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Business Resources, eCommerce, work at home

How to Turn Your Favorite Crafts into a Lucrative Business

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I used to read blogs all day, then I started writing myself in 2009. The shift from consumer to creator has been a beautiful adventure. It’s inspired me to share with you my tips on how to turn your favorite craft into a moneymaking business, too.

Let’s face it: doing what you love is the best, but the appeal is greater if it makes income. You’ve had your doubts, especially when it comes to turning a profit. But I’m here to tell you that there’s no reason you can’t succeed. You may have started crafting when you were a toddler, but you’re a professional now. It is your time to shine.

Think Ahead

There has never been a time that’s more conducive to selling your handmade crafts than now. One reason is Etsy, the internet’s number 1 online market for DIY goods. With the boundaries of physical geography erased, your creations will have a digital consumer reach that is greater than any time in history.

Build a Social Media Following

You don’t need much to build hype. You could have only one kind of bracelet to sell, if you made people feel like it was the ultimate bracelet every single person needed to have on the planet. Not feeling very confident with this whole branding thing? I understand. Easier said than done. Poke around Instagram and learn from the best. You’ll notice that successful social media influencers have a specific angle, whether that’s a literal camera angle or a recurring pattern to what they post (for example, jewelry with an interesting backdrop). Think of Instagram as the hook that grabs the consumer. The next step is directing web traffic to a site that offers more information and/or products for sale.

Become your Brand

Personality is so important when it comes to self-promotion. Because you don’t have an advertising team to push you, what you have to work with is your fabulous self. The consumer is interested to know about who created the object they can no longer live without. Remind yourself how enormous the internet is—it’s a wonderful thing that you have found each other. Honor their trust by creating an About Me page on your website and share your story and bio.

Stick to a Name

Whether it’s your own name or an alternative, the main way to communicate what you’re about is through a brand name. You’ll want it to fit what you are selling and come up with a logo too. A book agency is not going to have the same sound or aesthetic as a jewelry line. To that end, know your audience. When it comes to marketing, first impressions stick. This takes us back to learning from others: get to know other crafters doing what you have in mind for yourself. Determine what you think works for them, what you would do without, and what you can do better. Conducting this kind of market research before launching your website and social media is a good idea, as changing a name once you’ve established a vision can be confusing to consumers and fellow crafters alike.

 

Choose a Business Model  

The legal model that you choose for your business depends on how much responsibility you are interested in taking on. The rudimentary setup for a small business is a sole proprietorship. As the owner of the business, you become solely responsible for the gains and losses accrued under your watch. If you would prefer a little legal distance between you and your company, you may need a Limited Liability Company (LLC).

Apply for a License

Every state enforces a set of codes and stipulations for small business ownership. While your business might be more fun than some, the legal structure is just as important as any other. If you want your business to take off, you have to set strong foundations. Set your prices in such a way that yields profit.

Pay your Taxes

Keep the IRS happy and pay your taxes, in full and on time. Running a business is a lot of work, but if you build it correctly you will succeed. Transparency is key. This is also true of your relations with your customers. When it comes down to it, your aim is to keep customers happy and coming back for more. Make contact easy and pleasant by providing sufficient communication tools, like a business email address that you check regularly.

Give Yourself Benefits

One of the best parts of being self-employed is that you get to decide your own benefits package. You decide how much vacation time and sick time you get. You decide your holidays, health insurance, life insurance, maternity/paternity leave and more!

Conclusion

Starting a small business is an exciting time in any field of work. For crafters, it’s a dream come true. You’re obviously passionate about your product if you think it’s worth value! All you need is to get the paperwork in order and you’ll be on your way!

work at home

How to Become a Work at Home Accountant or Bookkeeper

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Accounting and bookkeeping have long been jobs available to those who want to work from home, work part-time, or work seasonally. Accountants who work for only a few clients or book keepers for one or two small businesses can work part-time year-round, and technology is making it infinitely easier to work from home. Here are the steps to becoming a work at home accountant or book keeper.

Get Educated and Certified

There is far more to bookkeeping than learning generally accepted accounting practices, though it is a start. The literal cost of bookkeeping mistakes cannot be understated. If someone fails to file the necessary tax paperwork for your business, it will receive fines or worse from the IRS.

A bookkeeper who makes a few major mistakes or continually makes the same minor ones literally costs the client money, and once they find out, the negative word of mouth will prevent you from finding any new clients. This is why any aspiring bookkeeper must be properly educated to even have a chance at working in the field.

The minimum you need to work as a bookkeeper is an associate’s degree in accounting, though most clients want a bachelor’s degree or higher. If you are qualified to fill out tax forms for the business, you’ll earn more. Whether you earn an online master in taxation degree from an online master in taxation program or tax preparation certifications from various schools, any certification recognized by your clients will result in higher pay and acceptance by more clients.

A Certified Public Accountant license is required for some positions, such as submitting any paperwork to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Get the Right Software

If you’re going to work as a bookkeeper, you need to have the software your clients use. Quickbooks is one of the leading software applications for accountants, but Freshbooks, Xero, and Capterra are catching up. If you want to work with major companies, Netsuite is an important tool to learn and have at hand.

Find Clients

One way to find clients is to advertise your services. If you start by contacting small businesses in your area, you may find work this way. However, the more likely solution is asking for word of mouth referrals since people are reluctant to hand over their financial information to a stranger.

One option is checking gig websites for people searching for accounting services, such as generating their first financial reports or closing their private books. These experiences can turn into long-term arrangements or provide referrals to other customers. There are online job sites that list work from home accounting positions in addition to standard office accounting jobs. Working for a tax preparation service during the spring and networking with these customers to become bookkeepers for them is an option if it doesn’t violate a non-compete clause in the firm’s employment contract.

The first step in becoming a work at home accountant or bookkeeper is learning the rules, regulations and actual work of bookkeeping and accounting. Earning a widely recognized certification is invaluable. You need to have access to the software your clients use. Then you need to drum up a few clients. Leverage relationships and public positions to find them.