Enlisting Your Own Sales Reps

If you are an artist/crafter interested in selling your work, you know how much time and effort it takes to market it. You can make good money by consigning but it is unlikely you will make enough from one store alone. You need to get it out there in multiple places to find just the right fit for you and that takes plenty of time and energy.

One thing you can do is consider offering friends and acquaintances a commission for selling your work. I don't do this with just anyone, but those who seem to love my stuff, who are looking for extra income, and who I know I can trust are a good fit. Make your sales rep's commission enticing enough to make it worth their while. I offer 35% commission to those that represent me which is about the highest commission taken from places I consign at. Be sure and write down a list of what they take and then check in with them to see how things are going. You'll also need to determine if and how they will collect sales tax and when they get paid. In most cases they only need to collect sales tax if they are selling in the same state where your business is based.

I am doing this with items I have consigned elsewhere and which haven't sold that I want to move. One friend, who is retired, travels back and forth to NC and wanted something to do for a little extra income. Selling my smaller items like jewelry was a great solution because it doesn't take up a lot of space. My sister is also doing this in Virginia. If this keeps up I may not even need to consign my work. It's a nice plus to have these folks representing me.