Being a stay-at-home mom gives you the time to not only manage the house, but to tackle the challenge of raising kids. Once they grow up, however, the hands-on effort needed diminishes, which gives you more time to do things for yourself. A great way to use this time is to work for yourself if you are artistic. Turn your hobby into a second income, have more money to spend on the house, your kids, and yourself, and validate your art. This can easily be accomplished right at home, and you don’t need to stress about taking out loans or about making the money back. All you need to do is follow this guide:
Take Product Photos
Taking great photos of your artworks is how you’ll better sell them in the future. Do this by either buying or creating a makeshift lightbox. This can be done with simple and cheap products from your nearest dollar or craft store. All you need is white card, or board, and white LED lights. Tape the white card into an open-faced cube that is big enough to fit your creation inside, light it up, and then take a photo. When there is enough light, new smartphones will be enough to take a great photo that you can use to sell your creations.
Bonus: Take different angles, and also take a photo of your art either on the wall or on any of these great furniture pieces from Domu, depending on what kind of craft you make.
Think of a Name
Once you have those product photos, you can ask your friends to help you come up with product names and a brand name for yourself. This could be your name, or it could be a moniker that you use.
Start on Etsy
Etsy, and other online marketplaces, allow you to sell your products to a large audience without paying for advertising or retail space. Put your products up, and ensure that you keep it active. It may take months before you get your first sale, but having an active account will help. Fill out all the information you can as well, so that people are more likely to find your products.
Price Right
Another key part of putting your creations online for sale is to price them right. You want to not only be compensated for the materials that you used, you want to be paid for your time as well. Use this number as a base amount, and run a trial and error to find the sweet spot of product pricing, where you get paid fairly, and others are willing to buy.
Tips for Managing Your Online Business
Once your online store gets going, you’ll need to juggle managing your business with parenting. Do this with a standing VonHaus laptop table, so you can, for instance, make dinner and respond to customer inquiries at the same time.
Turning your hobby into a side-business is a great way to feel fulfilled, make extra money, and for you to get out there. Make your side-business a success with professional photos and customer service, and enjoy the challenge of being your own boss.
