Starting An Online Business or Side Hustle

Thinking about starting an online business or side hustle? It is not intended to be an exhaustive guide and I am not an expert – I can only speak from my own experience as a side hustler for 6 years + full-timer for 6 months running a fashion art Instgram business. But I personally think it’s a pretty sweet guide! I’ve included links to the software and services that I actually use as well as tips and real life examples of what goes down behind the pretty facade of the gram. I hope you enjoy reading it and feel free to pass it on to any friends who may be interested. If you have any issues downloaded the ebook, email the author at zara@edwardkwan.net and she’ll send you a copy!

Edward Kwan started organically for me as an accident. I started making dresses for myself in law school because I was bored. I would post them on to Facebook and Instagram and if you’re good at something and you make something that is nice, people naturally get interested in it. That’s pretty much how social media works! I didn’t have a business but then friends started being like ‘can I buy that from you?’ So that’s one way to get started – an accident.

The other way (and probably the sensible way) is to have a proper business plan. That’s more important if you need to manufacture products. With Edward Kwan, I make everything myself, so I’ve never needed to purchase a heap of stock in advance, which is why I can sort of wing it with my business.

If you want to do something bigger, it’s not quite the same. You need to have a manufacturer, a supply chain, your branding all set up, your marketing etc.