Handicrafts as a business

Broadly speaking to establish a small scale industry, you need  

• to arrange raw material for production
• to buy machinery
• a place to instal machines
• to construct office
• no objection certificate (NOC) for the location of the factory
• to obtain electricity connection
• labor for construction work
• labor for production work
• office requirements like table, chair etc
• to recruit staff like manager, supervisor etc 
• maintenance of the machines
• sampling cost
• packing cost
• bank loan 
• required to make profits for sustainability of your industry etc and
• you face the risks of whether the production will take place on  time or not, risks of market fluctuations which may affect the timely repayment of your loan and if there is no timely repayment of loan then there may be additional interests on loan.

 But in the traditional handicraft business, women entrepreneurs can make contacts with the artisan groups who are producing handicraft products and their homes can serve as their offices. In traditional handicraft business women entrepreneurs have to manage the production i.e. they have to see how much work has been done and how much needs to be done, whether quality material is being used in the production or not to ensure quality products and ensure timely delivery of products from the artisans so as to make timely delivery of the handicraft products to their own buyers. Sometimes they may have to arrange raw material as per the buyer's specifications for the production of traditional handicraft products and sometimes they may have to improve the designs. Women entrepreneurs can send photographs of the traditional handicraft items or samples to get orders from the buyers. They may or may not require bank loans depending on the the size of the orders. Women entrepreneurs buy handicrafts from the artisans as and when required and they make profits. So the handicraft business may pose less risks for women entrepreneurs. Here, both the women entrepreneurs and artisans benefits.

Handicraft business opportunities

The Handicraft and Handlooms Exports Corporation (HHEC) of India Limited is one of the big handicraft item buyers in India. Write to them with your products list and details.

Skill training on handicrafts: There are government programs on handicrafts training

Contact handlooms, textiles and handicraft departments to gain information