Turning Your Passion Into An Extra Income With 'Blink Collective'

Yesterday i came across an interesting new enterprise that aims to 'help passionate people find and sell fun, original and local experiences'. Its an online market place (like Etsy) where sellers, instead of listing items for sale, list  activities (workshops, demonstrations etc - categories include 'Learn' 'Make' 'Do' and 'See') which people can book a place to attend.

Its called Blink Collective and i rather like the sound of it, so i thought i'd chat a bit about it today.

 About Blink Collective

Location

Blink Collective is UK based. There is a map search function on the site which you can use to find 'experiences' available in your area.

Who Are The Sellers?

Anyone who is passionate and knowledgable about something and would like to share it with others. Currently there seem to be a lot of culinary experiences among the 600 listings but i believe that they are keen to encourage other sectors (such as artists and crafts people) to get involved.

Who Are The Buyers?

There seems to be an emphasis on connecting with the tourist industry. The experiences available on the site are described as 'a great way to get under the skin of a new city or to meet new friends in your own backyard' as well as 'take away new skills and knowledge'.

How Much Does It Cost?

Its free to create a listing and when you make a sale, Blink Collective get 10%. Guests are charged a £3 booking fee.

Liability

They describe themselves as 'an introductory service' and 'don't take any responsibility for host and guest liability' - liability insurance is something they recommend to hosts.

More Questions?

This is just a quick trot through the basics to give you an idea, there is lots more helpful info on their FAQ's page

My Thoughts

So here i am thinking... could i do this? I can think of lots of fun arty crafty things that i could happily share with a few people for a couple of hours once in a while and i wouldn't mind a supplementary income! but then where would i do it.. i'm not sure i'd want complete strangers trapsing through my house and my crafting space is not exactly roomy once a few people are squeezed in... :)


It has got me thinking about new ways of sharing creativity though and i've realised that its not just the things that i make that i have to offer others but also the chance to experience the process of creating for themselves. I've done a lot of different courses and classes in various crafts over the years and i know what fun it can be to enter a creative space and get lost in something completely different to the rest of your life for an hour or so. I would be lovely to be able to provide that opportunity for others.

Fellow Crafters

I know that some of you reading this are experienced crafters who run workshops already, or have intentions to start doing so - i hope that this has been a helpful link for you.


p.s. If you do decide to create a listing with Blink Collective i'd love to hear how you get on!