How to Turn Your Passion into a Business
At one point in everyone’s life, reality pops its head and tells them that it’s time to make money and drop the idea of becoming an astronaut, a really cool pastry chef, or a writer.
While the first one remains an ambition far from the Internet’s reach, with the growing landscape of digital businesses, you can truly make a living and thrive by doing what you truly love. Now more than ever, this has become true for creative industries such as photography, writing, fashion, and design in general, as online shopping has made it possible for one-person companies to tackle the global market.
If your fingers are itchy to start typing out your first business plan and kickstart your lifelong dream into a lucrative career – wait no more. The timing is perfect to join the global entrepreneurial ranks, so use the following tips to guide you on your new business journey.
Determine your edge
As purpose-driven creatures, we’ll only waste so much of our time and money on something which we won’t end up using. That is why you need to define your passion from a new angle, the one that determines which problem your solution solves in the lives of others. If there are dozens of pastry shops in a three-block radius from where your business would be, you either come up with a really powerful edge that will drive more customers your way, or you’ll stay in your nine-to-five cubicle.
Get creative with your work and deliver something unique. If you wish to introduce your handmade purses to the world, make sure customers know what makes you special – are you using sustainable fabrics, locally-sourced decorations, motifs that represent your culture? Whatever it is, define it in great detail to be able to market to your audience.
Arm yourself with software
All hail technology and its incredible power to turn us into exceptionally well-organized octopuses! You no longer have to do everything manually and do five different jobs in a single day, when you can use a variety of quality applications and software to improve your operations from day one. Apps such as Pantone’s Color Finder for simplifying the communication process with the manufacturers and identifying the right palettes for your collections are every fashionista’s dream come true.
Managing your resources with the help of an apparel ERP software solution is also vital for growing your business in a way that helps you maintain your creativity, and not stifle it with many different tasks you’d need to complete every day. Automate as many processes as possible to make the shopping experience seamless, and you’ll be able to invest more of your time into actually delivering stunning creations as opposed to resolving technical issues.
Plan your budget
Once you choose to monetize your passion, you need to be prepared for the shift in focus that will be needed for your business to grow. You can no longer enjoy the process of, for instance, creating fashionable outfits, but you also need to factor in the money needed to manufacture the garments, where you should source the fabrics, and how much you will charge to turn a profit.
Before you see any money coming in, of course, you will need to invest some to make some. As excited you are about your product, you should keep in mind that you’ll probably need to invest in getting other people interested and eager to try your brand. How much would you need to put into your marketing funnel and get the ball rolling.
Spread the word
Marketing through social media is your digital version of the old-fashioned word-of-mouth. You’ll need to have your own social media strategy in place to earn as many followers as possible, and get some traction around your product.
When you are genuinely passionate about your business, the easiest way to translate your own excitement and inspire others is through genuine engagement via social networks. With the help of a vivid Instagram account, you can build relationships with fashionistas all over the globe and earn the love and attention of your target audience. Make some noise as you make your way into the world of business, so that people can start to fall in love with your brand.
Learn on the go
You may be the expert at what you do, with or without an actual, official degree, but establishing a company always comes with a clear need to stay ahead of the game. You will always need a competitive edge, that is, “something special” which will set you apart and entice people to choose you over someone else.
You’ll achieve this only if you continue improving your existing knowledge base and if you constantly continue striving to outshine your current skills. Keep learning, and the world will appreciate your brand when it shows a yearning for innovation!
.Guest post written by Claire Hastings – Claire is a wanderer and a writer. She writes as long as she can remember, and she is very passionate about fashion, running, other cultures, and her cat.