When Rachel Jimenez looks back on how she built her career, she realizes it’s not about being superhuman or having endless energy, but about strategy, focusing on what truly matters, and not being afraid to seek help.
At the age of 36, Jimenez now enjoys the freedom and flexibility she once dreamed of. She has a thriving side business that brings in a regular additional income of $10,000 or more per month.
Four years ago, after the birth of her second child, Jimenez struggled with postpartum depression while feeling unsatisfied with her 9-to-5 job in higher education management. At that time, she was also pursuing a master’s degree in psychology in addition to her work.
Jimenez decided to open an Etsy shop selling digital products such as business templates and party games. Being a mother of two children under the age of four, managing her time and schedule was quite challenging.
It took her a year to get her business off the ground. She spent months posting on social media, writing blog articles, experimenting with various products, and seeking feedback, but the results were minimal.
As she delved into customer analytics data, she was surprised to find that a series of budget templates she created, despite generating less revenue, had consistently good sales.
Remembering the words of management expert Peter Drucker – “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things” – she stopped all non-revenue-generating activities and focused solely on things that would make her Etsy shop better.
When Jimenez started selling digital products on Etsy, she created budget planners because of her interest in budgeting and their ease of creation. However, they didn’t sell well due to intense competition and low demand. Over time, she learned to use tools like Pinterest trends, Google trends, and eRank to discover products with low competition and high demand.
For instance, while there was high search volume for digital planners, the competition was also high. On the other hand, there was high search volume for ADHD planners with much less competition. Once she grasped this, her performance and income began to steadily rise.
In 2019, Jimenez took a course on selling digital products on Etsy. Through this course and studying successful shop owners, she realized the importance of market research and testing before investing money and time.
Another lesson she learned was the importance of high-quality product images. The product is crucial, but so is how you sell it.
Most importantly, while implementing these changes, she monitored her progress and took consistent action every day.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities and unsure if you can balance a side business, remember this: small and consistent actions lead to great results.
To make her business a reality, they hired a housekeeper, and her husband took on household chores like cooking, allowing her to focus all her attention on building her business.
Even after completing her digital product course, Jimenez remains active in their Facebook group. She posts almost daily and continues to engage in the online community, leveraging all the resources available to her.