Today, our lifestyle is busier and more hectic than ever. At the same time, the majority of the population worries about money or their financial stability. Given this situation, it is only normal to try and find ways to make money leveraging your art. And, undoubtedly, building a passive income stream is an important component of a financial strategy pointing towards long-term wealth and financial freedom.
But if you have a passion or a hobby to which you are already dedicating time, effort, and resources, you might consider turning it into a profitable and enjoyable side hustle. So, if you love creating things with your hands, how can you start selling your creations and add to your household’s income? Here are five tips to keep in mind to kickstart your project.
1. Be Clear on Your Niche
What niche you want to operate in? Whether it's clothing, accessories, decor, candles, or jewelry, it is important that you understand what range of products you’ll be selling and what your brand strategy will be like.
Having more items to sell on your eCommerce site can help you multiply your sales. But increasing your range of items to sell too early or when you don’t have a solid customer base might lead to financial losses. Consider focusing on a capsule collection to start, and build your brand’s reputation from there.
2. Understand Who Your Customers Are
While selling your creations might be a side hustle at the moment, it can turn into a profitable income stream in the future—but not without the right strategy. To maximize your chances of building a profitable side hustle, start by creating a customer persona.
A customer or buyer persona refers to the physical and emotional portrait of your ideal customer. Creating a customer persona can offer you valuable insights into what your ideal customer is, what they need, how to solve their problems, and how to communicate with them. Experts like Domonique Rodgers NC State suggest that crafting a customer persona goes beyond the basic demographics you know about. It has more to do with delving deeper into your customers, nuanced aspects of the market, and understanding their unique challenges. Selling your art online shouldn’t only be focused on getting your product to a ready buyer because that is only a part of the process.
3. Create a Professional eCommerce Website
It is impossible to get started with an eCommerce side hustle without investing in a website first. Depending on your current skills, you might consider designing your own site or partnering with an expert designer.
Alternatively, you might consider opening an Etsy or Amazon shop. In any case, you will need to invest in software tools such as Nestify's eCommerce plan, a powerful laptop, and the right video and image editing tools.
4. Continue Improving Your Skills
Your skill levels and industry knowledge will make a difference in how successful your shop will be. Make sure to invest in business courses or online tutorials. And, don’t forget to experiment with your techniques to improve your skills and enlarge your range of products offered.
5. Invest in Marketing
While establishing a website and a product range are important steps for anyone looking to run a successful eCommerce business, designing a marketing plan for your eCommerce store is just as important. From writing the right product descriptions to using SEO best practices and creating engaging social media content, there is a lot you need to do to win over the competition.
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7th & Palm was created to support giving away more time and resources to help others. Giving back 1% of our time, 1% of our profits, and 1% of our products at a bare minimum to the local and global community, 7th & Palm remains committed to a 1/1/1 giving pledge. YOU can be a part of that by shopping small and voting with your dollar! All artwork, stationery and greeting cards, prints, and home goods are created by artist Andrea Smith. |