I do have a "real" job, but I have a few side projects - 1) making and selling candles and melts (mostly to order nowadays as I've built up a solid customer base); 2) tarot card and intuitive readings; 3) sourcing and curating crystal healing packs and teaching people how to do the same, as well as how to charge and cleanse their crystals (this one has taken a bit of a back seat
of later); 4) helping people to establish goals, stick to them and providing support along the way (not a life coach per se, but just gently steering them in the right direction, and my psychology background helps with this); and 5) helping people declutter and organise their homes and work places. I'm constantly on the go, but I love it. Working for yourself is hard, but if you stay focused and organised, and establish boundaries, then it can be a lot of fun.
It's not hard to start, but it is wise to learn from an expert (enroll in a workshop or similar). It is expensive to begin with, but if you grow slowly and do all the proper groundwork first (establish your true cost to manufacture the products, work out what your margin should be, figure out what sales channels you'll use, etc.), then it can be a lot of fun. I started off selling my candles and melts at market stalls and was absolutely rushed off my feet. That gave me the confidence to keep going, and now I have customers throughout the world. You also need to have an understanding of labeling laws (depending on where you sell to), and if you make and sell and sell anything that people will digest or apply to their skin, then you need to be able to state the full list of ingredients, allergens, etc. For example - certain fragranced bath bombs are not suitable for pregnant women and you'd need to research which ones and state that on the packaging). Packaging is another expense ... I could go on and on, but you get the idea
. The hardest thing about it all is people copying what you've done.
