Many human beings have integrated their inherent creativity into their lives. Some do in as their jobs. However, many more do it as their hobby. If you like to craft and arts, you’re not alone. The general crafting industry is worth a staggering $44 billion. This is because many Americans have turned their beloved hobbies into their jobs, with some even building small businesses out of it. These small businesses in the crafting world are finding new ways to revolutionize this already given market.
However, it does take some time before one can create something new within it, may it be a new product or a new way to manage their business. But there are some continuously evolving things simply because they affect how other industries work. These things are usually the tools used in the trade. Some of these tools didn’t come from the crafting industry but made their way into it because of how useful they can be. If you’re a business owner of a small craft and hobby shop, these tools can help you change the way you do business today.
Etsy and E-commerce
Let’s be honest here, selling arts and crafts and other hobby-centered products is particularly hard during the pandemic. Many people in the industry rely on seeing certain items in person because it’s not easy to determine items in the crafting industry compared to other industries out there. However, the increase in online sales fueled the growth of the industry during the pandemic. Many Americans have gotten bored with their lives inside their home and have grown desperate enough to buy their crafting needs online.
During the start of Etsy, an online arts and crafts market where people sell their works as unique gifts for people, some business media did not take it seriously. As stated above, the online market wasn’t suitable for the crafts industry. However, it pulled in about two billion in sales during its start-up year, making a big statement that there is a big enough market for people interested in buying crafted products online.
Many in the industry believed that the internet was not the right medium for the market, but Etsy has proven them wrong. Many people have flocked to this specialized e-commerce site, and it has continued to stay resilient up to this day. Today, Etsy sells specialized crafted items for the pandemic, such as face masks, custom face shields, and even unique gloves for consumers, on top of other unique crafted materials. Using the internet as a tool can be useful for your small business as well.
You can either start selling some of your items through Etsy or even E-bay. Both are known sites for selling unique and hand-crafted items. A more personalized option is selling these items through your company website. This is considered more expensive, but it’s worth it once your target audience knows your brand.
Cutting Machines
Many businesses in the crafting industry rely on cutting machines to create a bulk of their products. However, some small businesses can manually cut some parts of their items, especially those that make unique items daily. There are big crafting businesses that rely on an industrial die cutter to create bulks of their products for consumers. There are currently two kinds of tools being used by many crafting companies in the world. One of which is more traditional in nature. The other uses the technological advancements we have today to make the process a lot faster.
The two tools we are talking about are rotary cutting machines versus laser cutting machines. Many in the industry believe that rotary cutting machines are great for those who want a more personalized look into their products. However, if you want something to be cut more efficiently, you’re going to need a laser cutting machine. They cut more cleanly and more evenly when compared to other cutting machines out there. Choosing the right cutting machine for your business is based on your personal preference. Each has its own strength and weaknesses that you can take advantage of in your business.
Adobe Illustrator and Other Illustrating Tools
Although online illustrating tools seem to be made for crafting businesses, these tools have been mainly used by animators and marketers. The traditional thought that illustrations should be done by hand is still predominant in the industry, especially by traditional crafters. However, slowly but surely, many crafting businesses are transitioning to digital illustration tools because of their accessibility and improvement throughout the years.
Here are some tools used by other industries that are affecting the crafting industry. Throughout the years, we have learned that there are particular tools used by other industries that are useful in our industry. By integrating them into our businesses, we can create better and unique products for our consumers.