Review: Mollie Makes: Making It: The hard facts you need to start your own business by Mollie Makes

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Love knitting but not so hot on accounting? A whiz on a sewing machine but no good with a spreadsheet? Then this book is for you! Craft is now a viable career choice. Shoppers are choosing handmade gifts rather than buying impersonal high street products – and new craft businesses are springing up all the time. Whether you are an amateur knitter thinking about selling your work at a local market or an established company looking to drive more traffic to your website, this handy pocket-sized book contains everything you need to know about combining craft and business.

MY TAKE:
This is one of those books that made me wish I had a printed review copy instead of an electronic review copy.

In Mollie Makes: Making It: The hard facts you need to start your own business, readers are taken through the things they should do, consider or prepare for if they're considering turning a craft hobby into a business.

This is a must-read not only for those who love to craft and are considering turning it into a business, but also for business owners who are just starting out. It includes a lot of important information and considerations that one should know if they want to improve the chances of their venture becoming a success.

The book starts at the concept stage, that is branding, research, etc. Other things discussed in the book are: creating a business plan, computing costs and pricing, protecting your intellectual property, writing sample press releases and managing your finances and tax payments.

There are plenty of great tips here, and there are also plenty of interviews with experts and resource persons who were able to provide additional pointers for new business owners.

I liked how, despite being less than 150 pages long, the book contained a lot of useful and important information. It actually felt a little bit like you're taking a Craft Business 101 course. I also liked how it made creating a business seem doable. It's still a lot of work and slightly daunting once the tax part comes in, but otherwise, it doesn't seem impossible.

Thanks to NetGalley and Collins & Brown for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. It's quite comprehensive, despite its length.
2. There are plenty of great tips.
3. It makes starting a business seem like a possibility for anyone. 

THE BAD:

1. A lot of the more specific information is geared towards UK and, to a lesser extent, US readers, so if you're outside the UK or US, you can only use some of the information as a starting point.

READ IT IF:

1. You are thinking of starting a business.
2. You like sewing, crocheting, etc.
3. You've wondered what you needed to do to start a business.

RATING:


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