You are currently viewing How Mommies Can Make Money by Crafty Merchandising

How Mommies Can Make Money by Crafty Merchandising

Having multiple income streams is definitely a good plan, especially as a parent. Extra money coming in can be helpful in covering everything from medical emergencies to those dreaded last minute school projects fees. Because somehow a model of a cell diagram never seems to cost less than $50 and we only get a days’ notice … or is that just our house?

Thanks to the ever advancing internet, being able to create those streams is easier than ever. There are multiple ways to make money online, but if you have nothing to start with other than things around the house and your own eclectic talents, know that is a great place to begin.

women-working
Image credits

eBay

One way to make some extra cash is to sell older items on eBay. As a parent, eBay is invaluable because you can usually find gently used items for your children and your home for a fraction of the original retail cost. Plus, getting some of your money back on items your little people barley used, takes a bit of the sting out of the entire process. If you have taken part of the recent seasonal trend of mass cleaning and decluttering of your home, then eBay can help turn those items into cash.

More importantly however, where you aware that you can sell your own crafts and creations here as well? Selling on eBay doesn’t require you to have a platform online, which is wonderful if you are just putting your foot in the DIY water. EBay is reliable and has money back guarantees for both, its sellers and buyers. There are many neo-auction sites and apps now to choose from, but none have the amount of customers as eBay.

Amazon

Amazon is a great example of a way to sell merchandise, especially if you do have an online platform of any kind. Referral links in blogs, YouTube descriptions and social media posts all allow you to sell your items more organically. Simply because whatever you choose to sell you can, in turn, make related to the topic you are discussing that day. For instance, in the post about your three-year old’s sojourn into redecorating your hallway; use a link to the spray cleaner that successfully removed the crayon off of the wall. Money generated from referral links can be paid as Amazon gift cards, which can be saved to take care of everything from groceries to Christmas gifts. There’s a wide range of flexibility when it comes to payouts as well as the types of items you can sell.

Etsy

Being an artist, a crafter, or simply a creator of any kind, you have probably already heard of a little corner of the internet called Etsy. It is a prime spot to sell all your wares. In the last ten-plus years Etsy has not only revolutionized how crafters can sell their items, but also how customers can purchase artisanal items. Long gone are the days of having to tote your creations across town and renting an expensive booth to get mass exposure for your handcrafted goods. This hugely popular site has an easily searchable database. Y

ou only need a few pictures and descriptions of what you are selling to get started. Before you know it you will have all your items uploaded and in front of customers while the little ones are down for a nap. Once you get the hang of listing the items, you might even be able to get it done fast enough for you to catch a nap too!

Time to sell

eBay, Amazon, and Etsy are indeed wonderful ways to sell your merchandise and generate additional income streams. The rules to these sites, their subsequent fees, and layouts themselves can be ever-changing, however. It is a good rule of thumb to use your own website, blog, or social media to sell some items directly. While direct selling may seem daunting, there are many other sites and services that can make any site or blog retail-ready and the main 2 are Big Commerce Enterprise and Shopify Plus.

Shopify

Shopify can be of great help to every online retail store owner. Don’t ever think your business is too small. You have to think big in order to make big money. They have multiple options offered, this ensures it will be simple to find the right fit to be beneficial to your business. The advent of PayPal and the slew of other financial institutions now readily available, allows you to receive money directly from credit card transactions without having a merchant account. Shopify also offers in-house apps to help business owners with their sales.

Apps like Tada are great apps that helps store owners increasing their subscribers by allowing store visitors to play fun and exciting games in exchange of their email addresses. This is also a great way to reduce the rate of shopping cart abandonment issues. The number of obstacles holding you back from direct selling has all but disappeared.

Create a Brand

If you have been working on building your own brand, and have gained even a small loyal audience, there is also the ability to grow your ever-expanding empire further by creating your own branded merchandise. Being a maker, whipping up shirts and stickers with your personal logo may be easy as pie. However, if that isn’t your particular crafty area, plenty of direct printing services will allow you to design your own products and sell them on whatever platform you choose. When a customer makes a purchase, they aren’t aware that on the back end other companies actually fulfill the order. This allows you to keep building your crafts, generate income, and simultaneously chase the kids around the house. Who knows, it might even leave you with enough time to relax in a hot bath.

Summary

The current world we live in practically demands a side hustle of some sort. Whether crafting and creating is your side hustle, or your main, as moms we know the best way to do something is to do it as efficiently as possible. Making sure that your items are selling, your bank account is growing, and your brand is building while you concurrently focus on raising children and your own happiness isn’t as daunting as it once was. Take advantage of every income stream available, and make sure not to leave even one dollar on the virtual table if you can help it! Besides, future last-minute models of cells made out of Rice Krispies may depend on it.