Who does their craft as a main income?

[kreed]

I'm full time on my wildlife photography, & most of the people I meet on the craft circuit see it as a secondary income/hobby.
Last week I saw some extremely high quality handmade cards priced very cheaply, & in the course of the conversation established that her taking a loss (on the cost, let alone the time) was acceptable!

Is this normal??????

[greannancrafts]

I find it fascinating that some people are prepared to work for nothing?

Our business is our main income - if we don't sell, we don't eat!

Jane

[wendy]

My business is my main income too. If I don't sell, the mortgage doesn't get paid.

I do some part-time teaching for a local college, usually about 6 hours a week. I did have another part-time job, but gave it up as it was reducing the hours I could use to make and sell.

It's still a new business and I'm building it up slowly.

[itsamistry]

I used to make jewellery as a hobby (but never at a loss). But now it is my main income since being made redundant last year.

[kreed]

Ahhhh,
So there is life before 9am on a Sunday morning

Thanks for the replies, it's interesting that those relying on it are around at this time of day.

Time for a cuppa & a stroll up to my thinking/business strategy pond.

[greannancrafts]

Ahhhh,
So there is life before 9am on a Sunday morning

Thanks for the replies, it's interesting that those relying on it are around at this time of day.

Time for a cuppa & a stroll up to my thinking/business strategy pond.

9 - 5 is not for the self employed!
Most of us work - 36 hours a day, 9 days a week, 60 weeks a year.

Must dash, soap to sell.

Roll on retirement when I can cut down to 24hours a day

Jane

[Caroleecrafts]

My craft is my main income and consequently I try to price my product line realistically to take into account that I have to eat and pay bills.

I have found that at several craft fairs where crafters work they tend to underprice things to sell and say this is only a hobby, which is fine it is up to everyone what they charge but it makes those of us earning a living, or trying to, seem very expensive.

[kreed]

Very interesting point!!!!!!
Not having much in the way of competition I hadn't considered that. I guess it comes down to consumer choice, but It must be frustrating to know that you could be being undercut & the general public will guage your prices on what they've seen elsewhere.
I decided my prices based on what I thought was fair & made a reasonable profit, not on what others charged.

My craft is my main income and consequently I try to price my product line realistically to take into account that I have to eat and pay bills.

I have found that at several craft fairs where crafters work they tend to underprice things to sell and say this is only a hobby, which is fine it is up to everyone what they charge but it makes those of us earning a living, or trying to, seem very expensive.

[kymbi]

My jewellery-making is my main income and I so agree with Jane about the hours ~ I work at strange hours of the day and night, and longer than I ever did when in full time employment. Mind you, I've never been happier in my work and could never go back to working for someone else ~ a great motivator

[kreed]

You've got that right!!!
I had 20+ years working with *****s, & I'm now in control. My mistakes are mine, & I fix them. Doing others dirty work is soul destroying.

Good luck to you all

My jewellery-making is my main income and I so agree with Jane about the hours ~ I work at strange hours of the day and night, and longer than I ever did when in full time employment. Mind you, I've never been happier in my work and could never go back to working for someone else ~ a great motivator

[Katianne]

I would like my craft to be my source of income but at the moment it acts as an additional source. I work full time in a job I no longer enjoy and am happy to admit I only do it because otherwise I wouldn't be able to pay the mortgage.

If I didn't have my mortgage I would take the plunge and see how I would get on with my craft as my main source of income, as I'd have more time to spend on it and hopefully would sell more.

At the moment though I just can't afford to take the risk

[kymbi]

It is a big step Katianne, especially in the current economic climate when you've got bills to pay. I probably would never have become self-employed, but illness forced me into leaving a full-time finance job and I took that as an opportunity to reinvent myself (just call me Madonna ).

As part of my rehabilitation I retrained as a massage therapist, went on a silversmithing course, then got bitten by the jewellery-making bug. I am so pleased I have an encouraging husband who would rather see me happy than bogged down and stressed in an office, and just steps around all the equipment, boxes and beads, bless him.

[AnnieAnna]

Me. Its my main job. But it's crafts in the plural. Eggs in baskets, don't you know. Which reminds me - someone asked for a basket or three...but maybe I should make Lucy's Medieval hairpins first.......no I must get the buttonholes finished on that doublet.......I'll have a coffe while I decide...oooo I wonder what's going on on the Craft Forum?.......

AnnieAnna
www.anniethepedlar.com

PS Temporarily unemployed number 3 son is shaping up nicely. Doesn't get up until 2pm but is knocking up display hands (for finger puppets) for me. Work mate's taking up all the floor space in my kitchen, sander's plugged in where the kettle should be, wooden palms and dowel fingers are piling up by the bread board. Chip off the old block (s). Thank heavens my OH is of the same ilk (off to B&Q for a giant drill bit) or he'd have divorced me years ago.

[GemB]

he he, well I want to do soap making as my full time job.

but craft fairs here are few and far between.

I was speaking to a chocolate maker, we're going to be doing the same wedding Fayre in September.

She said that it is mostly people's 2nd job,
so here's the thing I don't know whether to have a small shop but then that would mean working the shop all day, I'll have to put my kids into a nursery when the whole point of me doing this was so I could be with them plus it also adds an extra £17 a day.
And then after working the shop all day (if it's been a good day) I have to make soap all the way to the early hours, and not being the one putting the kids to bed (4 of them in total)

Or I pass my test and I can disappear to craft fairs around the county most days with kids and Nana in toe

arghh lol
ah well I still have 5 weeks left to make up my mind

[ladyluckjewellery]

My jewellery making is a second income for me, not a hobby. I price my pieces to cover all costs including time and also to make a profit (although I do have a small amount of 'loss leaders' from time to time to drum up extra interest). I would love to be able to make enough to at least go part time at work, but OH is self employed too, I don't think we could cope with 2 variable incomes at the moment, but maybe in the future we could.

I don't rely on the income from jewellery to pay bills - my full time job plus OH's business does that, but the money from my jewellery does help to pay for 'treats', including my real hobby, which is drag racing.

It frustrates me immensly when I see people at craft fairs (and elsewhere) who seem happy to sell at a loss on materiels (time cost is another matter I think) - surely if it is 'only a hobby' then there's no need to sell at all - it only hurts those of us who are trying to price ourselves realistically.