Why I dare say YES you can compete with a hobbyist with hobbyist prices. As I have said before there will be competition lurking with every project that you do in your business. Others may be doing the same product for a cheaper price. It doesn’t make it right, but it doesn’t make it completely wrong.
Now for the rest of my crochet “business” story. 
She truly felt that if she undercut prices, those doilies would fly off the table. Were there other vendors around her doing the same thing? Yes, there were. She already established that there was a small market for them.
This is what she didn’t figure. After trying to make a business for 3 years selling doilies and other crocheted items, she was tired of investing all that time and not getting compensated for it. The market was weakening and she was burnt out. The business with “hobby” style prices was failing and the drive gone. She couldn’t justify the time involved in making each item. See, it eventually catches up to a hobbyist. The clothing falls off and what is left is someone who is spent and not enjoying their hobby anymore.
The worse part is that she had already established herself in the market with lower priced crocheted items. Do you think she could all of a sudden sell her items at the price they should have been?
That was me. Not everyone else. So, you will always have a “me” lurking around. What do you do?
Look at it this way. Are you offering the same style business that a hobbyist can offer a customer for a reduced rate. When you think of a business it entails all like customer service, a backend, frontend, the whole song and dance. Are you providing the whole song and dance to your customer.
If you are offering the same services that a non-professional does, then it is time to increase the energy of your business. This is the time to think out of the box, blaze new trails and new ideas. Comprende? Take your business to the next level. Do what the others are NOT doing.
Why would you want to offer the same type of service that any ordinary Joe Shmoe can offer? You have to make it difficult for the hobbyist to compete. All else is peanuts. Why would you settle for peanuts when you can have the whole peanut farm. Hobbyist settle for peanuts. Within their limitations they have to because they fundamentally cannot compete with a business.
Does that make sense?
I will leave you on that note. I would love to hear any thoughts you may have.
Many Blessings,
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