# Selling my crafts?



## Mrsmurp (9 Jan 2021)

Hi  I'd love a little advice please, during lock down I started making little hair accessories for my daughter, when she went back to school last Sept I got asked loads about them and was asked if I sell them, I'm thinking now of starting to sell some but I have no idea where to start or what I need to do, do I have register as business start away or can I start selling and test the waters to see how I get on ? Any advice would be great  thank you


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## Brendan Burgess (9 Jan 2021)

In theory, you should notify Revenue. 
In theory, you register a business name if you trade under a name different from your own. 
In theory, you must keep proper books of account.

But as long as it's very small scale, I doubt that Revenue would have any interest in it. 

If you start earning more than, maybe, €1k, a year, you might start thinking of setting it up on a more formal basis.

So just focus on the fun and the business for the moment.

If you start making real money, then you can register with Revenue and pay the appropriate taxes. 

Brendan


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## Leper (9 Jan 2021)

Well Mrsmurp, I wish you all the best in your new craft adventure. I would advise you keep it as small as possible unless you see some kind of breakthrough on the horizon which will cause your business to expand and spend more time on what is essentially a hobby.  You're making a few bob. You're not robbing the state of great revenue. Keep enjoying what you are doing. Expansion may remove the enjoyment. 

Oh! one last thing, you're making a small few bob. Watch out for envious people who'll gladly report you to Revenue and the local authorities.


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## Leo (11 Jan 2021)

Leper said:


> Watch out for envious people who'll gladly report you to Revenue and the local authorities.



Are you suggesting that breaking the law is OK?


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## Leper (11 Jan 2021)

Leo said:


> Are you suggesting that breaking the law is OK?


Can you provide evidence that I'm suggesting people should break the law?


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## Leo (11 Jan 2021)

Leper said:


> Can you provide evidence that I'm suggesting people should break the law?



You are suggesting that it is only envious people who might report illegal activity.


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## Leper (11 Jan 2021)

Leo said:


> You are suggesting that it is only envious people who might report illegal activity.


Absolutely not. Ireland is a nation of be-grudgers and I'm merely agreeing with Brendan Burgess where he said "But as long as it's very small scale, I doubt that Revenue would have any interest in it. " Enter the be-grudgers and Revenue may land a bill on Mrsmurp like she was Al Capone.


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## Brendan Burgess (11 Jan 2021)

Leper said:


> Enter the be-grudgers and Revenue may land a bill on Mrsmurp like she was Al Capone.



That is extremely unlikely

If Mrs Murp has a small hobby , Revenue will have  no interest in it whether it is reported or not.  

If she suddenly develops a profitable business she will have plenty of time to register and pay her taxes.

And  Revenue understands all this. They won't "go after" her. 

Brendan


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## Monbretia (11 Jan 2021)

I'm not so sure Brendan, Revenue actively targetted all the small traders at a small market I was involved with a few years back.  This was only a summer fixture, mainly for tourists and some of the traders were set up as businessess including myself but others were just crocheting a few bits and pieces and similar.   Now I don't know if anything came of it for those that were just doing it as a side hobby but at the very least if I was OP I would keep detailed records in case Revenue do come knocking otherwise you haven't a leg to stand on trying to prove what you earned or didn't earn.

I got a very strongly worded letter from Revenue after that market trawl, would frighten the life out of you!   Totally in error as it happens as the market had been asked to provide a list of it's vendors and they had given my name wrong so Revenue didn't match it up with my registered business.

Also during last lock down the world and it's mother were baking and selling their stuff on FB, again I know of a few locally that got the dreaded letter but actually not sure if that was HSE or Revenue but where one comes the other follows!

If you don't advertise you might never come to attention but you probably won't sell much either, definitely FB pages or Etsy listing and you are running the risk of being noticed.  I'd prefer to keep the accounts and declare it, depending on OPs existing situation there might be no tax on it anyway if they don't have another income, tax credits would take care of what you would be likely to pay on a small craft like that, you can only make so much with two hands!

OP if anyone asks you are doing 'market research' with your product at the moment


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## Leo (11 Jan 2021)

Leper said:


> Absolutely not. Ireland is a nation of be-grudgers and I'm merely agreeing with Brendan Burgess where he said "But as long as it's very small scale, I doubt that Revenue would have any interest in it. " Enter the be-grudgers and Revenue may land a bill on Mrsmurp like she was Al Capone.



So you're saying it's not only begrudgers report illegal activity and then go on to say the begrudgers are likely to report the OP? The reporting of potential illegal activity should be encouraged and considered a civic duty. Labelling those who do so as begrudgers is the language of criminals.


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## LS400 (11 Jan 2021)

Leo said:


> Are you suggesting that breaking the law is OK?




I think your just having a go at someone for the sake of it.

Based on what the op wrote, most reasonable people would agree with what Leper posted.


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## Leo (11 Jan 2021)

LS400 said:


> Based on what the op wrote, most reasonable people would agree with what Leper posted.



That anyone reporting illegal activity is a begrudger or envious?  

It would have been easier just warn the OP that if they traded illegally that they might be reported. Suggesting the motivation of anyone doing so is envy or begrudgery suggests we should turn a blind eye to people breaking the law.


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## peemac (16 Jan 2021)

Back to the op, people will always say that something is great and suggest that you sell them.

Then when you factor in the material costs and time costs, you find that you have to charge a specific price. 

That price will be substantially above Tesco / Claire's and the people who said they would buy the product will suddenly have all sorts of excuses.


But don't be disheartened, look for a local craft/farmers market and test it there.


If you make money, and want to be squeaky clean, simply make a declaration at end of the year as a sole trader.

You'll find it's more a hobby that will pay for itself than anything revenue will get worried about


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## EmmDee (20 Jan 2021)

Mrsmurp said:


> Hi  I'd love a little advice please, during lock down I started making little hair accessories for my daughter, when she went back to school last Sept I got asked loads about them and was asked if I sell them, I'm thinking now of starting to sell some but I have no idea where to start or what I need to do, do I have register as business start away or can I start selling and test the waters to see how I get on ? Any advice would be great  thank you



One option would be to use a platform that facilitates an on-line presence. The obvious one is etsy which has a lot of smaller scale makers. It gives a store and web address you can hand out - also handles on-line payments etc. There is a listing fee and a small charge when you make a sale. However, it might only make sense if you move beyond "friends and families". But it saves having to set up a site yourself


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## ThatNewGuy (20 Jan 2021)

If you're thinking every trader on Etsy is set up as a business....I'd like to put all my chips on a zero chance please. That would be akin to someone setting up a personal blog and registering as a business because they have a banner ad plugin at the top.

@OP, set up an Etsy account and go from there. Figure out the rest afterwards - we need everyone in Ireland to be entrepreneurial like you and start side gigs, who knows what ones will flourish. If it doesnt exist, it's actually a disgrace that enterprise ireland dont have a launchpad guide for micro business scenarios like this. You'll probably have to declare any income earned on tax return at the end of the year, that will keep your nose clean. Of course, you could just call yourself a tradesman and accept "cash jobs" with no one monitoring it, which seems a perfectly acceptable loop hole by everyone in this country!


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## Leo (20 Jan 2021)

ThatNewGuy said:


> If you're thinking every trader on Etsy is set up as a business....I'd like to put all my chips on a zero chance please.



I don't think anyone suggested they were.



ThatNewGuy said:


> If it doesnt exist, it's actually a disgrace that enterprise ireland dont have a launchpad guide for micro business scenarios like this.



, there are 31 of them across the country.


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## Purple (2 Feb 2021)

ThatNewGuy said:


> it's actually a disgrace that enterprise ireland dont have a launchpad guide for micro business scenarios like this





Leo said:


> , there are 31 of them across the country.


Yep, Enterprise Ireland deal with businesses who are trading goods or services internationally or wish to do so and have a realistic prospect of success. They are generally excellent at what they do.


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