If you’ve landed on this blog you’re probably finding success from selling your homemade crafts and you’re wondering “Should I register my business?” You likely started selling your handmade jewelry or furniture at some farmer’s markets or started your own Etsy shop, and you’re making more profits than you initially thought you would. Maybe you’re still making your creations as a hobby, or you’re just diving into the world of selling your handmade crafts and you’re quickly finding out that a craft business is going to be a very successful opportunity.
Should You Register Your Etsy Business?
If you have an artistic skill or a keen aesthetic sense and are making DIY crafts, you may have the essentials of a successful business.
Many different platforms allow for the exhibition of such business ideas, and you can earn good profits out of it.
If you’ve had some interest from other people about wanting to purchase your homemade crafts, but you’re not sure what exactly qualifies as a craft business, here are some examples:
- Jewelry
- Furniture and Decor
- Clothing and T-shirt designer
- Cosmetics and Home Remedies
- Candle making
- Sculptures
- Ceramics
- Customized greeting cards making
- Handmade soaps
- Caricature Artist
- Handbag Designer
- Crochet and macramé items
- Furniture upgrading business
- Calligrapher, and so on
These are such personalized and customized ideas that make you wonder if I need to register my business.
It is hard to find accurate information online about whether or not you need to have a business license for these types of craft sales, and whether or not you need to register your business.
Then there are multiple platforms where you can sell your business. One such is Etsy shop Canada. The venue caters to infinite Etsy business ideas and Etsy crafts. Once you are past the stage of starting an Etsy shop in Canada, making an Etsy shop, and selling on Etsy in Canada, you will wonder if you have to register your business. We have got all the answers for millions of Etsy Canadian sellers.
We’ve got some answers to the questions you’ve likely asked yourself on your way to find this blog, as well as some first steps to getting ready to register your online creations – because after reading this you’ll be wondering why you didn’t register a while ago!
How Do I Know Whether To Register My Etsy Shop or Craft Business?
When you started to sell on Etsy Canada, it may not have crossed your mind till now on learning more about the corporate legal framework, tax laws, or intellectual property rights. However, knowing some brief details would go a long way in securing your profits and avoiding any legal glitches.
If you’re wondering whether or not you need to register your handmade creations business, ask yourself the following questions:
- Am I making a profit?
- Do I want to grow my business or am I doing it as a hobby?
If you answered yes to both of these questions, then you need to register your business and operate it as a legal entity. If you are making a profit from selling your crafts, then you will need to account for this on your taxes. If your goal is to earn more profits and operate your sales as a professional and proper business, then you will need to register.
There are many benefits to registering your Etsy shop or other craft businesses including higher profit margins, more opportunities, and protecting yourself from getting into trouble with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
The good news here is that technically, the minute you began selling your crafts for a profit you became a sole proprietor, so it’s just a matter of going through the next few steps and making yourself an official business owner!
CorePro8 can help you with this.
What Are The Steps To Register My Craft Business?
Before registering your business, it is essential to be clear about three aspects.
1. Select a legal structure that is right for your business
Your Etsy business can either be self-employed (sole proprietorship) or an incorporated business like incorporation/a limited liability company (LLC).
Being self-employed can be solely owned or have more than one partner. Registering as a sole proprietorship or general partnership (multiple). Both of them are simple and inexpensive to run.
A corporation or an LLC exhibits limited liability is used for business owners who bring in hire earnings and must mitigate business risk. The costs are more expensive and have other factors to consider. Please join our webinars to get more information on this section.
It is up to you if you want to follow the simplicity and low cost set up a sole proprietorship or limited liability and substantial foreign investments of LLC.
Determine whether you will register as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or incorporation.
This is where CorePro8 will be your much-needed guide! There are benefits to each of these options, but it is difficult to determine which is best for you if you start a business for the first time. Our program will walk you through each of these options and help you decide which one is best for your Etsy shop business or other handmade craft business.
2. Protect your intellectual rights regarding your business
The intellectual right is a broad term that defines the brand name, logo, slogans, and designs of your craftsmanship. You can protect them by adopting measures like copyrights, trademarks, and patents. These are important measures for the growth and
3. Determine where you will be operating your business from
Have you been making your crafts at home and sending out your orders yourself? Or do you have a space that you work out of?
4. Choose a business name
Maybe you’ve thought about this since the day you started making your pieces, or maybe you’re stumped on what to name your business. Either way, check out Etsy’s top tips for naming your business!
5. Determine whether you will register as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or incorporation
This is where CorePro8 will be your much-needed guide! There are benefits to each of these options, but it is difficult to determine which is best for you if you are starting a business for the first time. Our program will walk you through each of these options, and help you decide which one is best for your Etsy shop business or other handmade craft business.
Check out this blog to learn more about partnerships and whether this is the right direction for your business. You can find several other blogs on our website that will give you some great information on the business structure!
6. Know your tax obligations!
You do not need to study taxation laws to know your tax obligations. Know some essential tips about your Etsy taxes Canada. These include:
- Income tax
- Sales tax
- Value-added tax (VAT)
Just to note, as an Etsy seller, you may have to collect sales tax from your customers on every purchase based on the province you reside. For that, your accountant, if you have any, can help you out with local rules and regulations.
The value-added tax is the one that is applied to goods and services shared in the European Union. As an Etsy seller, you should know that VAT is already added to the listing price during sale and purchase with EU buyers.
7. Market Demand
Before targeting your audience, you should know what product is high in demand. You can know the demand by going to craft shows or visit craft marketplace websites such as Handmade at Amazon and Etsy. Try to sell something different from others to attract potential customers. .
Look for what’s out there relating to your niche. See if your items are likely to fit in the existing products category. There won’t be any sellers who are selling the same products as you. So, you will have a chance to stand out.
8. Know Your Kind of Audience
Luckily, the craft industry is a pretty diverse place. This is great news for those who are learning how to start a craft business. If you sell in this industry that means you can target various demographics and consumers based on your products.
Define your ideal customers, if you are selling crafty wooden pens you’re more likely to target those who are looking for small gifts. The same holds for image-conscious professionals.
On the other hand, if you’re selling key hooks or blankets you will catch older consumers. These consumers can afford these items for their homes. And if you’re selling bath bombs and friendship bracelets you will attract a younger audience.
You can easily identify your audience by observing which products your people are liking the most. Think about the points below before searching for an audience:
- Likes and Dislikes
- Pain Points
- Location, gender, and age
- Goals for buying your products
9. Shipping
As your business grows you might get customers out of your reach. For that, you have to arrange a shipping service as well. Reliable and prompt shipping plays a very important role in getting customers good reviews.
You can begin the shipping process by comparing prices and finding a shipping provider such as UPS, USPS, or FedEx. After that invest in high-quality packing to avoid breakage of the product.
10. Manufacturer and Supplier
When your business takes off it will be difficult for a single person to handle all crafting and creations. For that, you have to arrange a manufacturer to get some help to achieve a work-life balance. It will bring ease to your business by finding a manufacturer who can make your design. By this, you can manage your business life easier.
To get the raw material for your items you will probably need a supplier. The supplier can supply you with any raw material and useful items you need such as a special kind of wool, threads, or anything.
11. Quality pictures of your Products
By clicking some decent photos of what you’re selling will look appealing to customers. Due to the importance of social media and ecommerce good photography has become essential for craft businesses these days.
You can click the pictures by yourself or can hire a professional photographer to do the work. For better and eye-catching photos, buy appropriate lightings. Get a perfect angle and advertise your product.
What About Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Taxes?
After you’ve registered your business there are some other areas such as finances and business accounts that you might be wondering about. CorePro8 has all of these answers for you.
The CorePro8 program gives you a step-by-step guide on how to prepare for registering your business, how to actually register, and what to do after you’ve registered. Once you’ve completed the program, CorePro8 has a ton of great business tips for you. We will provide you with all of the information you need on how to do your bookkeeping, how to find a good accountant, how to file your taxes, how to pay yourself, and even how to hire employees or contractors once your business grows!
Conclusion
It’s wonderful when a hobby or passion can turn into a successful business. As you thrive and grow as a self-made entrepreneur make sure you take the appropriate steps to keep your business healthy and follow the guidelines of Canada Revenue.
Good luck!
We are glad that you enjoyed it. Etsy has been a great place for small business owners. We are just glad we can work with them to get their business started up the right way.