I wish I had the courage to make a small business but it all sounds like too much to figure out and keep up with.
I feel like it does take a lot of courage to put yourself out there like that especially after all of the trauma. I know self reliance isn’t the pinnacle of what people should want but it does have its purposes in the country we’re in. You’ve refused to give up even when so many things have been shitty for you. I’m simultaneously proud of you and wish I could do that for myself.
I really appreciate that! And yeah I won't lie it's difficult. Thankfully from a tax perspective if you aren't making a whole lot it's tolerable, but you really do have to be making a lot for it to be profitable and livable. I'm talking over 20k a year.
I only made it through 2020 because of my savings account and a couple months of unemployment. I only made it through 2021 because I also did DoorDash. Even people in my city that I thought "made it" also have second jobs and have been struggling these past two years. If you want to start a small business, don't be like me and quit your job outright (if you have one) because you'll want that supplemental income. I had to for my health, but I was planning to do this in 2025, not now. So that I would have bigger savings to work with.
There's a lot that I am proud of, but it costs a LOT of money to do this and it has run out. It's really not that sustainable unless you go viral or can build a community - and with Tumblr dying, Instagram's algorithm not prioritizing small businesses, having to pay for ads or losing a percentage of your pay to keep your work in local shops...well. Everything is a gamble.
While I obviously support you following what matters to you, do be smart about it and be willing to accept that income is not guaranteed. Especially since 2021, sales have tanked for everyone in my small business circles and people are thinking about giving up. Social media may make it look like fun (it is) or glamorous (it isn't) but I wouldn't have done this if not for the pandemic.
Support small businesses. We don't even get paychecks lol.