Growing Your Creative Side Hustle Into an Online Store

Side hustles are increasingly popular. They provide a way to make a little extra cash on the side and often have a creative foundation. For example, while you might not be able to make a living by drawing portraits full time, you can easily spend a few evenings a week doing this and earning a little extra too.

The whole point of a side hustle is that it is fun. But side hustles should also provide an opportunity to discover new skills, and building your side hustle into a small online business is a great chance to learn all kinds of new things!

So, where should you start?

Set Up Your Infrastructure First

Before you get started, you should look for some support in building an online business. If you have so far been selling your wares to friends or working a craft fair network, moving online could come as quite a shock! Searching for some IT support is a very good idea as this will take the pressure off you when it comes to maintaining your website.

You should also think about more practical infrastructure needs. If you are selling a product, where can you safely store what you make before it is sold? You should also think about where to store materials and whether you should really have a space dedicated to your side hustle. Lastly, you might want to think about future-proofing your online business, though this is probably a subject for later.

Work Out Your Realistic Goals

A side hustle should always be secondary to your main job. It’s ridiculous to take time off your regular work to keep up with your side hustle unless you particularly want this business to grow enough that you can leave your regular job. Setting up a side hustle is always a long haul so take your time.

Setting realistic goals is essential. There are two ways to do this: either you can take commissions for your work when you have the time or you can make what you can and sell when you are ready. Either way, you must make sure that you aren’t going to burn out with your activities – realism isn’t about pushing to the extreme.

Design Your Site

Now you have a plan, you are ready to design your website. There are lots of ways to present your crafts but one of the most important tips for building a successful e-commerce site is this: use the space wisely.

You need to design a space that makes your crafts really stand out and look appealing. You also need a clear conversion funnel, whether this is encouraging people to buy off the shelf (as it were) or get in touch to discuss a collaborative project. The easier it is for your site visitors to see what you are about and then decide whether or not they are interested, the better.

Growing a side hustle is a bold move and you need to make sure that you can keep up with the growth. Steady management is always encouraged.