COVID-19 has created a strange situation for many people, we’ve been spending a lot more time indoors and trying to find things to take up our time and we still want to make money but are uncomfortable working in person. That’s what led Emily to start a small business of her own during a global pandemic. She started just a few months ago and has already made over 300 sales with over 100 five star reviews. I sat down with her to talk about why she decided to start a small business and her advice for others looking to do the same.
Amanda Snead (AS): What inspired you to start a small business?
Emily Snead (ES): I needed something to do with all my free time and also a way to make money since I didn’t feel comfortable with getting a job during a pandemic. I had made a few pairs of earrings for myself and figured it was something I could try selling since I had suddenly found myself with a lot of extra time on my hands since I was no longer driving to school everyday.
AS: Some of your best sellers are earrings with political messages. What made you decide to go in that direction?
ES: I figured that I might as well make earrings that I would wear and use my platform as a way to spread what I believe in. My current best sellers are my “fuck Trump” earrings, which have gained a lot of attention leading up to the election. I’ve also been able to donate some money to various bail funds and other organizations with my Black Lives Matter earrings.
AS: What advice do you have for someone who is looking to start their own small business?
ES: Make sure you don’t overspend on supplies before you start, only buy what you actually need otherwise it will take time for you to actually make profit. A spreadsheet with what you’ve spent versus what you’ve made is really helpful, especially when you’re first starting out!
AS: What are some ways people can support your shop even if they don’t have the ability to purchase something at the moment?
ES: You can share my shop on social media and like and comment on my posts to help spread the word about my items and any sales I’m having!
AS: Your most active social media is Tik Tok. How has that impacted your sales and growth? Do you have any advice for growing your Tik Tok?
ES: I’ve gotten a few sales from Tik Tok. I think the platform is great for connecting with other small businesses as well. I recently participated in a sale for sale with a few other creators which was a great way to connect and get a chance to share their businesses and my own!
AS: What are your goals and/or plans for the future?
ES: I’m just going with the flow right now but it would be nice to do this as a full time job because it’s something I’ve really been enjoying and love to do.
AS: What is your favorite pair of earrings you’ve created so far?
ES: My personal go-to pair is white clay diamonds with cow print painted on them.
AS: With the holidays coming up, what would you say to people to encourage them to shop small?
ES: With COVID, small businesses need support even more since many people are using their small business as their main form of income after being laid off or because they are unable to get another job. I would encourage you to look into buying as much as you can from small shops this holiday season, whether that’s a locally owned business or a shop on Etsy.
AS: How do you balance time for work and time for other things?
ES: I try to get all my work done as soon as someone orders from my shop, that way they’ll be able to ship out the next business day and I won’t have that stress on the back of my mind while I do other things throughout the day.
Want to see more from Curious Crafts by Emily? You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok and favorite her Etsy shop!