[Nfb-krafters-korner] Starting a Business in Crafts
NCBootman
ncbootman at gmail.com
Sat Oct 2 21:10:15 UTC 2010
Contact your local Small Business Administration. You really do need a
strong business plan and they have sighted folks who can help you define
market, and some of this other stuff.
Greg
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Eleni Vamvakari" <magkisa83 at gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 02, 2010 2:57 PM
To: <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Starting a Business in Crafts
> Hello to everyone,
>
> I'm sorry that this is so long but I really am serious about this.
> So hopefully, someone can help me. As I stated in my introductory
> post, I'm very much interested in starting my own business. For now,
> I intend on making soaps and candles but wish to eventually expand
> into baskets and other wicker items like mats, toats and more, maybe
> even chair caning. I may even create other cosmetic products like
> shampoos and lotions. I'm also interested in making brooms and/or
> brushes but am not really sure what the market is for those right now,
> since most people whom I know buy the synthetic versions. The first
> two seem the quickest, the cheapest and the easiest. So I've been
> asking questions of Joyce and she's been giving me excellent advice
> about making candles and soaps, from places to get materials to tips
> and tricks that I can use as a totally blind crafter.
>
> At any rate, I recently read that there is something called a plan
> for achieving self-support (PASS) offered by Social Security. The
> site explaining all of this is here.
>
> http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/11017.html
>
> I receive SSI so am eligible to apply. If they accept my plan, I can
> get extra money to put towards my business. I could use it to
> advance my knowledge of these trades, particularly wicker working, for
> the materials to make the soaps, candles, baskets etc., and maybe even
> the brooms, since the supplies for the latter are extremely expensive.
> I could even use some money to go to local stores to buy my supplies
> so that I can reduce the need to pay shipping. if I desire. But the
> process for setting up the plan, filling out the form and especially
> for creating a business plan, seems extremely difficult. I can easily
> answer some of the questions but others are confusing. I need to
> know, for example, who my customers will be. I'm thinking some will
> be online consumers and others might be found at craft shows. If I
> get lucky, I might even sell to stores! But I'm not sure right now.
> I also need to know what my items and services will cost. As I don't
> know the amount of customers that I'll have nor the competitive
> prices, I can't answer this accurately. Then, they ask how I'll pay
> for it. Isn't that what this money is for, to get me started? Of
> course, once I start making an income, then I could use that to pay
> for supplies etc. They also ask how much I expect to make within the
> next four years. How can I properly answer this without having had
> the experience of selling these items and in an economy that is in
> crisis?
>
> They say on the site to seek professional help. So I've contacted
> my vocational counselor from the New Jersey Comission of the Blind as
> well as the woman who runs the local job club. The latter is on
> holiday so hasn't returned my e-mail and the former I will need to
> contact again on Monday, since I haven't heard from him either. But I
> was told that some of you have had experience in this regard. Would
> anyone here be able to help me with formulating a plan or at least
> with some ideas as to how to get this started?
>
> How much product should I buy for the first batch so that I can test
> the waters but not be overwhelmed or underwhelmed with too much or too
> little? Where are the best places to sell my things? I've considered
> craft shows but heard that these can be quite expensive to attend, and
> right now, I don't have much money. I know there's always EBay but
> I'm not sure how popular these types of items are on there.
> Craigslist seems like a good option, provided that I can ship the
> items to my customers. Etsy, I think, is overloaded with those kinds
> of things so I really don't know how mine would sell when compared to
> others. I'm still seeking a mentor who works in basketry or at least
> advice as to which books, tapes or videos are the most accessible to a
> totally blind basket weaver. So any help there would be appreciated.
>
> Finally, last night, I came across something called the BOS (Blind
> Online Success System) which is a free program teaching the basics of
> business marketing. They were mentioned by the ACB and by the APH, so
> I'm pretty sure that they're not a scam. Their site is here.
>
> http://blindonlinesuccesssystem.com/info
>
> Has anyone worked with them, and if so, is it worth it for me to do so
> given my plans?
>
> Thanks,
> Eleni
>
> _______________________________________________
> Nfb-krafters-korner mailing list
> Nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> Nfb-krafters-korner:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfb-krafters-korner_nfbnet.org/ncbootman%40gmail.com
More information about the NFB-Krafters-Korner
mailing list