Are you ready to be your own boss? Have you been dying to learn how to start an online craft business but have been putting it off, procrastinating because you think it’s a huge job?
It’s pretty easy when you know how. Which is why I’m here to hold your hand and help you live the dream of working in your pj’s all dang day. We can drink coffee and hang out in our pj’s together. Productive PJ days are entirely possible!
Start an Online Craft Business Today + Free Store Planner
Quick Checklist:
- Think of a Name
- Check it’s not taken using resources shared below
- Download the planner (below)
- Sign Up For Your Free Shopify Trial
- Use Your Planner for products, promos etc for the year
- Add Pages to your store using resources below
The First Thing To Do When You Start An Online Craft Business:
Think Of A Name. Seriously, if you don’t have one lined up, then you should grab a piece of paper and do a brain dump. If you don’t know how to do that, don’t worry… it’s simple.
Write down the crafts you want to sell, some keywords associated to said crafts, then do a simple word association exercise.
Everything that you can think of.
If you get really stuck, then you can check out BusinessNameGenerator.com. Then, use a site like NameCheckr to make sure that all domains and social media handles are available for your business.
Next, When You Start A Craft Business, you need a domain
Purchase a domain, I highly recommend A2 Hosting for this. It’s the company that I use and you can get 60% discount by using my link.
They have a phenomenal support team, and yes, they’ve held my hand on many occasion, so I know firsthand. Also, the prices are insanely affordable.
Download Your Free Shopify Success Planner:
To Start A Craft Business With Products? You need a store
Shopify is easy to use and affordable. Click here to claim that 14-day free trial. They’re an incredibly simple and secure platform to use.
If you already have an Etsy shop, you can import your items quickly and easily into your new Shopify store.
Now is an insanely exciting time to register and launch your Shopify store, because Shopify will be launching their Build a BIGGER Business Competition very soon.
Step 5; Opening The Shop and Setting up:
All you need to do first is enter your e-mail address to start your free trial.
Set up your payment methods:
Your payment method is how you will get paid. Go to Payment Methods by going to Shopify Admin Dashboard>Settings>Payments.
You’ll see a few different options including Paypal, Shopify Payments, Amazon Payments, etc. Paypal is probably the most popular method of payment but choose whichever you prefer.
For Paypal, you input your PayPal email address to activate.
For Shopify payments, you’ll go through a short questionnaire to get set up with their payment service.
Shipping Methods:
In the Shipping Methods section, you’ll set your shipping rates for Local and International shipping. This section won’t take long at all.
Pick a Theme
Shopify staff has tested the themes in the Shopify store, and they only accept the very best of the best from theme developers.
I’m telling you this because there are a lot of themes floating around the interwebs and to get the best quality for your store, go with the ones chosen by Shopify.
There are both free and paid themes available.
To get to the theme store, go to Shopify Admin Dashboard>Online Store>Themes>Visit Theme Store (in the upper right-hand corner).
There are a lot of really nice themes in the Shopify store, and really, it’s a matter of preference.
Adding Pages
As with any online store, there are a few essential pages that you need to add before you will look like a legit online shop.
These pages would be;
- An about me page/Our Story kind of thing
- Shop Policies/Shipping Policies/Refund Policies
- Contact Us
- FAQ
- T’s&C’s
- Customer Reviews (If you have any from Etsy)
- Privacy & Cookie Policy
To add a page, visit Shopify Admin Dashboard>Online Store>Pages
Now the fun part!
Add your products
Head over to the Products section to add your store products.
That’s it! If your product belongs to a category, go to Collections to set up.
For example, if you are selling Kawaii Stationery and are categorising the stationery according to type, some Collection names might be Pens and Pencils, Journals and Notebooks, Planners, etc.
The Collection name will be visible when you’re adding listings so you can add products to the appropriate collection.
And that is it. Seriously. It’s not actually as scary or big as it seems.
One of my favourite online stores that uses Shopify is Fox And Star, my favourite Washi Tape and Stationery Emporium!
Now you know how to start an online craft business, what will you be selling? What will you be called? Are you excited?!
I love your tat! This is a great guide for anyone starting out. I have a friend who is actually so talented and I keep telling her to get started with something like this. I am sending her this for inspiration 🙂
Hi Stephanie, thank you. Tell your pal that it really is super easy to do x
I’ve heard of Shopify! I need to look into it more because it seems like basically the key to making this work 🙂
Hi Nicole, thank you so much for visiting. I love Shopify and Etsy too, the communities are great. Another commenter Robert had made some great points about selling via Amazon too so I will hopefully get around to editing this post with some info on their ecosystem too x
This is great! I have thought about sellings some of the wreaths and shirts I make, but haven’t ventured into that yet because I had NO idea how to get started. This post explains it perfectly and is very helpful!
Hey Heather, it’s so easy to start up and get selling. Robert in the comments has also mentioned Amazon as a good platform to sell and with the launch of Amazon Handmade, it could be a great place to sell handmade stuff now too.
This info is invaluable for a craft seller and very beneficial for others as well! I didn’t realize that Shopify integrates with Instagram – how exciting!
Hi Tiffany, thank you! I love Shopify and Etsy for handmade things. Another commenter Robert has mentioned some really interesting things about Amazon as a good platform for selling too. I’ll have to do some more research and will hopefully get around to updating this post soon x
I love your tat! I have been trying to figure out how to sell things online. It is complicated.
Hey Jennifer, it’s easier than you think! Get yourself on Etsy and Shopify. I’ve a bit of research to do on Amazon Handmade but it sounds like it could be another super simple platform to use too x
I have heard of shopify, but didn’t realize it was so easy to use. I would love to sell items online, I need to do a big brain dump!
Hiya Susanne, get to it! I love a good brain dump nd you can make them look super pretty too. What sort of things do you want to sell? x
There is so much great information here! I’m going to pass it on to people I think would be interest. Thanks for giving such clear step by step direction
Hello Amanda, thank you. Sharing’s caring! Let them know that I’ve said it is easier than they think! x
Shopify is fun, but I prefer the Amazon ecosystem. Amazon allows you to sell your own stuff as well resell anything they sell. So, you get paid if someone buys your stuff or not. Thanks for the guide though. I should help those who are just starting out.
Hey Robert, thanks for the tips. I’m going to have another look at them and hopefully update this post with some info on Amazon in the not too distant future x
I once started a small shop and Shopify was my choice! Is so easy to use!
Hiya Yulissa, thanks for visiting. Have you tried any other platforms for selling? x
Oh my word Claire, I used Shopify but did not succeed and now I know why – thanks for explaining the process, it makes it so much easier, than guessing you’re on the right path.
Hey Amanda, it’s not just as easy as some of the pre-built solutions but def worth putting some time into if you wanted your own stand-alone website to sell from. There’s nothing stopping you using them all either. Sell all the things! x