Creative Cash : How to Profit From Your Special Artistry, Creativity, Hand Skills, and Related Know-How [Paperback]

Barbara Brabec (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1998

Turn Your Passion Into A Lucrative Vocation
Did you know that you can turn your creativity into a profitable business? Imagine making thousands of dollars a year from a hobby you love! Millions of people just like you are using their creative talents to make big money. With the help of this crafts business classic, so can you!
The nation's top expert on this topic, Barbara Brabec, gives you everything you need to know to launch a lucrative home-based business. Packed with dozens of moneymaking ideas and the success secrets of more than 100 professional crafters and industry experts, this guide shows you how to:
·Discover the hobby that will pay off for you
·Start your own home shop, boutique, or party planning business
·Sell your work through retail or wholesale outlets
·Develop and sell your original patterns and designs
·Write how-to articles for craft magazines
·Get started teaching at home or in local craft shops
·And much, much more!
"The liveliest, most down-to-earth, non-intimidating approach to making money from your crafts that I've ever seen."
—Interweave Press
"An invaluable road map based on the real-life experiences of craft entrepreneurs. . . . The ultimate 'how-to' in crafting."
—Renee; Chase, Webmaster, Crafter.Com
"Easy reading, with plenty of interesting real-life examples sprinkled in, providing practical advice from those who've been there."
—Miriam Olson, editor, Crafts Magazine
"Chock-full of moneymaking strategies for craftspeople at every level."
—Amy Detwiler, editor in chief, Sunshine Artist
"Amazingly fresh and insightful . . . inspiring to read . . . a brilliant book to help keep crafters on the road to success."
—Maria Nerius, host of "Creative Chat" on Aleene's Creative Living show (TNN)
"As usual, Barbara has her hand on the pulse of the craft industry."
—Linda Coomer, Coomers Craft Malls

Editorial Reviews

Review

Turn Your Passion Into A Lucrative Vocation

From the Inside Flap

Turn Your Passion Into A Lucrative Vocation
Did you know that you can turn your creativity into a profitable business? Imagine making thousands of dollars a year from a hobby you love! Millions of people just like you are using their creative talents to make big money. With the help of this crafts business classic, so can you!
The nation's top expert on this topic, Barbara Brabec, gives you everything you need to know to launch a lucrative home-based business. Packed with dozens of moneymaking ideas and the success secrets of more than 100 professional crafters and industry experts, this guide shows you how to:
·Discover the hobby that will pay off for you
·Start your own home shop, boutique, or party planning business
·Sell your work through retail or wholesale outlets
·Develop and sell your original patterns and designs
·Write how-to articles for craft magazines
·Get started teaching at home or in local craft shops
·And much, much more!
"The liveliest, most down-to-earth, non-intimidating approach to making money from your crafts that I've ever seen."
—Interweave Press
"An invaluable road map based on the real-life experiences of craft entrepreneurs. . . . The ultimate 'how-to' in crafting."
—Renee; Chase, Webmaster, Crafter.Com
"Easy reading, with plenty of interesting real-life examples sprinkled in, providing practical advice from those who've been there."
—Miriam Olson, editor, Crafts Magazine
"Chock-full of moneymaking strategies for craftspeople at every level."
—Amy Detwiler, editor in chief, Sunshine Artist
"Amazingly fresh and insightful . . . inspiring to read . . . a brilliant book to help keep crafters on the road to success."
—Maria Nerius, host of "Creative Chat" on Aleene's Creative Living show (TNN)
"As usual, Barbara has her hand on the pulse of the craft industry."
—Linda Coomer, Coomers Craft Malls

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Potter Craft; 6th edition (July 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761514252
• ISBN-13: 978-0761514251
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.7 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #600,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Through her writing and teaching, Barbara Brabec has been helping individuals launch and grow successful businesses at home since 1971. Now retired from this field, she is moving in new directions as an author and self-publisher of non-business books while also helping other authors as a book editor and self-publishing consultant. She published her first memoir, THE DRUMMER DRIVES!, in March 2010 with a companion blog. Visit BarbaraBrabec.com for details and a wealth of articles about business, writing, publishing, life, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marketing your crafts - even hostess party plans!, February 12, 2000

By 

Opal Leasure, Apron Strings Lady - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creative Cash : How to Profit From Your Special Artistry, Creativity, Hand Skills, and Related Know-How (Paperback)

Hi - My name is Opal Leasure, The Apron Strings Country Home Party Lady. Barbara's book, Creative Cash is chock full of helpful hints and downhome advice on getting your crafts business going and growing. As one of the small business entrepreneurs mentioned in the book, I feel the author does an excellent job of showing others "how-to" sell, market and otherwise, expand, their home based business endeavors. Creative Cash outlines hundreds of ways to market crafts including party plan (hostess) selling, home shows and boutiques. It also reflects on how one thing can lead to another, in life, and your own small business. Many listed, myself included, went on to self publish their own how-to books. I was very happy to note in the book, that Barbara included a resource section listing the professional crafters mentioned in the book. This is a good way for readers to benefit from the talents, ideas and creativity of many people. I urge others to order Creative Cash - it helps readers realize how gifted they really are and gives them incentives to get started with their own home based business plans. With Barbara's easy to read text, the book is a plus for every crafter's reference library.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wealth of information!, July 9, 2003

By 

Neil J. Hajba "neil_in_la" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creative Cash : How to Profit From Your Special Artistry, Creativity, Hand Skills, and Related Know-How (Paperback)

Creative Cash by Barbara Brabec is THE book to have if you are considering turning your crafting hobby into a business and/or profession.

The book is written for a wide and general audience, with basics on the craft business industry, sales/marketing/promotion, legal info, even computer systems/information! The chapters are written in such a way that if you don't need to read one (let's say that a particular chapter might not pertain to your situation) you can skip it and move on without missing a beat! Brabec writes in an easily comprehensible form, in digestable segments, and gives lots of clear cut examples and success stories.

This book works as a great starting point and reference tool. Highly recommended for adults of all ages, for both genders and long-time or newbie crafters/artisans!

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crafters take Note....This one is a must read., March 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Creative Cash : How to Profit From Your Special Artistry, Creativity, Hand Skills, and Related Know-How (Paperback)

Barbara Brabec does it again in her usual easy to absorb style. A Crafter's diagram for success. In this very readable book you will find years of experience in various facets of crafting. Not only will you find the real-life experiences of others in the business, you'll learn what mistakes to avoid as well. Mrs. Brabec covers it all. Included is a section on "Crafters and Computer Technology" which can give some insight into how other crafters are incorporating computer technology into their businesses. This one is truly a gold mine of information.