634: $100k Hosting Local Craft Workshops as a Side Hustle
Oct 10, 2024
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Chloe Winstanley, a New Zealand-based creative entrepreneur, shares her inspiring journey of making over $100,000 from local craft workshops. She reveals how she transitioned from selling jewelry online to hosting profitable workshops, emphasizing the importance of community and effective marketing. Chloe discusses the financial aspects of running workshops, including pricing strategies and managing costs. With practical tips on scaling and empowering others to teach, she encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to turn their passions into successful side hustles.
Chloe Winstanley successfully turned her passion for crafting into a lucrative side hustle, earning over $100,000 by hosting engaging workshops.
Local craft workshops provide a unique business model with less competition and the ability to create immediate customer engagement.
Effective marketing strategies, particularly on social media, are essential for attracting participants and scaling a workshop-based business.
Deep dives
Introduction to Local Workshops as a Side Hustle
Hosting local workshops offers a unique side hustle opportunity with less competition and potential for significant profit. Unlike online courses that can be hard to market and scale, local classes allow for immediate customer engagement and community interaction. Chloe Wynn Stanley successfully generated over $100,000 in sales by leading crafting workshops, proving that this business model can be both fulfilling and financially rewarding. The emphasis is on creating a fun experience, where participants come for enjoyment rather than just learning a skill.
Finding a Workshop Topic
The origin of Chloe's workshop idea stemmed from her experiences during the COVID lockdown when many turned to indoor crafts. Starting with polymer clay earrings, she noticed a growing demand for learning crafting skills directly, which led to hosting her own workshops. The shift from producing products to offering experiences marked a turning point, as hosting workshops proved to be more profitable and scalable. This experience highlighted that the atmosphere and enjoyment of the event were just as important as the crafting activity itself.
Marketing Strategies for Workshops
Effective marketing is crucial for filling workshop slots and can be achieved through targeted advertising on platforms like Facebook. Chloe successfully utilized social media to attract her initial audience and eventually scaled her efforts by expanding to larger cities. The importance of a compelling advertisement, including catchy phrases and visuals, was emphasized to capture attention in a saturated market. Additionally, community centers provided affordable venues, ensuring low overhead costs that supported her return on investment.
Scaling the Business
Scaling the workshop business involves training others to take on the hosting responsibilities, enabling broader reach without the limitation of being physically present. Chloe shared her experience onboarding a friend to conduct polymer clay workshops, allowing her to focus on the business' backend tasks. This delegation strategy opens opportunities to expand to different cities and tap into new markets while maintaining quality control. The ability to step back from the hands-on workshops signifies growth and opens up time for other creative pursuits.
Lessons and Future Opportunities
Chloe's journey taught her the significance of validating ideas before heavily investing in materials and advertising, ensuring low-risk experimentation. By continuously adapting her offerings to match community interests and seasonal demand, she maintained engagement and profitability. The model of hosting workshops could easily be replicated for a variety of skills and interests, transcending traditional crafting boundaries. This adaptability presents numerous future avenues to explore, from bringing together like-minded individuals for crafting to potentially expanding online.