Elizabeth Norman made £21,000 in two years from a side hustle she started during lockdown.
Elizabeth, 27, is the founder of Sea & Bee, which makes and sells natural bath bombs and eco-friendly cosmetics. She began her business during lockdown after suffering from the January blues.
She said: "It was during the pandemic so there was very little to do, and I found myself getting obsessed with baths. I was using a lot of bath products, and, after a quick Google, I realised that I could make some myself or at least give it a good go.
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She realised she could make the goods quickly, so she set up an Etsy page for her products. However, it was a slow start.
Elizabeth added: “I initially uploaded a couple of affordable letterbox gifts starting from £6 and I remember calling my Grandma in the first few weeks when I had more than one order in a day!”
When Sea & Bee began to grow, she first converted her bedroom and then her garage for production and packing, spending around £4,000 to create a "purpose built" space for the business.
This been necessary to keep up with demand, with one customer ordering 400 bath bombs from the site. Thankfully, Elizabeth has honed her skills so she can now make around 200 bath bombs in one hour.
She works on Sea & Bee with her partner, despite both of them having full-time jobs. They have made £21,000 from the business which Elizabeth claims has helped pay for her wedding this October.
When asked what advice she would give for others pondering a side hustle, Elizabeth offered three key tips. Firstly, she warned about the return on investment.
She said: "Try to choose an idea that you don’t have to invest a lot of money in to get it up and running - if you have goods or a skill that can be used, this is a fantastic place to start because there is no initial investment needed."
Time is also an important factor according to Elizabeth. She said potential side hustles should "ensure" time is factored into the price of your products and the cost of depreciation if you are using your own equipment.
The most important piece of advice from Elizabeth is to get started as soon as you can. She said: "The only thing standing in your way is yourself and the sooner you start, the sooner you could be earning money.”
Commenting on Elizabeth's story, Dan Whittaker, who is a personal finance expert from loan provider CashLady.com, said: “Elizabeth’s story is a great testament to the fact that if you’re looking to earn some extra cash, a side hustle is a fantastic way to do so.
"Not only is it a great way to make money from skills and hobbies that you already have, but in most cases, you can do it from the comfort of your own home, and can commit as much or little time as you want.”
You can view Sea & Bee's products on their website here.
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