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Do you have a love for woodworking? Do you find it gives you the chance to be creative and make some beautiful pieces? Have you been relying on woodworking as your side-hustle for a while now as a way to make extra money doing something you love?
So, what happens if your side hustle is going so well that you’re ready to take it to the next level? How do you turn your woodworking side-hustle into a successful business?
We’ve got several tips that can help and will ensure that you avoid all the common pitfalls. If you’re ready to transform your woodworking side hustle into the real deal, you’re going to want to read on.
Be Clear on What You Have to Offer
The first thing you need to think about is your product offerings. What do you make? Do you specialize in any particular pieces? Do you have a niche? This will be the first thing that potential customers want to know. They may also ask about prior experience and how long you’ve been woodworking.
Ensure Your Pricing is in Line with the Competition
Now you need to think about pricing. There is no need to be the cheapest business out there, but since you’re a startup, it’s also not smart to charge more than the competition. What this means is that you need to do a little research on what your competitors are offering and what their pricing is.
How Will You Market Your Business?
To get customers, you need to get the word out, so this needs to be a huge part of your business plan. While there is nothing wrong with the traditional forms of marketing and advertising, they may not be as effective in today’s digital world, plus they are more expensive than online marketing.
Likely one of the best routes you can take is to advertise on social media platforms. This means making business accounts on all the top social media sites – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – as soon as possible. You can start to drum up interest and buzz before your business even opens.
Create a Professional Looking Website
Speaking of today’s digital world, you’ll also need to create a professional website. Every business, no matter the size or industry, needs a website. It’s important to note that the website needs to look polished and not thrown together at the last minute. It needs to be modern, sleek, professional and be reliable and quick. As the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression.
Don’t Overextend Yourself in the Beginning
Another tip is to ensure you don’t overextend yourself when you’re just starting. This means not taking on so many sales/orders that you can’t complete them in time, or the quality suffers. It also means not trying to offer too many different types of products. Keep things streamlined and simple, at least at the start.
Make Sure You’re Insured
You also need to think like a business owner, which means protecting your assets and your reputation. This means you’ll need to look into insurance for contractors. It’s important to find coverage that provides everything you need for those unforeseen emergencies at a cost that is affordable for your new start-up. Once insured, you’ll get proof of insurance, which is something your customers/clients may want to see before they hire you.
Encourage Customers to Leave Reviews and Testimonials
Product reviews and testimonials can be a wonderful way to create buzz, increase your advertising efforts and ultimately boost sales. Encourage customers to leave a review on your website speaking about their experiences. You can even offer an incentive to leave a review such as a discount code or a promotional offer.
Referral Bonuses are Fabulous for Start-Ups
Speaking of incentives, you can also offer a referral bonus. This is a great way to expand your customer base. Each time a customer refers a friend who ends up purchasing from you, they can each be given a discount or special offer.
It’s always nice to be able to do what you love as your job. With these tips, you’ll be able to take that side hustle of woodworking to the next level and create a business out of it. You can always find many woodworking job opportunities on Jooble.
