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Do you dream of working from home in your pajamas, making things to sell? Thousands of people make full-time incomes doing this exact thing.
If you have enough drive and ambition, you can run a successful handmade craft business out of your home, too. However, it’s not the best idea for everyone… Here are eight signs it’s not for you.
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1. You Don’t Have the Drive
Many people that work from home have a hard time separating work life from personal life because it all takes place in the same space. This can make it seem like you are on call 24/7. And, a lot of the time, you truly are because of your clients’ needs. Flexibility is sometimes a curse because it may mean you have to work at all hours of the day. That leads to burnout in your handmade business.
If you truly want to work from home, you need to have enough drive to work on your business without the distractions of home life. This is not easy to do, especially if you have young children. It can be done, but it requires a great deal of dedication on your part.
2. Your Attention Span Is Short and You Can’t Get Organized
You have no supervision as a handmade business owner. This means you have to hold yourself accountable for the work you do. To be successful, you have to manage your time wisely to stay on target to fulfill your orders. If you’re someone with a really short attention span, this can be a difficult adjustment as you enter the work-at-home life.
Additionally, having young children at home can be a major distraction. People think that working at home is the ideal situation because you don’t have to hire daycare, but it actually requires a high level of organization and patience. You have to prioritize your work and juggle lots of other things at the same time without losing focus on your goals.
My attention span is less than stellar, but I’ve been working on making it better. I know that when I am really focused, I make more money, which is a huge motivator for me. Having a short attention span will hurt your business, but it is something you can work on improving. The biggest thing you need to do is minimize your distractions and find self motivators that will keep you on task.
3. You Aren’t an Expert at Anything
The most successful handmade business owners choose a niche and work at creating the best products in that industry. They focus on one thing at a time and become an expert. This is how you show your authority in your niche and land high paying commissioned work. You must become an expert!
Being the very best at something requires time and patience. You have to put in the work to be seen as an authority in your niche. Plus, you have to manage this without letting perfectionism get in your way.
4. You Haven’t Built Enough Confidence Yet
Successful handmade business owners are not afraid to promote their products on social media or anywhere else. You have to gain exposure to get more work and build demand for your products. If you’re afraid of having your name attached to something, owning a business is not a good choice for you. You need to overcome the feelings of self-doubt and fear and be willing to show your work to the world. If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will believe in you, either.
5. Dealing with Clients Scares You
As a handmade business owner, you are your own boss. You have no one to go to if you’re having a hard time with one of your clients. If the thought of having complete control over client relationships scares you, you might want to rethink running a business.
Some clients are a breeze to work with and others are very picky with high demands. A lot of the time it is hard to figure out what clients really want. It’s something you can’t control and must learn to adapt to.
6. You Don’t Know How to Negotiate Your Pay
Another difficult thing about running a handmade business is that you have to negotiate your pay. Some people have no problem with this, but it can create an awkward situation. Just make sure that you charge enough to compensate you for your materials, time, and skill. Remember, if you’re willing to work for minimal pay, that’s all you’ll get.
7. Money Management Isn’t One of Your Strengths
Running a business requires strong money management skills because you won’t have a steady paycheck. As a matter of fact, your paychecks can be drastically different from one month to the next. I once had a month where I made $4,000 and then the very next month I only made $500. If you want consistency, running a handmade business is not for you.
Too many people leave their full-time job to work from home before considering everything involved. Running a handmade business does not work for everyone and not everyone can make enough money doing it. It’s best to start out on a part-time basis to determine if it’s right for you before jumping completely in. Also, make sure your savings is built up before you start to help you through the first few rocky months.
8. Being Alone Bothers You
For the most part, running a handmade business is solitary work. Sure, there is the occasional phone call or face-to-face meeting with clients, but you don’t truly have coworkers or anyone you can talk to about work on a daily basis. Some people thrive in this type of environment while others go crazy. If you can’t stand to be by yourself all the time, it isn’t for you.
Running a handmade business is the ultimate job for flexibility, but it is not easy, especially at the beginning when you’re building your client base. You need confidence, determination, talent, and professionalism to thrive. You can make it happen if you really want to, especially if you’re able to overcome the problems mentioned in this post.
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