. Then, from there, you can move on to social media like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. 

Scale as Per Your Profit Margin 

Keeping a tab on your earnings is a crucial element of an artisan soap business.

If you are serious about how to start a soap business. Then, apart from earnings, knowing profits is also important. If your sales outnumber your costs, then you are good with your business.

But if you wish to scale up your soap business with different product assortments. Then, you must figure out your profit margins. 

Since profit margin is a percentage. Thus, it will help you measure and compare your products with each other. That way you will have a realistic view of what works in your handmade soap business. You can then take an informed call about scaling or limiting any particular product.

Conclusion

If you consider yourself a creative person. Then, the time is always right to turn your hobby into a full-time career. 

Soap making is a creative hobby that is easy to get into. Moreover, if you consider the price of handmade soaps. Then, you can understand how lucrative it can be to have a successful handmade soap business. 

But you must also consider the fact that not all handmade soap businesses get victorious. Only a few get to become worldwide popular brands, while many never get to break even.

If you do not want to fail as a soap business owner. Then, you must read, understand and make notes of this article. That way you will start the right way and avoid common pitfalls.

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Ever thought about products you can make at home and sell? Yes, you can make handmade products and sell them online as well as offline. 

The growth of Etsy compelled Amazon to create Amazon Handmade for handcrafted products. This brings in opportunities for creatives to start home-based ventures. 

If you have a creative bent of mind and looking for financial independence. Then, you can read further to know about turning your skills into a business. 

7 Products You Can Make at Home and Sell 

     1.     Bath and Body Products

I have been successful in selling handmade soaps and other bath and body products. That is why these are my favorite handmade business ideas to start from home. 

If you have the know-how of making high-quality artisan toiletries, then there is a lot you can do. You can start from soaps, and then move on to bath bombs, scrubs, lotions, shampoo, conditioners, etc. 

The list of bath and body products is huge making it a multi-billion dollar industry. That means you can add enough dollars to your account even if you capture the category’s smallest pie.

The handmade beauty products category is super competitive. So, if you are a complete beginner, then, start with a micro niche and stick to it. That way you will grow faster and develop a reputation for your brand.

     2.     Digital Products 

If you have been following my journey, then you would know that these days all my products are digital.

The best part of handmade digital products is that you make them once and sell them forever. Moreover, there is no cost of delivering them to the end-user. That means there are huge savings of time and money. 

I always stress about creating digital products so to earn more returns on efforts. But I agree that it may sound overwhelming to switch to digital if you have never done it before. But it is easy to learn. 

As I write this article, it may surprise you to know that it has only been a year that I sold my first digital product. Within this time I have made hundreds of dollars with my digital planners and printables. That is huge compared to the amount of time and tools involved in creating and delivering them.

So, irrespective of whatever kind of handmade business you run. You can always add digital products to it. Believe me, within a few months of making the change, your bank account will surprise you.

     3.     Handmade Jewelry 

Every girl loves jewelry. No matter how many pieces of jewelry she has, it never seems enough. That is a big enough reason for you to consider it one of the products you can make at home and sell.

In the past, I have created and sold jewelry made out of crochet and paper. In a similar way, you can also figure out a sub-category to come up with your handmade jewelry label.

The best part is that you can even include precious stones and metals to create art pieces. That way your portfolio will have expensive things to make and sell.  

     4.     Woodworking Projects

Woodworking projects are a great way to make money from home. There are several sub-niches under the wood-crafting domain. Thus, you can stick to a few to utilize its monetary benefits.

All you need is a few projects/plans to get started. Instead of spending money upfront, you get a few of them for free.

It is a general perception that dealing with woods is a masculine craft. But considering the facts, many women are also into woodworking and making good bucks.

Thus, with a few hours into learning the nuances of the craft. You can get started with small projects till you grow up to the big ones.

     5.     Candles

If you ever made soaps yourself. Then, you can make candles as well. Both the crafts involve dealing with waxes and essential oils. Thus, they are similar. 

There is a lot of scope in making handcrafted candles. You can play around with various shapes, aromas, and colors. 

There is also a tremendous amount of scope with viral trends and themes.

For instance, handmade candles with Game of Thrones themes and adult humor are a rage.

As long as you figure out the best combination for your waxes and aromas, you can get yourself repeat orders. The best part is that candles are one of the easy things to make and sell for money. 

     6.     Fiber Art Products

When it comes to things to make and sell from home, fiber art tops the list. Knitting, crochet, sewing, macrame, embroidery are a few examples within it. 

I am a big fan of crochet because I have made and sold many of my creations from home. Earrings, bare-feet sandals, and bags are some of my best-selling crochet items. 

Similar items you can make through knitting and macrame as well. 

Sewing and embroidery also offer ample opportunities. You can pick up any as per your skills and then craft a monetization route.

     7.     Paper Crafts

Needless to state that papercrafts are one of the most profitable crafts to sell. The cost of paper is inexpensive as compared to other raw materials. Also, the cost of shipping handmade products made with paper is less vis-a-vis other crafts. 

Paper is a versatile material. It offers various craft options such as quilling, cards, flowers, origami, papier-mache, etc. 

There are several tutorials online to get started for free. You can binge-watch them to figure out what you can create with paper. You can even make handmade paper out of used paper. 

Important Pointers to Sell Handmade Products

As you can notice, there are products you can make at home and sell for profit.

Though it is not as simple as making stuff and waiting to collect money from rabid buyers. Rather, the difficult part is about finding buyers for your handmade creations.

As a creative, you should not let the selling part daunt you. The advancements in technology help you sell both online as well offline.    

Your website, Etsy, and Amazon Handmade work for the online sales. And, your brick-and-mortar store and local handmade craft fairs bring in offline sales.

But for both the channels to work, you must take a note of few pointers as below:

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this article through routing via the links in this post. Then, I may end up receiving a certain monetary percentage from the sale. Though the one who purchases through the link does not end up paying anything extra apart from the mentioned MRP on the product. Full disclosures on the Affiliate Page.

1. You must comply with the local laws regarding handmade products. There is no fun in investing in a business and later on jeopardizing it for some legal issues. If you are dealing with cosmetics and eatables, you should exercise due caution.

2. You should build client data from Day 0 of starting your handmade business. No matter how tiny your enterprise is, you must have direct contact with your customers. Email marketing works the best to attract, engage and retain your existing clients.

3. Apart from selling physical products, you must venture into digital products as well. Digital products add to your bottom line without engaging a steady flow of resources. Please do not think that your craft cannot have a digital version. It is a pleasant surprise that selling patterns and instructions of craft projects is a big market. Creating e-books is another lucrative option for digital products.

Conclusion

There are numerous products you can make at home and sell to earn a living. From simple flowers made of paper to oversized blankets made of wool, the options are plenty.

The ride will be smooth as long as you are willing to put in hard work and put technology to use. 

In case you know someone who is looking for things to make and sell for profit. Then, you can help them by sharing this article.  

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