A few weeks ago my ‘Meet the Member’ came out, and one of the fun facts that I included is that I run my own business. This got everyone asking me what it’s like to balance being a double major and running your own business. I guess I never really thought about it until now.
Ever since I was little, crafting has always been a huge part of my life. Once school ended last year, I found myself getting bored with the Netflix repeats, so I decided to break out the sewing machine and start working away. What I didn’t know at the time was how successful my business would become. I originally started this as a fun little project, and only planned on keeping it open for a month or two to see how it would go. But right from the get-go, business was booming!
Now, this all happened during the summer. Since coming back to school, I’m still running my business as well as taking a full course load.
How? Well, it’s all about balancing. School will always be my first priority and my business second. In order to ensure I don’t fall behind on either, I plan ahead. Have a paper due in two weeks? Better start it early in case a rush of orders come in. Not to mention my family has been super supportive throughout this whole process, and sometimes when it becomes too much, my mom offers to help me with some of the sewing so I can focus solely on school. Especially now, with Black Friday sales and Cyber Monday, when I had a huge sale. But, at the same time, I also have 3 major papers due. I made schedules for when I would write papers and when I would cut fabric and sew. Staying organized is key!
Let’s break it down into a handy little chart:
Pros:
-You are your own boss
-You keep all the profit
-You choose what to sell, when to sell it, and if it becomes too much, you can put your store on ‘vacation mode’
-Getting to say you run your own business (it gets everyone asking questions about what you do)
Cons:
-Mass amounts of orders (which can also be a pro, as you are making major bank)
-Late hours of trying to finish orders
-Trying to figure out the cheapest way to ship packages (this one is a killer, especially if it’s a large order)
Don’t let this scare you! Running your own business is amazing! If you want to start your own, here are some helpful hints to get you started:
1. Scope out the different platforms that are available, and pick the one that best suits your needs. As I said before, I’m located on Etsy. Etsy does take a small percentage of your profits, but advertises for you.
2. Stalk other stores that sell similar products. This may sound strange, but it is totally normal. Take into account their prices, their descriptions, even the way they take their photos. Who knows what you can learn!
3. Plan out your store beforehand. Ensure your have everything you need before having a ‘grand opening’. This includes a logo, bio, policies, and listings. Don’t rush to open your shop until you are proud with how it looks. People are more likely to judge based on appearance.
Now, it wouldn’t be a business post if it didn’t include a link to my business. So, if you follow this link, it will lead you right to my Etsy :) https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/AlwaysSeptemberShop?ref=seller-platform-mcnav