Support for Craft-Entrepreneurs

With the world and especially my country, South Africa, facing so much poverty and, having struggled myself when starting out as an entrepreneur, I have thought a lot about how to become a successful entrepreneur. It seems as though it is not so much what you do, but how you do it and whether you learn from your mistakes or just keep on making them over and over. The next couple of blogs I am going to share my own experiences as an entrepreneur as well as some ideas that I have seen that works and which I think might work. Do you need a business plan? Although I found it useful to write my ideas down in the process of developing my business, I found my more elaborate attempts of writing a formal business plan, a waste of time and effort. These are only good if you intend borrowing money, which I do not recommend. If you need money to start your business, try to find someone who will invest in you or raise the money by donations etc. Preferably start with what you have. It is possible to start a business with what you have. I will share some business ideas where you can start with virtually nothing but a cellphone. Your client base For all businesses, you need a client base. To start with, your client base could consist of your family, friends, neighbours, the church, clubs or societies. When I started my maths tutoring business, I printed my own pamphlets and handed them to the parents at the gate when the school closed. Someone once said to me, if you want to make money, sell to people who have money. This is piece of advice has come in handy through the years, especially when it comes to crafts. Integrity In the business world you seldom get a second chance if you have been dishonest in any way. Repeat sales and service is crucial for any business. You will lose these if you are dishonest. If a shop tries to cheat me out of my money, I refuse to go back there and that shop usually do not last long. The same goes for service businesses. A plumber once quoted me R1000 for a job. He then broke an appliance and then tried to charge me double for the job. I will never make use of his service again. Don't try to "screw" your client but don't be shy to charge for good service. Most people are happy to pay for good quality products or service. This will give you referrals as well, which is at this stage 70% of my business. Having your own business is stressful enough. Don't make it more stressful by being dishonest and having to look over your shoulder the whole time in fear of being caught out. First Idea for a Start-Up No-Cost Business Most beaders and craftsmen/woman are looking for someone to sell their goods. If you know someone (more than one person will even be better) who are good, ask them if they will allow you to sell their goods for a small commission. If you don't know someone, go to a craft market and see if you can spot someone with talent. Ask them if you may market their products. Ask the person to provide you with a photo album of their products, and then try to sell it to "your client base" using the photo album. Please let me know if you found this useful. Cecilia Rooke