You just dropped a few hundred bucks on a Cricut Maker machine, and you may be wondering: what’s next? It is time to put that investment to work for you, and if you play your cards right, you will more than make your money back in no time. If you are a stay-at-home parent looking for a nice little income stream, or if you’re already employed but just love to spend free time crafting, you now own a machine that can kick a few pennies back into your piggy bank.
What could be better than turning a hobby you love into something that also makes money? Many a garage rock band has dreamed of this, though most will eventually unplug the amps when reality sets in, and it’s time to earn a steady paycheck.
However, a Cricut hobby is a surefire way to make a little extra bank, unlike the lofty dreams of the lead singer in the garage who may not be able to carry a tune. If you can operate a Cricut machine and we believe most functioning adults can, with a little practice – then you are well on your way to making extra money with this business idea.
Here are seven important tips to get you started on the right path as you explore how to make money using Cricut Explore Air 2.
1. Practice Makes Perfect
No one masters a Cricut machine overnight. If you want to turn this hobby into a legitimate side hustle, be prepared to put the work into master the machine before you try to sell products to customers. You will need to accept that you will have to spend money on initial supplies and products you will not be selling.
Consider this your trial and error period and know that it will pay off for you in the long run! One day you will look back on your early Cricut “mishaps” and laugh! Users can master the Cricut machine with time and patience and turn out quality products that will earn top dollar.
During this time, you should also explore the Cricut Design Space and all the Cricut projects you can get started including a silhouette cameo, vinyl decals, vinyl cutting, and more.
2. Stand Out from the Crowd
The Cricut crowd is a crowded market. While you may get tongue-tied just reading that, it’s the truth! You will not be the first crafty person in your community, peddling your goods on the neighborhood Facebook page. If you want to stand out from the rest of the crowd, you need to find ways to add a little unique flair to your offerings.
Think about ways you can be a trendsetter and not a trend follower. What products are currently missing from the Cricut market? What could you do to add a special touch to your version of a product everyone else makes? Consider coupling Cricut products with other items, especially if you have another crafting talent (such as sewing, for example).
3. Pick a Lane
While you are finding your way into this crowded market, you may be tempted to merge across every lane in traffic. But before you drive all the way across the eight-lane Cricut superhighway, stop and ask yourself if one particular lane makes the most sense for you?
In other words, maybe you are best at 2 or 3 products rather than trying to offer customers everything under the sun. Maybe you only need to merge into one lane of traffic instead of white knuckling the steering wheel in rush hour and trying to cross every Cricut lane.
4. Balance Your Budget
It is easy for crafters to get swept up in the doing and ignore the planning, but you will do this at your peril. You have to stay organized to be successful, and this does not just mean color-coding your Cricut supplies and finding the perfect bins for your craft room.
Don’t get us wrong; those things ARE important, too! You need to create a budget that you can stick to make money, and you have to stay on top of your costs. If you end up selling products for LESS than they cost to make, you will be flushing money down the drain.
A simple Microsoft Excel spreadsheet can easily help you keep track of your expenses. If this is not your forte, consider asking a friend or family member skilled at crunching numbers to give you a quick tutorial.
5. Friends and Family
Speaking of friends and family, while you are calling in budget tutorial favors, remember that you can and should ask them to recommend your new craft hobby-turned-business, too. Butter them up with a few freebies, and then ask them to tell their co-workers and neighbors what you are doing!
Word of mouth business usually starts with recommendations from your friends and family, so you should not be shy about asking them to give you a shout-out on social media and direct people to your website or social media feeds.
6. Keep Up with the Trends
It’s easy to get sucked into the internet rabbit hole but stay focused on doing the relevant research every week. You will need to look at what other products are being offered by your competitors, what sort of new products and supplies are available for Cricut machines, and even what is happening in popular culture to ensure you can jump on a trend quickly (“Ew, David” has been printed on many a Cricut machine!).
7. Don’t Get Lazy
Quality matters. As tempting as it may be to send out a less than perfect product after you have been burning the midnight crafting oil, you should make sure every product and Cricut craft you sell holds up as a positive representation of your work to any new customer. If you get lazy, you will lose repeat business and/or the recommendations from your customers.
So whether it’s the bachelorette tanks for your cousin’s Vegas weekend, the mugs for the parent association at your neighborhood elementary school, or the decals for a realtor friend to place on her open house signs, make sure you are giving people your best work each and every time when using your Cricut maker machine.