by The Happy WAHM
In 11 days, I’ll be conducting the second run of my#hobbiestobusiness workshop. A workshop on making money out of a hobby, which I conducted for the first time in August 2016.
Last night, as I was cleaning up my digital folders, I came across an old photo. The one where it all started. My first crochet project.
From this sampling of stitches that was made into a purse and several failed attempts to hand-knit, to creating a brand and registering as a business, I can proudly say that I’ve come a long way. The flower button in the photo was not by me, but something that my daughter – the one who inspired me to start crocheting – made for me, just so I could post a finished project. This was in May 2015.
After that simple purse, I went ahead and made myself a tablet pouch. I was able to start and almost finished it while lining up for my daughter’s enrollment at De La Salle. This was still in May 2015.
To practice, I made this ribbed scarf for my dear friend in Canada, and proudly posted it on my social media accounts.
From then on, inquiries started to come in. And I started accepting orders. Scarf in the photo below was my first official order, but alas, I could not charge for it, because I got the pattern from a site that expressly states that projects from the pattern cannot be sold. So I just asked for reimbursement of the cost of yarn used and the shipping fee.
In June, I launched my Crafted Crafts website.
I bought the domain name for another purpose, but when I started crocheting, I just went ahead and set up the site.
The project that followed was a simple scarf. I got two skeins of yarns from my daughter’s collection from Gantsilyo Guru. I used the stitch that I was most comfortable with, the mighty DC, and used the redundant stitching to practice my tension. I was able to sell this scarf to a friend, and she ordered one more. I made her a two-toned infinity scarf, which I named after her. 🙂
Other “practice” projects followed. Including a scoodie…
… a mesh scarf…
… and a pair of slippers.
Before 2015 ended, I have served about 7 more paid orders. Among those orders is this chakra scoodie.
And this Minimalist Scarf for men. For this one, I used the awesome SC all throughout, 7.5 inches wide, 72 inches long. I was really making money out of my hobby!
Turns out, men dig scarves, as I received 4 more orders of that Minimalist Scarf afterwards. I was on a roll!
Everything just got better from there. I have since graduated to making projects using multistrand yarns (which is really a challenge for a newbie crocheter) and have sold a number of lacy projects in the past months and several more on queue.
I registered the business in July 2016, and got verified by Facebook just a few months after that.
My story can be your story, too.
You may have a hobby that is actually sucking up a portion of your family budget, so why not make it self-sufficient? Or better yet, turn it into a business, just like I did.
Or you may have a skill that could be income-generating, but have been doing for friends and family for free. Like organizing events, scheduling travels, designing invitations… Those are skills that properly packaged, can be launched into a business.
The challenge is where and how to start. And this is where I can help you.
It has not been easy for me. I learned to crochet at the time that there are about a thousand crocheters competing for projects already. The industry is filled with skilled crocheters and artists, and neither of those descriptions aptly apply to me.
What I did have was a process. That was is my skill. I know how to build a personal brand, and I used that to build my own following that is not based on quantity, but on quality.
Join me on January 21 and find out how you, too, can earn by doing what you love, and create a brand with who you are.
And of course, the learning will not end on that day. All attendees of the workshop – past and future – will become members of the Hobbies to Business Community that we already have on Facebook, where like-minded individuals get to lend support to each other.
Read what some attendees of the first run have to say…
For this second run, we are grateful for the support that we have from the following brands:
The Parenting Emporium, for providing a fabulous venue for learning.
Faber-Castell Philippines, for loot bag items, and they will also set up a booth at the venue.
Cool-C, for providing healthy and refreshing drinks for both sessions.
VASupportPro and The Techie Mom, for offering a 50% discount on web hosting (first year) to be avaialble within 3 months from date of workshop.
Katsa Co., for loot bag items.
Mrs. Gee’s Homemade Goodness, for providing mouthwatering cupcakes for both sessions.
JinStitches, for sponsoring crocheted bears for raffle to early registrants.
More sponsors are coming in, so stay tuned as I update this post, and the workshop’s homepage.
Register now!
by The Happy WAHM
Early this year, I wrote about personal branding and why it is something that any entrepreneur should seriously consider having. It’s not about a business brand. Not yet, at least. But a personal one.
But what is personal branding, really?
According to Wikipedia, personal branding is essentially the ongoing process of establishing a prescribed image or impression in the mind of others about an individual, group, or organization.
If I am to put it simply, personal branding is that image created in a person’s mind when they connect with your name, specific skills and reputation. When people see or hear The Happy WAHM, what comes to mind?
In online fora, particularly the groups on Facebook, I would get tagged when someone asks about virtual assistance, WordPress, time management, independent homeschooling, and even WAHM-ing without a helper and working bra-less.
Yes, that happens.
When attending conferences and I get introduced as Marge Aberásturi, I’d be greeted with a polite smile and a handshake. But when The Happy WAHM gets tacked on to my name, it’s a different story. There’s an instant recognition, and even a feeling of connection. And then the questions begin… 🙂
This year, I can’t count the number of times I got tagged, or someone posted a link on my timeline, for things related to crochet.
So yes, I have established that recall in people’s minds about who I am, what I do, and what I’m good at.
But this did not happen overnight.
This is something that I worked hard for over time. I worked hard on establishing my core purpose. For years, I stayed consistent with my message. Until finally, I was ready to have a visual representation. Wasn’t it just last month that I finally had my visual branding done?
I’ve always been about walking the talk, leading by example, creating opportunities and all that jazz. I don’t talk about topics that do not resonate. That’s why I had, on several occasions, turned down sponsored posts. I don’t want to get paid publishing articles I did not write. I want to stay true to my personal brand, so I would only agree to a paid post if my conditions are met. Like, I have to personally write the whole article (no copy-pasting of media kit), it has to be written in my voice, and it has to be for a brand that I have actually used, or will use. Like who would believe me if I write an article about make up?
When I first created the module for the Hobbies to Business Workshop, I was only thinking about how I could help my fellow crafters gain confidence in starting a business by simply doing what they love. I never thought I’d go as far as including personal branding in the series. And yet, here I am, preparing workshop materials for the second run of Hobbies to Business, happening on January 21.
And the progression makes sense. An attendee of the first Hobbies to Business workshop asked me: “How do I convert the likes that I get on Facebook to real sales?” Good question!
An inexperienced soul would likely jump into marketing strategies and conversion. But… and that’s a big BUT… what will you market? Your product? What about your product? I can buy that same product you are selling from another seller.
And this is where your personal branding comes in. Again, this is different from business branding. Personal branding is all about you. And this is not limited to having products to sell. The product may be the service you provide, and so the personal aspect is even more important, because it is you, your skills, your values, your attitude.
Your skill and your passion make up your values. Your skill and your experience make up your strengths. Your passion and your experience make up your ideals. Your values, your strengths, and your ideals make up your brand.
I have this on Kindle, Over The Top by Zig Ziglar, and while he is not really talking about personal branding per se, to me it kind of resonates that way. Your personal brand will take you from merely surviving to a position of stability, and from stability to success, and from success to significance.
So will you join me on January 21?
I sure hope so!
Remember, you don’t have to be a crafter or a hobbyist to attend the Hobbies to Business workshop. All you need is an idea that you want to create a business on, and I can help you make it happen.
Oh, by the way…
Some attendees from the first run of the workshop in August will be joining me in this second run, not as attendees, but SPONSORS! They have taken up the courage to act on their ideas, and are now well on their way to establishing their businesses and their brands.
See, learning does not stop on the day of the workshop. All attendees of the Hobbies to Business workshop series continue to receive guidance and coaching from me through an online forum that I have created exclusively for them. Because really, I cannot expect people to absorb what I share and hit the ground running in just one day. Some may still dilly-dally. Some may still be afraid. Some need a longer time to let the ideas sink in. And that is totally okay. It has to be done intentionally and purposefully, so I continue the coaching after the workshop and get to know my attendees on a more personal level.
So if you’re ready to join the fun, register now!
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them, at my Facebook Page.
by The Happy WAHM
May I present to you… the official Happy WAHM logo!
After years of building my brand, I finally had the guts (and the budget) to have my logo professionally designed by no less than the Master Jedi of Graphics, Patricia Alix-Villa of Fancy Girl Design Studio. It took me years to muster the courage of going through the process of visualizing who I am, of graphically presenting what I do. Words are easy. I write the same way I talk. But coming up with a logo that speaks of my passion, my purpose… it’s a different story.
Typography
Not something I’m fond of. You know sanserif and serif? Well, I can go as far as knowing that Times New Roman is serif, and Arial is sanserif. And that’s it.
Wait.. I know that Brush Script is a cursive thing. Beyond that, I’m clueless.
I can go and view fonts all day long, and I’d just love everything.
Yes. Even Comic Sans. Although I still have no clue what’s wrong with it. I just see a lot of people not liking it much. And graphic artists cringe when they see it.
To me, it’s a font. Plain and simple.
Color Palette
ROYGBIV. Primary, secondary, intermediate. Those are the colors I know.
My daughters know more than what I taught them from the color wheel now. So I’ve got this one covered, courtesy of my favorite firstborn and favorite middlechild.
Mood Board
You are not going to believe how much time I spent looking up how shabby chic should look like. I just liked the sound of it, you know. Made me feel like I’m up to something impressive. But when asked to get peg images, I froze.
Pat suggested that I create a board in Pinterest. And I did. And I managed to pin a lot of crochet ideas and patterns.
Okay. So with much effort, I managed to focus on the task at hand, which was to come up with a visual representation of how I want my logo to look like. I started with my birthstone, ruby. And my personal style, which is long skirts and boots, or jeans, boots and shirts. Errrrrr… I was just being shabby, but not chic.
So I turned to what I’m more comfortable with. Words.
Feminine but strong. Professional but compassionate.
That’s how my visual brand identity should tell my audience.
Personal. Passionate. Authentic.
The Happy WAHM is a person. She is the person behind a service-based business (margeaberasturi.com and vasupportpro.com) and a craft business (craftedcrafts.com). Her blog is geared towards encouraging women to go for what makes them happy. The blog is about happy living in general. Health, education, livelihood and parenting in particular. It’s HELP for WAHMs. Education also encompasses entrepreneurship, as I also write about turning passion to profit, hobbies to business.
The logo shall encompass my brand as a work-at-home mom who happily embraces whatever life deals her with. Creating opportunities amidst challenges. Living her purpose. The Happy WAHM is a mother, a wife, an entrepreneur, a teacher, an advocate. The Happy WAHM is going beyond Marge Aberásturi, the Virtual Assistant, and Marge Aberásturi, the crafter. The Happy WAHM – the person – is anchored on her love for her husband and children, and on her desire to inspire people through The Happy WAHM – the blog.
The symbol
Pat gave me another task. What icon best describes you?
No idea.
So I put out the question to the family. What do you think should be the symbol of The Happy WAHM, and why?
First daughter answered: A book. Because you share a lot of information. You want to share your knowledge to anyone who cares to follow you.
Husband answered: A lightbulb. You are always coming up with ideas and you follow through. But maybe more of a tree. Because you are rooted to the ground, and you are always working for advancement and growth. You are also strong and very nurturing. You branch out, do a lot of things, but manage to get everything connected with what makes you happy.
And so I went with a tree.
Pat was like… “Oh, no! The tree has been used in a lot of logos already.” And it was a challenge to come up with something that’s completely me and not someone else.
So I said, “No rush. Take your time. Patience is a virtue. And I’m virtual.”
Toinks!
What she came up with is pure love. Pat, you are a genius!
Thank you, Isabel!
I just want to acknowledge the help our eldest child gave me while going through the design process. She became my go-to person during those times that I was doubting my choices. I would have given up if not for her inputs. Thank you, babe! You are a rockstar! (Just like Mommy, eh?)
And it’s a wrap!
P.S.
I hope you like the new look of the site. It’s my own handiwork. 🙂
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them, at my Facebook Page.
by The Happy WAHM
It’s that time of year again. The month when the Philippine Homeschool Conference happens. And this year’s theme is From Roots to Wings.
It’s been eight years. Eight years since we first embraced homeschooling. But I still can’t say that I know what I’m doing. We’re taking this journey one lesson at a time, one year at a time.
Early this year, I shared my fears about our homeschooling. We are no longer enrolled with a homeschool provider, so we are in this journey on our own.
Well, not really.
We get our support from fellow homeschooling families who selflessly share tips and encouragement in online fora. And conferences, such as this one.
I’ve been to two homeschool conferences, and this year is going to be my third. Some would say, if you’ve been to one, you’ve been to all. Some would ask, “What do you need a conference for? You’ve been doing it for eight years!”
Well, apart from the fact that it’s fun to connect with people who are in the same journey as us, it’s also important to be updated on how the homeschooling environment has been evolving through the years. I’d say that this year’s breakout sessions are even more exciting than last year’s.
Topics are spot on, and speaker line up is quite impressive.
- The Ins and Outs of Homeschooling in the Philippines, with Edric Mendoza
- Transitioning from Brick and Mortar to Homeschooling, with Jenn Punzalan
- Homeschooling the High School Years, with Racquel Guevara
- Laying the Foundation in Preschool, with Milona Barraca
- Paper and Pen: How “Low Tech” Reading and Writing Benefit Students, with Andrew Pudewa
- Transitioning to College, with Ivy and Bernard Marquez
- Starting Your Homeschool Journey, with Donna Simpao
- The Hows of Interest-led Homeschooling, with Alex Hao
- Homeschooling the Special Needs Child, with Jen Bellosillo
Plus, there are exciting activities for the kids, as well.
Write Pretty by Meg and Maddie (8:30am-10am)
Children ages 7 and up will enjoy learning a new skill with fellow homeschooled children Meg and Maddie Barraca.
Handlettering by Maddie (10:30am-12noon)
Join in the hand lettering trend by learning how to write calligraphy. To be conducted by Meg and Maddie Barraca. For children ages 7 and up.
Just Add Water – A Brush Calligraphy class by Marj Liwag (12:30pm-2pm, 4:30-6pm)
Little Miss Printer herself will teach this class for children ages 7 and up.
Inks and Lines – A Tangling class by Marj Liwag (2:30pm-4pm)
Learn about this relaxing art that creates beautiful images from simple patterns.
Challenge Island (8am-10am, 10:30am-12pm, 2:30pm-4:30pm)
Loosely based on the popular show, Survivor, children ages 5 and up will learn collaboration and cooperation the various Challenge Island tasks that they will be given to their tribe. Are they up to the challenge?
Crochet Along with Crafted Crafts by Marge Aberásturi (7am-6pm)
Marge Aberásturi of Crafted Crafts will welcome children ages 6 and up in her booth for beginning crochet lessons. Additional P250 fee for yarn and hook. Hey, this is me!
MEET THE ART MASTERS by Likhang Bata Creativity Center (7am-6pm)
Likhang Bata Creativity Art Center’s classes are a fun way to introduce the art masters to the children. The classes will be held in Likhang Bata’s booth the whole day.
SAFSOF SPORTS PLAY AREA BY TOPMnl (7am-6pm)
Let your kids move and play in our indoor sports play area! Crawl under arch gates. Swing your club in mini golf. Topple the cans with the soft catapult. Play bowling. Practice targeting skills with the Multi Ring Toss. All using SAFSOF safe rubber foam sports toys. For kids ages 3 years to 12 years.
SMILE TODDLER PLAY AREA (7am-6pm)
Children ages 1-3 will enjoy the various activities prepared by SMILE Group in the Toddler play area.
Looks like fun, right?
I assure you, it is! Especially if you drop by my booth!
Here’s how you can ensure that your registration runs smoothly…
See you at the conference!
by The Happy WAHM
Hobbies to business, is it even possible?
The answer is a resounding YES!
I know, because I’ve done it, and you can do it, too!
Just as I’ve been able to create a career from our humble home, I have yet again succeeded in creating an income stream from a hobby that I only started to de-stress – crocheting.
Gosh, I didn’t even know I had in it me. Like I never crocheted in my life! And then one day, I found myself trying to learn it, and once I learned the basics, I was hooked! Pun intended.
And I’m the last person on earth who would call me creative. When I was still trying to figure out how we would survive with just my husband’s income, with a pile of debt and three very young kids, I considered doing desktop publishing. This was at the time that I was already doing transcription, but of course what I was earning from transcription was just enough to cover utilities expense. And because I have a supportive family, and a circle of very supportive friends, I did receive a number of orders for business cards, invitations and letterheads.
But alas! It was not something that I could really do long term. I would spend hours designing (if you could even call it that) and spend more hours revising, editing, and most of the time, completely changing my work. I went through a lot of unproductive hours before I admitted to myself, and to the world, that no, I can’t make a living out of desktop publishing or anything that has to do with graphics or design.
So I went on to assess my skills, my God-given talent, my passion.
And discovered I have a knack for organization, process flow, building up on ideas, creating opportunities, and meddling coaching. 🙂
Yup! I meddle a lot. Poking my nose on other people’s business. Trying to be helpful. Although my clients see that as a welcome initiative. 🙂
That’s how I built my career as a virtual professional. By finding my core and working on my purpose.
I’m very comfortable where I am now as a virtual assistant. You wouldn’t believe the nights I spent worrying about losing a client because a lot of people have joined the bandwagon. It seemed like everybody wanted to leave corporate to escape the daily horrors of traffic, be able to be hands-on moms, keep flexible hours, and do what they want with their time. And because a lot of them don’t have experience, they were charging in disrespectful rates.
But guess what? A lot of them left the race just as quickly as they came.
Reasons?
- They are not earning enough to make a difference.
- Time management is a challenge.
- They lack most of the skills their clients need.
- The hours are not what they thought would be flexible.
- No job security.
- No benefits.
And I have to agree with all those.
Virtual assistance is stressful.
It’s worse than being in corporate, actually. When you are left to operate on your own, how much you earn is based solely on how hard and and how smart you work. No assurance of a salary bi-monthly. Heck, there’s not even an assurance that you’d still have a client next month.
That’s why I had to take on a hobby. I.HAD.TO. To keep my sanity in check.
But even in choosing a hobby, I had to be practical. I didn’t want something that I would have to spend on. So I decided to try to learn crochet, because we already have an impressive inventory of yarns.
After I posted a photo of my first completed project on Facebook, inquiries came in. Inquiries turned to orders, and the rest is history.
I have since created a website, a Facebook page, and ta-da! I have gone ahead and registered the business!
Hobbies to business? Yes, it is possible!
But… but… but… HOW?
Well, it did not happen overnight. I did not merely wish for it to happen. I went through a process.
And you know what’s the hardest part?
To get started. That’s what.
And this is where I want to meddle again. To help you answer these questions:
- Where do you want to go with your hobby?
- Would you still enjoy your hobby once you have turned it to a business?
- What are the different ways you can turn your hobby into a business?
- Everybody says you need to make a plan. What are the steps in making one?
- Can you sell what you can create?
- You don’t have a target market, how do you create one?
And it will not stop there.
Relationships matter.
My vision is to be able to create a support community for like-minded souls who are ready to act on their dreams of turning their hobbies to business.
I want to connect people so we can build a support network along the way. Collaboration instead of competition. Suppliers, merchants, affiliates… the whole nine yards. Maybe even partnerships.
And this will begin on August 27, at The Parenting Emporium in New Manila.
Check out the page now and register early. This one is going to be awesome!
[photo credit: pixabay]
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about this post?
Please leave me a message, or post them, at my Facebook Page.
