Does it matter where you’re running your crafts business from?
This is a question I’ve been asking myself a lot as I make the long commute to my twice a week teaching job, send packages to places no where near my home, and contemplate trying to convince someone to move to my area to work for me.
Obviously we live in the digital age where you can reach customers from around the globe, and you can run a business from anywhere you have access to the Internet. And while I do think the Internet makes it possible to run a successful business from anywhere, I’m starting to wonder if there are some locations that are better suited to running a crafts-based business than others.
Aligning with the aesthetic of your area
Another reason I’ve been thinking about this idea is because, over at The Creative Empire, Kerin mentioned moving her business from the Southwest to the Northeast because her jewelry wasn’t a good fit for the prevailing aesthetic of her area. As someone who makes modern, expensive jewelry in an area with cheap people and country crafts, I can relate.
When your work doesn’t mesh with your local market, it can make it difficult to promote in ways other than online. You loose the value of testing the waters in local craft shows or breaking into wholesale by meeting with local boutiques. Or, if you’re committed to doing shows or meeting with store owners in person, it will require a lot more travel when your target market is in a different geographic region.
Finding good help
Another area where I think location can make a difference is in finding good help. Generally, the pool of help for a crafts business owner consists of other crafters who haven’t yet made the leap to full time. (Especially if you’re looking for assistance in production.) This is where I find my location in a small town, not in proximity to a university with a crafts program, a challenge. Can I really expect an intern to drive over an hour for an unpaid job? And will someone with the skills I’m looking for be willing to move to my tiny town without a coffee shop for a part-time gig?
And while I love the idea of businesses that teach people in rural areas a skill in order to provide meaningful employment, I’m not at a point where I can commit the time or money to that sort of training program. (Yet.)
Factoring in the cost of living
Another way that your location effects your business is in the cost of living and the effect that has on your prices. This is one area where I have an advantage, as our cheap real estate and available land keeps my costs lower. But it’s also one of the barriers that keeps me from relocating my business to a more urban area. I can’t imagine raising my prices or drastically increasing my output to cover a significantly higher cost of living.
And while I don’t think that location is the ultimate factor between success and failure in a business, (after all, some people run their business from the back of a bike) I can’t help but wonder…
If you can run your business from anywhere, why not locate it someplace where you have the best chance for success?
So what do you think? Does where you live affect how your run your business? Have you moved, or would you consider moving, for your business?
(image via boardstiff on Etsy)
Location does matter. My husband and I recently moved out of rural Indiana to downtown Indianapolis. Living out in the country had it’s perks, but running a small business from home and living in the middle of nowhere also had it’s downfalls. Every show was a huge drive, picking up checks and dropping off inventory took up whole days of me week and cut into my productivity time. Since we moved I have gotten more exposure, connected to more boutiques and have been able to get into the local craft & small business culture. Plus it takes me under and hour to re-stock the boutiques that I sell in locally and I can be more present at openings, artists markets, networking events, etc. I’m a country girl at heart, but for this stage of development living in the city has been a good fit for me.
Gosh, Megan, can I ever relate! We moved to our small town in Western Kansas 13 years ago from St. Louis due to my husband’s job change, so to relocate my business to a more urban area is not an option. While this presents a huge challenge, what this situation has also done is help me to become a lot more creative and resourceful in terms of putting my designs out there.
The closest urban center is Denver, which is 3 hours away. One advantage for me is that the younger generation in our town is willing to support something with a more unique/urban flavor because there is so little of that here. Also, because of the slower pace here and lack of competition, I am able to proceed in the foundational level of my business very purposefully without the worry that I will be left behind (I have a day job). Does that make sense?
The biggest disadvantage is that I have to travel a minimum of 3 hours to an urban area to market to boutiques, etc., as well as craft fair venues in a more urban setting.
This is so up my alley right now. I live in Portland, Maine, which is a wonderful market for contemporary art and crafts–tons of artists, lots of shops and shows, the ocean for inspiration. But my apartment is incredibly expensive (for Maine, at least), and it costs a fortune to heat in the winter. I’m seriously considering a move to the Asheville area of NC, which is also a good arts market, I think, but with a much cheaper cost of living as far as I can tell. I’m still in the vetting stages, but I’m pretty certain I need to try and get the overhead down.
I find where I am is fine, an hour outside of NYC. However finding good help nearby is my problem. There seems to be plenty of people answering my ads on Craigslist from the city but I know its too far for them to come here. I often dream of moving to Manhattan to make this business thrive because I know I would have better access to jewelry designers, promoting the jewelry assembly niche and to find qualified help. But I’m stuck in the burbs for now……
I am always debating about location because I crave a bigger city, but can’t necessarily afford it. The internet makes it much easier to expand, but it has limitations too. This is a tough one!
Megan, I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I feel that even though my business is primarily online, I can’t expand it to shops or boutiques or markets as they are too far from where I live and can take a whole day to do the round trip. I am aiming to grow my business online so that I can afford to move to the area I need to be in. It will be expensive but the people where I live think cheap is better so I think it will be worth it.
I have recently become somewhat embittered about where I live, but in terms of business I think my location is golden, or silver at least. I live in affluent suburban area that does not represent my life style. I am close to Philadelphia, but not far from rural areas. I am surrounded by McMansions and BMWs. The downside it is expensive to live here, traffic really sucks, and I feel somewhat displaced. The upside I can easily reach a variety of aesthetic trends from country crafts to trendy city. I could easily collaborate with a large number of businesses or schools, and I could easily find volunteer or paid help if needed. So as disgruntled as I may with my expenses or the traffic I deal with, I am in an ideal area to start a business. Thanks for helping me see it that way.
As I read the comments, I realize, location does matter. I live in a mid-sized European city where I can easily find materials and supplies, many opportunites to show my work, a post office three blocks away and the company of other artists. When my daughter doesn’t want to model my products anymore, I’ll be able to find a girl who will, maybe even in our building. Plus, people in France are slightly less used to buying cheap products; everything is more expensive here anyway. I sometimes worry how I would do business if we had to move somewhere else.
Well, when I moved, my work changed too (but it’s a good thing)! Watch out when you relocate as we can’t help but be influenced / inspired by our environment.
It’s a complex issue – a big city provides like minded people, access to supplies, markets, trade shows etc. It’s easy to courier products to magazines for shoots (I’m in London, UK) & of course London is a thrilling centre of design. However my overheads are much bigger than someone based in a smaller town (even wages are more, never mind studio rent etc), so competing on price is difficult.
Our advantage as creatives is that we ARE creative, so we need to think creatively about our businesses and find the best ways to make it work, regardless of location & circumstance. To paraphrase Stephen Stills ‘if you can’t be in the place you love, love the place you’re in!’
I am so happy to hear others weigh in on this one!…location is a double edged sword…so many factors of complimentary aesthetics, proximity to multiple income streams via shows and b&m stores, workshops and other artists to bounce off of and improve your game,finding help…cost of living stuff….there are pro’s and con’s everywhere….I have diehard NYC friends who pay $2000 a month rent and STILL have to pay on top of that for studio space…so, their fixed expenses are so high, they will always have to sell so much more, simply to live…but, those MUSEUMS! :)….I chose a place that gave me more access to big cities than I had ( ABQ, where I came from is a big city, but so much more isolated, now there is a $45 flight to nyc…I can go for the day, and I do!) comparable housing costs, access to a vibrant arts community ( though small) and the ability to live in a natural setting, which was VERY important to me. But the most important factor was access to customers with far more eclectic tastes…my biz has grown in ways I did not imagine it would…there is no perfect, and every situation has its pro’s and con’s….
Location is something I have been considering a lot lately, but for reasons entirely different than those voiced here. I am a military wife and between my marriage in 2008, finishing my degree and moving in 2009, and a military move in 2010 I am and will be, well, on the move a lot. I am in the process of launching Never a Plain Jane Designs and wonder how my current location will impact what I do (wedding garters) and the details of starting a business (a business license, DBA, my federal tax return). But I also wonder what frequent moves will do to (for?) my business. Will it be like starting over with each move? I’m sure everyone is shocked to learn that selling on Etsy won’t support me as I try to build up credibility, contacts and clientele. Please feel free to comment on my fears.
Such a relevant topic! I’ve thought + thought about this.
I am wondering if all of us could take what we are saving by living rurally and save that for business “trips” that could take us to metro areas, and use that by making appointments and then lining up visits to shops and boutiques.
For instance, a friend of mine is getting married next month on the West Coast. I really don’t have the money to fly just for a two day wedding, but if (IF!!) I could line up a list of boutiques near that locale and possibly send an email by way of introduction and query for interested parties to the owners in advance of that trip, maybe not only would the time be well spent in sales but a write off in terms of travel expense, and maybe I can land one, two, three new accounts.
All I can say is, thank goodness for Google where information is at our fingertips in terms of possible accounts! I found a boutique last week and had the delight and pleasure of “walking” by zooming to street level down the whole boulevard to see if the demographics fit my target. How cool was that?
Also, there is shipping. We in rural areas really have to pay to have our raw materials sourced and shipped. So it is not that easy when competing in a crafting atmosphere.
I live in Southern California, where everything is pretty expensive and the state taxes are high, so I do crave moving somewhere else. I am from the Midwest and feel that my business would boom there for two reasons:
1. I just know so many more people there – people from all walks of life and I would be able to network more efficiently.
2. Housing is so cheap. Everything compared to Southern California is so cheap!
I definitely think it does. I never realised it before, but things just ARE more plentiful in the states. I also spend a lot on shipping supplies as they aren’t readily available here.
And, specifically on a venue such as Etsy, I feel like I might be more successful if I were in the states. I wouldn’t know of course until I tried, though.
It IS location, location, location. Not until you pointed you out did I realize the privilege and ease that comes with living in an urban center such as SF. And it also helps that the neighboring cities, Berkeley and Oakland, have (industrial, garment, jewelry) manufacturers and artisans as well as being mini centers for fashion, technology, and design. I’m feeling pretty lucky now that you mention it.
But then isn’t the grass always greener? Cost of living is exorbitant, I can’t afford a separate work studio from home just yet, and SF is no fashion and commerce capital compared to New York. Face to face exposure is imperative for buyers, consumer and retail, and I need to be in NY at least a few times a year to keep the Feisty Elle name in the air.
There will always be pros and cons to being any biz size. That said, as someone said earlier, we’re creative, that’s how we got to where we are, and that’s how we’ll problem solve and figure out our next steps.
I haven’t done this yet, but it’s perfectly sensible to team up with another local biz and split the cost of an intern or part-time person so that everyone gets the most of the experience. Or move closer to an urban center. A neighboring city can be relatively inexpensive and get you closer to everything I mentioned above.
Good luck to everyone!
For me, living in Seattle makes it super easy in this industry, but as I sit back and evaluate, I think there are also some downfalls to being in an urban area…competition can be really steep in areas such as Seattle. I truly believe there is space for all creative folks in this world, just carve out a niche wherever you may be…and if you’re in a place where people may be a little more frugal or disinterested in what you sell, that’s where you turn to the vast space on the Internet to pursue your target customer. Inevitably, they are out there somewhere, you just have to find them!!!!! Oh, and don’t let anyone discourage you no matter where you’re located.
Thanks for your post! I think if your place could find a market, it doesn’t a matter, deponds on what you offer in the market..
As someone wishing to start out in the crafting world, moving to rural Australia from the coast means I can afford to be a stay at home mum. We’re in the process of purchasing our first home, something that we never dreamed of on the coast and the cost of our home repayments are allot cheaper than the rent we paid before the move. So there will be money left over to buy supplies. I’m intending to start with selling online & local markets. I guess for someone already established & targeting boutique stores, craft fairs & the wholesale industry, small towns might not be the right fit but for me & my wannabe small hobby business its perfect.
I feel pretty lucky to be living in Vermont. It’s beautiful and rural, but there are plenty of artisans and markets for work. I have lots of local role models of people making a living from their creative work. Housing isn’t especially cheap here, but otherwise, I feel like I have the best of both worlds.
another question to ask: if you need help with your business (which you make money from, and is why you want to grow) how can you expect anyone to want an “unpaid internship,” even for the experience. no matter how far they have to drive. what about the cost of living for that unpaid intern?
if the purpose of this blog is to cover business issues (which relate to legal, moral, other issues) i think dealing with the “experience” that interns want is really important. sorry if this sounds strident, but i think it is absolutely critical that artists who do not want to be undersold do not undersell anyone else’s worth either.
if YOU wouldn’t work for you without pay, why would anyone else?
julie – i think you make some good points, but i actually think that unpaid interns are quite the norm. where i teach, students are required to have an internship in order to graduate, and they get 3 credits for completing it.
i actually have students who would be happy to intern for me (for free) if it weren’t for the drive. the reason is that i don’t just put them to work, i make it into a teaching opportunity. i let them into the behind the scenes of my business, i teach them techniques they might not have learned in school, i answer all of their questions, and i even help them with their own projects.
i think an unpaid internship is acceptable if you understand that the intern is there to learn, not to be your free labor.
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I actually live in the Cleveland Ohio area where realestate is a lot cheaper. I hear from many jewelers around here no one wants to spend money on their handmade jewelry. What I try to convey to them is that they need to leave the state to sell their work. My boss makes beautiful silver, gold, glass jewelry and he sells it wholesale all over the country and soon in other countries as well. He doesn’t do a single show in our area, he does the BMAC Show and we’re contemplating shows in Miam and France right now. He uses the big wholesale show to test new pieces on the gallery owning public. seems to work well for him!
Side note, I too would never do an unpaid internship. In my mind the business I’m working for is not a good model to learn from if they can’t at least pay me minimum wage. Somethings not working. Also I’ve always had bills to pay, can’t work for free. : )
I love this blog and all the great comments folks make. I wanted to weigh in on unpaid interns. The deal is that they don’t bring anything to the business that warrants a wage. It is the business that gives an education to the intern that they can’t get in college. You don’t use an intern in that way…hopefully you teach them a skill they can use and when they are proficient, then you hire them for a wage. It’s the same as an apprenticeship or mentorship.
That said, I live in rural Northern California. There are more artists here than anywhere else, but unfortunately, the profession isn’t really supported! There are no business, supply or networking opportunities for designers/artisans….but there is a rather large community of us! It can be infuriating to try to do business in a cost effective way. Thankfully there is Etsy and San Francisco is *only* a 5 hour drive. Once my business reaches its goal, I will have to move my family closer to Southern California or New York in order to have a reasonable cost to do business. Unfortunately, housing in Northern California is still really expensive, so the savings don’t outweigh the effort.
I’m a midwesterner who relocated to Brooklyn about 4 years ago. I love it here, my business was started here and since being here I’ve definitely learned and been involved in things I probably never would have if I would have stayed where I grew up or even where I went to college. Access to materials and contractors and creative people can’t be beat. The handmade movement is raging here and people expect to pay more in NYC for uniqueness and handmade. And if your product happens to be eco-friendly or upcycled you’re ahead of the game. Although, a new handmade or flea market opens up every weekend here it seems, which would seem like a good thing, but there’s so much competition I don’t think any of them get as much traffic as they could.
But, there was a study done recently about happiness, and it says that after a household income reaches $75,000 a year, you hit the happiness plateau, meaning making more money won’t make you any happier. However, in NYC, that number is $163,000 a year. My boyfriend (who was born here) and I talk about the future and having children and we realize there’s no way we would be able to afford it here. So while we have no plans to move now, we know moving is inevitable. Where we go from here, we have no clue. I can’t imagine living anywhere where the NYC jewelry district isn’t just a short train ride away !
Hmm good post. It hasn’t made a difference to me yet, mainly because I haven’t bothered with trying to sell in shops. Having said that I am living in an awesome city for art and design! Melbourne, Australia is known as the arts capital of Australia.
We’re lucky to have many main streets dedicated to independent designers, cottage industries etc.
Maybe I should take advantage of that fact.
I just didn’t really want to traipse around to all the stores, dropping off product.
I have a strict rule about craft fairs/artist markets….I simply DON’T do them! Although I sincerely love attending my local shows and always purchase many different items, I do not ever participate. Many of the people I see selling at these craft fairs are people who do not yet embrace the importance of online selling, or social networking for that matter. I’ve also noticed when sellers finally grasp online selling, I don’t see them around at the markets anymore.
You know what they say…if you’re not on the internet, you’re not in business.
Online I reach a worldwide audience and never have to “schlepp” anything anywhere. Artist markets really narrow your reach of potential customers.