Tag: income

DIY home décor: Transforming your hobby into a profitable venture

DIY home décor: Transforming your hobby into a profitable venture

In recent years, the DIY movement has spread like wildfire, allowing individuals to unleash their creativity while giving their homes a personal touch. From handmade wall art to custom furniture pieces, crafting has become an enjoyable pastime for many. But what if your love for DIY home décor could also bring in some extra income? In this blog post, we’ll explore how you can transform your hobby into a profitable venture and turn your creative passion into a thriving business.

1. Identify your niche

Before diving into the world of DIY home décor entrepreneurship, it’s crucial to identify your niche. What type of décor resonates most with you? Are you drawn to rustic farmhouse designs, modern minimalism or Bohemian chic? Perhaps you have a talent for upcycling charity shop finds or creating personalised gifts. Defining your speciality will help you stand out in an increasingly saturated market and attract your ideal customers.

Tip: Research trends and analyse competitor offerings to find gaps in the market or unique twists to existing products.

2. Develop your skills

While you’re already a DIY enthusiast, refining your skills can make a significant difference in quality and appeal. Take workshops, follow online courses or watch tutorials to learn advanced techniques. Investing time in honing your craft will not only improve your products but also boost your confidence as you embark on this new venture.

Tip: Practice on projects that excite you; showcasing your best work is key to attracting customers.

3. Create a business plan

Every successful venture starts with a solid business plan. Outline your goals, target audience and marketing strategies. Determine the costs involved in materials, tools and potential overhead expenses. Additionally, consider how you’ll price your products – make sure to account for both material costs and labour to ensure profitability.

Tip: Include short-term and long-term goals in your business plan. This will help you stay focused and motivated as you grow.

4. Build an online presence

In today’s digital age, having an online presence is essential. Create social media accounts on platforms like Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok, where visual content thrives. Share your creative process through behind-the-scenes footage, tutorials or showcasing finished products.

Tip: Consider starting a blog or YouTube channel to share DIY tips, tutorials and home décor inspiration. This will help position you as an expert in your niche and attract future customers.

5. Set up an online shop

There are numerous platforms available to sell your creations, such as Etsy, Folksy, Amazon Handmade or your own website. Choose a platform that best suits your products and audience. Ensure your shop stands out with professional photos, engaging product descriptions and clear pricing.

Tip: Offer a mix of products at different price points to cater to a broader audience. Consider seasonal items or limited-edition pieces to create urgency among buyers.

6. Sell at local markets

While online selling is a great way to reach customers, don’t underestimate the power of in-person interactions. Look for local craft fairs, farmers’ markets and pop-up shops to showcase your work. These venues offer an opportunity to engage with customers directly, get real-time feedback and build a loyal local following.

Tip: Have an eye-catching, well-designed stall that reflects your brand aesthetic. Provide business cards and flyers with information on where to purchase your products online.

7. Embrace feedback and adapt

As you embark on your entrepreneurial journey, be open to feedback from customers and peers. Constructive criticism can be invaluable in improving your products and service. Monitor sales trends and adjust your offerings based on what resonates most with your audience.

Tip: Consider running polls or surveys via social media to gauge interest in potential new products or designs.

8. Scale and expand

Once you’ve established a steady stream of sales and built a customer base, consider ways to scale your business. This could mean expanding your product line, offering workshops or classes or collaborating with other local creatives. Explore wholesale opportunities or retail partnerships to reach an even larger audience.

Tip: Cross-promote with other DIYers or home décor businesses to combine audiences and boost visibility.

Conclusion

Transforming your DIY home décor hobby into a profitable venture is not only achievable but also incredibly rewarding. With passion, dedication and strategic planning, you can create a thriving business that lets you share your creativity with the world. So gather your tools, set your sights on your goals and start crafting your entrepreneurial journey today! Your dream of turning passion into profit is just a project away.

10 ways you can make money online right now

10 ways you can make money online right now

Are you thinking of how to make money online in Norway during your free time or even on a full-time basis? You might be trying to figure out how that can be possible, but you may not know the best method to choose because of the sheer amount of information out there.

However, you don’t have to worry because in this article, we’ll go through some of the most popular options available to you out there to make money online.

We linked up with the expert Jorgen Aasgen who’ll explain more about earning an online income. Continue reading to understand how you can make your online financial journey a successful one.

translation illustration

Become a translator

Did you know that being proficient in more than two languages can be a source of income for you? For instance, there are many countries where citizens don’t use English as their first language. They may need online translation services to enable them to communicate clearly and effectively.

If you’re fluent in their language as well as English, you can offer them translation services for a fee. Alternatively, there are sites where you can register, such as Upwork, where translators are in high demand.

Drop shipping illustration

Drop shipping

Do you ever wonder how goods purchased from eCommerce sites like Amazon reach your country? Some people may think that it’s a complicated thing to do. In fact, the reality is that the process is simple, and anyone can execute it. It doesn’t require a big importation company to embark upon the business.

If you need to make easy money, drop shipping is a perfect way to set up a successful income stream. You can purchase goods for businesses in bulk and ship them to your country on their behalf. After that, you earn a commission on each sale. You won’t need a huge initial outlay, a laptop and customers are enough to get you started.

Copywriting illustration

Copy-writing

Do you have the ability to craft persuasive sales or marketing copy? If you believe that you have the knack, you should be taking advantage of this potential income source. Doing copy-writing is possible wherever you may be located, so you don’t have to be in an office to do it. You have complete freedom to choose from where you want to work.

Online gambling illustration

Online betting

How often have you heard about lucky winners who have won huge cash from their stakes? Many people win money daily through online betting. They’ve developed responsible strategies that work for them whereby they can gain an income.

This bet365 login article will guide you through setting up an account and the various sporting activities on which you can place a bet.

If you’re interested in gambling, consider Norsk online casino and see if there are games that interest you. You never know, it could become your full-time source of income.

Podcasting illustration

Podcasting

It’s possible to create a podcast that can become a successful source of income. You can use the medium to share with others things that you love doing – travel, cooking, literature… the subjects are limitless. Once you’ve built up a listenership, you could receive payment from advertisers or even sell your own products/services. To get started, all you’ll need is a microphone, laptop and recording software.

Web development illustration

Web development

Because of the current economic climate, many businesses are shifting the bulk of their operations from bricks & mortar stores to their websites. To do this successfully, they need web developers who can design a website that is fast and easy to navigate. If you have web development skills, you can reach out to local retailers to see if they need professional help.

Online tutoring illustration

Online tutoring

Are there subjects at which you excelled while at school or university? There are people out there who are having difficulties in understanding some basic concepts in them. Whether it’s maths, music or Mandarin, you can create video tutorials and upload them to YouTube. By sharing, you’ll have helped them tremendously whilst, at the same time, you could earn money from YouTube if your tutorials take off. Currently, you could earn around £2.50-£3.75 per 1,000 video views.

Audio book icon

Audio book narration

Not everyone enjoys reading books, some people prefer listening to audio books; audio books are a large and growing medium. If you have a clear speaking voice, are good at different accents and have some acting skills, you could earn money by narrating audio books. You’ll also need to enjoy reading – to successfully record and hour-long audio book can take over 6 hours!

Affiliate marketing illustration

Affiliate marketing

Promoting products on behalf of other companies, and earning a commission from each sale is another way of making money online. There are many affiliate networks that you can sign up to such as Skimlinks, AWIN and Conversant (formally Commission Junction). Amazon and eBay run their own independent affiliate schemes.

Transcription icon

Transcription

Transcription is converting audio into the written word. It takes a while to learn to do it accurately and at speed; however, once you’ve mastered the skill, you can sign up to specialist transcription sites and start earning from transcribing audio files.

There are numerous ways that you can earn money online in Norway. However, the ones highlighted above are some of the best methods that require little or no outlay on your part. If you feel that you don’t currently have the required skills to do any of them, choose one that looks interesting and teach yourself how to do it.

[disclosure*]

Turning your spare space into welcoming holiday accommodation

Turning your spare space into welcoming holiday accommodationmacrovector_official – www.freepik.com

Do you sometimes think that your home could be doing more for you? Perhaps the kids have flown the nest and you have empty bedrooms not being used. You could have a big garden that’s crying out for a shepherds hut, caravan, yurt or annex to be installed. Maybe you live in a part of the world that people love to come and visit. There’s a great way of getting your home to contribute to your livelihood; as a holiday let.

Whatever you want it to be; a side hustle, a bit of pin money or full-on new business venture you can decide. Here are a few useful tips on turning your under-used space into desirable holiday accommodation.

Illustration of a sitting roomfreepik – www.freepik.com

Quality counts

The space needs to be immaculately clean; make sure the walls have had a fresh lick of paint and worktops have been disinfected and there’s not a speck of dust on any horizontal surfaces. Carpets should be shampooed and solid wood flooring mopped & polished. The bath and shower must be spick-and-span and the shower curtain spotless.

Provide freshly-laundered luxury towels & bed linen; if they look stained and threadbare it makes a really bad impression. Miniature toiletries such as handmade soaps luxury bubble bath add a lovely finishing touch.

Lastly, in this day & age, reliable wi-fi is an absolute necessity; unless of course, being remote and off-grid is your USP.

Illustration of tax documents and calculatorblossomstar – www.freepik.com

Legal requirements

You’re allowed to make a small amount of income (currently £7,500 [tax year 2020-21]) before you need to pay tax on it. If you find that your holiday property is let for 105 days of the year or more (not including times when friends and family are staying for free), it then qualifies as a ‘Furnished holiday letting‘. Check the HMRC website to see whether you’ll need to register for self-assessment.

Health & safety considerations are of utmost importance when providing holiday accommodation to paying guests. This involves carrying out a risk assessment and ensuring the property complies with a number of standards and regulations regarding such things as fire, gas, electricity and carbon monoxide hazards. You will need to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, provide a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and make sure that furniture (especially mattresses, sofas and curtains) meets with British Standards requirements.

You will need to take out a new insurance policy which covers holiday letting. It should include public liability, accidental damage and loss of rent. Your regular home & buildings insurance won’t be sufficient – and may actually be voided if you need to make a personal claim.

To make all these statutory obligations easier to deal with, it is essential to keep proper records. Put away all relevant invoices & receipts – even if it’s only in a shoe box under your bed.

Illustration about social media marketing amplificationfreepik – www.freepik.com

Promotion

You’ve followed all the tips above and your holiday accommodation is ready to go; so how do you find paying customers? You need to get yourself out there!

Firstly, register your property on listings sites such as Airbnb, HomeAway and onefinestay. If you’re interested in house exchange opportunities, sign up to a site like PeopleLikeUs.

Set up social media accounts specific to your property and regularly upload beautifully styled photos of the space you have to offer. Instagram and Facebook Pages are perfect places to start.

Finally, never underestimate the power of word of mouth. Invite friends & family to give your new lodgings a trial run. Ask them for their honest opinion and to give you suggestions about what you could do to improve. They can then act as unofficial ambassadors, recommending your place to their friends and family – and so on, and so on.

[disclosure*]

How we boost our income

How we boost our income | H is for Home

Our web shop and spaces in local antique centres are perhaps the most obvious sources of revenue for our vintage business. However, we also earn part of our livelihood from other online sources. Some methods run into the thousands of pounds per year and others are simply a bit of ‘pin money’. Here’s a run down of the ways in which we boost our income.

Sponsored posts

Sponsored posts on the H is for Home Harbinger blog

Sponsored posts are where we make most of our income outside of our vintage shop sales. It’s something that has taken us many years to build up into a viable stand-alone income. We’ve been blogging for a decade, we’ve built up traffic, a following and a reputation in our field and are now able to monetise in certain ways.

Most of the sponsored blog posts we do these days are repeat transactions via long-term relationships with freelance writers and SEO companies. Sometimes though, we seek out opportunities on the ever-increasing number of sites that link up advertisers with bloggers.

Places from which we’ve received sponsored post opportunities include:

Sponsored posts usually take the form of blog posts but they can also be posts via social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. If you’re less of a blogger but post frequently on Instagram, Twitter and/or YouTube and have a large following, these are a few of the places where you can sign up for sponsored social media campaigns:

Affiliate schemes

Affiliate marketing infographic

There are lots and lots of these schemes available out there. Some that we’re signed up to have been more successful than others. The user dashboard interface on some are much quicker and easier to navigate than others. This can make a lot of difference to the amount of time it take you to register, build links, input and run performance reports.

We have most success with Skimlinks as they have perhaps the largest range of merchants in the categories about which we write e.g. interiors and food. They also cover many of the merchants found on some of the other schemes.

Bear in mind, payment thresholds vary widely from scheme to scheme. Currently, Skimlinks pays out once your earnings reach £7 / $10 / €8. Whereas with the eBay Partner Network the figure is $25, Affiliate Window is £20 and Rakuten Linkshare £50.

You just need to try them all out to see which one works best for you.

Advertising

Blog advertising illustration

We get quite a few visitors to our blog who are into décor, gardens, food etc so sometimes we get asked by companies within those niches to host banner ads on our home page in the sidebar.

We also host ads placed via third parties either in our sidebar, within or at the bottom of blog posts or in our comments section. Usually what you do is register via their website, specify the type of content and the size of ads you’re willing to carry, insert some code into your blog template and presto – ads appear! The more traffic your blog receives – and the more people click on the ads – the more revenue you make. Here are the ones with whom we’re signed up.

Surveys

Online survey illustration

Surveys are just a bit of fun in the evenings when I have one eye on the television. I tend to prefer lots of short surveys or single questions over ones that take 20-30 minutes – but that’s just my personal choice. Again, payment thresholds vary; Opinion Outpost is £2.50, Prolific is £5, Viewsbank is £12.

Smartphone/tablet apps

Apps on a smartphone

I’ve downloaded a few to my iPhone which allow you to scan receipts from select high street shops and supermarkets. Depending on the app, you’re given money off, free (usually food or drink) items or entries to win cash prizes. We don’t ever buy anything that we wouldn’t have bought anyway. At the end of the year, we cash-in and treat ourselves to Amazon vouchers, PayPal payments or a few Christmas-y treats with the money earned.

We hope that you find the information and tips useful. A bit of extra income can be useful – and sometimes invaluable to the small business or the self-employed. Do you have any ways in which to earn money online that you’d like to share with us and our readers?

[disclosure*]