There are lots of quick and easy ways to carry out market research for your craft business. One quick way to find out what's going on in your area of interest is to look at eBay Pulse.

This might not sound like the most obvious way to find information and ideas that will be useful to a craft business specializing in handmade arts and crafts, however this can give a useful insight into what people are searching eBay for - now! 

eBay Pulse gives a snapshop of the most popular daily searches in each category. One of the best ways to use this tool is to look at the category that your products would normally belong to. This will show you the most popular searches.

eBay Pulse is also available internationally, with each country that eBay operates in having its own version. This gives a useful insight into international trends as well as those in your own country.

eBay Pulse and the Craft Business

While as someone who specializes in handmade arts and crafts you won't want to base your marketing plan and product range on what is being searched for on eBay, it can certainly help to give you ideas to research further. eBay Pulse is a free, handy tool which makes a useful addition to your market research armory.

More Information

Here are the web addresses of eBay Pulse in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. For other countries simply change the end of the url accordingly.

• http://pulse.ebay.com/
• http://pulse.ebay.co.uk/
• http://pulse.ebay.ca/
• http://pulse.ebay.com.au/

There is often quite a lot of confusion in the craft world about what the rules are when it comes to selling items made from other people's patterns or copyright designs. ­

Not for Commercial Use

This obviously relates to g­arments and accessories made from knitting, crochet and sewing patterns. However it also relates to other items such as cross stitch and embroidery patterns and rubber stamps. Many patterns and designs are sold 'not for commercial use'. This means that people can make the item for their own personal use and for gifts, but the finished items are not to be sold. Rubber stamps and some scrapbook products use the term Angel Policy to state whether their products can be used commercially. For more info see this blog post - Angel Policy.

Charity and Good Causes?

People sometimes wonder if this includes items that are sold for charity and the answer here is often the same – if the pattern or design says 'not for commercial use' then this could also mean that the finished item is not to be sold for charity.

Finding Out More

The challenge for the craft person is finding out what they can and cannot do with a pattern or design. Many online patterns, projects or designs will state somewhere what the usage terms are and whether they can be used commercially to make items to sell. Magazines and books often present this information clearly in the front pages. However sometimes it can be difficult to find the information required. Just because the information isn't clearly stated doesn't mean that it can be assumed that it is safe to sell items made from a particular pattern or design.

Tips for Using Copyright Designs

The onus is on you the craftsperson to establish whether you can use someone else's design to make items to sell. Here are some tips for establishing whether you can sell things made from other people's patterns, projects or designs:

• If it says 'not for commercial use' then, no, you can't make and sell items from this pattern or design. There is no reason, however, why you cannot contact the designer and ask if they would consider offering you a commercial license. The designer may charge for this license and this could range from a few dollars to much more. The price that they charge will need to be factored into your end cost, so this is something else to consider. Many designers are delighted that someone wants to sell items made from their designs and are happy to come to an arrangement with crafts people regarding a commercial license to make and sell work from their designs.
• Keep copies of emails and other records if you try to contact someone but don't get a response. Sometimes, with old patterns or patterns where contact information is not supplied it can be difficult to track down the copyright holder. If you proceed and use a pattern or project without getting permission you may need to prove at a later date that you used your best endeavors to track down the copyright holder.
• Some copyright holders, for instance some rubber stamp designers, request that the copyright details are shown on the finished project. It is important to check this before proceeding.
• Even if a website or publication does allow the sale of items from its patterns or designs, it is worth keeping a print out of their terms and conditions and make sure this is dated. You will find that many companies retain the right to amend their terms at any time, and therefore you could be acting in good faith only to find that their terms have changed sometime down the road.

Don't let blogs and social networking blur the lines between your personal and professional life.

With blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites it is ever easier for our personal lives and professional lives to get blurred. Don't forget that customers and potential customers may also follow you on other sites. You may not want them to know some of the more personal aspects of your life and you are certainly not going to want them to read a rant about unreasonable customer expectations!

The best rule of thumb to follow is that if you wouldn't say it to someone's face then don't write it on a social networking site!

Etsy and Cool Mom Picks are jointly running a competition for Valentine's Day card competition designs. The full competition rules can be found at Cool Mom Picks' site, but in brief the requirement is for outlined designs that will be suitable for a child to color in and give.

The winning designs will be featured on nine printable cards that will be offered for sale through Etsy, with all the proceeds from the sales going to charity. 

Here at Make For Business, we decided to join in the fun with a couple of designs inspired by our sister site Make For Baby.

Each month offers you and your craft business a new set of opportunities and challenges. These range from the large international events, such as the winter holiday season which encompasses festivals from many cultures the world over, to more local events. Key celebrations, such as Mother's Day and Father's Day are celebrated at different times in different countries. Therefore if you make Mother's Day items, in addition to selling them in your home country, you may want to consider some international marketing to coincide with key dates in other countries.

Even if your business is completely unaffected by the seasons or key occasions, you are likely to find that there is still an impact (for instance your business may not be geared towards holiday sales, however you may find that supplier's turn around times are slower or that deliveries are slower).

Notable Dates for 2010

This list presents key and notable dates for each month of the year, along with birth and flower symbols. These can be good for marketing themes and also ideal for making special gift for babies that are born during this month. A little history behind the name of the month is provided which may also provide some marketing ideas.

JANUARY

• 5th Dia de los Rayes
• 18th Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (third Monday of January)
• 25th Burns Night - the time to celebrate all things Scottish!
• 26th Australia Day

• Birthstone – Garnet
• Flower (UK) - Carnation (which symbolizes love, pride, beauty, distinction, and fascination)
• Flower (US) - Snowdrop

• 14th Valentine's Day
• 14th Chinese New Year
• 15th Family Day (Canada) third Monday of the February
• 15th President's Day (US) third Monday of the February
• 16th Mardi Gras, Beginning of Lent, Shrove Tuesday
• 29th Leap Day

• Birthstone – Amethyst
• Flower (UK) - Its birth flower is the iris (which symbolizes faith, wisdom and hope)
• Flower (US) Primrose

• 1st St David's Day - the patron Saint of Wales
• 14th UK Mothering Sunday
• 17th St Patrick's Day

• Birthstone - Aquamarine
• Flower – Daffodil (which symbolizes rebirth, respect, regard and unrequited love)

• 1st April Fools Day
• 4th Easter Sunday
• 23rd St George's Day (England)
• 25th Anzac Day (Australia and New Zealand)

• 1st May Day / International Workers Day (or Labour Day in many countries, US Labor Day is Sept 5th)
• 4th National Teachers' Day (US)
• 5th Cinco de Mayo (Mexico)
• 9th Mother Day (US) Second Sunday of May

• Birthstone – Emerald
• Flower (UK) - Lily (which symbolizes humility, chastity, purity, and sweetness)
• Flower (US) – Hawthorn

The month May has been named for the Greek goddess Maia, who was identified with the Roman era goddess of fertility.

JUNE

• 20th Father's Day (Canada, UK, US)

June Symbols 

• Birthstone – Moonstone/Pearl
• Flower – Rose (which symbolizes love and appreciation)

June is named after the Roman goddess Juno, wife of Jupiter

JULY

• 4th Independence Day (US)
• 11th FIFA World Cup Final (Soccer) now is the time for soccer themed gifts!

July Symbols

• Birthstone – Ruby
• Flower – Larkspur (which symbolizes levity and lightness)

July was named in honor of Julius Caesar, who was born in that month

AUGUST

• 13th International Left Handers Day

August Symbols

• Birthstone – Peridot
• Flower – Gladiolis (which symbolizes remembrance)
• August is named after Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus

SEPTEMBER

• 5th Father's Day (Australia)
• 6th Labor Day (US)
• 12th Grandparents Day (first Sunday after Labor Day)

September Symbols

• Birthstone – Sapphire
• Flower (UK) – Forget-me-not, aster (which symbolizes patience and daintiness)
• Flower (US) – Morning glory

In Latin, septem means "seven" and septimus means "seventh"; September was the seventh month of the Roman calendar until January and February were added later.

OCTOBER

• 5th World Teacher Day
• 11th Columbus Day (second Monday in October)
• 11th Thanksgiving (Canada) second Monday in October
• 31st Halloween

• Birthstone - Opal/Tourmaline
• Flower (UK) – Calendula (which symbolizes winning grace)

October takes its name from the Latin word octo which means eight.

NOVEMBER

• 5th Guy Fawkes Night (UK)
• 11th Veterans Day / Remembrance Day
• 25th Thanksgiving Day (US) third Sunday in November

November Symbols

• Birthstone – Topaz/Citrine
• Flower - Chrysanthemum (which symbolizes compassion, friendship and secret love)

November takes its name from the Latin word novem which means nine

DECEMBER

• 1st Hanukkah (from sunset on the 1st to sunset on the 9th)
• 25th Christmas
• 26th Kwanzaa
• 31st Hogmany / New Year's Eve

December Symbols

• Birthstone – Turquoise
• Flower (UK) – Paperwhite (which symbolizes the sweetness of whoever receives it)
• Flower (US) – Holly

December comes from the Latin word decem, which means ten

Do you know of any dates we've missed? Contact us and we'll add them!

If you make and sell any items for weddings then keeping up with the current and future trends is important. Here is some interesting reading:

Wedding Dress Colors

This article from Craft Stylish looks at the color trends for wedding dresses in 2010 - Wedding Dress Color Trends. This is the cornerstone for wedding planning, therefore if you make wedding jewelry, accessories, stationery or anything else that can be used in a wedding, these are the colors to be aware of. Oh, and what an exciting challenge some of these will present!

Wedding Trends

This article from Get Married looks at the top 10 wedding trends that are forecast for 2010  - Wedding Trends for 2010. If you make and sell items that are suitable for party favors then check out number 4 on the list. Personalized favors are making a comeback, so now is the time to get some customizable favors in your range.

Wedding Invitation Trends

This article from The Knot outlines some of the hot trends in wedding invitations-Wedding Invitation Trends. The message that comes through loud and clear is that couples are looking for new and innovative ways to invite people to their weddings. Two trends that are mentioned include stitched invitations and invitations that are burned into wood. Custom invitation envelopes are also mentioned, which can be another opportunity if you make and sell handmade paper goods.

Do you make items for the wedding market? Do you have any tips to share, if so you are welcome to leave a comment below - we look forward to hearing from you!

If you sell your handmade crafts online and you want people to find your work, then it is important that you make good use of keywords. Keywords are what the search engines use to find your site and list it in the search results. This is part of SEO (search engine optimization).

This is a subject that really divides opinion. Many arts and crafts people love the making and creative side of their business and are less enthused by the SEO wizardry side of things. Other people embrace this side of the business and can see the benefit.

Picking Good Keywords

Keywords are the key to people finding your products online using a search engine. It is important that the keywords that you use are relevant and targeted. If you make felt hats, for instance, it is important to ensure that you use targeted keywords so people looking for handmade felt hats can find you. The figures below show the number of results returned on the searches listed below:

• Hat - 378,000,000
• Felt Hat - 11,000,000
  
• Handmade Hat - 1,410,000
• Handmade Felt Hat 107,000

While it might be tempting to simply use the keyword 'hat', your website would probably be facing very stiff competition and would probably be hidden away behind hundreds of other sites. Therefore, narrowing the search by using more targeted keywords will help. The keywords 'handmade felt hat' return a fraction of the results, this means that people searching for a handmade felt hat would be more likely to find your site.

Here's another example looking at necklaces

• Necklace - 33,700,000
• Handmade Necklace - 1,100,000
• Handmade Gemstone Necklace - 463,000
• Handmade Amethyst Necklace - 107,000

Getting the Right Balance

Part of the key to this is getting the balance right. You don't want to use such broad terms that your website gets lost, however equally importantly, you don't want to narrow your search so far that you lose potential business.

More Information

For more information don't forget to check out our SEO category where there is a lot of useful information. If you have a website and want to know more about what drives visitors to your website then take a look at our Google Analytics category. Here you'll find tutorials, tips advice and more!

Do you have a tip to share? Leave a comment below or if you would like to be a guest blogger or take part on an interview for the MakeForBusiness blog then send me an email! We look forward to hearing from you.

We added a few exciting Etsy tools to the site yesterday following an email that we received making several suggestions.

As we looked through these different tools, we were struck by one common theme. Each of them were really great and useful tools that offered a variety of users the ability to interact with Etsy in different ways.

Some tools help buyers to find interesting products that might interest them, while others allow sellers to add products to a store and then embed a browseable selection of their products into any website they have access to, either as an advert or as editorial content.

Of course the thing that drives all of these tools is the Etsy API that allows developers to build applications that connect directly to Etsy and use their information.

Etsy has always been technologically strong, though in the very beginning it sometimes seemed that their main priority was using Flash to produce great visual experiences, but not always user friendly experiences.

However that focus quickly changed as using technology to produce a better user experience became the priority and while Time Machine 2 may not be as visually engaging as its predecessor, it makes rather more sense for anyone in a hurry. Besides the original Time Machine is still there in the back seat for anyone with some time to kill and desire to relive past glories.

The Etsy API is now allowing independent developers across the globe to build tools with that same focus on improving the user experience and while obviously that is good news for application developers and for Etsy, ultimately Etsy's users will be the real winners.

Just a fews days after adding EsellerAds to our directory comes Etsy Shop Tools.

Etsy Shop Tools shares many things in common with EsellerAds, both in terms of its main functionality, embedding galleries of Etsy products into any webpage with links to Etsy to facilitate quick and easy purchases, and in offering store owners analysis tools.

However, despite their similarities, at this stage they are still different enough that an Etsy store owner could effectively use both systems.

EsellerAds offers a selection of formats that are basically the most popular standard web advertising formats. These can be used within adverts slots across the web and could also be integrated into a store owner's own blog.

Etsy Shop Tools' shared galleries on the other hand are more of an editorial tool and a way for an Etsy store's product range to be embedded into any page. There is also a Megazine gallery option that allows users to flick through the pages of a virtual magazine.

While Etsy Shop Tools could be used for advertising, they're not going to slot into standard advert boxes in the same way as EsellerAds.

Etsy Shop Tools and EsellerAds both appear to be two excellent uses of Etsy's API that give Etsy store owners real power to expand their stores out into the greater internet.

You can find out more by visiting Etsy Shop Tools' website and EsellerAds' site.

Twitter backgrounds can be a great way to stand out from the crowd!

While ideally, you'd have a custom background that best related to your handmade items and craft business, if you you have a list a mile long of important things to do, using an alternative might be the best solution.

Changing Twitter backgrounds from the standard backgrounds to customized backgrounds is really easy. Within Twitter itself, you can quickly customize the preset designs, by changing the color scheme. There are a number of companies that offer free Twitter backgrounds. I recently used Twitrounds, who offer a wide range of free Twitter backgrounds. If you are happy to provide your log in information then Twitrounds have made it incredibly easy to change backgrounds. You simply pick the background you want, enter your login information and then Twitrounds does the rest.

What Twitter background have you got? You can see ours here - @makeforbusiness.