Start & Run a Craft Business. William G. Hynes

Business cards

      Your business card should include your name, the name of your company, your business address, and your phone number. If you have e-mail and a Web site, it is important to include these on your business card. Your card should also include a brief description of your work (e.g., “Precious Gems” or “Custom Woodwork”). While you can order a fancy business card with your name in raised, gold-embossed lettering, it saves money and is just as effective if you pick a simple design. Business cards are very inexpensive when ordered in lots of 500 or 1,000 using one of the many available standard type styles. The cost may go up if you have pictures, drawings, or a company logo which requires the printer to do special artwork. If you have a computer, an ink-jet or laser printer, and desktop publishing software, you can easily print your own business cards using blank business card stock available in most office supply stores. Some word processing programs also have the capacity to print business cards.

      2. Brochures and catalogs

      Brochures and catalogs enable you to place information on your products in the hands of prospective customers. They can be a valuable sales tool whether you hand them out to prospective customers who visit your booth, send them out through the mail, or use them to show your products to store owners. This is the good side.

      The bad side is that they are relatively expensive to prepare and to print. More than one craftsperson has had the experience of going to a great deal of time and trouble to prepare a color brochure only to be disappointed by the final result.

      The production of a good color brochure is a fairly expensive process involving photography, design work, color separation, and printing. A black and white brochure is simpler and less expensive. Should you decide to go for a color brochure or even a black and white one, you should use a reputable design firm. If you pick one from the Yellow Pages, ask to see some examples of their work before you decide.

      The production of a good color brochure is a fairly expensive process.

      For most small craft businesses, the simplest and most cost-efficient brochure is a one-page information sheet that can be photocopied. With recent advances in photo reproduction, it is not difficult to make good quality copies of drawings and even pictures; however, you don’t necessarily have to produce images. A listing of your products with brief descriptions, sizes, and prices will often be sufficient.

      If you have desktop publishing software on your computer, you may want to produce your own brochure. Many advanced word processing programs also have the capability to produce a basic brochure. The decision to do the work yourself or to hire a professional will depend on the kind of brochure you want and how you plan to use it. If you really want an eye-catching, glossy brochure that will impress people who have never seen your actual products, you should use a professional service. However, if you just want something inexpensive that you can hand out to customers at craft shows, you might want to produce your own.