Starting an online business? The hassle with selling our own t-shirts
I have been traveling full time for over 4 months now. Luckily had I had a great paying job before and I managed to save up enough of money to last me a long time in South East Asia. My focus is on my travel photography and blogging. I'm learning every day. I can feel myself getting better and everything is slowly growing. But making an income is something totally different.
I don't have that much experience with marketing and just like my photography and writing I wasn't a born talent. It's a skill that is growing and growing over time. My first pictures were total sh*t. My first blogposts were too. I don't think I even posted any of them. They were just bad.
But I still need an income and starting my own business is on my todo list. I'm not just going to travel, I'm making a business out of this. I need something to do.
Making our own t-shirts
Shirts available at: shop.beforeyoupack.net
Mystery girl is one of our specialties. It's something we do and it is marketable. Mystery girl is a personality that shows up at random occasions on my Instagram and blog. But there's always something blocking her face. Many people want to know more and are curious. It's creating a fanbase.
Since this is getting a fanbase, we decided to create our own t-shirts. It's a limited edition t-shirt that will only be on sale until April 24, 2019! It will never be sold again after.
We launched a campaign on teespring and started marketing the shirts in my Instagram stories.
The sales
In my head, it all sounded amazing. But in reality, the sales are really bad. I don't have the fanbase that I though I had and it made me feel really sad. 3 days in, I only had 1 sale. I expected more, specially from my family who support me in what I do. The one sale I had was from my best friend, who deeply supports me.
I talked about it with Mystery girl, who also supports me and is really amazing. It made me realize that I shouldn't focus on why I wasn't getting any sales, but why I got that one sale. And it's obvious, she's my best friend, knows me and supports me. My audience on Instagram, doesn't know me and that is the problem. I haven't been open to them! They only see the outcome of my travels, an amazing picture! But no story, no emotion, they don't know all the work and what I do. Because I don't show them!
Time for change
I learned a lot by this one mistake and failure. But I'm not giving up. I am learning every day and I hope that everyone of you is still learning every day! This means that you are growing. So I will change the way I communicate with my followers. I expected too much from them and I'm just an online stranger. Who would support just a random stranger who only posts pretty pictures and seems to have the best life in the world? I wouldn't.
By now, my family caught up and I made a fair amount of sales. Mystery girl has a great friend circle here in Bangkok and we will make more sales here. Our shirts are still on sale online. There are now less than 4 days remaining! For the interested they can be bought at shop.beforeyoupack.net.
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Thanks for your openness in sharing. Travel for 4 months are wonderful. Always wanted to born in a higher currency country >< to have the privilege to travel in S.E.A. How you get the fairly sales? I am exploring in eCommerce thingy too~
The truth is that a lot of people in higher currency countries are stuck. While the currency is stronger and the income is higher. So is the cost of living. Housing, water, electricity, internet, food and transportation are freaking expensive AF. Many people have a hard time to come by and most people cannot save more than 10% of their income.
It is true that we have the privilege to go with our funds to a cheaper country. It grants us a lot of freedom. This freedom can be used to start a business and really focus on it. Most people just use it to run away from responsibilities at home and when the money runs out, they go back to their 9-5 and being stuck.
So don’t limit yourself. You are on here, because you want a way out. I can feel it and you can get there. There are many ways to make a westerner income while living in a cheaper country. You will find you because you are looking. I believe in you!
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