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blarsen2's review against another edition
4.0
When I was looking for a book on this topic I was hoping to find something a bit more on the grassroots level for personal reasons. This book, however, was great in including basic concepts that I can apply in such an environment. If I ever start my own craft business one day, I’ll come back and refer to this book.
I enjoyed the interviews and countless resources added into the book.
I enjoyed the interviews and countless resources added into the book.
ricefun's review against another edition
5.0
Over the last several years I've explored the possibility of trying to sell my handcrafts to broader markets than the small but bustling Winter Farmer's market in Richmond, IN where I've gotten my toes wet with Buttonwood Artisans. That interest led me to the book Craft Inc, in which Meg Mateo Ilasco outlines the many opportunities and challenges of turning a hobby into a business. This book is so practical and packed with both information and examples about selling handcrafts and homegoods to earn a livelihood.
While I read the book cover-to-cover because of my general interest in how the industry works, within the first couple of chapters I was able to easily discern that I'd like to stay in the realm of "hobby" with my crafts, instead of trying to expand into "business" I do really appreciate Ilasco's encouragement to use every situation as an opportunity for creativity and learning. She also expressed over and over our need to listen to your own deep desires which help each of us to know when to expand and when to discontinue attempts to pursue our passions. After reading this book I feel confident that I want to include creativity in my life, but it will remain an after-work hobby that brings me joy and stress-relief instead of taking center stage and becoming my livelihood.
While I read the book cover-to-cover because of my general interest in how the industry works, within the first couple of chapters I was able to easily discern that I'd like to stay in the realm of "hobby" with my crafts, instead of trying to expand into "business" I do really appreciate Ilasco's encouragement to use every situation as an opportunity for creativity and learning. She also expressed over and over our need to listen to your own deep desires which help each of us to know when to expand and when to discontinue attempts to pursue our passions. After reading this book I feel confident that I want to include creativity in my life, but it will remain an after-work hobby that brings me joy and stress-relief instead of taking center stage and becoming my livelihood.
kickpleat's review against another edition
4.0
Lots of good information on starting a business from your craft but the slant is all American, which was a bit of a bummer. But it was a nicely designed book, easy to read and did actually help me with pricing, since it does provide a nice and easy little formula.
squishythings's review against another edition
2.0
Unfortunately, a lot of the advice given here isn't relevant to what I make and how I work. I also have the business planner that goes with this book, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to modify it to fit my needs.
ikahime's review against another edition
4.0
I have to re-read this and get my notebook out. Some excellent advice and lists of resources are included in this book. I found sections on copyright and planning particularly helpful.
jenniegarcian's review against another edition
4.0
Really good and concentrated! Short but full of information! It covers legal, marketing, how to outsource, website basics and lot of more things! Love the interviews on this book!
innowen's review against another edition
4.0
(Adapted from www.diyplanner.com)
The ultimate dream for any artist and crafter is to be able to open up a shop where they can sell their creations and make a living from their passion. Thanks to sites like Ebay and Etsy, crafters can do just this. For those of you who think you might want to eventually swap out your 9-5 job to pursue a business based off your creative designs, then Craft, Inc.: Turn your creative hobby into a business, by Meg Mateo Ilasco, is your guide into getting your business started
Mateo Ilasco uses Craft, Inc. to hit all the major points of starting your own crafty company. Her writing is crisp and tailored perfectly to today's crafting audience. The chapters are loosely organized around topics such as: starting a new business; overview of business topics; making your product identity; marketing (with heavy emphasis on internet and trade show techniques); production and pricing; and how to live beyond the dream. She teaches you how to make business and marketing plans and how to act when you're invited to trade shows. The book also contains many internet resources to help you along the way to turning your crafting hobby into a profitable business.
Craft, Inc. contains a lot of good information over a very broad scope. Mateo Ilasco covers a lot of ground in 160 pages. I'd almost recommend that you read this book twice. Once to see the variety of information in the book and a second time to really understand what to do with the information. There are lots of check lists to make sure that you have what it takes to open shop or successfully attend a trade show. She also includes some very good questions to ask yourself about why you are doing what you are doing with your craft and business. The book includes many positive success-story interviews, illustrating that craft businesses can and do make it in the real world.
I personally loved the final chapter, "Ups, Downs, and Next Steps". While knowing business plans and marketing styles is important, this chapter goes into the specifics of what to do if your design gets plagiarized, or if you burn out quickly, or want to end your business because it's not doing as well as expected. These are important things that happen to new entrepreneurs and usually get glanced over or forgotten from most business-oriented books.
On the flipside, while the book contains a lot of information, the information it does contain tends to be broad and generalized. This is a book that caters to craft-people but it should be read in conjunction with other business books out there. For example, the book talks a lot about marketing and where to go to market your wares. But it doesn't really tell you the specifics of making a great marketing plan that grows with your business over the years. I also would have liked to see more interviews with crafters; especially one or two where turning their hobby into a full-time business didn't live up to their expectations. Adding a touch of realism to all the bright and shiny [b:success stories|3228917|Outliers|Malcolm Gladwell|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41bbHmtqpQL._SL75_.jpg|3364437] would ground this cheery, "can do" book back into reality. Craft, Inc. also focuses mostly on US markets and techniques, so I'm not sure how useful this book would be on a global scale; even though Mateo Ilasco does mention outsourcing globally.
The bottom line is that Craft, Inc. is a good, solid book to introduce basic business principles to crafters who think they want to open shop and sell their items. It gives you a complete view of the business process from creation to ending your business gracefully. Like most craft books on the market, this one has a nice graphic design and color scheme that seems to cater to woman crafters over men. But don't let that fool you as Mateo Ilasco does illustrate that the book works for anyone.
The ultimate dream for any artist and crafter is to be able to open up a shop where they can sell their creations and make a living from their passion. Thanks to sites like Ebay and Etsy, crafters can do just this. For those of you who think you might want to eventually swap out your 9-5 job to pursue a business based off your creative designs, then Craft, Inc.: Turn your creative hobby into a business, by Meg Mateo Ilasco, is your guide into getting your business started
Mateo Ilasco uses Craft, Inc. to hit all the major points of starting your own crafty company. Her writing is crisp and tailored perfectly to today's crafting audience. The chapters are loosely organized around topics such as: starting a new business; overview of business topics; making your product identity; marketing (with heavy emphasis on internet and trade show techniques); production and pricing; and how to live beyond the dream. She teaches you how to make business and marketing plans and how to act when you're invited to trade shows. The book also contains many internet resources to help you along the way to turning your crafting hobby into a profitable business.
Craft, Inc. contains a lot of good information over a very broad scope. Mateo Ilasco covers a lot of ground in 160 pages. I'd almost recommend that you read this book twice. Once to see the variety of information in the book and a second time to really understand what to do with the information. There are lots of check lists to make sure that you have what it takes to open shop or successfully attend a trade show. She also includes some very good questions to ask yourself about why you are doing what you are doing with your craft and business. The book includes many positive success-story interviews, illustrating that craft businesses can and do make it in the real world.
I personally loved the final chapter, "Ups, Downs, and Next Steps". While knowing business plans and marketing styles is important, this chapter goes into the specifics of what to do if your design gets plagiarized, or if you burn out quickly, or want to end your business because it's not doing as well as expected. These are important things that happen to new entrepreneurs and usually get glanced over or forgotten from most business-oriented books.
On the flipside, while the book contains a lot of information, the information it does contain tends to be broad and generalized. This is a book that caters to craft-people but it should be read in conjunction with other business books out there. For example, the book talks a lot about marketing and where to go to market your wares. But it doesn't really tell you the specifics of making a great marketing plan that grows with your business over the years. I also would have liked to see more interviews with crafters; especially one or two where turning their hobby into a full-time business didn't live up to their expectations. Adding a touch of realism to all the bright and shiny [b:success stories|3228917|Outliers|Malcolm Gladwell|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41bbHmtqpQL._SL75_.jpg|3364437] would ground this cheery, "can do" book back into reality. Craft, Inc. also focuses mostly on US markets and techniques, so I'm not sure how useful this book would be on a global scale; even though Mateo Ilasco does mention outsourcing globally.
The bottom line is that Craft, Inc. is a good, solid book to introduce basic business principles to crafters who think they want to open shop and sell their items. It gives you a complete view of the business process from creation to ending your business gracefully. Like most craft books on the market, this one has a nice graphic design and color scheme that seems to cater to woman crafters over men. But don't let that fool you as Mateo Ilasco does illustrate that the book works for anyone.
emilylandry's review against another edition
4.0
Advice, anecdotes, encouragement on how to start your own crafts-based independent business.