Now, social media helps turn hobbies into businesses

Mumbai-based Melroy Pamak was hooked to graffiti art when he was in school. He started painting over things such as bags, shoes and even helmets for which he started getting appreciated by his friends and family. This prompted him to create a Facebook page and an Instagram store called Mel’s Make.

“I loved painting and felt that anything could be my potential canvas. Now, I get at least 2-3 orders each week through the social media platforms,” says Pamak.

Like Pamak, young college students and housewives are using social media to convert their hobbies to a business. They sell and meet potential clients using Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or even Skype, Pinterest and Tumblr leading to the development of social media ‘stores’.

Take the example of Payal Doshi, founder of Bakestruck, a customised cakes and cupcakes social media store. Baking was her favourite hobby since grade 10 and she always wanted to be a businesswoman.

“I started with Bakestruck couple of years later and now just two years down the line, it helps me easily make around ₹25,000 a month,” says Doshi. It was just Instagram and Facebook that gave Doshi the visibility she needed and WhatsApp to get in touch with her clients. She easily manages to get around 70 orders a month.

 Publicity, visibility and communication all come as perks of the social media and with the three put together nothing stops the aspiring entrepreneurs to start up with their own business.

 “I learnt how to weave dreamcatchers on YouTube and soon it was my favourite hobby. I started my own little business of dream-catchers while in college and all I had to do was post pictures of my creations on Instagram. I got orders came in from all across India,” shared Mitali Jadhav, founder of Twisted Knots, a social media dream-catcher store.

 The craze of doing a business over Instagram and Facebook started among university students in the western countries and lately has brushed onto the Indian social media butterflies as well.

There are a number of such young businessmen and women selling a wide range of products such as decorative candles, recycled showpieces, clothing, bags, accessories and home décor art pieces.

 Kavisha Doshi, owner of Krafftwork, a social media accessories store with over 10,000 followers on its Instagram page, said, “I started with an Instagram page selling Chinese lanterns just last year and hearing that there was an upcoming ban on it I moved on to selling accessories online. With over 150 orders from across the country, helping me make around a lakh rupees each month, I think I did a pretty good job starting Krafftwork.”

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