If you have been following along we are going through different types of side hustles, starting with Consultant, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Today we digest – Creative Outlet – before we explore Making Music/Art or Writing and then Passion Niche
Creative outlet
In this venture you might be creating something wonderful from scratch. You could make your own candles, jewellery, ceramics, or clothing. While music, art & writing is also a creative outlet, it’s a bit different and I will deal with separately.
This is the very definition of a passion project. You love creating and making something. As you get better at it, people start wanting to buy it.
This is a perfect business to start small and grow organically. You can sell directly or sell on a makers site, like Etsy. Often wares are also sold at markets, there are loads around from Community markets to bigger Finders Keepersmarkets. You can get a list of community markets here. There are also sites that specialise in curated goods, such as Hard to Find.
*etsy can take hours browsing
Advantages
- You can create what you want, your own product and own vision
- There are many places you can test the market for your particular product
- Generally, can be done just by yourself, you don’t need a team and part time
- Lots of help out there, especially on Etsy
Disadvantages
- It can be lonely, creating can be hard work, with long hours of experimentation
- You have to motivate yourself, no other incentives
- You don’t have someone providing you with advice and encouragement
- Depending on what you create the market can be saturated and hard to differentiate, eg seen a candle supplier recently (like 50 million)
Up next?
Up next in side hustle exploration is Making Music/Art or Writing and then Passion Niche, completing the series.
Keen to get started?
If you are ready to start or scale a side hustle and want to unearth some possibilities. Hit me up for a free 15 min convo, regardless of the stage you are at, by emailing me on Christina@incahoots.com.au.
Christina Morgan-Meldrum (CMM) is an author, speaker, curator, podcaster and helps people start and grow side hustles, especially creatives and musicians by unearthing what’s possible and working with you to make it happen.
She has cultivated the ability to walk into any industry, see what is not seen, distil what is complicated, and simplify the chaos. This skill has been forged in a deliberate and concentrated way for over 20 years, through Personal Coaching and working in Organisational Change Management (before it was even a discipline). She is currently working at TAFE on the SMS program as well as exploring many, many side hustles of her own.
Christina fills her time, coaching people on their side hustles, blogging, podcasting - Quirky & Chenille (Christina is Quirky), learning the piano, while working on Change Management gigs. If you are looking for her, she is likely at her spiritual home JB Hi-Fi or exploring stationery stores or artisan markets.