Many people are selling their art and crafts these days as full time occupations or to bring in a little extra cash. The most important thing to remember when selling your art and crafts is that your hobby has turned into a business and you must treat it as a business. All businesses need to promote themselves and one of the easiest ways to promote yourself as a professional art or craft business is to have a business card handy to hand out at any time, any place!
Your business card must include your name (or business name) and all contact information including a mailing address, phone number, e-mail address, and if there is room also include your blog address and/or website. People, your buyers and potential customers must be able to reach you in order to conduct business with you.
This business card gets your attention and is quite memorable.
We are working in a creative field so feel free to be creative with your business card. I’ve seen seamstresses and quilters machine sew stitches across the top or bottom of their business cards. Rubber stampers stamp unique images onto the card while painters may splatter or line their business cards with paint. Including your skills, media, and talent onto your business card helps remind the customer who you are and what you do. But don’t be too abstract or busy on the card as that will take away from the contact information. It may look great to make a shipping tag into a business card, but that tag is hard to carry and place in a business card binder.
You could add a little watercolor or glitter to the side logo following the circular lines to add personalization to a traditional business card.
Keep your business cards handy. You never know when an opportunity may arise where handing your business card to someone can mean a sale. If you make jewelry, wear it every chance you get in public, then when someone compliments your necklace or bracelet, you can hand them your card. Place your business card in your booth at outdoor/indoor selling events and if you consign any designs ask that your card be attached to your items. Your business card is a mini advertisement so advertise every chance you get!
This would make a better artist trading card than a business card. It's just too busy for the eye and leaves little room for contact information.
Business cards are NOT artists trading cards. Both can be used to promote and market your business, but a business card needs to communicate how to reach you to do business whereas an artist trading card is more technique and project driven. The projects listed below show technique and design that can easily be adapted for business cards. Color can make your card stand out from all the traditional black and white business cards and can be well worth the extra cost.
Free Crochet Flower Patterns
A tiny crocheted flower can easily be attached to a traditional business card and remind your customers of your needle art talents.
Ladybug Frame
As a painter you can stand out to your customers with a painted ladybug fluttering across your business card. Fast and simple way to personalize your calling card.
Birdie Baby Blanket
Use this appliqué pattern of a cute bird and sew it onto your business card. Your customers will remember you are the one who sews!
Memo Holder
This cute memo holder can be adapted into a business card holder to display your calling cards at all of your selling venues!
- Ask Maria:Candy Crafts = Bugs? - April 15, 2012
- Ask Maria:Bye-Bye Printed Books, Hello Digital? - April 1, 2012
- Ask MariaRuffled Scarf Crazy - March 14, 2012
