I found this book to be quite a wake-up call to the realities of home-based business. The author covers material related to managing a business like taxes, insurance, time management, how to handle money, and a bunch of other stuff, and he doesn't apologize for the realistic picture he paints. The only criticism I would make is that it's a little short on information about marketing crafts. Discussions of craft shows, wholesaling, internet marketing, and so forth are very briefly discussed in the final chapter.
Review #2
everything i needed to know
in starting my craft business, this book proved invaluable. he covers how to tell if you are a good fit for a home-based business, how to set up your bookkeeping (the biggest help for me), and how to track and analyze your production processes. definitely recommended if you are thinking about moving from amateur crafter to gettin paid.
Review #3
Good general overview
Simply put, this an easy to read book for one considering entering the craft field as a business and not just as a hobby. Kenn discusses the pros and cons of such a decision and encourages one to think carefully before starting a home-based business. He outlines managerial, financial and marketing templates for the artisan. The material is exact and full of useful tips and pitfalls to avoid. Anyone starting a home-based business should read his steps and make sure to follow his processes.
The book is not written with an MBA viewpoint but rather from a down-to-earth and straightforward one. He uses his past experiences to help the business neophyte enter this exciting world. His advice is sound and the templates are practical for anyone starting a home-based business.
Regardless, this style leaves one wanting more craft specific details. While Kenn started his own craft business, it is not until the later chapters that there is craft specific advice. This book could do well for any home-based business. See his other titles for proof.
We had hoped that future editions would include all of the business templates in popular electronic formats like Word, Excel or better yet HTML; but still nothing. Finally, we really like the new updated web and internet tips. See http://www.ijudy.com/ for more details.
