Most of the successful creative business owners we see nowadays have started from a small business structure. Their capital is creativity and the will to start something new.
Some of these creative businesses were women-owned. Would you believe there is a significant increase of women entrepreneurs in the 20th and 21st centuries? In the United States alone there are 11.6 million businesses owned by women in 2017. Sixty-eight percent of them run their business from home.
Now it may be daunting to start your own small business venture, but just look at the women who made it work. Most of them didn’t have the access to mentorship or guides on how to start their own business, but they were able to thrive.
If you’re thinking of starting your own creative homemade business, but you haven’t thought out what you want to do or what you’re good at, here are some ideas that may pique your interest.
Creative Homemade Business Ideas to Try
Before starting your own business, you must ask yourself first, “What creative pursuits am I passionate about?” or “What creative skills do I want to learn?”
From this, you could figure out what kind of business idea you could venture on.
1. Candle Making
The candle industry is considered to have a big market. In the United States alone, candle sales reach up to $2.3 billion a year. Of course, compared to other industries, it is regarded to be of smaller scale.
However, if you’re thinking of profiting from having the knowledge of candle manufacturing, you would have a sure market, as there is a huge demand in scented or decorative candles.
Starting this business doesn’t require much capital, all you need is a small budget for making candles and a place to work on.
2. Jewelry Making
If you’re someone who has a deep love and appreciation for jewelry, why not start your own jewelry collection? You don’t have to be an influencer or a well-known brand to be able to sell your creations. All you need is a creative and unique jewelry design, and it would basically sell itself.
Of course, if you’re opting to be a jewelry maker, you need to be prepared to invest financially and do the work. Before becoming a jewelry designer, you would need to have knowledge on how to make them, so taking classes on jewelry making is necessary. You could always sign up for online classes or you could also look for jewelry making workshops near you.
3. Soap Making
The specialty soap industry has a niche community, and making your own brand of specialty soaps and the likes would require a low capital budget. Of course, if you want to venture into a bigger market, you would have to invest in marketing and selling on online shopping websites as well as physical stores, like cosmetic shops, salons, and the likes.
4. Basket Weaving
Baskets aren’t only used for markets or picnics. Nowadays they are used as decorations and even a fashion statement. With the increasing market for baskets, starting your own homemade basket weaving business would be a good idea.
If you want high returns for your creations, you would have to be creative with your designs and you should invest in marketing them. There are multiple platforms where you could sell, like Etsy and Amazon. Also, you could sell at fairs and events, or even look for clients who are interested in buying in bulk.
5. Embroidery Creations
The embroidery industry is a very profitable sector, with it being a $14 billion dollar industry. Apparently there is demand in decorated apparel, and embroidery is on the forefront of it. Moreover, embroidery machines and equipments are affordable, and this type of business can be done at the comfort of your own home.
To start, you would need to have an inventory of caps, shirts or hoodies to embroider on. You could use a machine or do it by hand (although we recommend the former), and market your creations online.
6. Thrift Flipping
If you’re familiar with Sophia Amoruso and the story of how she started her own clothing company from thrifting and upcycling clothes, then you basically know how to handle having a thrift-flipping business. If not, thrift-flipping means purchasing clothes from thrift stores at a low cost, then upcycling and making it look more high-quality.
Although you would need a capital, a handful of clothing inventory, and a sewing machine to start this business, there is a higher return for you surely, especially since there is a demand in sustainable fashion.
7. Bag Designing
If you have a talent in sketching or painting, one great creative homemade business is to sell painted bags. There is an increasing demand in having totebags and handbags–even luxury ones–designed.
You could start with your own bags, and post it online to attract clients. You could also prepare an inventory of bags you could paint on to be sold.
There are a lot of options on how you could market and sell customized bags, and it’s also a profitable business.
8. Baking
You don’t need to have your own cafe to sell your baked goods. If you love baking, you could start a business, selling homemade pastries. What’s more is there is really no need to spend on baking classes because there are a lot of recipes you can find online. All you need is a capital for your baking ingredients.
However, if you want to have a more professional approach, you could also look up local baking classes you could partake in.
You could market your products on social media, like Instagram or Facebook, or use the word of mouth and let your friends and family help.
9. Clay Sculpting or Pottery Making
With clay sculpting, there are a lot of products you could make and sell—from pots to china plates. If you have acquired the pottery or clay sculpting skill, or you’re interested in learning to do so, then selling your creations can be a profitable business to have.
It is important, however, to have a focus on what kind of creations you want to make. According to an Etsy forum, mugs, fruit bowls, and other kitchenware are the most sellable pottery products.
10. Macrame Making
Macrame crafts are very flexible; you could make one for decoration or even a furniture! There are already quite a few small businesses, which offer macrame products and services, that have introduced and sold home goods using the material.
If this is something that interests you, you could start off small by making macrame decorations or plant hangers. You could also take on event-designing projects wherein you could incorporate the use of macrame; the options are flexible!
How to Start Your Small Business
Research
As with any endeavour one takes, the first and foremost step is to always research. You can’t go to battle without knowing what you’re up against. Your research should include if there is a market for your business idea and how you would fit into it, who your competition is, and what are the important trends (color, theme, pattern, material) for the season.
You should also assess yourself and ask the purpose of the business—why are you building it and what do you need out of it? Are you passionate about it?
Straighten Your Business Plan and Finances
To make your venture a reality, you would need a solid business plan and strategy. A business plan is basically a plan of action, from start-up to establishment.
You would need to decide whether you want to have a traditional business plan—where you have financial support from investors—or a simple business plan. Considering that you’re thinking of starting a creative homemade business, we recommend choosing the latter, as this plan is just meant for you to see.
We also recommend that you have a financial planning system. It could be as simple as a spreadsheet wherein you could estimate and budget your startup costs.
Register Your Business
Of course, you would need to pick out a name for your business so you could register it. You would also need it for processing the paperwork and applying for permits and licenses applicable to your business.
Do the Work
After figuring out all the logistics, then it’s time for you to do the most important part of the process, which is to do the work! Make sure you have made products beforehand or you at least have a few to showcase to future customers.
Promote
Promotions and marketing have a big part in the success of a business. It is key to connecting with potential clients and customers. So, it is equally important that you invest time or money in marketing your products, as well.
Conclusion
Again, starting your own business may be overwhelming, and all the logistical side of it may feel intimidating but that’s no reason for you to be disheartened from pushing through. Women are slowly dominating the entrepreneurial industry, and it’s a great time to join them and be on the forefront.
When it all gets overwhelming, just remind yourself why you started. Also, remember that no successful business started overnight, and you have to go through the process before your creative homemade business becomes a success.