5 Ways to Turn Your Hobby Farm Into a Side Hustle

Guest post by Gwen Payne.

Maybe you’re lucky enough to own property with lots of land, and you’ve been working on small-scale farming as a hobby for a while. But now, you’re curious about whether or not you could profit from your hobby farming endeavors. These tips from The Side Hustle Journey will show you how to form an LLC, market your farm, and grow your business sustainably.

Create Your Brand

You might not think that a hobby farm business needs a brand – but today, every company should have a recognizable, memorable brand to inspire customer loyalty! If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to branding, Small Farm Nation recommends crafting your messaging around an environmental issue that you’re passionate about, using consistent slogans, and being transparent about what sets your farm apart from the rest!

Form an LLC

It’s important to complete some key administrative tasks before you start selling products from your farm. For example, you’ll want to register your business as an LLC in your state. This status will grant you limited liability, and you’ll be able to take advantage of special tax breaks. It’s a great perk for many small businesses! While you could hire a lawyer for assistance or file on your own, filing through an affordable online service is very convenient. They can help you meet all of your state’s filing requirements and gather the correct paperwork. Take the time to read reviews before choosing a service.

Explore Sales Channels

If this is your first foray into hobby farming, you might not know where to sell your products. There are a few different sales channels that you can use. For example, you may want to register for booth space at a few local farmers’ markets. At the farmers’ market, you can sell everything from honey to fresh produce to baked goods to butchered meat!

You can also set up a website that customers can visit to order your products. To build your website, The Produce Nerd recommends signing up with a reputable hosting service, choosing a theme that’s easy to customize, and installing security plug-ins to protect your business against hackers.

Market Your Products

Marketing your hobby farm products is an exciting endeavor that can be done in a variety of ways. Online platforms like social media and e-commerce sites offer great ways to connect with potential customers. Creating engaging content such as informative blogs, inviting visuals, and special promotions or giveaways can draw attention to your offerings. You may also want to consider participating in local farmers markets or joining forces with other small businesses in your area to increase reach and create a stronger presence in the community.

Scale Up

Over time, you might want to grow your business. Even if you don’t want to rely on hobby farming as your entire income, you may want to introduce new products to your customers as you get curious about different agricultural pursuits. To expand without getting burnt out, you may want to use software to manage your sales information and important paperwork – leveraging the right technology can definitely help you save time and work more efficiently.

Making a full-time living as a farmer can be backbreaking work. But running a hobby farm for a side income is a lot of fun! With these tips, you’ll be prepared to file LLC paperwork for your farm, figure out where to sell your goods, and promote your products with the right marketing materials. 

Photo via Pexels

Tips to Help You Stay on Track with Financial Life Planning

Guest post by Gwen Payne of www.invisiblemoms.com.

Life planning is a long-term undertaking that often requires assistance and guidance from financial advisors. While it may be helpful — and necessary — to bring in professionals for investment advice and legal document drafts, there are a lot of things you can take care of on your own to help secure your financial future.

To help you find the right track and stay on course, check out the following resources. 

Create and Stick to a Budget

A critical step in life planning is creating a budget, so if you haven’t made one already, now is the time to do it. Once you’ve set a monthly, weekly, or even daily budget, you need to stick to it. 

5 Simple Steps to Create a Successful Budget

32 Hacks for Sticking to Your Budget

4 Ways to Boost Your Budgeting Sense

Build an Emergency Savings Fund

You probably already have a savings account to help you buy big-ticket purchases, like a new car or a family vacation. Just as important, though, is an emergency fund that will cover expenses you don’t plan for, such as a flooded basement, an emergency surgery, or sudden unemployment. 

The Importance of Having an Emergency Fund

25 Ideas For How To Save Money Each Month

Decide What You Can Actually Afford on a Home

If you plan to buy a home sometime in the future, the above steps will help you budget and save accordingly.  However, in order to decide how much you can really afford to spend on a home, you’ll also need to consider other factors to ensure you don’t put yourself in a financial predicament. 

Find a Cheaper Rental to Help Save Money

Home Affordability Calculator

8 Hidden Costs of Home Ownership

Make Retirement Saving a Priority

The importance of saving for retirement cannot be overstated. It’s critical to ensure you have enough money to cover your living expenses once you retire. To that end, boosting your 401(k) contributions or even opening an IRA can be a boon once it’s time to leave the workforce.

How Much Should You Put In Your 401(k)

Best IRA Accounts for 2021

Take on a Side Job

Whether it’s something for the short term or something you can handle indefinitely, a side hustle is a great way to pad your income and your savings. 

Best Side Hustle Ideas to Make an Extra $2K a Month

10 Tips to Help You Start a Side Hustle

You should certainly follow the long-term advice of your financial advisor to achieve your life planning goals and secure your family’s future. However, taking these steps in the short term can help you meet your financial goals and stay on track with your long-term objectives.

Image via Pixabay by Olichel

How Stay-at-Home Parents Can Earn Extra Income

Guest blog from Gwen Payne of www.invisiblemoms.com

Let it never be said that being a stay-at-home parent isn’t a job. Ask anyone who has chased a toddler across the house all day, and they’ll tell you exactly how challenging a job it can be. Unfortunately, it’s not lucrative. As a result, many parents are interested in finding ways to bring in a little extra income each month. 

However, finding a job you can juggle while parenting at home isn’t just about the money. It’s also about the chance to provide, contribute, and make use of the skills you’ve spent years developing. The Side Hustle Journey knows how important it is to have an identity that isn’t just wrapped up in parenthood. Here are a few jobs that can help:

Starting a Business

When it comes to flexible work, you can’t really beat running your own business. Being your own boss means setting your own hours, defining your own workload, and building the schedule that works for you. There are a ton of great home-based businesses parents can run. For example, you can look into the e-commerce market. If you make homemade goods, there are a ton of great platforms where you can sell online. Supplement your shop with dropshipping, and you can make even more product without finding extra space for inventory. 

When you start your business, you should consider setting up an LLC. This is a type of business structure that creates a legal barrier between your personal assets and your professional assets. It means that only your company’s funds are at risk in the event of a lawsuit, and you and your family are protected. Look into your state’s LLC laws to see if it makes sense for your business. 

Blogging 

Writing a blog is another great option for parents who want to bring in some extra income. If you have a passion, an area or expertise, or even just something you’re interested in learning more about, start a blog about it. If you can gain an audience, you can make money off of ad revenue, affiliate sponsorships, and even direct support from readers through sites like Patreon. 

Smart Blogger notes there are several steps to creating a successful (and profitable) blog. First and foremost, you need to produce regular, quality content. Set yourself a publishing schedule and stick to it. Next, you need to make sure that content gets seen. Promote your work on social media, and ask friends and family to share it as well. It may take a while for your blog to catch on, so be patient and give it time to work.

Consulting 

Many stay-at-home parents have had long, successful careers. If you’re an industry expert, you can still share your knowledge while parenting at home. As Marqui Management explains, many companies need consultants to help them make major decisions, handle problems, and push their business forward with confidence. 

To get started, create a website advertising your services and reach out to members of your professional network. Let them know you’re starting a consulting service, and ask them to reach out or share your name in their networks. You’ll start to gain clients, and from there it’s a matter of maintaining strong relationships, getting (and tracking) results, and staying current in your field. 

Maybe your family is struggling to make ends meet; maybe you’d just like a little more padding in your budget; maybe you’re just getting stir crazy at home. Whatever the case, The Side Hustle Journey is here to tell you there are a ton of great career options out there that stay-at-home parents are perfectly suited for. Check them out, and you can find the right fit for you. 

Photo Credit: Pexels