A woman who quit her job to become a full-time carpenter has shared her top tips on turning a side hustle into a viable career path.
Danielle Clair from West Derby started carrying out DIY carpentry during lockdown in 2020 and sold her first dining table for £120 using Facebook in October that year. Using a £7.99 palm sander she'd bought from B&M, Danielle tried to turn two scaffolding boards into a table, but it fell apart.
After watching countless YouTube and Instagram videos, she persevered, and her second attempt was a success. Danielle shared a photo of the table on Facebook, which gained a lot of attention and she was soon asked to make one for a friend.
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She now runs Scouse Girl Timber full-time after quitting her job in sales to focus on the business. Danielle completes orders for restaurants as far as Kent, as well as helping fit out the likes of Red Door on Berry Street in Liverpool city centre.
The 32-year-old told the ECHO: "It's great that we're all over the UK. Typically March and April does slow down but we're still very busy. I say it slows down but we have a full order book until May so there's quite a long wait at the moment."
Danielle shared her 'golden rules' when it comes to turning a side hustle into a full-time job:
1. Take the plunge
She said: "If you love it enough and you believe in the product you're selling, the only thing you can do is have faith. It was a big decision for me to quit my job, but putting things out there on social media changed my life as I knew it."
2. Get social
Danielle quickly learned that social media is vital for everything from research to putting your products out there. She added: "Instagram is where I initially saw a table I wanted and thought 'I'm not paying £500 for that'.
"I gave it a go myself - I had nothing else to do as we were in lockdown. I will admit, the first one fell apart, but I did hours and hours of research on YouTube and TikTok. The second one is still standing."
3. Have confidence
"I'm a firm believer in people buying from people. As long as you're confident in what you're doing and what you make, people will be confident in you. Once I set my mind on doing something, I do it."
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