Are you ready to make a living from your craft? Applying her trademark "you-can-do-it" coaching style to the nuts and bolts of business planning, Kari Chapin covers all of the issues involved in turning your creative hobby into a successful business--from mapping out a business plan to expanding production and distribution, finding funding, and addressing legal matters. With this definitive guide, you'll discover how to grow your business beyond the dining room table and finally quit your day job.
Grow Your Handmade Business
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Carefully defining such differences as “goals” versus “intentions” and “business” versus “personal,” Chapin draws the reader up through successive layers of consciousness, moving steadily toward that crucial juncture where what you do and how you think are absolutely in harmony. It is right at this point where you can “grow your business,” just as if you were tending a garden. There’s no mystery to the process, just a vigilant management of many tasks, all of which work together toward simple sustainability.
(BookPage )Crafters and artists or those thinking about turning a hobby into a career will find sound, practical advice here.
(Library Journal )Kari has cut through the puffed up, polysyllabic language and posturing that most business books spin that makes it all seem like some secret society. She makes the big stuff all seem doable. Plus if you are still stuck, she introduces you to a whole bunch of people who can help.
(Knitty.com )Kari Chapin covers a variety of essential business areas such as mapping out a business plan, expanding production and distribution, finding funding, and addressing legal matters. Ms Chapin's marketing background and her "can do" attitude provides craftsmen the tools to grow their hobby into a successful business. Easy to read and well organized, this book provides practical advice for getting started or how to grow an established business. If your goal is move your creative business out of your dining room, then let this be your guide.
(Handweaver’s Guild of America )The style of this book is crisp and refreshing. Chapin’s thoughts are invitingly readable and each chapter includes sound, practical advice from the Creative Collective as well. If you have ever wondered if you could actually make a living at your creative craft, Chapin has a wealth of answers for you.
(Northshore Women’s Lifestyle )Thiswonderful book cheers you on and coaches you on how to make a livelihood from your passion, including stories from other creative people, their struggles, successes, and advice. That’s not all, she also covers the business side, including developing budgets, strategies, and also funding. If you’ve always dreamed of having your own craft business, or already have one and are looking into the next step, this is definitely worth checking out.
(Living Crafts )This book will help take your business from the kitchen table to fulfilling your individualized dream of a fulfilling, meaningful, and lucrative creative business.
(San Francisco/ Sacramento Book Review )It's an essential addition to an indie biz owner's bookshelf!
(Miss Modish )Whether you sell your art out of a swanky studio, populate your Etsy shop with stuff you make at your kitchen table, or just dream about doing something along those lines, Kari Chapin has a word of advice: plan. As is a business plan! In Grow Your Handmade Business, you’ll learn what creative people like yourself need to plan for in turning a hobby into a business. The book is readable, approachable, and supplemented by tips, tricks, and confessions from 24 other entrepreneurially minded folks.
(Bead & Button )If you’ve decided to make 2013 the year you turn your crafting passion into a moneymaking venture, be sure to add Kari Chapin’s Grow Your Handmade Business to your required-reading list.
(Hobby Farm Home )Review
Countless crafters have turned to The Handmade Marketplace for advice on selling their goods. Now Grow Your Handmade Business helps creative entrepreneurs achieve their long-term business goals. Kari and her contributors talk frankly about budgeting, licensing, marketing, time management, loans, taxes and even the law. Whether you are new to the handmade business world or attempting to grow your business, this book will be valuable.
(Lisa Congdon, artist, illustrator, author of A Collection a Day )
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More About the Author
Kari Chapin has spent the past 15 years in the professional world incorporating marketing, publicity, buyer, freelance writer, community relations and stylist as various job titles. As someone who spends a great deal of time with artisans and craftspeople, it wasn't surprising that one day, a compact fluorescent light bulb went off above her head, and she sat down and wrote The Handmade Marketplace. She likes tag sales, thrift stores, coffee, yarn, glitter, and paper. She lives in Northampton, MA with her amazing husband and three pets. Meet Kari at her website, www.karichapin.com. There you can sign up for her online business classes and check her schedule to see when she'll be promoting her book near you!
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By M. L. Risley
Format:Paperback
I loved Kari Chapin's first book, The Handmade Marketplace, so I immediately got the follow=up, Grow Your Handmade Business. While the Handmade Marketplace was more general, this second book is much more specific, with information on subjects ranging from identifying your dream business to writing business plans to marketing to budgeting..... and a whole lot more. I found the chapter on time management particularly helpful.
In this book, Kari has a brand new Creative Collective....a team of industry professionals who share their experience on all aspects of running a creative business. Jessica Swift's section on crowd-funding was timely and informative, while the Q&A with Michael Elliott on accounting and taxes was a real eye-opener. Same with business attorney, Bettie Newell. That tax and legal stuff is what we normally gloss over, but here they drive home the importance of it. It was super fun to see Jay, the season one winner of Project Runway in the book as well.
This book is perfect. It's written in a casual, relaxed tone that seems more like hanging out with a friend who is giving you much-needed advice while sitting at a coffee shop...almost just like Kari or her Creative Collective is there with you....which I am very thankful for since a lot of the topics (like taxes) are normally dry and boring. Chapin makes it not only easily bearable, but also kind of fun. The advice is invaluable, and I can see that it'll become a well-worn book I'll be referring to again and again.
In this book, Kari has a brand new Creative Collective....a team of industry professionals who share their experience on all aspects of running a creative business. Jessica Swift's section on crowd-funding was timely and informative, while the Q&A with Michael Elliott on accounting and taxes was a real eye-opener. Same with business attorney, Bettie Newell. That tax and legal stuff is what we normally gloss over, but here they drive home the importance of it. It was super fun to see Jay, the season one winner of Project Runway in the book as well.
This book is perfect. It's written in a casual, relaxed tone that seems more like hanging out with a friend who is giving you much-needed advice while sitting at a coffee shop...almost just like Kari or her Creative Collective is there with you....which I am very thankful for since a lot of the topics (like taxes) are normally dry and boring. Chapin makes it not only easily bearable, but also kind of fun. The advice is invaluable, and I can see that it'll become a well-worn book I'll be referring to again and again.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Grow Your Handmade Business : How to Envision, Develop and Sustain a Successful Creative Business is written by Kari Chapin, the same lady who wrote the popular guide to selling things you make, The Handmade Marketplace.
Where The Handmade Marketplace focused on marketing your designs and projects for sale, this book focuses on how to build a business. It's a good book for anyone who feels overwhelmed when they start thinking about going professional to sell their goods.
You wouldn't expect a reference about business to be engaging, this is engaging and informative. Since the author really loves the DIY/handmade movement, that passion shows. There are lots of contributors who add their own stories and how to apply those tricks to your own business. I actually read the book cover to cover while sitting in my yard in an afternoon.
She does a wonderful job of explaining how to write a business plan that you can present to banks for loans. It becomes a lot less scary when you see it laid out in a friendly, conversational tone. She explains it in detail in easy to understand language.
She also has a section on choosing mentors. It defines different kinds of mentors. It also explains a bit about the mentoring process and how to find one through your local SBA. How to approach someone as a possible mentor and what to do if your are approached.
The section on plans and goals also explains how to manage them so you can handle them without being overwhelmed. Your plan and goals can be as flexible as you want them to be following her tips. The idea of setting an objective to reach and then making goals that are achievable to reach that objective is a good tip for business and for life.
A chapter on profit and loss explains with tabled examples and clear language how to create profit and loss statements to work out how well your business is doing.
There are a lot more things covered in this book, how to visualize exactly where you want your business to be in the future. It also explains some of the warning signs you might be on the wrong track. Personally anecdotes serve as examples and illustrations of the methods explained.
If you're ready to start growing your crafty business, but don't know where to start, I recommend this book. It's very easy to read and understand, and full of information. It breaks things down into easy to handle steps so it's not so overwhelming. While the focus is on creative businesses, the techniques, tips and information apply well to most small businesses.
[I received a complimentary copy of the book to review on my craft blog- Don't Eat the Paste. My reviews are always my honest opinion]
Where The Handmade Marketplace focused on marketing your designs and projects for sale, this book focuses on how to build a business. It's a good book for anyone who feels overwhelmed when they start thinking about going professional to sell their goods.
You wouldn't expect a reference about business to be engaging, this is engaging and informative. Since the author really loves the DIY/handmade movement, that passion shows. There are lots of contributors who add their own stories and how to apply those tricks to your own business. I actually read the book cover to cover while sitting in my yard in an afternoon.
She does a wonderful job of explaining how to write a business plan that you can present to banks for loans. It becomes a lot less scary when you see it laid out in a friendly, conversational tone. She explains it in detail in easy to understand language.
She also has a section on choosing mentors. It defines different kinds of mentors. It also explains a bit about the mentoring process and how to find one through your local SBA. How to approach someone as a possible mentor and what to do if your are approached.
The section on plans and goals also explains how to manage them so you can handle them without being overwhelmed. Your plan and goals can be as flexible as you want them to be following her tips. The idea of setting an objective to reach and then making goals that are achievable to reach that objective is a good tip for business and for life.
A chapter on profit and loss explains with tabled examples and clear language how to create profit and loss statements to work out how well your business is doing.
There are a lot more things covered in this book, how to visualize exactly where you want your business to be in the future. It also explains some of the warning signs you might be on the wrong track. Personally anecdotes serve as examples and illustrations of the methods explained.
If you're ready to start growing your crafty business, but don't know where to start, I recommend this book. It's very easy to read and understand, and full of information. It breaks things down into easy to handle steps so it's not so overwhelming. While the focus is on creative businesses, the techniques, tips and information apply well to most small businesses.
[I received a complimentary copy of the book to review on my craft blog- Don't Eat the Paste. My reviews are always my honest opinion]
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
As a guide to opening your new business, this is a must-read book. It's very well written in a friendly manner with no over promises. Everything I've read so far makes sense. Not the typical dry business book---I am a graphic designer and my partner is an interior designer---this book was written for us! I bought 2 copies--one for her and one for me! Get it before it's gone!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really good book!!!!!!!!!!!
Full of useful information alright!!!!!!!!! Trying to read it as fast as possible with what little time I have right now. So far I have enjoyed it very much, THANKS
Published 1 month ago by scoobysoo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love Kari Chapins books
I had bought Kari's first book (The Handmade Marketplace) when it first came out and had been reading it while trying to set up my own greeting card business. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Gail Whitman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Business made beautiful.
Love this book. Simple, inspiring ideas to get your business put together and organized. Makes you feel as though your dreams really are possible.
Published 2 months ago by Spiritual mutt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good book
So far I like it. I am currently reading it and I hope to learn and focus on starting/growing my online shop.
Published 2 months ago by Sparky
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good book
I've only read a bit so far, but this is an awesome book!! If you're looking to start you own business, I would definitely suggest reading this.
Published 2 months ago by Macey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant and so essential for creative professionals!
More people need to read this book so they can run a successful creative business. Kari has an engaging writing style, helpful tips and insights from some inspiring creative... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Kristen L. Fischer
5.0 out of 5 stars
I liked it - but not quite as much as her previous book
I like this book and found quite a bit of useful information in it. But I didn't find it quite as engaging as her first book. Still overall, I'd definitely recommend it!
Published 3 months ago by beckwa
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bravo !!
I read Kari's book 'The Handmade Marketplace' when it first came out and enjoyed it thoroughly - as such, I didn't hesitate at all to purchase her newest book, 'Grow Your Handmade... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Avant-Carde
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fairly Obvious Advice
I've only gotten about 3/4 of the way through this book and am still waiting for the real meat and potatoes. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Robyn Parrish
5.0 out of 5 stars
A terrific resource...
A writer (as with anyone who makes something with their own hands) faces two formidable challenges. First, to create something that is personally satisfying and is at the same... Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. L. Abramo
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