Handmade Goods Business

4 Handmade Goods Business Success Stories [2024]

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Updated: September 6th, 2024

A handmade craft business entails selling own-crafted products on online platforms like Alibaba, Etsy, an independent website, or social media.

To succeed in selling handmade goods, you'll need solid creative skills. Your creativity can help you build a strong brand.

And with online marketplaces, handmade shopping has become a popular trend.

In recent years, consumers worldwide have shown their support of independent businesses and entrepreneurs, especially those venturing into the handmade goods business.

In this list, you'll find real-world handmade goods business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a handmade goods business that makes money.

1. Batch (Now known as Connect Gifting) ($1.8M/year)

Sam Davidson, the co-founder and CEO of Batch, and his co-founders came up with the idea for their business during a conversation about the lack of a one-stop shop for small-batch, handmade gifts in Nashville. They decided to start with a subscription box concept called Batch, offering four Nashville-made items each month. Their goal was to reach 200 monthly subscribers, but they exceeded expectations by hitting that mark in their first month and saw sales increase to 1,000 by month three.

How much money it makes: $1.8M/year
How many people on the team: 6

How We Validated And Launched A Subscription Box Company

Regional gift and retail company Batch has grown its annual revenue to almost $1.8m by honing its operating model, targeting other cities such as its home base Nashville, and relying on repeat business by keeping purchase percentages for gifts at approximately 90%.

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2. PortraitFlip LLC ($540K/year)

Sunny Choudhary, along with his co-founders Lavdeep Chahal and Shubhanshu Maheshwari, came up with the idea for PortraitFlip while searching for a platform that could deliver handmade portraits. They realized there were only a few companies providing such a service and saw it as a great opportunity. With a college side hustle, an initial investment of Rs. 23,000, and hard work, they were able to turn PortraitFlip into a successful startup yielding 3.5crs.

How much money it makes: $540K/year
How much did it cost to start: $60
How many people on the team: 15

The $27K/Month Company That Turns Photographs Into Custom Handmade Portraits

PortraitFlip is a successful startup that delivers handmade portraits globally with a clientele base in the USA and yields 3.5crs through their 100% customer satisfaction guarantee, and they started with an initial investment of only Rs.23,000.

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3. Just Artisan ($120K/year)

Just Artisan, a handmade-only marketplace founded by Marcello De Lio, has seen impressive growth since its launch in 2020. With $15,000 in sales during December 2020 and a strong customer base, the platform is on track for continued growth in 2021. De Lio's personal experience selling handmade goods and observing the frustrations of artists competing against drop shippers and facing rising fees inspired him to create a platform that supports artists and provides them with a true handmade marketplace.

How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
How many people on the team: 2

How I Started A $10K/Month Marketplace That Sells Handmade Goods From Independent Artist

Just Artisan is a handmade-only marketplace that has achieved over $15,000 in sales during December and is on track to expand with 400 vendors and 2,000 products since launching fully in June 2020.

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4. Humble Blades ($24K/year)

In a bold and risky move, Chris Sofia decided to start a custom knife business with no prior knowledge or experience in the industry. Armed with only his passion for knives and a desire to break free from the corporate world, Chris invested his last unemployment check into purchasing materials and embarked on a journey of trial and error. Through perseverance and dedication, he honed his skills and turned his passion into a successful handmade knife brand, attracting customers through authenticity and personalized customer service. As he looks towards the future, Chris aims to scale his business and become a true leader in the industry.

How much money it makes: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 1

Leaving A Career In Design And Marketing To Start Making Handmade Custom Knives

Chris Sofia shares how he turned his passion for knives and his marketing and design background into a bespoke knife-making business with a focus on authenticity and customer service, using social media as his primary marketing tool.

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