Reflecting on a year of experimentation in my business
And what my plans are for my Etsy side hustle in 2024
I’ve had a “word of the year” for my business for the past five years or so. I usually go for something like “Consistency” or “Growth” — words that reflect my desire to work hard and (hopefully) see the fruits of my labor. But for 2023, I took a different tack. I choose “Experiment” as my word of the year.
And while it hasn’t exactly been an easy year, I am extremely grateful for the freedom this mindset has given me. I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t, what I like and what I don’t. And most importantly, I’ve actually accomplished some things that I had been stuck on in the past.
In the hopes that it inspires others, here’s my recap.
Background
I’ve worked as a private tutor solopreneur for the past decade. It’s great, and I love it, but the income can fluctuate seasonally quite a bit and it’s impossible to take a vacation or to care for a sick toddler without my business taking a hit.
My dream is to have “passive” income streams that can take some of the pressure off my 1:1 meetings with students. I’ve also wanted to diversify beyond tutoring, just so that I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket. And ideally…
