Are you just like me? Do you dream of turning your hobby into an income? Isn't that the ultimate? To be able to spend your days indulging in your chosen hobby AND be paid for it...
I have been helping people do just that for three years now...
Specifically I have been helping quilters make money from their quilting..
How ever I get many emails from people who are struggling to find a market for their quilts..
This has puzzled me as there are plenty of quilts being sold every day all over the world..
And then it hit me...
These people were not researching their market first - before they took their quilts or quilt services to the market..
It was a bit like trying to hit a moving target when you don't even know what the target is..
That revelation has lead me to writing this set of articles..
So, what does "market first" mean? Basically it means you go and find out what the quilt buying market wants and how you can service that need..
Simple really :-) This research can be done online and offline in the real world..
Get your pen and paper out and lets get to work..
..
Here are three online sites where you can start your research: * Try eBay as there are many quilts, fabric and quilt kits sold there every day...
Make notes on what is selling and how much it is selling for..
* Go to word tracker (there is a free version available) and look up various quilting terms..
In this day and age many people start their buying journey online in a Google search..
Word tracker tells you how many times a day some thing is searched for..
* Use Google to do clever searches - what might a buyer of quilts type into google? Try: "buy quilts", see what comes up..
Did you know that using "quotation marks" tells Google to look for that EXACT phrase? Now you come up with some of your own - remember to put your self into the customers shoes :-) Note: also look on the right hand side in Google as these people have PAID to advertise here - so they should be making money..
That is just a drop in the ocean when it comes to online research..
Lets look at three real world (offline) research activities you can do: *I'll bet you have tons of quilting magazines - well, open them up and instead of reading the articles and admiring the pattern, LOOK at the advertisements..
What are people paying to advertise ? Are they quilting services, quilting kits, quilting shops? Which ones are continuing to advertise in every issue (they must be making some money if they keep advertising)?.
What are the headlines on the cover of the magazine (what has the magazine peoples research told them, will attract people)? * Head into your local quilting store and start talking to the person behind the counter..
Ask them what is most popular? What kind of quilting services are needed in the area? Are there many people selling quilts in the area? * Go to the local quilt fair and study what is selling there..
Which stalls are the busiest? This is just a touch of the research you can do into the quilting market..
But don't forget when starting a quilting business the research is a vital step and one that if missed can cause failure even before you start..
My next article will deal with examining your customer, exactly who they are? And what do you have to sell them? You may think you are going to sell quilts, but after you read this next article you may see a whole new exciting path :-)