Geography of Craft

by Shannon Riffe
April 10, 2007

Shortly after moving to Brooklyn from Richmond, Va., Mary Andrews went out for a drink with a group of friends and discussed goals for her handmade jewelry business, Contrary. Upon mentioning the name of her career role model, Lisa Frost of Lulu Frost, Andrews discovered that a friend of her friend had a connection. A quick call was made and by night’s end, Andrews had spent an evening with her role model — not bad for the girl from Virginia on her first week in New York.

Mary Andrews

With more crafters entering the world of entrepreneurialism via the internet and revitalized local craft fairs, the interest in handmade items is higher than ever. While competition seems to be getting stiff in some cities, other regions remain relatively craft-free. Given the explosive popularity in handmade items, now is a good time to start selling crafts. But, when starting a crafts business, is it better to be a small fish in a big pond or to make a splash as a big fish in a smaller pond?

When Andrews made the decision to relocate, the future of Contrary was foremost in her mind. She says, “In Brooklyn there are shops and boutiques on every street all looking to supply something different. In Richmond, there were just a handful of stores — they weren’t as willing to try new things.” But, with more options comes more competition. “I would be the first to say I consider myself a small fish in a big pond. In Richmond, my name was beginning to get recognized, but in Brooklyn, I am just one of thousands striving for the same goal.”

Andrews navigates the big pond by taking advantage of personal connections, such as that fortunate meeting her first week. She markets her business in the same ways as she did in Richmond, now on a much larger scale: visiting boutiques, applying to craft fairs, and handing out business cards at every opportunity. Whenever she receives an email, the sender’s name is added to her Contrary contact list for events and updates. “I take one day at a time, set large goals with small steps to work on each day, and I keep a positive attitude!”

These efforts ensure that Andrews’ work gets meaningful exposure as she builds her circle of New York contacts, in effect creating a smaller pond within a pond. She says, “I am a huge believer in the importance of making connections. Success is partly how talented a designer is and partly who they know. That is one of the biggest advantages of having Contrary based in Brooklyn.”

In the small Wisconsin town of Verona, Betz White has little competition, but also little in the way of a local craft community. Labeling herself a “fish out of water” because she is more involved in the online community and neighboring big cities, White says, “Honestly, I don’t even think about my town in terms of my business. I don’t have much of a local crafty network.” The absence of a local scene hasn’t hurt business — White sells her colorful felted pincushions on her Etsy store as well as in online boutiques and brick-and-mortar stores as far away as Los Angeles.

Betz White's cupcake pincushions

White has made efforts to make her name known by teaching two felting workshops in Minneapolis, both of which sold out. By presenting herself as an expert in her field, White has expanded the range of people who are exposed to her work and, like Andrews, has put a personality and a face behind her products. Involvement in the online community is integral to her success, as it supplements the community that she lacks locally (proposed felting workshops in her town stagnated due to lack of interest). Regularly posting tutorials on her blog allows White to reach an international audience she could never reach with in-store workshops. These tutorials are linked to other sites, generating more traffic to her blog and online store. In the ultimate acknowledgement of her expertise, White recently accepted an offer to write a craft book about felting.

Successful craft business owners must have a strong online presence -- both White and Andrews have blogs and Etsy stores -- but the different ways they use the internet depend on the resources they have in their cities. Andrews’ internet activity is a necessary part of her business, but it takes a backseat to what she can accomplish locally in Brooklyn. Personal interactions with storeowners and customers are the driving force behind her marketing. In Wisconsin, White devotes the bulk of her efforts to her online presence, where she reaches the most people. Establishing herself as an expert ensures that her blog — the primary way she presents herself online — stands out, allowing her to convey her personality to a larger audience.

Small pond or big pond? Successful craft businesses exist in both types of cities, so the answer depends on your personality. If you enjoy face-to-face interactions with storeowners, customers, and other crafters, you’ll do best in a city with a major craft scene and many on-site resources. If you’re more comfortable investing time in your online presence and marketing yourself from afar, then you may be best suited for a small pond. Master the skills that allow you to make a big pond smaller and a small pond larger, and your pond will be what you make it.

Crafty Business

For further reading on starting a crafts business, check out these resources:

Etsy: This online marketplace for handmade items allows small craft businesses to easily set up an e-commerce store.

Craftster: The discussion boards at Craftster, where 74,000 members share tutorials and advice, are the hub of the online craft community.

The Switchboards: Come here for the active forums covering any and all topics related to women in creative business.

Flickr: There is a strong sense of community among crafters on this photo-sharing site who regularly post pictures and receive feedback on new projects.

Typepad and Blogger: Two of the most popular blog publishing tools allow any crafter to establish an online presence in minutes.

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