Q: I have always been creative, and I enjoy making different products. I designed dollhouse furniture on a bit larger scale and painted it to perfection. I intended it for little girls, but only wealthy families could afford to purchase the furniture for their daughters. I knew it was a narrow market, but I did it because I enjoy making such things. When I had created enough doll furniture items to sell, I took them to two popular novelty stores in a wealthy town. It was a wild chance, but both stores wanted to carry my handmade furniture.

I was excited they liked it and immediately accepted their terms. Both stores insisted on a 50-50 split and they each set the price. I loved creating this unique furniture, but each piece took about seven hours to make. I continued in this 50-50 arrangement for eight years, but it bothered me that the stores would not adjust the payment terms, so I stopped.

I've made other unique handmade items, but I don't want to return to the stores' payment terms. The doll furniture was truly beautiful, and I miss that creative outlet, but I don't want the hassle of having my own store. How else could I continue making this type of item without giving into these stores? I hardly made any money for all the work I put into it.

A: Even though it was a narrow market, you successfully created an untouched niche for children. When you work hard to design unique luxury items, it is understandable a 50-50 financial split seems unfair. After all, all the store did was to offer it to their customers. It is also understandable to not open your own store for such a small market, but your items sound perfect for selling from a website. You already created the market and have an eight-year history to prove its popularity. A simple-to-create website with a straightforward order page, pricing, and shipping terms could be created within a day or two. Tech savvy web designers could offer you a basic sales site for a minimal fee, especially if you could sell each piece of furniture for $100 to $125.

There is no telling how successful you could be all on your own, with you receiving all the profit. You might discover other unique endeavors to create to add to your inventory. Your business might take off and inspire you to apply to the "Shark Tank" TV show to see which sharks offer you loans to manufacture the items. They would surely have connections you don't have, and manufacturing can achieve the same homemade look that appeals to your market. You have already overcome the initial stage that holds back so many creators and inventors.

You may be sitting on the potential of a multimillion-dollar business, so don't let anxiety or anyone's negative talk stop you. Creative minds are always creative. You may change a few things before your business grows and reaches a more developed stage, but you already have so much to be proud of in accomplishments, so don't stop here. Think about decorative pieces for adults; the list of items you could create is endless, and the profits will be yours. Just remember you didn't like splitting profits 50-50, so if you meet with investors, don't get so excited that you give it all away.

Email [email protected] with all workplace experiences and questions. For more information, visit www.lindseyparkernovak.com and for past columns, see www.creators.com/read/At-Work-Lindsey-Novak.

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