Do your Homework
The distance between where you are now and where you want to be may become instantly apparent.
Communicating with Color – NEUTRALS
Light to medium grays are the most non-commital of all colors. The most neutral of all the neutrals
Creating a products that embodies your creative voice isn’t exactly like formulating a new cola to satisfy or annoy millions of people. But at the same time, you may not be an artist in the traditional sense – putting single, one of kind pieces out there that merely satisfy your imagination. You are placing a creative commodity on the market for group consumption. You need to make things people want to buy.
Vintage Industrial School Clock
Some of the best advice I’ve had the privilege to get was from a fellow Etsian, Meredith Dada, who in speaking to a friend spread this amazing knowledge: “Well, in all of the shouting and whispering, you are not LISTENING to what others are telling you! They buy your work…they give you their money, money they work hard for. They are SHOUTING at you! They are saying ‘We like this, make more of THIS!” Can you hear them? Or are you just making things you like with no regard for what your neighbors are telling you? Look at what is working and focus, look at what is not working and drop it.”
That said : — what if you’re still unsure what you want to make and sell?
Vintage Craft Book - Children's Book of "Things to Make and Do" with DIY toys
To give your products the best chance possible, your “homework” is to figure out the buying public’s interests.
IMPORTANT: IN NO WAY AM I SUGGESTING OR ADVOCATING COPYING OR IMITATION OF THE IDEAS OF ARTIST, ARTISAN OR CRAFTER. In fact, you are even thinking about copying you need to leave and go check yourself.
The first and easiest step is to go the bookstore or library and pick up a craft or lifestyle magazine and see what kinds of products and trends are garnering editorial coverage. Use your “Idea Process” to find a twist or new take you can adapt and create from these products that make them uniquely yours or to rule them out altogether as a option for your creations. Next go to local stores and markets that you would like to carry your types of products, to see what buyers are placing on your shelves. Lastly, get to know your future “competitors” by attending trade shows and craft fairs. In your homework, pay particular attention to designers engaged in the same kind or similar field of interest as you and make note of the following:
- what types of products are already out in the market? which areas are particularly saturated? conversely, what products did you NOT see?
- what trends (product, style, material, color or otherwise) did you notice? would you follow any of these trends?
- how many booths/tables are essentially selling the same type of product or have a similar aesthetic? how many share you aesthetic?
- was there a designer whose products struck you on an emotional level? why?
- was there a designer whose booth/table was particularly popular? why do you think people were drawn to that designer?
- what was the wholesale and/or retail pricing for goods you may be interested in launching yourself?
Attending craft fairs or trade shows is a great was to get an improved understanding of the marketplace locally. These trips can be at once reassuring, especially if you notice that your aesthetic or particular product isn’t popular or found yet, conversely you may come home to feel as though you’ve stuck a pin in your creative bubble by comparing yourself to some of the creative businesses you’ve just visited. The distance between where you are now and where you want to be may become instantly apparent.
Born an Original - 8x10 Art Print
Although classified as achromatic – literally without color – the neutral tones of beige, gray and taupe are still a psychological presence that impart a message of dependability.
Bain de Lait Handmade Vegan Soap Milk Bath
Taupe is sometimes referred to as “greige,” literally a combination of beige and gray. Neutrals may also be described as monotones. These neutral tones are identified with time and antiquity, the durability of ancient monuments, building and temples. They are seen as solid, enduring, timeless and above all classic; these qualities are transferred to the product or image in which the neutral are used. Neutrals should be used whenever durability, permanence and dependable performance and quality is of the utmost importance, whether in logos, packaging, label or other products.
textile wall hanging tapestry - Japanese bird ink drawing - Broken Song - tan / cream / beige / amber / brown
Neutrals are regarded as “safe” and non-offensive. they will not date a product because they are always in style. However, there are many nuances of the various neutrals because of there undertones. The undertone can radically shift the temperature of a neutral and change its psychological impact. For example: a warm gray is never as serious as a calm, collected, cool gray. A warm sandy beige is friendlier than a cool white.
Horse Photo, Equine Photography, Horses in the water, Snow White, Winter, Camargue, France - Far Away So Close
Light to medium grays are the most non-committal of all colors. The most neutral of all the neutrals – it is highly recommended for work surfaces or websites where color matching takes place because of it’s total neutrality. it will not compete with other colors and is highly recommended as a buffer between bright colors to reduce the intensity of the brilliance.
Wavy shawl Felt ruffled scarf
As gray approaches black, they start to take on much of black’s power and presence. but charcoal grays are never as threatening or overpowering as total black can sometimes be, especially in websites, packaging or logos. Silvery grays can take on a very futuristic, techno look as they are inevitably connected to minimal, spare and sleek images.
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geeking out in the coffee house
My style as i head out to coffee. Do Epic Shit – Mug cozy by Knotworkshop, vintage style caffeine molecule (black) cotton WEB BELT by CraftyRobot, Oversized Off The Shoulder by lamixx and statement motor necklace in Chartreuse by CloneHardware.
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Brown is the ultimate earth colour associated with hearth and home, substance and stability.
Mountain photography Nepal Himalayas Annapurna outdoor photography earth tones asia brown - Sanctuary 8x12
Historically, brown is revitalized in recessions because of its association with a down to earth durability. More than any other colour, brown must be though of in terms of usage and context. The various tones of brick, brown, tan, clay and terracotta are seen as the most rooted, protective and secure of all shades because they are inevitably connected to the earth. The colour of the earth generally elicits a positive response, however, some consumers relate brown to dirt or dirty – not a pleasant association that has often been problematic in the fashion industry.
Brown Sugar and Fig Soap Handmade Vegan Large Bar
More recently brown has earned greater visibility and respect due in large part to the panache of designer coffees – espresso or brown leathers in both fashion and interior design. In the home furnishings industry, brown has always had a higher acceptability because of its traditional connection to the stability of the earth. People feel secure in a brown interior, an imprinted reaction that goes back to our cave dwelling ancestors.
Eco Friendly Hemp Breezy Brimmed Beanie in Dark Brown
The homely, earthy aspect of the brown has played very well in the food industry for many years. The immediate response to brown breads, brown rice, brown grains and cereals is that is it wholesome, healthy and organic. This impression has spread to included organically grown cotton, wool and hemp products. Interestingly, brown also represents luscious chocolate. Whether wholesomely unprocessed to decadently delicious, brown is well connected to good tastes.
Chocolate Chocolate Candy Toadstools
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Every Accomplishment Starts with the Decision to Try - Motivational Art Wood Block Print
Once you’ve started your business, you’ll need to set goal on a weekly basis. Making a weekly goal sheet and putting your plans in writing will make your business plans feel very real. It’s best to diversify by mixing hard and easy goals. Easy goals can be things like attending a craft fair, picking a place in your home to set up your business, making a list of projects you’d like to make or getting together with a person in your creative network (online or in real life) to bounce ideas.
Good business goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely
Your harder goals will likely either revolve around the business end of your craft or involve completing craft projects. It take discipline to finish the harder goals, so try to subdivide your tasks into smaller, more managable bites (e.g. call the bank and ask about opening a business account). You can check off each mini-accomplishment that brings you closer to completing your weekly goals. Although a certain amount of stress is needed to keep your motivation level high, too much stress (as in setting too many goals) can work against you. Be realistic about how many things you can accomplish in a given day or week. Approach every task big or small with a joie de vivre.
We Are Intellectuals - 8x10 print
Good business goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely
- Revenue Goals
If your long-term revenue goal is to double revenue by the end of the year, an example of a supporting short-term goal is to investigate your social media influence and customer buying habits. Another short-term goal example is to spend the next month learning your primary competition and brainstorming on what you offer that they don’t. Take this research and design a new advertising campaign that highlights the unique points about your business or products.
- Website Traffic Goals
A long-term goal regarding web traffic is to increase traffic to your site by at least 50 percent by the end of the year. Supporting short-term goals are to research web traffic analysis to better pinpoint current traffic trends, to hire a web consultant for one month to propose and implement programming changes to make the site appeal to a broader audience than your traffic trend research suggests currently exist. Plus adding social media, twitter, pinterest and facebook to allow customers to access your products and you more easily. Another example of a short-term goal is to select a medium for advertising your site other than the Web, such as a local farmer’s market, craft fairs, independent business groups where you advertise your site address for one month.
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