A mum who packed in her demanding retail job in favour of starting her own business has said she now makes around £80,000 a year - and she works from the comfort of her living room.
Anastasia Visnakova, 33, first started making her own phone cases in 2016 after watching tutorials on YouTube, and now, she and her partner Robert Henson run the Happy Avocado store on Etsy where they sell her creations, the Daily Star reports.
Last year, Anastasia raked in a whopping £92,000 from her business - which she runs from her home in Glasgow - but has said her yearly earnings aren't always that high, and her average is around £80,000.
Sharing her story with LatestDeals.co.uk, she said: "I was a one-woman operation at the beginning, and I wanted to sell a product which didn't take up much space in the house, and it was easy to take to the post office.
"I watched some YouTube videos on making and selling phone cases and I was inspired to try it for myself. That's how Happy Avocado Store was born."
The mum explained she started her business because she wanted to be more flexible with her hours after her daughter was born, and she no longer wanted to work her demanding 9-5 job in retail.
But Anastasia struggled with her work/life balance at first, as she wanted to throw herself into her business and would happily work from 9am until 10pm before realising it wasn't "healthy".
She added: "One of the main obstacles I had to overcome was learning to manage a work/life balance. Before I had my girl, I could work from 9 in the morning until 10 in the evening and reply to messages at night. I would work weekends and holidays. Later I realised that it was not healthy and that it is more beneficial to spend some quality time with my family and friends.
"I started my business as a hobby when I was working at Debenhams. I quit this job for another which didn't work out. At that point, I realised I did not want to go back to a 9-5 job and I made the decision to start growing my business full-time."
And while she now makes her living through her Etsy business, things weren't always plain sailing, as she only managed to bring in £413 during her first year.
She explained: "Back then I was not sure if I would ever make any money from it. In our first year on Etsy, I only made £413. Now the times have changed! This year so far on Etsy alone we have made £30,000. We make around £80,000 annually - last year we made £92,000.
"In the beginning, we were very frugal and had a great routine of putting money back into the business in order to let it grow. We make all our products ourselves and we design and make our own packaging labels. This saves a lot of money at a time when everything is becoming more expensive.
"We converted one of the rooms into an office and I work from the living room. It's small but it works and it's enough for us. The rent savings are also well worth it!"
And for those looking to start their own business, Anastasia says the most important part is just to start it and see what happens, as you'll never know if you never try.
She said: "My advice for those looking to start their own business is quite simple. Firstly, do your research. There is so much free information and there are a lot of helpful tools online. Secondly, make sure you're doing something you actually enjoy. If you don’t like what you do you will give up sooner or later.
"Thirdly, just do it! It doesn't have to be perfect. Just starting is the most important part. You will see what works and what doesn't. Later you will evolve and get better. Put in the time and effort, and you'll get there."
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