Side Hustle Series: Sell Handmade Jewelry

Side Hustle Series: Sell Handmade Jewelry

by | May 18, 2012

Handmade Butterfly Earrings

My Own Handmade Jewelry! Order a Pair. Only $10

I’m sure you’ve seen the latest jewelry trends on the runway and in the stores. Did you know half of the trends you see started at someone’s kitchen table? Jewelry is no different. Visit any arts and crafts show or festival this year, and next year you will see the same designs being sold for retail. If you have any kind of creativity you can design and make handmade jewelry.

Materials for Handmade Jewelry Side Hustle

To get started you need basic tools including:

  • Needle nose pliers or other multi-use tool
  • Multi-gauge wires
  • Chains
  • Charms
  • Beads
  • Closures / Findings

How Much to Start this Side Hustle

If you are starting out making simple jewelry pieces your investment can be as little as $20. It will depend on the complexity of your pieces and the quality of your materials. There are jewelry kits for beginners that you can get on Amazon, at Michael’s, or other craft stores.

Level of Difficulty of this Side Hustle

The level of difficulty for making jewelry ranges from super easy to challenging. It will depend on what you are making. A simple pair of earrings can take less than a minute to make. If you are making your own crystals it could take weeks because you have to go through an intense process and a lot of heat to make them.

Where to Sell Handmade Jewelry

The number of places to sell your jewelry seems endless. You have the choice to see at arts and crafts shows, at yard sales, on consignment, hair salons, home parties or on your own website. You can also sell on numerous craft selling marketplaces such as:
Etsy
Yardsellr
Art Fire
Lily Shop
Bonanza
Jewelry Wonder

How Much Money Can You Make Selling Handmade Jewelry?

You can make as much or as little as you want selling handmade jewelry. It will depend on the uniqueness and quality of your pieces. For example, if you see a simple pair of dragonfly earrings for $10 each you could make $100 if you sell 10 pair. Depending on if you sell on your own website or through one of the online marketplaces listed above, you may or may not have to give up a small percentage of your sales. The faster you can make jewelry and the higher the demand for your pieces the better your chance of making a nice profit. Of course you have to let people know that you have amazing handmade jewelry for sale. Do this through social media, advertising, offering specials and discounts, and using a variety of marketing methods.

How to Make Handmade Jewelry

 

Additional Handmade Jewelry Resources

Quick Guide For How to Choose a Side Hustle or Business

Quick Guide For How to Choose a Side Hustle or Business

by | Apr 15, 2012

Did you pick up the Single Mom Survival and Success Kit? If so you know part of the kit includes 200 side hustles to make extra money, because, let’s face it, sometimes you just need extra money. That sounds great at first but how do you choose the right side hustle or method for you?

To choose the best business for you I’ve put together a quick guide for choosing the right business for you. Download the Side Hustle Business Worksheet to come up with the right business for you.

1. Look at Your Past Jobs

In looking at your past jobs decide if you want to continue doing that kind of work. My professional career was technical writing so I decided to use my writing skills to make extra money on the side.

2. Take a Second Look at Your Hobbies

Is it something you can turn into a business? Do people rave about your knitting, cooking, photography? One of the things I enjoyed doing was baking. My mom taught me how to bake when I was 10 years old. I turned that hobby into a cake business at a young age.

3. Take Inventory of Your Skills

Make a list of all the skill you have learned over the years. You could have learned these skill on the job or in school. That skill is the thing that could bring in $1,000 or more in extra income per month.

4. Make a List of the Results

Once you think about all the jobs, hobbies, skills and natural talents, make a list and pick the top three things that appeals to you the most. Next do an informal survey of your family, friends, and network to determine if they would pay for the service you are thinking of offering.

5. See if There is a Market for Your Side Hustle

Another way to determine if the service you might offer will be profitable is to see if there are many people looking for the service online. Use Google keyword tool to do an exact search for phrases related to your service. For example, if you plan to offer dog grooming service enter the phrase “dog grooming service in [your city]” into the keyword tool. Be sure to click the exact phrase option on the left side of the screen. Your search results should be at least 10-20K or more searches for your phrase.

6. Do the $100 Side Hustle Business Test

Finally, place an ad on Craigslist or other free classified ad for your service. If you make at least $100 you may have a good service to offer. If not choose the next thing on the list and repeat the process. You will find the right business for you.

Additional Side Hustle Business Advice for Moms

Do you need more help deciding what business to start. I can help you come up with at least 5 profitable businesses to choose from. I offer Business Start-up Coaching for Moms in a 45 minute conversation. Click the link above to find out more and start making extra money now!

3 No-Brainer Ways to Earn an Extra $1,000 for the Holiday Season, Part 1

by | Oct 28, 2011

The holidays are just around the corner. I’m surprised how fast this year has flown buy. One of the best times of the year is just a couple months away. The holidays, whether it’s called Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Hanukkah, are all closing in fast.

What Are Your Holiday Plans

What are you going to for yourself and your kids? Are you planning a big holiday or just a quiet, family-only affair?

Do your kids already have their gift list ready (my son does) or do you expect them to shift into high gear after Halloween?

Gift Giving Love It or Hate It?

One thing about the holidays is gift-giving. We either love it or hate it. We love it because it feels good to give. Or we hate it because we probably don’t have enough money to buy nice presents or at least the ones the kids want.

I’ll address how to cut down on that stress and expectations of giving in another post for people who just need an alternative.

But for the people who want to rush into the madness and spread holiday cheer, there are three no-brainer ways to make an extra $1,000 for the holiday season.

No-Brainer #1 – Clean Out Your Closet to Make Extra Money

You’ve probably heard me talk about this before. I have posts here and here about selling your stuff for extra cash.

I talk about it because it really works. Trust me. You really don’t need all those appliances and outdated electronics. Sell them and get some extra cash. If you are crafty you could throw in a few items you have made and sell them too.

Use Quick Research and Craigslist to Sell Effectively

Craigslist is your friend as are other classified ad spaces online. Some local weekly papers allow you to post ads for free. You may have to do a bit of searching but I’m sure you can find two or three places to list your items for sale.

If you are not sure about how much to price your items for, quickly research what others are selling it for. Set a price you feel comfortable with and list it.

Sell Your Used Movies, Games, and Books on Amazon.com

A couple places to sell your used movies, games, and books are Amazon.com (just set up a seller account) and Half.com.

With all this selling you should be able to make $1,000 or close to it by the beginning of December.  So you have time if you just get started.

Get Support with the Make $1,000 Sell Your Stuff Challenge!

I understand that sometimes it’s easier said than done so I’ve created a place to get support. I’m calling it the Make $1,000 Sell Your Stuff Challenge. Head on over to the community and let’s talk about how to make this a reality for you.

This challenge will run for the month of November so jump in as soon as possible.

There is truly power in community so join us. You can register with your Facebook account or you can set it up very quickly. I really would like to see you there and help motivate you to raise this money.

In the next post I will share another way to make $1,000 for the holidays.

Single Mom Money Tips: Get a Side Gig for Extra Money

by | Sep 7, 2011


Find a way to make extra money from your skills and talents.

I talk about this on my blog and now I am talking about it again. It is almost a sin to not have multiple streams of income. It doesn’t have to be consistent at first but enough to give you extra money for the special thing you want to do or have.

You don’t have to have an MBA to run a business but you do need something you are passionate about or just be able to see what people need/want and fill it.

Check out my blog for side hustle ideas.

How to Become Self-Sufficient and Financially Independent as a New Single Mom

How to Become Self-Sufficient and Financially Independent as a New Single Mom

by | Jun 17, 2011

That seems like the million dollar question, but it’s a very real one to ask. Facing single motherhood after divorce is pretty scary. If you have been dependent on a spouse for the last few years and now face doing it all alone it can feel overwhelming

Hopefully you have been thinking about all of this during the separation process but if you haven’t here are some tips to get you on your feet and heading toward independence and economic self-sufficiency.

  1. Change your mindset – If your mind is filled with fear and negativity about your situation or your ex you will not get very far. Your thoughts determine your level of success so start thinking positively.

2. Dream and set goals – Think about where you want to be. How does your ideal life look? Think about it in detail then write down what it will take to get there. After that make a list of all the things you need to do. Keep your dream, your strategy, and your list in a place you can see it each day.

3. Get your kids on board and train them to help themselves – The pressure of raising kids alone is magnified if the kids are overly dependent on you for their age. Teach them how to do age appropriate things and learn how to solve problems on their own (with your guidance)

4. Create a one income spending plan – Things have changed and child support (even with a court order) may not be very reliable or always available. Live within the means you have and get temporary assistance when you need it. This is not the time to be proud if you are struggling

5. Get a better job or train for a new career to make more money – This is important because it will often determine how quickly you become financially independent. Look for a training program that fits your personality and lifestyle choice. Keep learning by taking advantage of every free resource and growing by paying for training you can’t get for free but will give you better opportunities.

6. Learn to be frugal and control your spending – look for sales, bargains, and freebies. You are trying to live below your means until you are financially independent.

7. Pay cash or use debit cards – Stay out of debt and cut up all your credit cards. Paying case ensures you will not go into debt, which causes stress.

8. Cut your expenses – Continue to reduce your spending by cutting unnecessary expenses like that over bloated cable plan, the landline, and any other frivolous services. Instead get Netflix, a pre-paid cell phone, and shop at thrift stores for a while.

9. Make extra money – Baby sit or get a weekend job at a restaurant (free or discounted food for your family) or department store (reduced prices and discounts for clothes and/or household items). Use your skill to tutor someone as well. Finally, sell your diamond engagement ring for some cold hard cash!

10. Save 5-10% of your income – each pay period be sure to pay yourself. Live on the money you have left over.

11. Give to charity – Give back with your time, money, clothing or other resources. It helps you remember how blessed you are and this is a good example for your kids to learn how to help others. The benefit is more blessings coming to you.

These tips are just the beginning of the process but if you follow them you will be in a better place a year from now. No matter how overwhelmed you feel, NEVER give up. Though the situation is hard and overwhelming, you have the unique opportunity to create the life you’ve always wanted.

This weekend I’ll share my personal story of how I became self-sufficient and financially independent.

5 Moneymaking Gigs Moms Can Get Working from a Computer

by | Jun 8, 2011

When you have to stay at home to manage life with kids, then any avenue for making extra money for the household tends to have to circuit around the home computer. Anything more involved than that tends to overcomplicate the already attention-intensive process of taking care of growing minds. Here are a few ways for you to earn a little bit of extra income using the home computer:

1. Part-time writing

There’s a Hurston inside us all. Writing has been a woman’s outlet for centuries when no other way of expressing ourselves was available or allowed. Getting gigs writing copy might be hard starting out, but part-time writing for advertisers who need hyperlinked content is a good start you can later use as experience. Online news sites like Patch.com are always hiring too, so don’t be afraid to investigate online classified for such opportunities.

2. Telemarketing

It’s not as glamorous as a paid writing part time position, but the advent of voice over-IP technology has made the job of the telemarketing almost exclusively an at-home position. It’s a great way to potentially make some cash while keeping kids within eyesight. Hours might not be your own like with other home jobs though.

3. Online Surveys

Market researchers like Survey Head are always looking for more people to participate in survey taking and always have rewards ready to be dished out to those who do. While the gains might not always be as actual as the enticing offers survey companies make, you’re sure to get some use out of what you can get and cash earnings are definitely possible.

4. Photo/Video Editing

This is a great one for moms with a little bit of tech savvy flowing through their veins. Editing photos and videos for weddings and other functions can be a great paying career easily executed from home, but you better have the skills and creative talent that’s demanded.

5. Online Auctioneering/Sales

Avoid offers of “holding” and “shipping” products for people in return for making some sort of initial payment, as these tend to be scams. But plenty of wholesalers in your area could need help selling their products online. Simply call around to see if there’s anyone interested. It doesn’t take much but an inventive advertising mind to get a popular online auction in action.

Being limited to the confines of the home for the sake of family doesn’t mean you can’t earn some extra money. Just keep an open mind about your talents and the opportunities that are out there.