Craft Show & Sell: Expert Tips for Confident Craft Selling

Author: Torie Jayne
Genre: Non-Fiction, Crafts.
Published: January 2014
Pages: 144

When I first chose Craft Show & Sell as a book to feature on my 2014 Lust List, I knew very little about it other than the brief online synopsis that I had read. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to review a copy of the book, and I am so glad that I did! This book is absolutely crammed full of professional tips on how to run a craft company, whether it is online or at craft shows, covering everything that you ever wanted to know from organising your craft room to taking professional photographs.

Following a brief introduction, the book features five chapters, covering; Getting Started; Branding; Selling Basics; Selling in Person; and Marketing. No matter whether you are a complete beginner when it comes to craft selling, or an old had, this book has a fantastic showcase of tips that everyone can benefit from.

 

One of the unique features of this book is the fact that it literally covers everything from the very first stages of setting up a craft business, but it covers the things that you might not consider such as how to organise your craft space in the most efficient way. Many of the pages are pretty text heavy, but the advice is very clear and easy to understand, and the pictures throughout the book are stunning.

 

 

It wouldn’t be a craft book without some projects, and this one has some beautiful projects that are very quick and inexpensive. This project shows you how to create a storage box for your ribbons, and there are many similar projects that cover a variety of simple storage solutions to building your own craft bench. It really has all of your needs covered when it comes to getting your craft business up and running.

 

 

The book also has some in depth business information, that is easy for everyone to understand. The discuss every little stage that you will have to undergo, including designing a business logo and choosing a colour scheme. Several pages such as this one rely heavily on the visual impact, which gets you thinking about your branding in the same way that your customer will see it. Using real life case studies as examples, you gain an invaluable insight into each stage from the people who have been there and done it.

 

 

The stages of setting up a business that might seem pretty scary are made very clear, and the lovely pictures that accompany the text get you excited about starting each stage along the way. The way that the book is written is very engaging and colloquial, but it is crammed full of invaluable information. You don’t have to be a business graduate to understand the stages of creating business plans or marketing, Jayne really makes it accessible for everyone.

 

 

 

This book really shows you how to get a really professional business going, right from the start. There are detailed sections on how to package your items safely but beautifully, and how to take professional looking photos easily and inexpensively. These small things are what makes a huge difference in the world of businesses, and the fact that they are covered in the book highlights how they have really thought of everything that you will need to know!

 

 

This book is also designed to help with physical selling, and not just online. As online selling is growing in popularity, it was refreshing to see some tips that covered dealing with a customer face to face. This book helps you to get the most out of your business, whether that is selling online, face to face or  combination of both; it really has everything covered.

 

 

Even using social media to aid your business is covered in the book. With sections on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr and blogging, it explains, step by step, how to get the most out of all of the platforms available. There are also handy jargon busters for each platform so that you can get truly social media savvy!

 

 

This book is not only packed full of invaluable, expert advice, but it is truly a pleasure to look at. The pastel colour scheme throughout the book is beautiful and could have come straight out of a sweet shop! The photographs throughout the book really get you excited about the possibilities of running a craft business and make the prospect seem more achievable, rather than frightening.

I was completely blown away by what this book has to offer. While I have read other books on setting up and running craft businesses before, this is the first one that I have read that has had such a strong impact upon me. The focus on the little things and the attention to detail enables you to consider every element of running a successful business, and this is incorporated seamlessly with facing bigger challenges such as selling techniques and marketing. All of the information is easily absorbed and a pleasure to read, using encouraging case studies; this is a book that anyone who has ever considered setting up a craft business must look at!

Craft Show & Sell is available right now and you can get your copy here: Craft Show & Sell

With thanks to Search Press for the copy that they sent me for review purposes.