I just finished reading Craft, Inc: Turn Your Creative Hobby Into a Business, and I must recommend it to anyone who is even vaguely considering a craft-related business.

This book is a short and sweet guide to everything it takes to strike out on your own. It’s full of practical, straightforward advice on everything from writing a business plan, to wholesaling, to hiring employees. It really struck me how comprehensive this book was, while remaining concise and to the point. You can read through the whole thing in a day or two, then keep it on your shelf as a reference as you plan out each stage of your business.

One of the things I enjoyed most about Craft, Inc, aside from the beautiful layout, was the series of interviews with successful crafters. I’d read interviews with some of these folks before, but having them all presented together like this really showed the huge range in approaches to small business ownership. It drove home that there is no one way to run a business, and your goals don’t necessarily have to be the same goals as someone else. Like other creative pursuits, it’s all about what you get out of it in the end.

Some related reads:

Interview with author Meg Mateo Ilasco on Whip Up
Victoria E interviews the Meg Mateo Ilasco.