Starting a handmade business in your 20s: should you do it?

Personal photo @themodernium

I know it sounds crazy, but bear with me.

Prior to 2020, I had been entertaining this idea for quite a few years, but I was too comfortable back then.

I had a constant income and was pretty content, although I knew that was not something I enjoyed doing.

But then came the pandemic and my life changed too. I lost my job and was forced to re-shift my priorities.

Me and my partner started a handmade business while stuck inside and in a matter of months and with the help of social media, we started selling our products both locally and internationally. You can check it out here.

So what started as a hobby turned into a business quite fast and soon we partnered with local shops to showcase our products.

Maybe we got lucky, but I think that if you do want something, you will make everything to make it happen.

What I realized after almost a year of doing business:

• Your 20s are still a time of self-discovery: this is the perfect time to experiment with jobs and careers and discover new passions
• Fear of failure is part of the process: you will fail and those mistakes will eventually make you succeed.
• You should not be completely reckless: do the jump when you can afford to. Even if you don’t have kids or bank loans, you need money to survive, let’s face it.
• Have a side job/do freelancing: and work on your business idea after it, it is exhausting but it will pay off one day.
• Save money early and invest it later: you never know what business idea you might have and what materials/services you might need at one point. Things will be a lot easier and your future self will thank you!

You will doubt yourself along the way and question your decisions. You will feel insecure.

I know I still do, not having a regular job and always fearing that I might not make it. This is something that keeps you up at night.

It’s up to you to decide if you are going to do the leap, but also, don’t give up on a dream just because you are scared. That is not a reason, that is an excuse.

I hope you guys enjoyed this piece, I hope I will be able to write more about my unfolding journey as a small business owner!