What nobody tells you about building a business as a side hustle
When people hear the word solopreneur, they often picture someone working from a cosy café with a laptop, making their own schedule and enjoying complete freedom.
And yes, there are moments that look exactly like that.
For me, it’s a little different.
I’m building Surprise Hamper alongside a full-time job. That means every evening, every weekend and every spare moment becomes another opportunity to build the future I’m dreaming of.
Being a solopreneur is already a challenge.
Building a business as a side hustle adds another layer entirely.
What nobody really tells you, though, is that becoming your own boss also means becoming almost everyone else in the business.
You’re no longer just the founder.
You’re the baker.
The photographer.
The social media manager.
The website designer.
The customer service representative.
The accountant.
The marketer.
The product developer.
Sometimes even IT support.
And somehow… you’re expected to know what you’re doing in every single one of those roles.
And the funny part? You did’t apply for any of those jobs.
They simply become yours.
One of the biggest surprises wasn’t learning how to make jam. It was discovering how much I didn’t know.
Before starting Surprise Hamper, I had never heard of Google Ads, Merchant Center, SEO or Meta Business Suite.
Now I spend evenings learning about them. Not because I enjoy every single task.
Honestly… I don’t.
But every new skill gives me a little more confidence.
Every challenge pushes me a little further out of my comfort zone.
And every mistake teaches me something I wouldn’t have learned otherwise.
Running a small business isn’t just about creating products.
It’s about becoming the person your business needs you to become.
Social media is full of highlights. Beautiful product photos. Happy customers. Sold-out markets. The perfect Reel.
But there are also the moments hardly anyone talks about.
Spending days preparing for a market, carefully planning special products and beautiful displays… only to realize there wasn’t much interest after all.
Publishing something you’re incredibly proud of… and watching it disappear into the Instagram algorithm.
Testing a new recipe three times before admitting it simply isn’t good enough.
Or baking far too much for an Open Trailer Day…
…and happily eating lemon cheesecake for the next three days.
Those moments are frustrating. Sometimes they make you question yourself. Sometimes they make you wonder whether all the effort is really worth it.
But strangely enough… they’ve also become my greatest teachers.
Because every setback has taught me something. Sometimes about my products. Sometimes about marketing. And sometimes about myself.
If there’s one thing being a solopreneur has taught me so far, it’s this:
You don’t have to know everything before you start.
You just have to be curious enough to keep learning, brave enough to keep going, and patient enough to trust that all those little steps will eventually lead somewhere extraordinary.
And then, one day, a new order comes in. Someone believes in what you've created enough to spend their money on it.
It is a feeling that's hard to describe... and one that never gets old.
No matter how many hats you wear or how many challenges come your way, nobody can take this feeling away from you.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Send a Smile. Share a Moment. 💛
Marie
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