10 Entrepreneurial Side Hustles

They say successful entrepreneurs have eight streams of income. That might sound like a lot to juggle but if you can turn a lot of them into passive income, as in set it up and go, or incorporate them into your lifestyle, then you’re onto a winner. Here are some entrepreneurial ideas for you to consider.

1. Etsy

Design and create products and artwork to sell in an online shop like Etsy. I have been running my Etsy shop for years now as a side hustle and it has brought in a nice little income. From offering commissions to selling my paintings, prints, and now Icelandic artwork, it has been something I have kept going and growing over that time.

Avoid postal costs and time by creating digital items like digital download prints, lists, calendars, etc. Etsy can be a fun way to monetize your hobbies, i.e. knitting, watercolour, painting, calligraphy, jewellery, etc. Check out my shop here.

2. Digital Artwork

Create digital artwork, print patterns, and lettering to sell on sites such as Society6, CafePress, etc. If you have skills in Adobe then also try 99Designs. 

3. YouTube Channel

YouTube is a long game and takes a lot of work and dedication to be consistent. If you are thinking of jumping on YouTube to build a channel and earn an income from it, consider more of a tutorial-based channel than a vlog channel unless you already have an audience who you know would follow and watch.

Think about what you can share, teach, offer, and what people are searching for right now. If your aim is to grow and be monetized, make it work for you - smarter rather than harder. 

I started my YouTube channel to document my move to Iceland and later, our #IcelandFamilyLife adventures, and so on. I am so glad I did this as it is so fun to watch back and have all these memories literally recorded but it isn’t a big income maker. It takes a lot of work and dedication to grow your channel and build up those watch hours. Check out my YouTube channel here.

4. Teach Online

The best kind of passive income, in my opinion, is an online course. You can take a skill or experience you have and plan out the curriculum. Film the lessons and edit them into a set of classes. Upload to a teaching platform of your choice and let students enrol and learn over and over again.

Skillshare is great as it already offers a built-in audience of students looking to learn. You can earn a commission when a student signs up and whilst they’re taking your classes. If you already have an audience, offer your course on your website using a site like Teachable.

You could also offer online tutoring via Zoom or Skype. Share what you know, i.e. a language, drawing, music, cooking, etc, and get paid to do so. 

5. Online Freelancing

This might not make you a load of money quickly but it can be an easy way to use your time and talents. Check out sites like Fiverr and UpWork to pitch for roles big and small like editing and logo design to social media manager and virtual assistant. 

6. Content Creation

Blogging isn’t dead, and although it and Instagram can take a lot of time and effort to build up a following, it can be worth it to help promote your products, courses, or affiliates. You can accept sponsored posts, and adverts, offer freelance content creation on other sites, and check out sites like Freelancer and UpWork too. 

7. Declutter

Let's all have a big old declutter and clear out. Not only does decluttering free the mind and make us feel better, but it could also earn you some money. Pull everything out and only put back what you want and need. Look at everything you have and see what you could sell either on your local Facebook marketplace, or Facebook groups, rent a stall at a secondhand shop, or list items on eBay, etc. Look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves. 

8. Odd Jobs

There are probably loads of odd jobs you could do if you have some spare time. Think, they don’t need to be groundbreaking. Personal training, styling, personal shopping, dog walking, babysitting, cleaning, food delivery, mystery shopping, answering surveys, help writing or designing people’s CVs, and much more. 

9. Air BnB

If you have a spare room or are heading off for a long trip, why not consider renting out your space on Air BnB? We did this for a year or two here in Reykjavik (before kids) and met some great people from all over. It was fun having them stay, helping them plan out their trip, and giving them the inside local knowledge on things like the Northern Lights.

When we stopped listing our spare room on Air BnB, and it became Mia’s nursery, I ventured into the events space and offered Sketching Walking Tours in Reykjavik. This was a great way for me to get out and about, sketch as we went, and show people around my new home. I would meet them in one spot, show them around and give them some facts about the place, let them sketch for a few minutes, and offer up pointers when needed. We walked around for an hour and sometimes sat in a coffee shop if the Icelandic weather was too challenging. It was really fun - I only stopped due to Covid social distancing.

10. Digital Products

And finally, here’s a little dump of other things you could try:

• Have a transformational story to tell or skill to share, why not try creating an e-book, audiobook, or digital product to sell to an online audience?

• Sell templates you already use within your household or business.

• Look into dropshipping and create your store.

• Become an affiliate for a program, course, and/or product you use and love.

• Create an Amazon shopfront and earn a small commission when you link to a recommended item and a sale is made. 

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DO YOU HAVE A SIDE HUSTLE?

Mia Turns 3

Dear Mia, our cheeky little monkey. Happy birthday, today you turned 3!!

We have a three-year-old!!

Wow, what a big girl and you are so excited about your birthday this year. “Happy Birthday to me…”. You love singing and dancing, and asking to see videos from your previous birthdays - watch Happy Birthday Baby Mia. You absolutely love swimming and are very brave with your armbands on so this year we are going to Guðlaug Baths which is a natural pool on the coastline at Akranes.

Watch the video

ROADTRIP

Guðlaug is about a 40-minute drive from Reykjavik so we set off to pick up your cousin Kjartan and Auntie Ella Franka before hitting the road. You were so excited sitting beside Kjartan, singing, and screeching. Mummy packed some snacks and the birthday cupcakes for the drive home to Reykjavik, where Pabbi took us all out for lunch.

OOTD

Today you wore your Mickey & Minnie Mouse dungarees and you rocked them!! You hate having your hair done, much to Mummi’s disappointment.

THE CAKE

This year’s cake was blue and on the theme of Frozen, one of your favourite films to watch. It was a chocolate cake with blue icing and white chocolate stars on top in the shape of a 3. You ate a huge slice of it and then took half the cake to Leigskoli to share with your teachers.

I also made some cupcakes for our road trip - Kjartan loved them!!

MIA’S PRESENTS

A lucky girl, you got lots of fun presents for your birthday from magnetic blocks to unicorns, and a huge princess “ballaloon”. You also got the characters from Frozen, some bath toys from Freyja and books sent from your little pal Freddie.

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Happy Birthday our cheeky little monkey Mia xx

Easy Ways To Get Online & Be Found For The Right Reasons

I dare you…open an incognito window and Google yourself.

What came up? Was it much, was it good, were there some surprises, are you proud of what you found, and does it represent you accurately? 

OK, let’s take a deeper dive into your online presence. 

Whether you like it or not, having an online presence is hard to avoid these days but it can be something that works for you. If you are a freelancer, self-employed, or looking for work then you will want to make sure your online presence is as good as your in-person impression. After all, first impressions count. 

The Basics To Check

• Facebook

• Instagram, Twitter & other social media

• Linkedin

• Personal websites

• Companies websites

• Other websites

Images

Take a look at your Google image results. If the images are you and represent you well, great. But if they aren’t you, and you want them to be, you might need to look at where you can work on this. The easiest way to change this and start showing up in results is by adding your name to the alt text on your website, Pinterest, or wherever you have control of SEO. 

If you have a public Facebook account, the likelihood is that you are somewhere on the first page. You don’t need to worry too much about this but if the pictures that come up aren’t something you want to be associated with, start adding some images with your name in the file and alt text, and you’ll have a bit more luck with the results. 

Make accounts private that you aren’t happy for potential employers to see such as Instagram and consider deleting anything that isn’t appropriate anymore. Go through your Facebook and have a clean-up, consider also updating your security settings if you wish to not be searchable. What you show of yourself and your social life online can give a good insight into you as a person, team member, and potential representative of a company, so consider what your online presence says about you. 

Videos & YouTube

YouTube is a big part of our online life and it isn’t going anywhere. Honestly, how many of us have gone to YouTube to look something up and quickly learn something? It is a great platform and, if you want it to, it can be a great way to create community and let people into your life and/or work, aka behind the scenes. Of course, there’s more than just YouTube, you might have been featured in a documentary or interviewed and these show up.   

I have a vlog channel and am now working on an Architecture channel. This reaches both aims of letting people get to know me, and connect with us as a family #IcelandFamilyLie and also helps build my business through video tutorials and more. Professional and personal, I have control of it and it works for me. I’ve found that it’s a good way to reach people, clients, and customers - but it is a lot of work. 

READ: HOW TO START A YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Maps & Your Contact Details

I can remember when a student once pointed out that it was obvious where I lived because Instagram had tagged my location on a lot of my recent posts (this feature has now been removed) but it was alarming that they could easily look at my feed and see where I had been, and where I’d posted a majority of pictures; ie at that time, my ‘home studio’. 

It can also be scary, and very annoying, when contact details are slipped into the public realm like your email or phone number, and you start attracting spam. Be very careful about where your details can be seen, and by whom. If you don’t want your email out there, take it off your Instagram bio and remove the contact button as it takes people right to an email page where they can copy your address. People can always DM you if you want them to contact you. 

Search now and then to check what comes up. Having your contact details online can be a useful thing, especially if you have a brick and mortar but for obvious reasons, protect yourself and your family. Don’t list your home address, or show clear pictures of where you live unless you want people to know and be able to visit.

If you sell items, have a return address you’re happy to list and if you want to receive samples or gifts, opt for something safer like a PO Box. 

5 Ways To Add To Or Change What’s Online Of You

1. Check all account Bio’s and update info

2. Update profile pictures to reflect the way you want to be seen, i.e a clear, professional headshot

3. Check over videos and add any that will help your online presence and better represent you

4. Build a simple website and add a portfolio section to show examples of your work (add your name to the alt text of images)

5. Check over the contents of any websites that you are associated with, i.e. current employer, previous employers, etc.

Safety Online

Being online is almost inevitable. It’s wild to think back to the first time I went online and dialled up, or that I once attended a training on how to set up an email account - I’m sure my daughter will laugh at that. She will possibly just think that the internet was always around, what did we do before it?! And she will likely end up in a job that hasn’t even been created yet. 

We have no idea where it’s all going, it’s good and bad, scary and wonderful but at the end of the day, safety is important. Yes, you can block certain websites in your control, in the safety of your own home, but don’t be put off by this. 

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Be aware, educated & protected, & make it work for you

How I Knew I Was Pregnant Before A Positive Pregnancy Test

From tracking my cycle and ovulation to going over my early pregnancy symptoms, this is how I knew I was pregnant before I got a positive pregnancy test.

Watch the video

Tracking ovulation and my cycle

In this video, I go over the early pregnancy symptoms that made me think I was pregnant before I took a test and got a positive!! I was 99% sure I was pregnant BUT I had felt this before. After all, you can trick your mind into pregnancy symptoms and I have done that before. They’re not huge or obvious symptoms but I know my body so here we go, pregnant at 40.

Remember - every pregnancy is different, every woman is different.

Natural Family Planning

This is how I knew I was pregnant before a positive pregnancy test. I tracked my ovulation and cycle on Flo and in my diary. We practised natural family planning: I had regular periods and I knew when I ovulated so we could avoid/plan for pregnancy.

symptoms in Days Past Ovulation:

• 2 days sore boobs (only time)

• 3-6 days headaches/migraines, stopped drinking coffee, quicker (than normal) to get annoyed

• 7-11 days nausea, clear skin, less hair falling out

• 8 days cramps on the left side (implantation?), increased discharge, tired, emotional

• 9 days back pain, bloating

• 14 days past ovulation POSITIVE TEST

my last period

I got my period on my birthday and just thought “Why?!!” It felt like such a rubbish birthday present. But, in hindsight, this was to be my last period and so dated the pregnancy which was pretty cool and actually a really great birthday present.

Other symptoms

Ingimar pointed out that Mia had become very clingy to me, she has never really favoured one parent over the other but suddenly she was a bit more of a Mummies Girl. She was always by my side, telling me she loved me and stroking me. It was lovely but also like she just knew something was up.

And what followed

The last few weeks and months have been spent feeling very tired and nauseous. My days are ok but come 4 pm, the nausea kicks in, and then by 6pm I’m so tired (toddler mum) and nauseous that I can’t finish cooking dinner. By 8 pm, after the bedtime routine, I fall asleep with (or before) Mia.

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What early symptoms did you experience?

Finding Your Time In A Pandemic, Balance

I’ve been home with Mia for the last week, and on and off since before Easter - well, all year like everyone else really, with restrictions changing all the time. It's tough and the end isn’t really in sight. 

I hope this post not only reassured you of how hard this 2021 non-balance thing is but that it inspires you to fight yourself for 'you' time - you’ll use it very wisely when you get it, trust me.

The Self-Employed Working Mum

As a self-employed working from home Mum, I find balance a difficult one. Motherhood isn’t balanced, the scales tip and tip, and sometimes fall but we tell ourselves “This too shall pass” and it does. But recently, I have lost myself in this balance. 

Age 0-1

The first year of Motherhood was filled with bliss, discomfort, milestones, and guilt. I discovered what Mum guilt was when I picked up my laptop…and then I felt equally as guilty when I wasn’t earning or financially contributing as much because I wasn’t as present in my business. Balance.

Age 1-2

The second year of Motherhood was fuelled by an inner pressure to make the time I had count. When Mia was in daycare, I’d work my butt off and was super hard on myself (I still am). I put too much pressure on myself, I wasn’t ever happy with what I was doing. It felt like it wasn’t enough. I was aiming to be a super Mum super supportive to my husband, and super productive in my business. I had to learn that things had changed, that I had to cut myself some slack and love myself. I was my worst boss. 

Age 2-3

I guess I’m now in the 3rd year of Motherhood so with a global pandemic, earthquakes, a volcanic eruption nearby, homesickness, and now pregnancy, what the heck even is balance anyway? 

Finding & Taking Some Time As A Mum

Today the Viking took a day out of his sick days and stayed home with Mia. She isn’t ill but has a temperature, and, in Covid times, we can completely understand the leikskóli (nursery) isn’t taking any chances.

But it hadn’t even occurred to me that he could take some time out and stay home with her. 

All too often, we Mums sacrifice ourselves and our time and stay home. I certainly don’t mean that Motherhood = a sacrifice I’m not willing to make, I would drop anything and everything for my family, but why is it that Mums are so often the ones to do it? - to put themselves second, or even last?

I work, my work is important, it gives me an identity and purpose, it helps others, it earns money, and my work counts. And just because I work from home it doesn’t mean that because I am home, I’m just sitting around. 

Taking Myself & My Business Seriously

I often feel like I have to fight for the time and space to work, and it’s me I am fighting. As a Mum, Mia comes first. But that can be detrimental to the growth of my business, and me. If I am not taking it seriously, why should anyone else? 

So today I got up and dressed, I did my hair and makeup (oh, it felt soo good), I put a spritz of my favourite perfume on, packed my work bag which has sat in my wardrobe for well over 6 months now, and explained to Mia that Mummy was going to work (which felt so good to do). I said goodbye to her and Daddy and headed out the door. I got in the car and drove to a quiet coffee shop where I ordered a coffee and opened my laptop. Within 45mins I had written two blog posts, both over 800 words. I messaged the Viking to say how good this felt. I had found my groove and was loving it. I stayed a while longer and tapped out another 900-word post. It felt so good. 

Know The Value Of Your Time, Without Guilt

When you have the time, a few hours or even less, you make the most of that time and can truly get your head down and focus. I work so much smarter now I know what my time is worth to my family and to me. I know what I want to do for myself and my business, and in return, what that can do for my family. 

10 Steps To Help & Encourage You, You Mum Boss!!

1. Don’t be so hard on yourself, you’re doing great

2. Your child needs to see and know that Mummy goes to work

3. Just because you work at home, it doesn’t mean you’re just sitting around. Make sure people get that

4. If you’re not taking it seriously, why should anyone else?!

5. Work smarter rather than harder

6. Figure out what needs to be done in your business to make a difference and move the needle

7. Outsource anything else, where possible

8. Find yourself in your work again, it’s empowering and gives you purpose and identity - you are not just ‘Mum’ but you are so much more

9. But also remember, being a Mum is more than enough

10. Thank your partner/friend/family/babysitter for their time and support in building your dream, you’ll likely feel refreshed just from a few hours away

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so, Are you going to push for more ‘you time’?

WE'RE PREGNANT!!

We’ve been keeping a secret...There’s a new creation in the works!! We can’t wait to welcome baby number 2 in October 2021!!

Watch the video

I am now 12 weeks pregnant so sharing our news and doing this pregnancy announcement is very exciting as it's been a big secret to keep. Getting pregnant with our second child wasn't easy, we tried for 7 months and finally, at 40 years old, we got a positive pregnancy test result.

We feel so blessed, so happy and so excited. Thank you for joining us on this journey.

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Who’s excited? we sure are!!