This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
I started a digital products business to make money online with Etsy in the late summer of 2019.
I had wanted to start a side business to add passive income to my budget, but I didn’t have extra cash to use and my lifestyle doesn’t support getting a part time job.
The Etsy business idea presented itself at the perfect time.
With very little start up costs, this side hustle made the most sense for me.
Start a Digital Products Business
In late June 2019, I was browsing Pinterest for rotating meal ideas. I clicked on a pin that led me to someone’s digital printable Etsy business for meal planners. I sat there in disbelief!
This was a business that someone was doing, for profit, that I knew I could start a digital products business too.
At that moment, I knew that I could do something just like this, but for the personal finance and goal tracking products I had been making for myself throughout the years.
A week after I stumbled upon the meal planner shop, I began thinking about how to execute my side hustle. At that time I also received an email about an Etsy printables class through Gold City.
I was impressed with the shop that one of Gold City’s owners, Julie, had started. She has over a thousand sales of her digital products!
The timing was perfect! Upon review of the course curriculum, I knew that I had to take the class. It would shorten my learning curve and would help me to get my business going within 30 days.
I never buy ecourses, but I knew I had to take a chance and I am glad that I did!
From the Beginning to Today
Within 30 days of starting the course I had my shop running and had made my first sale!
There were so many topics covered in the course that I had always wanted to learn about.
- Free graphic design resources
- How to sell on Etsy
- Marketing your business with free platforms like Pinterest
- Creating videos for your shop
- Building your own brand
- Email marketing
- Using your Etsy business for passive income
I was also able to use the course as an excuse to teach myself how to use Adobe DC to make editable printables. The skills I learned using Adobe are ones that I use in my current job and side hustles.
From the end of July 2019 to December 31, 2019, I had a 185% growth in sales for my Etsy shop. My sales have grown by leaps and bounds throughout 2020 and beyond!
This revenue has allowed me to expand my business!
Growing my Brand
Every month my business grew as I created more product and optimized my shop. I was able to use the $372 in profits from 2019 to start a blog. I bank rolled 2 years of blog costs up front.
Starting a blog is a lot more technical than I could have ever imagined. I decided to take the blogging course Gold City offered to help me get my blog off the ground.
The course made it so easy for me to get my blog up and running within two weeks of starting the class. I love that I can blog about a subject I am passionate about, personal finance and goal tracking!
I highly recommend Gold City for starting a blog or Etsy business. They take the guesswork out of starting a low cost side hustle.
If you purchase the Gold City course with my link, you will receive these amazing Pinterest pin templates to help you jump start the marketing for your business.
Having read about my Etsy side hustle experience, I hope that you are inspired to start your own side hustle! To get 40 free listings use this code!
Want your own copy of my FREE Digital Products Business Roadmap to help you get started? Download it here!
You can read the newest blog post about my printables business here. I am currently make $1,500 a month, and more, one year after starting this journey.
Do you already have a hustle or part time job? Let me know in the comments below!
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