how to turn your hobby into a business

TURNING YOUR PASSION INTO YOUR INCOME......

TIPS & THE TRUTH

If you don't know......I own in.cube8r gallery in fortitude valley......have done so for 3 years now (this Saturday!)  I've learnt so much about business while running the gallery.....but I still have much more to share...........this was something I wrote for the main website, but I thought I should share it here too!

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If you make things, it comes as no surprise that you’ve thought to yourself at some point, “I wonder if I could make some money out of this!?!!”

Have you given your handmade pieces to friends, only to have them say to you, “you should SELL these in a shop!” 

Makes you feel good, doesn’t it!?!! 

The only problem is…………HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT!?!

photo courtesy of http://typeverything.com/post/24947919015/typeverything-com-question-mark-by-kumi

Have you gone to bed wondering about it…….only to be kept awake with your brain turning things over!?!!

Do I need an ABN? How much stuff would I need? What would it cost? How do I even approach a shop to see if they’d like it?

What if they don’t like it?  What if they SELLOUT and I have to make more straight away? How do I sell online?

OH THIS IS ALL TOO HARD………..I’M GOING BACK TO BED!!

I’ve seen it all too often in the gallery – people with a talent are overwhelmed before they even begin, and so they don’t do it – which is pretty sad L

SO………………..I recently hosted a night for some passionate handmadies that had already started with their businesses, but just weren’t sure how to MASTER the whole ‘handmade living’ process.

 

With the help of some Brisbane professionals, namely the devine Jess Van Den from epheriell and the lovely Liana Kabel, we wrestled some hot topics, and came out at the end of the evening with a better understanding of what needs to be done, and where to actually go from here! 

Here are some of the highlights from the evening that we’d like to share with you….

·         Get clarity on what you want to do exactly, and make sure it’s something that can be profitable – sit down & think hard, write a list of things you’ll make, and get feedback through any outlet you can to make sure it’s something that people want to buy

·         Plan plan plan – where do you want to be in 5 years?  Where do you want to be selling?  (as a wholesaler, at markets, online exclusively, at outlets such as in.cube8r.  What does a typical week look for you, have you included in promotional time, or are you just make, make making?

·         Get into action – start at the beginning and go from there…………make your items, approach your retailers, rent out a space, get an online presence.  It’s not going to happen in 24 hours (read closer to 2 years before profits start turning in your favour,) but start at the beginning and stick to the plan………….make sure you review every few months to make sure you’re on track…….the targets might move now and then – make sure you’re still aiming in the right direction

·         Promotion – whether it’s online, handing out flyers, finding affiliate promoters, paying a PR company, blogging, facebook, instagram, pinterest, markets, exhibitions – whatever it is, it’s an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY – people aren’t going to knock on your door and ask to see your work………..build up your list of followers so you can share your work with them.  Over time you’ll gather the numbers you need, but it’s a slow & steady kind of pace.

·         Network – go and visit markets, go to exhibitions, comment on other peoples blogs, BUY HANDMADE YOURSELF AND SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS, join craft groups & business entities with similar interests………….do all of these or just one, but be seen to be involved

·         Be Unique – what sets you apart from all the other makers out there?  (do a quick google and see how many others you’re competing against!)  Make sure your style reflects “that thing that you do differently” and that your customers see your story behind your work too.

·         Keep at it – it’s a continuous wheel of activity – and no two days are going to look the same (isn’t that a good thing for us creative souls!?!!) one day you’re making, the next you’re meeting with a prospective seller, the one after that you’re blogging about your stuff as well as getting a wholesale price list printed…..have a well-structured plan, but be flexible – opportunities arise when you start to work towards your truth!

·         Keep it professional – remember when you’re online you’re out there for all to see (and critique & comment on,) so make sure you play nice!!  Spend a bit of time on getting your photos up to a high standard, have good descriptions, get feedback from friends, and give your own to others.  If something goes bad, remember to keep your cool and get back on plan………no one likes to hear people whinging and bad mouthing others – so choose to take the high road

·         Find your market – get clarity on this when you can…….find out who your demographic is and where they shop – look for opportunities to ask questions of your customers, (through surveys like Survey Monkey or just on blogs, etc.)

·         Remember you are constantly learning – you will never know  everything about handmade, or business – keep learning every day.  Go to courses (BrisStyle hold some great free ones,) do some online classes, get involved in great business courses like National College of Business as long as you continue to learn

 

·         Stay grounded – after the monotonous tasks comes the happiness……just remember that it’s not all the good stuff – the hard or boring stuff is all a part of it – if you don’t do it you really are denying yourself the very thing you want……..a BUSINESS (warts and all) making money from something you love doing.  We live in a world that gives us so many opportunities.  Take life by the shirt front and give it a go……………..it’s better than living with the regret of not trying!

We were also lucky enough to have Anna-Marie & Belinda from Made of Australia who spoke at length about their experiences with funding assistance from local councils.  This was a great insight into the process, and we all learnt about this as a possible avenue to get our businesses up & running if we needed large amounts of capital. 

We spoke of many different apps, software programmes & websites, so I’ve listed those that I remember for you to do some searching in your spare time

www.etsy.com/ - international site for selling your work – the holy grail of handmade

www.madeit.com.au/‎  - an Australian version for people who want to sell online & support Australian handmade at the same time

www.mailchimp.com/‎ - Online email marketing solution to manage contacts, send emails and track results.

 

www.blogher.com/‎ - the Web's leading guide to the hottest news and trends among women in social media.

 

www.picasa.en.softonic.com/‎ - Manage, edit and share your photos with ease.

 

And finally…..thegoodguide.com.au/2013/03/20/bam-espresso/‎ - BAM! Espresso in Fortitude Valley. The coffee house caffeinating people and saving the world one espresso at a time – THANKS MICHAEL FOR BEING THE HOST WITH THE MOST!!!

So that’s it!!  A few simple steps that you need to take on your own before you head off into the business wilderness!!  It’s a fun & scary ride…………..but at the end of the day…………….when you realise that you’re in fact the only one that can make this happen, you feel empowered & RARING TO GO!!!

Remember that there’s always others out there ready & willing to help you out, and to be there when you need reassurance or a guiding hand!!

NOW GET OUT THERE AND MAKE THINGS HAPPEN!!