Are your crafts homemade or handmade? I recently had a discussion about this issue, and while it might sound like nitpicking, it matters because it impacts customers’ perceptions of the quality of your work.

While it’s subtle, the term homemade, for most people, doesn’t carry the same meaning as handmade. Handmade implies to most people that something is made with skills that are not easy to develop and is of high quality. Homemade, on the other hand, implies that the item is something that anyone could make. It doesn’t carry the same weight as handmade.

Years ago, when I stated my jewelry business, my business mentor was reviewing my first business plan. I had quoted a lot of statistics from the craft industry (as opposed to the jewelry industry) in my business plan because I felt that based on the scope of my business and my plans for developing the business, those statistics were the best representation of my own business. He commented that while the statistics made sense, I should refer to myself as a jewelry designer, not a crafter because jewelry designer carries more weight in the minds of the general public.

He was right. The language you use to describe yourself and your business impacts the way you and your business are viewed by potential customers.