Starting a new business in 2025 - here’s what I’m doing
The scary thing about starting a new business is that it might all go wrong. It might flop, fail, fall apart. I might break. I might fall apart.
I very possibly will lose money. Time. Energy. And all the feelings will sit inside me. Or fall out. Or both. And then I’ll probably freeze and not want to put anything into the world ever again.
Though I know, from running Petalplum for about 16-17 years, that I will lose money. That I will make a LOT of mistakes. That I’ll probably want to throw it all in. That I won’t know what I’m doing some of the time. That I’ll feel imposter syndrome way more than necessary.
I know that I’ll have a million amazing ideas and only be able to implement 5 of them. Or perhaps a few more handfuls than that. I know some ideas will fail, some will be an amazing success. I know some ideas will be passion projects - ie I’ll love doing them, people will love them, but I won’t make enough money for them to be viable as a business.
Having a passion-hobby as a business can be hard. That balance of what to do for the love of it, what to give up, what to sell compared to what to keep making just for ourselves, or gifting. What boundaries do we set on all of this.
It isn’t easy. But it is wonderful.
Though, don’t be fooled into thinking that if you do what you love as a business you’ll never work a day in your life. I think the people saying that have never actually turned their passion, hobby, love-projects into full income earning businesses.
Because, there is work. And not much sick pay. And holiday pay means working extra hard in the weeks or months before or after. And I’ve always found that holidays mean taking my computer to reply to emails along the way. I don’t have an admin to step in for any of that.
And because we’re doing what we love, our art making, as our business, we often take it with us anyway.
I don’t want to scare you away from turning your hobby and passion, your art, craft, creative work into a business. Because let me tell you - working for myself, doing the thing that I love, getting to share it with the world, having people appreciate, respect, enjoy what I make.
Well - that is truly one of the best things ever!
And I want that for you. Even if it stays as a side-work-income-project. Even if it means you earn enough simply to cover costs, and be able to actively sell the things you make, so they’re not taking up space in your home.
I’ve been thinking back on how I started this whole thing. Selling the textile crafts and creative pieces that I made. How my business evolved from sitting sewing with my young kids by my side, to this ‘thing’ where I now have the experience, understanding, know-how to teach you those things.
To teach craft courses and workshops. To show people how to do that technique that I do.
To teach people how to start, set-up, and run their business. All the things needed for this wonderful, big, exciting, scary, amazing work that we do.
So, as I’m starting a new business now, in 2025, I’m writing down the things that I should / could / can do. As starting a business in 2025 is so different than starting a business in 2010-ish.
7 things to consider starting a business in 2025
1 : Clarify your main offering (niche)
When I began Petalplum there was no real specific plan or outline. In fact we went through multiple names and variations of business ideas over the years, before Petalplum became. Red Seed Studio, Deadwood Creative, Selvedge House.
It took me a while to write a business plan or any goals. And I love writing these sort of lists, so thinking back it’s strange that I didn’t do this earlier. But I was doing the work, making the things, alongside parenting young children.
Over time my main “me” became clear simply by doing what I like to do. As I kept sharing my work online it evolved that people liked what I did, what I shared, what I knew.
Petalplum main offering is slow creative living and traditional crafts in a modern way, as well as hand stitching community. Petalplum is, and has always been, very closely connected with who I am. As in, I’m the person alongside the brand name, and always dive deep into that.
My Ellie Beck Creative offering has grown out of my years of experience, connecting with people, working out what they need to know, what I can teach and share. Based on seeing other small creative businesses, and wanting to guide them through the challenges I went through, I’ve learnt ways that I can make my new business more specific in what I offer.
Creating an audience off social media, growing your newsletter list, and building an online home (your website).
2: Find and build an online audience
Instagram has always been my favourite place to meet and connect. I know that I was lucky to join in the very early days, but even now it’s very possible to start and grow there.
I suggest posting every day or 2 (no less than 3 times a week) on IG for the next 2 -3 months. Share your work, give people an insight into who you are, what you make, what you sell. Connect with people in a true, relatable way.
3: Get that audience to join you off social media
This is super important. I love love love Instagram (even with all the constant changes and battles), but I know that it’s harder than ever to continue to be visible to your people each week.
This means that when they give you permission to contact them in their email inbox you are front and centre. No need to worry that the IG algorithm is working against you, or having to learn new rules, hashtags, trending audio every week.
4: Newsletters! and more newsletters
Ok, this is a theme isn’t it. Yep! Newsletters are the number one thing I’m focussing on for my new business. This means growing it intentionally, dedicatedly, and making sure I optimise it. This means making sure I attract the right people to my list, who want, need, and love what I share.
By newsletters and more newsletters I mean having free opt-ins (have you got the free download ebook yet! Grab it here), having newsletter automations and funnels, scheduling regular newsletters that go out even if my internet isn’t working.
This means making sure I’m providing highly valuable information for you to read. Things to inspire, educate and delight you.
5: Start a blog
I actually started a blog before I even started a business. But it was very much random hobby and life stuff. And I never did the proper work to make it as successful as it could be. In the early days of blogging I did more reading of other blogs than writing of my own blog.
I wish I’d spend all the time sharing blog posts consistently, making content that people loved, needed, appreciated, shared, and actioned on. ie - more tutorials, more how-tos, more blog posts about tools, techniques, things I love. Blog posts with interviews of people I respect, am inspired by, appreciate.
(Can you see all the ideas I have, and the way they don’t always come to fruition! Being gentle on myself is one of the things I’m doing with this new business too).
When your website is ready, starting writing things on your blog. Don’t worry about what you write, just write some stuff. I’ve overthought it all too much. Instead I could have shared what I’d stitched and made and created every week. I could have shared the fabric, the materials, the things I loved.
Like an online arts diary. Start that. Do that. Let’s do it together!
6: Start selling a low-ticket thing
Ok, let’s be real here. Because this thing you’re doing is a business. Which means you want to make money. And in order to make money you need people learning about what you do, loving it, and wanting more.
Offering a lower priced product, service or course means they can experience your work, then dive headfirst into your higher priced pieces.
If you think about a retail shop that sells lovely gift. Of course you want everyone to walk in and buy the biggest, most expensive thing in the store, but some people aren’t ready for that yet. Giving them the option of greeting cards, smaller books or little notebooks means there’s more chance they’ll purchase something rather than nothing.
If you sell ceramics you might find some people only buy earrings or tiny vases before they’ll buy the bigger bowl. Or consider also that people are in different budget brackets, different stages of their life or their needs. Is it a housewarming gift for a colleague or a wedding present for a sibling?!
If you sell online courses or services you might offer an introduction of what you do, rather than the full course. You might offer a lower-priced membership rather than a 1-on-1 coaching session.
I’ve talked about free offerings, such as mini-courses, ebooks or checklists. You could take these one step further and create something that people will pay for - think $9-$17. A few of these a day or a week helps to pay your internet fees, your website or newsletter platform.
It gets people into your world. They’ve actively decided they like you and are ready to be part of what you’re doing.
But most importantly of all, I think having a lower ticket option gives you the confidence that what you’re doing, sharing, offering is what people want. It gives a little money safety-net for you to spend time, energy and materials on making your bigger ticket things.
7: Pinterest
Gosh isn’t Pinterest lovely. Yes yes. I have all the sweet studios, clothes I likely will never sew or wear (though I wish I wish), photographs I want to take, more recipes pinned than days left in my life. What about you? If you’re not on Pinterest, come on over and let’s online mood board together.
BUT, here’s the thing - Pinterest is one of my best ways for people to find your website, blog, offerings and services. Anything posted there is way longer lasting than Instagram posts, people can share and create their own posts from your site. And that’s where people go to learn, discover, be inspired.
So, as with blogging, I know that I’ve lost a whole heap of opportunities by not utilising Pinterest to it’s highest potential. For Ellie Beck Creative I’ll be doing all the Pinterest things - well, the ones I know anyway.
Well, writing a list like this sounds a bit daunting, a bit too overwhelming…. Like - where to actually start. In order.
Set yourself a plan. Go slowly. No need to overthink it too much. No rush. This is a long distance thing. Don’t feel like you’ve missed out if you don’t do it all at once.
Actually, don’t do it all at once. Take a few months. Numbers 6 and 7 needn’t happen for a while. When you’re feeling more confident, and have time. Though, Pinterest is fun. And a great addition to your blog posts.
