Creative Business Tips
Imagine this. You just got into a juried show, a store just picked up your line or a company offers you a contract to license your work. You should be really pumped, right? You’ve worked so hard for this. But instead of being excited, you have thoughts like, “I’
artisanal food
Carol Gancia is the founder of Kokak Chocolates, an artisanal chocolate company in San Francisco. The creative entrepreneur has an incredible story—Carol, an Irish-Filipino immigrant and LGBTQ member, moved to the United States from Manila, Philippines in 2004. In the same year, she founded Ripplemakers, Inc., a video production
art
Addie Rawr is the very definition of a creative entrepreneur as a watercolor illustrator, sticker maker, greeting card designer and all-around creative powerhouse. She got her start by seeing a huge gap in the greeting card marketplace—she couldn’t find designs that represented her friends and family. So Addie
Creative Entrepreneur
Canadian creative entrepreneur Stefanie Henderlin founded the award-winning Mangata Apothecary, which offers a range of botanical bath and body care products. Stefanie shared how she began making her products. “My background was midwifery, and I originally created all these products for clients,” the maker said. Stefanie received plenty of positive
Creative entrepreneur Kara Dahn believes she grew up in the best decade ever—the 80s. Wanting to introduce her four children to the fun and whimsy of her youth sparked an idea—let’s bring back the joy of scratch-and-sniff stickers but with a twist. Instead of scratching to release
Sharon Glassman was performing at a music gig when after the show, one of her fans said, “If only there was a way we could take you home and put you on the wall so we could hear your songs and see the happy vibes you create every day!” Sharon
artisans
Seeds & Stories empowers women artisans in rural Uganda Social enterprise entrepreneur Margarida Vasconcelos co-founded Seeds & Stories, a non-profit that empowers women in rural Uganda. After working in law for many years, Margarida followed her passion for social justice and began a second career. In her interview, the creative
Before the start of a new year, Pinterest releases “Pinterest Predicts,” which reports on rising trends. Keep an eye on the report because the social network cites an 80-percent success rate for predicting trends. In 2023 Pinterest anticipates that “Gen Z and Boomers will make room for weirdcore design, mushroom
Jennifer Bowes had been working in corporate finance and operations when the pandemic halted regular life. In her newly found free time, Jennifer revisited her passion for flowers, and the art of floral preservation intrigued her. Before settling on resin as her preservation medium, Jennifer tested different methods. Resin was
If you’re selling at a craft show, farmer’s market, artisan market or craft fair, stay organized with this free craft show checklist. It’s great for remembering all the things you need to bring with you. We also included the checklist in our digital magazine. Artisan Joy Craft
Creative Entrepreneur
If you’re a maker, you may be creating products for consumers to buy for Mother’s Day gifting as we speak. You may also prepare for the day by looking at trends to help you determine what to create, promote and sell. We pulled together research on Mother’s
Creative Business Tips
Earning publicity for small business can seem daunting for entrepreneurs. It is challenging but not impossible for artisan businesses to get noticed by the media. We consulted PR pro Teia Wallington, the founder and public relations manager at Love Publicity in Detroit for advice. Teia has unique insight into PR
Art by Students is an online marketplace where art students can exhibit and sell their artwork online. The site is the brainchild of Dominik Kuhn. While pursuing an MBA at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, he met many art students who wanted to sell their work but felt they needed
creative inspiration
Sylvie Farrington is the founder of SylvieBags. The German-born designer came to the United States at 19. “I began selling newspapers and later worked as an au pair,” she said. Sylvie was passionate about textiles, color and art, so she went back to Germany to complete a fine sewing and
Wisconsin residents Layne Cozzolino and Mindy McCord met in 2010 when they worked together at a café. Their shared passion for local food sparked a friendship, which inspired the pair to go into business together. Layne and Mindy started canning and fermenting jellies, jams and relishes—selling them at farmer’
Now a resident of California, jewelry designer Gazal Kothari was born and raised in India. When she was a teenager, a special gift sparked her interest in design. “My love for jewelry started off when my grandmother gave me a set of heirloom bangles, which was passed down in our