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Hi everyone!
About a year ago I took the leap to leave the education field and stop teaching and become a full time stay at home mom. Love the gig but feel empty. I know I don't want to go back to teaching. I love crafts and making random things. Tried finding a niche to maybe have an etsy shop, but not much success. I have found that I love making memorabilia items and love the idea of having a nonprofit that allows me to donate several items to those in need. However, I find myself lost at how to be a salesperson and sell items in order to replenish funds to make more to donate. Any ideas or advice on how to make this transition would be great. I really don't want to go back to school to get a business degree to figure all this out! Lol.
What do you think about to get advice from someone who is experienced in Etsy or in craft? Maybe some kind of mentor in this field?
Have you considered starting a social enterprise instead of donating items? For example, working with mentally challenged, people with physical impairments, or even a literacy thing. The idea is to teach skills while creating a product that sells to fund the organization. You can draw a salary etc. Toms Shoes is another type of social enterprise where they simply give shoes. But, as a teacher, I think you would love being able to share your skills, see the joy on people's faces, and create a better community.
Cheers
Joanne
Sarah, I went through a similar shift when I left teaching to be at home with my children. I have a business degree and started several businesses with a friend and on my own. It is very expensive, so I wouldn't jump into that right away. The amount of money that you pour into website creation and marketing your products can add up very quickly.
In order to find your target market, you will need to do some research to see who is interested (age group, profession-based, utility vs. novelty, etc) and how much people are willing to pay for your items. Your sales will need to cover your costs to produce, marketing costs, storage costs, and salary if you are considering making this your new full-time gig.
SCORE offers free mentoring in your chosen area of business. A volunteer is matched with you based on what kind of products you plan on selling. They are experienced and flexible and if they are not a fit, then you don't lose any money seeking professional advice.
It would be fun to learn through watching which deals get investors on the show "Shark Tank." You'll get to see several different pitches on products and services and get used to some basic business jargon. It is also interesting to hear the business investors discuss their thoughts and reasons why they either choose to invest or pass on a product or service.
Turn this next step into something exciting and fun! Find engaging ways to research, you don't have to keep your nose in a text book to learn some of these business lessons. It really helps to find a mentor and do some research on your own. Find some reputable business blogs to help you get into the right mindset as you take on this new step. Don't forget your skills that you developed as a teacher. Many of those skills are transferable into the business world.
Best of luck! Have fun!
Where can i find more information about Score? What is the website?
Big fan of SCORE. They helped me as well/
In my opinion, if you can teach then you can learn to promote your items to sell. Selling is speaking in sound bites and creating content of keywords to your specific target market. Much like teaching , you are sharing, enthusiastically about your products or services. Much like teaching art. How to, is a way of teaching… Etsy is a great way to sell your products and networking online and offline is important for your market to learn who you are and what you sell. Often, we wear several hats as an entrepreneur and selling is not very natural to most. It takes practice. However, a great way to sell us to share your story like you have it peaks the interest of women who can relate or simply love your inspiring story and products. Just keep it simple and have fun!
Oh one more thing you could also explore selling education related printables and activities on Etsy or your website (if you have one). These types of items are always in huge demand. Like resources for teachers or students or both!!
Hey Sarah,
You might have to start with some questions like: how much income do you need to make? If you don’t need to make a set income exploring selling on Etsy or another platform could be an option. But these things take time and work and patience! You won’t start selling lots of items right off the bat. Take a course or learn from other sellers (I’m an Etsy shop owner myself).
If you do need a certain income then maybe getting a more stable or traditional job would be better for now and you can always pursue a side hustle selling crafts or start a non-profit on the side simultaneously. You could also look at jobs in the nonprofit sector just to see what’s out there and if anything looks interesting. Good luck! And remember transitions take time. Sometimes you just have to try a few different things and see what happens and go from there. With every step you learn more about yourself!
You don’t need a degree to learn to sell. There are tons of books out there to help or online training. Have you looked into selling on Etsy?