Books!

I was just talking to one of my very creative and talented friends, who I'm so excited for.  She's starting the exciting journey of turning her hobby into a business, and I just know she'll be a huge success.  Can't wait to link y'all up to her when she gets started.

Anyway, we were talking about the various books and resources out there that I found so very helpful, and it got me wondering -- what were/are the most valuable resources for any of you readers, for getting started on Etsy, opening a business, figuring out the business of handmade goods, etc.?  I'm linking up my favorites with my Amazon Associates account, below.


The Craft, Inc. books are my very faves, and if I could only pick two, these would be it -- they go hand-in-hand.  I think they are appropriately geared to help us think outside of the every day, and look at how our products can fit into the marketplace.  The authors don't assume you're an idiot, but they don't assume that you have a degree in business and marketing either -- just straight-to-the-point advice for those of us standing at the bottom of the handmade business mountain, looking up.

This would be my top pick, if you could only buy two books, to get your feet wet in the handmade goods industry.


Another one I picked up a few years ago was:  The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Money with Your Hobby.  This one may very well be outdated by now (no pic on Amazon), but it does have a lot of valuable information if you can get a copy.  The downside?  The book frequently references the 'National Craft Association' and relays resources from them, but the NCA, as far as I can tell, hasn't existed for several years now.  So, take that for what its worth.

Country Living's Crafting a Business:  Make Money Doing What You Love falls under the "if they can do it, so can I" category.  It's more inspirational than instructional, but there is a section at the end called "Business Crafting Workshop" that gives some helpful tips on getting started. 

The rest of the book features profiles of 31 crafty business owners (all women, I think) that have seen great success, interviewing them for advice and tips.

I can't say that this book has given me any information I can't live without, but it is a good thing to pick up on those discouraging days -- a glimpse into what *could* be, with enough skill and persistence.


Perhaps the most helpful information yet are all the business tools that Etsy gives on their website, for free!  I highly recommend signing up for their business newsletter and reading through their "quit your day job" series of vendor profiles.  I say all this without having done any business on Etsy yet, but that's only because I haven't had the time to branch out into the online world.  I know that when I do, the resources Etsy has provided will make it so easy (and getting my store set up was a *breeze*, thanks to their very easy-to-follow tutorials and helps).

Here are a few more random ones that I own/have read/have seen that stand out:

What about you?  What resources do you recommend?