New year, new goal to start your own handmade products & crafts business? Here are some things to keep in mind before taking your crafting hobby to the next level.

Handmade products and crafting businesses are among the best small business ventures that can be realistically run from a home office, garage, workshop, kitchen, or other at-home location. They’re also conveniently scalable, since most begin as hobbies and grow in seemingly natural stages. This makes them a popular choice for students and stay-at-home parents, retirees, and anyone looking to make some extra income alongside an existing job.

Today, we’ll look at small business opportunities in two of the most popular categories: Handmade Products & Crafts, as well as Home-based Food Businesses.

Popular Crafting Businesses

Thinking about starting a small crafting-based business, but not entirely sure where to start? The first step is to consider your personal interests. While there are exceptions to the rule, most crafting businesses start as hobbies. This is part of what makes them such a great choice as business ventures. They are highly scalable. Your crafting business can grow in its own time, moving from a hobby to a side hustle, finding traction in local markets and then moving to an online store. Maybe wholesale is next as it becomes a full-time business.

Here are some of the most popular handmade (non-food) items being sold by Canadian small businesses right now:

• Candles and Wax Melts
• Handmade Soap
• Stickers
• Handmade Signs
• Journals and Planners
• Wreaths and Flower Arrangements

Who Will Buy It?

Naturally, you’ll want everybody to purchase your products, but before you start on things like branding and packaging development, you’ll need to know who to target. This is the time to think about your ideal customer. Who are they, how old are they, and what sort of budget will they have? Consider their lifestyle and life stage age well? Would the purchaser most likely be the user, or would your product be more of a gift?

Where Will you Sell Your Product?

Deciding where to sell is an important decision. These days, a lot of people sell online, either via their own website, through social media, or through popular artisan sites, like Etsy. However, there may be other options available, depending on the type of handmade products you intend to sell. Craft shows, flea markets, and community festivals offer a great way to get your products out in front of people without the expense of a bricks and mortar shop. However, these events do come at a cost. You’ll need to factor in additional expenses such as promotional items and giveaways, sampling opportunities, travel expenses, booth expenses, and of course, your time.

How Will You Make Your Products Look Professionally Packaged?

Your product’s packaging will play a major role, whether you sell online or in person, which means it’s important to take time when putting it all together. While the container and label are the most important factors to consider, you’ll also want to think about other things like packaging seals, care and instruction labels or cards, thank you stickers, product information cards, and more.

It can be a lot, but when you shop avery.ca, you can find the labels, cards, and printing services you need to launch and support your handmade products and crafts business. Get started today!