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Arts/Crafts Business/Questions Answered by Expert Shasta McLaughlin
| Subject | Date Asked |
| selling my crafts | 3/18/2011 |
| Q: I make dolls, bunnys, etc. all by hand. No sewing machine. I am planning to set up a booth next ... A: A cute way to set up your craft show booth might be to use pastel colored table cloths and then to ... | |
| Hand-painted silk pillows, scarves, ties and evening bags. | 9/26/2010 |
| Q: I would like to start a business selling my hand-painted silk pillows, scarves, ties and evening ... A: The key to a successful handcrafted business is to choose a significant group of people and solve a ... | |
| selling my artwork | 9/24/2010 |
| Q: I am interested in selling prints of my artwork. My question to you is about sales tax. If I am ... A: If you need to collect sales tax depends on the tax laws of your city, county and state. Many craft ... | |
| want to start a craft retail store | 8/27/2010 |
| Q: i have always wanted to open a craft store in my area,sence the big retail store took out there ... A: Opening a store is a long and involved process. It involves so many things and since I've never ... | |
| Online art gallery | 4/6/2010 |
| Q: I’m writing in hopes of gaining a little insight on the dynamics of selling on the internet. ... A: Sorry it took me so long to respond. Your question prompted me to create a page on my website that ... | |
| belts | 2/9/2010 |
| Q: can you tell me your full list of sites to buy blank belt buckles? It is hard to search for them. ... A: Cathy, This is the best I can do. I hope it helps. Have a great day, Shasta Leather belt blanks ... | |
| starting up | 1/28/2010 |
| Q: i have a job but i have been having airbrushing lessons and i have gotten pretty good. i am ... A: First you really need to know if there is a market for the kind of work you are planning on doing. ... | |
| selling crafts | 1/3/2010 |
| Q: I would like to be able to sell some of the crafts I do. I mainly make decorative flower pots and ... A: First you have to determine if there is a market for your product. You need to find that out before ... | |
| How to do Jewelry research market | 10/27/2009 |
| Q: I am new in this topic, I would like to start a small business by selling Imported ... A: Dia, Marketing experts say the best way to know if there is a market for something is to use a ... | |
| becoming a art/craft business | 10/24/2009 |
| Q: I am a ceramic and mixed media artist. I am going to be in my first juried outdoor artshow and I ... A: Trav, In my city, county, and state becoming a registered business, and getting a business license ... | |
| Basic cost | 10/7/2009 |
| Q: I'm not into running an actual business but just curious about the basic cost. Let's say I want to ... A: Actually yes I have a little bit of an idea what goes into determining cost. It includes a lot of ... | |
| mrowca24@yahoo.com | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: Hey, I was wondering... I'm 13 and looking to make some pocket money. DO you think if I made a free ... A: Alex, First of all I suggest you have your parents look over this answer. Discuss with them the ... | |
| marketing to specialty gift stores | 9/11/2009 |
| Q: I have a product that I want to try to get into local gift stores in the Nashville area. How do I ... A: I think the best answer to your question that I have is in an article I wrote in March of 2009. I ... | |
| Starting crafts business, online and wholesale. (hair bows) | 9/1/2009 |
| Q: I can answer many questions about the art and craft show industry. I can help with booth setup, ... A: Mary, I have a question how can they look exactly the same and be completely different? This would ... | |
| permit for selling art work for a foreigner | 7/13/2009 |
| Q: I plan to travel the US with an RV and make a living by selling my artwork out of my van at the road ... A: Thomas, I'm sorry I have no idea if this would be legal. I'm not even exactly sure where to go to ... | |
| How to act when selling artworks? | 5/31/2009 |
| Q: I am quite young and inexperienced when it comes to selling artwork (it is actually my first time). ... A: Emma, Prices of artwork are usually arranged up front, with the buyer knowing the costs before ... | |
| Copyrights (Related to the last answer) | 5/25/2009 |
| Q: My question is similar to the last reply you provided. I want to introduce an image on the web which ... A: William, To sort of answer your question after the fact. A copyright is a strange creature and can ... | |
| Art and Craft as Career Option | 4/28/2009 |
| Q: For a very long time I have been passionate about doing creative activities. I love painting over ... A: Kajal, Any one can make their artistic talents their career if they are willing to make the effort. ... | |
| purchasing fabric for a new business | 4/24/2009 |
| Q: I am starting my own business and need to know how to purchase fabric A: First you need to get a business license. See more information on legal requirements for your ... | |
| copyright | 4/18/2009 |
| Q: I am an artist; unestablished; I have never sold anything. I have trouble thinking up my own ... A: There might be a way to obtain permission from the owners of the copyright but each company will ... | |
| Selling Art | 1/18/2009 |
| Q: I am photographer looking to sell my photos in some public/booth area in Los Angeles. I don't know ... A: Will, You should begin by finding out if you need a business license in your city, county, and ... | |
| Marketing | 1/7/2009 |
| Q: Here is a picture i took last week! Do you have a place to go you refer people to! That want to ... A: Wow Tim, She said $250?! Did you ask her if she would like to carry them in her gallery? I would ... | |
| Art | 1/2/2009 |
| Q: This wooden stick is 2 in. by 2 in. by 4 ft. long what would you call it! What price could be put ... A: Tim, These are very pretty. I haven't seen anything like them before. Are you making them? Could ... | |
| Starting Up | 1/1/2009 |
| Q: My sister and I were thinking about doing craft shows, but we were curious if we would need a permit ... A: Jacky, I get asked about business licenses and permits often so I wrote a post on my blog about ... | |
| fashion lines | 12/25/2008 |
| Q: I want to start a fashion line business. what is the step that i need to do to open a fashion line ... A: Rea, I don't know very much about fashion or clothing design so the best way for me to answer this ... | |
| Just Beginning | 12/21/2008 |
| Q: I have just started making jewelry and book marks and am getting into making book covers with ... A: First you need to set some goals and establish a marketing plan to accomplish those specific goals. ... | |
| belt buckle components | 12/5/2008 |
| Q: I also have been trying to make belt buckles and have used www.hhcenterprises. They are good but ... A: I tried the site you suggested and got an error message. However I found a site ... | |
| handcrafted jewelry storefront business | 11/29/2008 |
| Q: Would you happen to know the demographics for those who purchase handcrafted jewelry from retail ... A: I get asked this question often so I created a post on my Blog to answer it. The link is: ... | |
| Distributing flyers at fairs | 11/21/2008 |
| Q: Is it possible or doable to have one of the vendors at a arts and crafts fair give out a flyer for ... A: This is a question to ask the show promoter of the shows you are considering. Each show promoter ... | |
| Art/ Booth in US | 11/17/2008 |
| Q: First thank for offering to help.Gemstone I'm thinking of trying to sell rough/ cut stones in US, ... A: Finding a market for an item depends on many things. For instance location is a factor, also the ... | |
| Selling other peoples crafts | 11/13/2008 |
| Q: I am interested in selling other people's crafts along with my own. If I sell other people's items ... A: Ann, It all depends on the legal terms of the contract you create with the seller and how you ... | |
| christmas cookies | 11/11/2008 |
| Q: I am a photographer and I want to use christmas cookies with milk so I can do a cookies with Santa ... A: Joyce, I would suggest baking or buying some real cookies for inspiration and for comparison ... | |
| Most profitable... | 11/5/2008 |
| Q: In your opinion, what is the most profitable arts/crafts "at home" business to get in to? I am ... A: Honestly I don't know. I would have to have worked each and every "home" business to form an ... | |
| How to figure cost of mosaic item for tax purposes | 11/4/2008 |
| Q: How do you figure the cost to create an item when you are purchasing most of your supplies from yard ... A: Marilyn, Honestly I don't know what the tax person will say. I suggest carrying a receipt book with ... | |
| Small Business | 10/21/2008 |
| Q: I love making handcrafted things. no matter what the item id i can make it look great! I have a ... A: Kimberly, I get asked about business licenses often so I wrote a post on my blog about them. You ... | |
| T-Shirts plus | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: I have started a new company called Phelonious Lyfestyles. We are starting to do real good in our ... A: Mark, First of all advertising is just one part of Marketing. It is important for you to devise a ... | |
| selling sewing from home | 9/26/2008 |
| Q: I make a piece of apparel for my special needs granddaughter and the school she attends would like ... A: Mary, The requirements for licenses, permits and taxes vary by city, county and state. ... | |
| selling my crafts from home | 9/19/2008 |
| Q: This is for pin money only. If I paint a flower pot using a design from a craft book, does it fall ... A: Roxann, It depends on the copyright stated on every pattern or craft book if you can or cannot sell ... | |
| graphic design/animation/marketing career | 9/17/2008 |
| Q: Well where do I begin. I'm a 22 year old male. I have been drifting for so long, plugging away at ... A: Kevin, First: You are only 22, that's not terribly OOOLLLLDDD that you should have already decided ... | |
| Online jewelry business, and selling in a store? | 9/15/2008 |
| Q: I live in Oklahoma, and I want to sell my jewelry online. But I would like to have the chance to ... A: Heather, Please click on the link below and read How do I start a business in Oklahoma. ... | |
| Copywrite laws | 8/7/2008 |
| Q: My friend and I have been making "football shaped" cribbage boards and selling them locally. We put ... A: This is a very hard question, because it's a legal one which usually means you should consult a ... | |
| Ebay Store | 8/7/2008 |
| Q: I just opened an ebay store to sell my art. I noticed on other artist store sites their artwork is ... A: There are so many programs out there that I couldn't even begin to tell you what they all are let ... | |
| belt making and design | 8/4/2008 |
| Q: I live in the Atlanta area and I am interested in making and designing my own belts and buckles or ... A: Honestly I've never made my own belts but I've had belts made from everything from leather to metal ... | |
| selling crafts | 7/16/2008 |
| Q: I am looking for a means of making some side income selling crafts of some kind. I am interested in ... A: Marketing experts say the best way to know if there is a market for something is to use a program ... | |
| making cowboy belt buckles | 7/16/2008 |
| Q: I want to make cowboy belt buckles out of elk and deer antlers. I have the antlers; where can I buy ... A: Ken, While answering another question about making belts I came across many more sites that had ... | |
| unloading high quality inventory @ below wholesale | 6/13/2008 |
| Q: I'm closing my hand-made greeting card biz after 3 years. I have a warehouse of quality papers ... A: Connie, It sounds as if you are doing many good things already. I suggest making theme kits ... | |
Arts/Crafts Business
Answers by Expert:
Shasta McLaughlin
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer many questions about the art and craft show industry. I can help with booth setup, advertising and marketing, increasing sales at shows, where to find shows, how to promote an art or craft show, and much more.
Experience
I have always been an artist/craft person since I was a child selling crafts at shows with my mom. I have also promoted several craft shows, and publish a newsletter for artists and crafters.
Publications
EzineArticles.com
Education/Credentials
Salutatorian of my graduating class. Associates degree of Graphic Design.
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