Creating and managing an art and craft business.

Follow your passion is easier said than done. Every idea and dream seems legit till the time you get into the execution of it.

I had a deep interest in art and craft since childhood and always felt good when people appreciated the design and creativity. Just like you, I also wanted to follow my passion, and this is where it gets complicated.

First thing first, I am an artist and I don't really know how to market the products. I can design anything, when creative juice flow, I can convert it into gold, but when it comes to earning money, I would go numb.

I would rather offer my creative work for free just for appreciation :) Now at least I know why most artists are poor.

So I convinced my partner to help me set up this business.

First Hurdle is the most difficult one

and it's convincing yourself that you can do it. And trust me, before talking to anyone, I thought about it for weeks, even lost my sleep over it. Once I was convinced it was easier for me to ask for help.

Two areas required immediate attention.

1. Help me procure the raw material
2. Market my creations.

He was reluctant in the beginning, but when he saw the conviction, he also took the first step along with me.

The first day in the market was most difficult, I was searching for the shops in Gurgaon Sadar Market, looking for the raw material at a bargain price. But most shops either had very poor quality or the prices were exorbitant. I procured a few items anyway and started creating my craft. I started by creating small items like the one shown below.

I shared the designs with few friends and they were really happy with the quality and the finishing touch. If you don’t know, these items are known as Latkans or wall hangings in India.

Second Hurdle

So the next step was to set it up as a proper business. We called our CA and asked him to help us set up a proprietorship and we also started looking for markets from where we can procure the raw material at a better price. Since my partner is also working, I had to convince him to visit the Sadar Market in Delhi (it's among the busiest streets in Delhi and in between covid scare, it was a tough choice for us)

Anyway, He agreed. We drove to the market and to our utter surprise, It was Sunday and the market was closed. We came back disappointed.

I had to convince him real hard to take a leave and go with me again on a working day. We went to Kinari Bazar which is near Chandni Chowk, this is where I was able to get all the raw material I needed. Finally, this hurdle was over.

Third Hurdle

The next step was to set up the online store, get Registration and GST number etc. We applied for the GST number, but it somehow got us delayed by two weeks almost. So I was not able to sell my product online on stores like Amazon or apply for a payment gateway in the absence of a GST number. Though we purchased a domain and started working on the website, and that's how https://ruchidesigns.com/ was born.

I am still waiting for the GST approval but started promoting my products in the close friend circle already. Now, since this got real, the business struggle is completely different and a person with only a creative side will always find it difficult to get going.

If you want to buy my products or share the complete catalog with your friends, Do visit our online store -https://www.ruchidesigns.com/shop/

Lessons I learned till now

1. Always have someone with complementary skills to help you
2. Marketing a product is equally important.
3. When selling online, you need to win the trust of your customer.
4. For an art and craft project, it's your community and friends who become your evangelists and saviors. As soon as I started, I got help and encouragement from my parents, my partner, my close friends and that really helped me get going.

If you liked my sharing, do bookmark this article, I will keep adding more learnings as we move forward on my journey to convert my hobby into a business.