This series of lessons will help artisans:

• identify and clarify their reasons for being in business;
• decide if they should move from a hobby to a business on the Internet;
• decide whether it is economically feasible to remain at the level they are;
• decide whether their business is ready to expand, with the Internet being one option, or whether they are able to remain at the level of business they are now and remain solvent.

Who are artisans? What is an “artisan culture”? Are craft businesses different from other businesses?

You likely work with artisans, artists, crafters, and other individuals in your county. This producer group (artisans) is driven by their desire to use and benefit from their creative skills. According to “Handmade in America” director, Becky Anderson, crafters love their art, love working from home, and believe in the value of hand-created beauty. They value not only the product but the process of creating craft. For many, it is a way of life on which the decision of where and how to live is based. This fact makes it important to recognize the contribution of artisans to the local, regional, state, and even national economy. Artisans may come from many backgrounds. Some are trained as artists in specific types of media and have dedicated their lives to the art of creation. Some have apprenticed with leading artists to learn the craft. Others have begun as hobbyists and grown their craft into a business, while others have changed professions, retired, or have dual careers to reap the benefits of full-time employment with benefits while creating supplementary income through crafts. The artisan population is as creative in generating income as it is in creating its product.