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This question is about what a cottage parent does.
What is a cottage industry?
A cottage industry is a small-scale manufacturing business that is often operated out of a person's home instead of a manufacturing plant, facility, or commercial property.
Cottage industries relate to how much investment is made in order to start operating, as well as the number of employees the business has. They often focus on the manufacturing of goods through physical labor. This results in a significant disadvantage to large companies that have manufacturing plants that produce products in mass.
Cottage industries often play a considerable role in the economic markets of developing countries. They can also be an important element of employment in rural areas of developed countries.
The first cottage industries started in the U.S. and the U.K. and primarily focused on sewing, garment-making, shoe-making, small machine parts, and textiles. Oftentimes, these businesses' staff were comprised of family members that produced finished goods by utilizing raw materials. These goods were supplied by business managers.
Many modern industries that operate in the realm of factories and plants were once cottage industries prior to the industrial revolution.
Current cottage industries typically serve a market that desires unique, hand-crafted products versus products that are mass-produced. This includes items such as clothing, arts and crafts, home decorations, and candles.
Other examples of modern cottage industries include competitive dancers, figure skaters, and other live performers that often wear original handmade costumes. At the lowest levels, competitors' parents might make costumes for their child performers themselves.
As these performers get to higher positions in their field, professional designers are often employed to design their costumes, meaning these designers are participating in the cottage industry or a niche market.
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