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Now that we are a few years out of the pandemic, when we look back we realize that not everything that came out of the pandemic was bad. When people stayed home, they relied more on online purchases and businesses. I truly believe this kickstarted our era of ‘work from home’ jobs and careers as we know it.

Did you know there are a number of digital craft businesses that you can do 100% online? This means: No making products, no physical inventory, and no shipping products. Not only can these businesses be 100% run online, you can also start and grow them from anywhere in the world. (And, who doesn’t dream of waves splashing your feet as you work on a remote beach?)

If you are thinking of reinventing your business, adding a digital component, or starting a new business; I’ve compiled some ideas for you of digital craft businesses. 

16 Digital Craft Businesses You Can Run from Home

1. Selling SVG Cut Files, Patterns, Fonts

If you have already been designing files for yourself, this should be an easy transition. To get the most exposure to your files, I’d suggest opening and maintaining multiple shops on several marketplaces. I have more advice on selling SVG cut files.

2. Selling Mock Up and Stock Images

Online sellers and influencers need mock up and stock images to sell their cut files and products. For this business, you’ll take photographs at home, edit the images, and sell them online.

3. Take Online Drawing Requests

Do you hand letter or can you draw? Start taking paid commissions. In fact, Fiverr might be a good place to start.

4. Online Teaching

Love instructing others? You can teach small or large groups online, or even private one-on-one classes using videos or livestreams. You can offer classes to create specific projects (example: a t-shirt or a wreath) or you can teach software skills (example: tracing in Silhouette Studio or designing a card in Cricut Design Space).

5. Photo Editing

It’s no secret that great photography helps sell products. If you’ve got editing skills and experience, start offering photo editing services to craft business owners of product photos that they have taken.

6. File Digitizing

Crafters need files in different formats than they may have. If you can offer digitizing services, start a business from it.

7. Print on Demand Designer

If you love creating and designing products, you can transition your existing business to be 100% digital by using print on demand drop shippers like Amazon Merch or Printful among others. 

8. Graphic Designer

Small business owners need business logos, shop banners, sale graphics, product packaging, and more. If you’ve got experience in graphic design, start promoting yourself to crafters. You can sell the digital files to customers, or place orders through printers and have physical products delivered to your customer through dropshipping.

9. Web Design

Trust me when I say there are a lot of small business owners out there who would like a website of their own but don’t have the ability to create one. If you can, start offering either premade templates or websites or custom web design work. If those are too advanced for you, consider installing and setting up existing templates for customers.

10. Search Engine Optimization Services

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization Services”. Basically, it helps small business owners optimize their content to be seen in search engines – like Google. Guiding and specializing in working with craft business owners will give you a niche that is already established, but underserved. Need more education? Check out Grow with Google.

11. Proofreading

Have a knack for grammar correction and finding typos? Start a proofreading business that assists online craft sellers.

12. Social Media Creation & Management

There’s a need online for both creation of social media graphics and content and the management/scheduling of it. If these are your strengths, consider starting a business around it – and crafters are a great customer base to focus on.

13. Business Naming Services

I get asked all the time about suggestions to name a business. And, I see requests of this type all the time. If this is a strength of yours – start offering your services to crafters.

14. Virtual Assistant

Have a wide variety of online skills? Offer yourself as a virtual assistant to craft business owners. If you have experience running your own craft business, you’ll be even more valuable!

15. Craft Blogger/Magazine Editor

This is obviously near and dear to my heart, but pick a craft related topic and start a blog focusing on it. My best piece of advice: there are a lot of ‘lifestyle’ blogs that cover recipes, parenting, and DIY. Instead of putting yourself into a huge pool of competition, pick a specialized niche and start writing. If a blog isn’t your thing, what about an online magazine that covers the craft industry or an aspect of it?

I realize that you may not have the skills to start or run many of these types of businesses right now. However, with the extra time you’ve got on your hands right now, now is the perfect time to learn.

16. Social Media Influencer

Love using social media? Turn your love into an income stream. If I were you, I’d focus on one platform to start: Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, or Facebook.

People start craft businesses for all types of reasons, including not be able to work in a traditional job setting or role due to a chronic illness. Unfortunately, chronic illnesses are more common than not – but often aren’t talked about due to stigmas. Today, let’s talk about them. 

There are many laws in place that protect those with chronic illnesses and disabilities when you work for someone else. Unfortunately, those laws don’t matter when you are your own boss. I recently had a chance to talk to a nurse whom I am good friends with and she helped me put together the tips below. For each tip she shared with me, I added real life examples related to craft businesses.

6 Tips for Running a Craft Business with a Chronic Illness

• Put yourself first. Your business should come second to your health. Always. While it may be tough, especially if you need the money – take time to recharge. In fact, schedule time in your daily routine to recharge yourself. This could be a nap, some yoga, some tv time, reading – whatever recharges your personal ‘batteries’.
• Be honest and realistic with yourself. Running a craft business by yourself can be tough without a chronic illness. With a chronic illness, it is even more important to be realistic with your goals and time.
  • Create a flexible schedule. Keep in mind when creating your schedule that it isn’t set in stone. Your schedule can change due to doctor’s appointments or days when you cannot work. Accept this, it’s okay. 
  • Make your goals realistic and attainable. Saying that you’ll make and sell 500 widgets by the end of the month isn’t practical – even without a chronic illness. Making a goal of working on your business for 5 hours this week or month is an attainable goal. Due to the unpredictable nature of chronic illnesses, setting long term goals is often more productive than setting short term goals.
• Think outside the box.
  • For example: If you can’t stand over a heat press pressing shirts, consider using a print on demand service or screen printer. In this case, you’d create the designs and outsource the printing. 
  • For example: Consider running a business that isn’t tied to fulfilling orders on your customer’s schedule. If you opened an Etsy shop selling SVG cut files, you upload them and customers purchase and download them.
  • For example: Stock premade, ready to ship products. It’s no secret that ready to ship products take less time and effort than custom orders. I’ve talked about this here.
  • I’ve got a great list of ways to be involved with a craft business that doesn’t involve selling directly to customers. Read it here.
• Be open about it to customers, but don’t overshare. Customers are understanding. If you are comfortable talking a little bit about your chronic illness, go for it. If not, then don’t. 
  • For example: Your About Me page could provide insight on why you started a business and the challenges you face. Learn more about creating awesome About Me pages in this post.
  • Be cautious to not let your chronic illness overshadow your business. People don’t need to know every detail of every doctor’s appointment, struggle you encounter, or challenge you face.
• Ask for help. Have a trusted friend that can commit some time to help you each week in your business? Maybe someone that isn’t took crafty, but would like to learn? Teach them your ‘tricks of the trade’ as you go. 
  • Realize that someone’s time is valuable. Consider splitting some of the income or paying them for their help.
• Join communities for your specific chronic illness. Lean on them and learn from them.
  • The internet has helped us get more connected than ever. This means that there is likely a support group or foundation or organization for your specific illness or diagnosis. Join it and ask questions and get involved. Accept advice from people who are facing the same challenges.

Whatever your chronic physical or mental illness may be – know that it doesn’t define you. While some days may be more challenging than others, keep at it.

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