WITH the cost-of-living crisis putting a huge strain on the purses of many people up and down the country, it seems that more and more of us are turning to side hustles to bring in some extra cash.

But if you aren’t sure where to start, fear not – you’ve come to the right place.

One savvy mum-of-one has revealed that she quit her 9-5 retail job to start her very own side hustle making phone cases from her living room.

And after years of hard work she’s now making just shy of £100,000 a year.

Anastasija Visnakova, 33, and her husband, Robert Henson, 31, run their business Happy Avocado Store from their home in Glasgow – but it wasn’t always turning over a decent profit. 

Anastasija told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk how her story began as she explained: “I was a one-woman operation at the beginning, and I wanted to sell a product which served two purposes – it didn’t take up much space in the house, and it was easy to take to the post office.

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“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.

“I started in 2016 reselling phone cases. 

“Realising that the quality wasn’t up to the standard I wanted them to be, and wanting more artistic freedom, I started making my own cases.

“The first thing I did to start this process was research. Back then there wasn’t as much information about how to make phone cases as there is now. 

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“YouTube and forums were my best friends. I had to find all the machines, programs and supplies and learn how to use them.

“After I created some products and photographed them I was able to open my Etsy shop in 2017 and start selling”.

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Anastasija revealed the biggest obstacle she faced with her side hustle and explained how she overcame this.

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.

“I studied art and design in college and photography in University, so I was always passionate about creating my own art. 

“Back then I was not sure if I would ever make any money from it. Now the times have changed!

“It’s amazing to know that people buy our phone cases and wear them with pride – it makes me so happy. 

“We have a lot of repeat customers and have received lovely messages from all over the world”.

The savvy side hustler explained ways in which she tries to keep her costs low.

She continued: “At the beginning we didn’t make much money at all. It was definitely very hard, as we worked so much and got so little back. 

“That’s why it is so important to love what you do. 

“We were very frugal and had a great routine of putting money back into the business in order to let it grow.

“Additionally, the cost of products, packaging and shipping always goes up. 

“We make all our products ourselves and we design and make our own packaging labels. This saves a lot of money in a time when everything is becoming more expensive.

“Another way we cut costs is simple – all our work happens at home. 

“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!”

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Anastasija explained that the first year of sales was quite quiet, but she is now making just shy of £100,000 a year.

She revealed: “The first sale I had on Etsy was exactly 7 days after I opened my shop. However, the first year was very quiet and I focused on our other platforms.

“In our first year on Etsy, I only made £413.

“My husband joined after those initial 12 months to help me out. The second year was when it picked up substantially and the sales grew rapidly every year since then. 

“Now Etsy is our best platform. This year so far on Etsy alone we have made £30,000. 

“We make around £80,000 annually – last year we made £92,000.

“We are very lucky as people still buy our products during the cost of living crisis, but we are starting to see some quiet periods and are still worried about what the future holds. 

“We have returning customers every day, we know our product is good quality and we are not planning on raising the prices so we hope this will keep us going”.

If you are looking to start a side hustle and aren’t sure where to start, Anastasija has shared her top three bits of advice.

She advised: “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. 

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“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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