Monday, December 22, 2008

The Kitchen Table CEO

This book started in response to the many business books, blogs, and forums that offer valuable information on how to start and market a business. There are business plan templates and market strategies available by the truckloads. I have found and followed the advice of well known business moguls to reading numerous blog posts of internet savvy marketers. What I have yet to see is a collection of advice on how to be a small business owner. In short, how does a crafty survive the day to day pressure of keeping a tiny business growing?

I have pondered many questions such as:
How do I reach my target customers?
How do I connect with them once I find them?
Will they even like my product? If so, will they buy it?
Should I patent my idea?
Should I sell consignment or wholesale?
How do I manage a business with very little money?
How do I market with very little money?
Do I create a website or sell within a market?
Online Ads
Stepping out of the box
Copying v/s being inspired

I will answer these questions and more. Most importantly, I will try to help the forgotten, sole employee of the kitchen table or spare room floor CEO.

The Product
Do you have a product that will sell? Sometimes a crafter will have an item that they think is the best thing on earth. It might not be the best thing on earth or the next best thing to sliced bread, but it is a wanted quality item.