The bedroom entrepreneur
The Internet has made it easier than ever before to start an online business.
The rise of the online shopper
The digital world is now at our fingertips and has transformed the way we shop forever. The retail landscape has changed drastically. The rise of social media, marketplaces, and trading apps has given anyone with access to the internet an opportunity to become a bedroom entrepreneur. The statistics of online shoppers are always increasing, along with the number of online business owners. According to BigCommerce, over 75% of people are shopping at least once a month online. This will only become more common with the generational shift in shopping behaviour (Gen Z compared to the Baby Boomers). With apps like Instagram and Depop, creating a business has never been so effortless. Selling goods online is not just a game for profit, but for the young generation, it is now a form of engagement that cannot be escaped. Many are flocking to social media apps to purchase clothing, accessories, and other items. One of them is avid online shopper, Isaac Sherburn.
Isaac says that he prefers to buy online, especially if it means supporting a small business or individual. He comments “something is satisfying in knowing that you are helping someone… your money isn’t going to a massive company”. The internet has allowed creativity to flourish more than we could have ever imagined, meaning there are thousands of small businesses to purchase from, saying…
“ I like the uniqueness of buying second-hand, or supporting someone’s side hustle”.
Isaac commonly buys vintage clothing and old items from Instagram pages. Just recently, he purchased an old film camera that would not be found in a physical store. The popular buy and sell app Depop has opened a door for consumers like Isaac, who enjoys finding exclusive pieces to match their style. It has also blessed people with the chance to bring an idea to life. Depop provides users with the option to create a business profile, making setting up a business is more simple than it has ever been, and there are multiple platforms following in its footsteps.
The Online Side-Hustler
Charlotte Pettis is a 21-year-old Wintec student who created a Depop account intending to sell her clothing to earn some extra cash. Never did she think the app had the potential to turn into a thriving business that doubles as her part-time job. Charlotte recognized an accessory-based trend throughout the Depop app. This inspired her to uncover an old hobby and brush the dust off her jewellery kit, ultimately launching her unique and quirky online shop “Thrifty-Ish”. Charlotte began collating inspiration from multiple social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and other popular Depop pages to discover the aesthetic of her brand. Charlotte reflects on the beginnings of her online journey saying “It was a slow start but once I found my niche it skyrocketed, finding your individuality as a business is really important”. Charlotte likes to take a grungy, gothic approach to the pieces she creates which emulates her own personal style. Depop is big on “the look” and creative influence, which Charlotte took into consideration when building her brand “I chose a bright colour scheme, with gradients and patterns to reflect my creations”. Charlotte has also managed to take everyday items such as her mirror and laptop and turn them into quintessential parts of her business. She discovered a “hack” online, where you simply place an item on a mirror and hover a laptop screen with a funky background of your choice on top. Charlotte adds that it creates a nice shadow and is pleasing to the eye, proving that you don’t need any special equipment to make your small business look high quality. Depop has made the business start-up an easy and efficient process for Charlotte, saying that it is accessible and user-friendly, not only for herself but for her customers as well.
Thrifty-Ish has taken off with over 1,500 sales within the past year, with her funky necklaces becoming a bestseller. Charlotte has loved the experience so far. She says,
“it is just so easy for people to click items into their carts…The internet has made buying online an effortless process”
which is something that Charlotte noticed during the height of the pandemic. It was no secret that there was a rise in online purchasing over the lockdown period, which is something that hit Thirty-Ish hard. Charlotte explained that she received over 350 sales during the time span of 2 months, which has dropped only ever so slightly. She defined lockdown as a learning curve for her as an online business owner, where she realised that there is a lot to manage when running a successful page. “Behind the scenes, there is a lot of purchasing, stocktaking, admin and packaging, which I don’t think people consider”.
Despite the time-consuming nature of her newfound ‘side hustle’ and hard work aside, she still finds it therapeutic, especially after a long day of class. Charlotte has hopes to grow Thrifty-Ish further in the future. She’d like to extend herself to other platforms like Instagram, which have conveniently built their own shopping section. This will make it easier to purchase off the social media platform. She says “more people use Instagram, so expanding my customer base on the app will be beneficial”. Charlotte admits that she never would have given this small business a try if it wasn’t for the help of technology and the influence of social media.
Charlotte encourages everyone who has even an inkling of a business idea, to take advantage of this digital era, saying that you never know how far it could take you. So the question is… when are you starting yours?
