Many people are now turning to side hustles to make more money. However, if this is an avenue you are considering exploring, you must find a side hustle you genuinely enjoy. Doing so means that the time you invest in this project does not feel as laborious as your full-time job, making it easier to navigate the challenges that come with being a business owner.
The easiest way to achieve this goal is to monetize your hobbies and interests. For example, if you’ve got a creative flair, you may want to start a business that centers around this.
With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to turn your creative skills into a profitable side hustle.
Design the perfect product(s).
The first step towards turning your creative eye or skill set into something profitable is to develop a product (or series of products). For example, if you’re a graphic designer, this could be a series of posters or canvas prints. If you enjoy sewing, this could be pillowcases and bed sheets made using glow in the dark threads. Either way, the more unique your product is, the easier it will be to generate income through this activity. After all, it means that you’re filling a gap in the market left open by your competitors while also meeting customer demands.
Find the right sales platform.
Once you’ve decided upon what to sell, it’s time to think about which sales platform you will use. When it comes to selling crafts online, there are plenty of websites to choose from, such as:
- Etsy
- RedBubble
- Not On The HighStreet
- Amazon
- Ebay
- Depop
However, from the above list, it’s likely that you’ll enjoy the most success on Etsy. After all, the site was designed specifically to sell arts, crafts, and similar products and has “gets an average traffic of 377.4 million per month.” In short, it’s a useful site to use when first starting a small business, and you can later translate it to running your own website once your brand is more established.
Know how to market your brand.
Sometimes, it can take a while for customers to find your brand. As such, it’s unlikely that you’re going to achieve immediate success when listing your products online. However, you can speed up this process by knowing how to market your brand effectively, using a combination of new and traditional marketing methods.
For example, you should begin by relying on your support network of friends and family, asking them to share your listing page with others. This can help to get your business noticed through word-of-mouth. However, you should also ensure that you are promoting your brand on social media too.
Think carefully about who your target audience is, and then choose which social media platforms to promote yourself on based on your demographic. You should also:
- Post consistent, quality content.
- Use high-quality photographs and videos.
- Engage with comments.
- Respond to direct messages.
- Add captions to your videos.
- Connect with other small businesses.
- Partner with ‘influencers’.
Keep it fun.
When it comes to turning your hobby into a profession, you always run the risk of falling out of love with that activity. For example, you may find it hard to ignite your creativity if you view creative practices as more of a chore, especially if it’s taking up hours and hours of your free time. As such, it’s crucial that you find a way to keep this as fun and exciting as possible!
For example, you could challenge yourself (and develop new skills) by creating a diverse range of products or craft pieces instead of the same thing over and over again. This also means that you can list items as limited edition, which can drive sales due to the sense of exclusivity they exude!
Remember, if you’re beginning to feel burned out or overwhelmed, it’s okay to take a break. You can always “turn off” your store on sites such as Etsy so that orders are paused, and you can return when you feel ready to do so. While having supplementary income is nice, it should not come at the price of your well-being or happiness.
Furthermore, you’ll likely return from your break feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to go – which means you can take the business world by storm. After all, not only will you feel more productive and focused, but you can also use this free time to come up with new ideas!
What do you think?