Tarot as more than a hobby?

[Sammirae]

Hello! I hope that this is the right place to post something like this, but does anyone have any advice on pursuing tarot as more than a hobby? This is by no means advertisement for a buisness, but more so for tips and tricks for people who are branching out in their tarot reading adventures!

 

I am no where near this point at all, but I wanted to ask somethings for people who sell tarot services. Specifically ones who sell online! I was curious if people have preferences/experiences using things such as Etsy or Ko-fi. Any tips as well?

 

Finally, I wanted to make sure that if I do pursue something like this, that I know the legal matters involved! I live in New York state, and I was wondering if things such as buisness licenses or other credentials are needed when selling/ recieveing tips on services such as Etsy and Ko-fi.

 

Thank you for any and all input! This is something that I would like to learn more about, so this is greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks again!

 

Sammirae

[reall]

Hi!:) Good luck with your pursuit!:)

imo best example & plenty of tips & *legal advices for pro readers are this awesome blog posts; https://benebellwen.com/category/professional-tarot/page/1/

[Sammirae]

Thank you so much! I'm going to be spending a lot of time reading through this link! This helps a lot, thanks again reall[/member]

[reall]

there is plenty to read & learn from this awesome author so you are welcome!:)

[Wheel of Fantastic]

I am planning to go professional after 14 years of tarot reading. I have been doing a lot of research, particularly from the people who have done well for themselves online. In particular I want to call out The Tarot Lady, Biddy Tarot and Tarot Avenue - they all have substantial amounts of advice on starting a tarot biz. Highly recommend having a read through their blog posts and podcasts.

 

Top tips i've learned as I embark on this professional journey:

1) You need your own website that you control - that means not using Etsy. Plus, on Etsy you'd be competing with hundreds of other tarot readers offering ludicrously low rates so it would be difficult to raise your prices. The website should be clean and simple and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial.

2) Marketing is critical, you can't just create a website and sit back. For a start create compelling content on your website that will drive traffic to your site. Focus on one to two social media platforms and create a presence there. Provide value to your clients.

3) Your prices should reflect what you think your time is worth. If you have a goal of how much you want to earn per month or year then you need to structure your pricing to reflect that.

4) It is going to take a while for your tarot reading business to make income level money - 6 months to a year is realistic.

5) Legal issues are important but so are ethical policies - for example, I will not do readings on health issues (physical or mental health), financial or legal issues. I will not do divinatory readings as I personally believe this disempowers people - I will be clear that people have free will and I will not be responsible for their actions.

 

I have been looking into nitty gritty stuff such as what website builder is best for my needs, the best payment gateway etc. I've never built a website before so this is a learning curve. All the advice I've heard and read recommends creating your own site as places like Etsy could suddenly decide to not support tarot readings which happened on eBay some years ago.

 

Anyway, I need to put all this knowledge to practice so we'll see how we go. There's a lot to starting up a tarot business, I guess the real question is how serious do you want to make it - a side hustle or a full time business?

[HOLMES]

https://www.thetarotforum.com/chatter-room/ask-questions-here!/?topicseen

 

I saw this updated,, so I figured someone pointed you to it, or you found it .. but this was designed to help newbies make a website :)

[Saturn Celeste]

Hi Sammirae[/member] and Wheel of Fantastic[/member] welcome to the forum in case I missed you.  X/  I do have a little information on this thread

https://www.thetarotforum.com/chatter-room/ask-questions-here!/msg90203/

 

I'm actually on both now and find they both serve an excellent purpose.  As you get familiar with the forum, you'll find all sorts of information on going into business for yourself.  It takes a lot of work to try to get traffic to your site which is why Etsy is a good alternative, it comes with it's own traffic.  But our hub here also sends you traffic.  Getting the word out about your site is the hardest thing to do consistently.  The more  you advertise the more you bring in, lay off it a week or so and you won't have sales.

[Eric13]

Your own web site and spreading a handful of business cards around town doesn't hurt.

[Saturn Celeste]

Your own web site and spreading a handful of business cards around town doesn't hurt.

Absolutely!  :heartz:

[Little Fang]

My business actually started out on Etsy!  It helped to build reviews and testimonials that way.  However, it's gotten a lot more competitive as of late, but it is good practice in SEO and advertising! 

 

I have to go to bed, but I'll gladly throw some more stuff your way in the next few days. :)

[Sammirae]

Thank you for all of the helpful information and links everyone! When I feel at a comfortable point I was thinking of taking stepping stones into this, so I greatly appreciate everyones' input!

 

Recently, I started doing free readings as practice and to also build a bit of a following. I will probably stick at this a while, but once I feel confident enough I was thinking Ko-fi would be a natural step to get into doing this more.

 

I also appreciate the tips on having your own website!! I didn't even think of that originally, but that is really helpful! I also understand about Etsy and the saturation of readers on there, so it is a valid point that this can be a difficult place to start. That is a good point Little Fang[/member] testimonials and practice on there is helpful too!

 

Thank you again everyone!

[reall]

I think ko fi is perfect to start!:) also be sure to read my post on that link for google webs & ig tips!;)

 

Wheel of Fantastic[/member] tnx 4 blog tips! I'm watching those as well!:)

[Sammirae]

Thank you again for all of the links! I have been taking the time to read through a lot of what was posted in them, and it has given me so much confidence!

 

I have decided to set little milestones for myself so I can keep pushing myself forward. I have decided once I have reached 100 free readings, I will start off using Ko-fi!

 

Thank you again for all of the help!

[Arch]

Personally I don't view Tarot as a hobby, it is more Spiritual than say collecting stamps would be for me.
And yes I did that when I was a little kid, still have about 10K stamps stowed away somewhere.
 

Anyway, this thread got me thinking about why I wasn't reading professionally.

I couldn't give myself a proper answer, so I laid a spread on it.

It basically told me that my own journey isn't completed yet,

so I'm basically not ready for something like that.

 

I don't care enough for others, and my emotions only want to gratify myself.

To speak nothing of the pain I carry inside.

Trying to help others with this tool on a professional level strikes me as more or less wishful thinking.

 

From a monetary point of view, I doubt it will be worth it either.

As that is all that is left if one isn't able to help others, just ripping them off before they know they have been conned.

No surprise that seven of swords showed its head here.

 

 

Though I do like to think that what I have to offer has some value,

I doubt it would match the prices I would set on it.