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I am a busy mom. Why on earth would I add a side hustle to my already crazy life?
I have a lot of children, true. When I tell people about everything else I have going on in my life, in addition to the five kids, some will look at me like I’m crazy.
And maybe I am.
But here’s the deal. After 4 kids, I had a bit of an awakening. I was going crazy. Two babies in diapers, the house was a disaster, and I couldn’t find any time for myself. So what did I do? I started a business.
I have always enjoyed making jewelry, and have always been my best self when I have a creative outlet. I had an opportunity to make some jewelry to sell at a women’s retreat, and that’s when I discovered metal stamping. I started stamping meaningful words on simple jewelry, had a great response, set up at a few craft shows, met some great people who asked me to sell my jewelry in their shops and there I had it, my little business: Simple Sisters Handmade.
Here’s what my tiny little jewelry business gave me:
Something else to think about.
It’s good to stretch your brain muscles and learn new skills. Expressing yourself creatively is great for your mental health—especially if you’re not working outside the home, or if you’re working a job that doesn’t stimulate you creatively. Building a new business from scratch is so rewarding. And there’s just something so fulfilling about making something beautiful in the midst of chaotic surroundings.
A little extra cash.
This is something you should discuss with your partner before you get started. Let’s say you do make a little money at this, where is it going? Fun money for you? Into a special savings fund? Like I said, my jewelry business is pretty teeny. For the first two years, I used all my profits to reinvest in supplies. Then last year I was able to pay $2,000 into our new van fund and it felt amazing. Because we live simply on one income, we view any extra earnings from my business as a “bonus” we can put towards saving for big purchases/projects.
A reason to get out of the house.
In the thick of my early years of motherhood, I started to lose touch with my best self. I had some postpartum depression going on and frankly, sometimes my husband would have to practically force me out of the house to have time to myself. It wasn’t that I didn’t desperately want to get out and find some time to myself, it was more than I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have the cash to blow at Target, I didn’t feel up to working out, I didn’t want to sit down and write when I was feeling so negative. Once I had my business up and running, I had a reason to get out and a focus for my time. I could wander through craft stores looking for displays or getting inspired, bring new inventory to the shops, or sit down in a coffee shop with my laptop or a notebook to work on my business.
The example I want for my kids.
I want my kids to learn the value of hard work. I want my kids to see me work. I want them to know that they are my world and I love them but also that the world does not revolve around them. It should come as no surprise that my oldest 2 girls have already started their own businesses – a lemonade stand and a farm/flower stand. They had a blast setting up their stands over the summer and had the opportunity to learn some great money lessons.
The best last-minute gifts.
Let’s be real, I’m often flying by the seat of my pants and am the queen of last minute gifts. I love being able to pop into my little art studio and whip together a really special personalized gift in no time.
Stress, sometimes.
Starting a business also adds a stress component – working with deadlines, customers, organizing processes and finances, and finding the space to work on and store projects. All of these things should be taken into consideration before starting something. For me, because my business helped me break free mentally, it was worth the additional work and stress of adding another thing to my life. If you’re not sure you’re ready for that big of a step, start with a hobby and see where that takes you. But give yourself a reason to stick with it. Start months in advance, but give yourself a deadline. You could start with handmade Christmas or birthday gifts.
Convinced but not sure where to start?
If you’re ready to turn a hobby into a business, here are my tips on where to get started.
Why I love selling on Etsy
I love selling on Etsy. My shop is pretty small. I average probably 1-2 orders per week. Etsy makes selling online pretty simple for me. With Etsy, I pay a listing fee, transaction fee, and shipping. All this adds up to about 20-25% of my monthly sales. Obviously, I factor these fees into my prices. If I were trying to make a living selling handmade jewelry, I would need to look outside Etsy. But as a small side hustle, it’s a perfect platform for me because Etsy makes it so easy to list and sell.
- I have a platform I can send people to if they want to check out my stuff. If I’m chatting with someone who shows interest in my jewelry, I can easily direct them to Etsy to see my work.
- I get orders from customers all over the country who find my work as they browse Etsy. This is super fun and is all traffic I wouldn’t get elsewhere.
- Shipping is so easy – and discounted. I can pay for and print shipping labels through the Etsy seller platform. The rates are lower than they would be if I had to go into the post office with each package.
Why I Still Love Retail
I also love selling in a brick and mortar retail shop. I love that people can go to a store and physically experience my work before purchasing it. Retail shops also bring in customers who may not otherwise find your work.
I’ve been in 3 different stores in the 3 years I’ve had my jewelry business. The arrangements have looked a little different in each shop. Some shops charge a monthly vendor fee, some charge a commission on sales, some charge both. It is important to do the math to find out what percentage of your sales you are actually paying the store to sell there. Whether through fees or commission, I’m comfortable having to pay about 25% of my monthly sales to the store and again, I factor that into my prices.
The risk of becoming a vendor in a shop is that the store my go out of business and you lose your customer base overnight. This has happened to my twice. Retail is hard! This is why I recommend putting a few eggs in different baskets, rather than relying 100% on any one store/platform.
Craft sales
When I first started out, I sold at craft sales. This is where I made some great connections that opened the doors for the shops I got into. I definitely recommend starting with these types of sales and seeing how the market responds to your products and prices.
Personally, I haven’t found craft sales to work the best for me long term. The reason I don’t love craft sales anymore is that they are a ton of work to get ready for–building inventory, making displays, etc. then you have to BE THERE selling all day, rather than having your things for sale online or in a shop that’s staffed by someone else. And you may sell a ton or you may totally flop. In the same season, with the same items and displays, I’ve had incredible days of sales and really big wastes of time. If you are short on time like I am, I don’t recommend craft sales as your long term way of making sales.
But depending on what you have to sell and your stage of life, they could be great. You’ll need to plan to have a lot of inventory on hand and make sure you ask around to choose to set up at good sales that people really enjoy going to.
Keep it fun
I make every effort to enjoy my business. I’m not in it for the money or the stress, so if those things ever start to become primary I know I need to pull back the reigns a bit. So how about you, do you have a side hustle or a hobby that adds work to your life but helps keep you sane?
We’ll make it, together. xo//alicia