In the 21st century, digital media powers our everyday lives – but those who benefit the most from this revolution are those who turn these powers to their advantage rather than sitting back and enjoying the ride. The internet has brought with it a whole range of amazing tools that can be used to establish, run and promote your own small business in your spare time, and if you have a flair for social media and making connections online then your customer-base is out there waiting for you to provide the excellent product or service of your choice!
If you produce stuff yourself, then its time to get to grips with Shutterstock, Etsy or eBay to get your wares out there and into the homes where they belong. Blogging and Instagramming about your specific product and also the topic in general (e.g. photography, knitting, or making guitar pedals) is a great way to draw attention to what you do and create a buzz around your project. Share unique stories with passion and you will soon see the dialogue around what you do start to form, with other makers in your area of specialization keen to circulate your content and directing people to your shop.
The shop itself is the easy part. Websites for this sort of thing are intuitive to use and usually offer a lot of support to help you make the most of your endeavor. The trickiest part is having the discipline to keep going, and coming up with fresh ideas on things to make and ways to raise a noise about them online.
And if you’re not quite sure just what product or service you can offer, there’s a great new resource to help you identify some potential sources of income: this handsome new infographic from Quick Quid. Get stuck in, and harness the power of the internet to send your income to the next level!
