Diversify income streams for your craft business
How to diversify your craft business income streams to reach new audiences and generate revenue
As a small craft business, diversifying your income streams can offer the chance to establish a more reliable income, often utilising the skills, facilities and materials that you already have.
In this video, we talk to Ella Doran, textile designer, mark-maker and photographer, who has created a wide range of highly-acclaimed projects and objects across product and textile design, furniture and interiors. We are also joined by knitwear Designer Flora Collingwood-Norris who has diversified her knitwear business with creative mending, teaching, workshops, and has recently published her first book. Ella and Flora share their insights and tips for diversifying income streams for small creative business's.
“‘Diversifying my income and not just relying on my knitwear has been really crucial in changing my business and making it something I could actually live off’”
- Flora Collingwood-Norris
Attached is a summary of the key takeaways from this talk
Ella Doran
About Ella Doran
Ella has a First-class BA Hons degree in Printed Textiles from Middlesex University and works across photography, textiles and painting to create a wide range of outcomes, from products to projects, exhibitions & workshops. In the late 90s, she was one of the forerunners of the creative application of digitally printed photographic designs onto everyday products.
As a fellow of the RSA, Ella champions the principles of the circular economy through public engagements and teaching projects. She has given lectures and workshops at the Barbican, V&A and Clerkenwell Design Week, amongst others, engaging the public in the re-use of materials and furniture. Ella’s recent solo show, accompanied by a documentary on material circularity and transparency, ‘Sheep to Seat, Fleece to Floor’, was held at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in summer 2019.
Flora Collingwood-Norris
About Flora Collingwood-Norris
Flora Collingwood-Norris is a knitwear designer, maker and mender based in the Scottish Borders. Balancing ethical, colourful knitwear and visible mending, Flora champions natural fibres and the skills needed to make your clothing last.
This August Flora is publishing her new book ‘Visible creative mending for knitwear’ to share her repair knowledge, and encourage others to have a sustainable wardrobe that’s unique and personal. Designed to transcend seasonal trends, Flora’s knitwear focusses on colour, often inspired by the Scottish landscapes around her. Her pieces are made in her Galashiels studio on hand-powered knitting machines, or in small batches at one of her local factories in Hawick, valuing local knowledge and craftsmanship.
Spring-back talks
This presentation was part of the Spring-back talks online programme and Crafting Europe - a project funded by Creative Europe. Ten free lunchtime talks took place on Zoom from May - September 2021, offering essential marketing advice to makers preparing their business for digital and physical opportunities in 2021 and beyond.
The full playlist of talks is available to watch now on the Crafts Council YouTube channel.
If you require an alternative format to any of the information provided on this page, please email makerdev@craftscouncil.org.uk
