Running a K-pop small business is fun, exciting, and… exhausting. I love creating cute merch, designing new products, and seeing fellow fans enjoy my stuff. But you know what I don’t love? The work part of it. Packing orders? Meh. Marketing? Ugh. Keeping up with inventory? I’d rather rewatch old BTS Run episodes.
So what if you’re passionate about your business but also kinda lazy. I’ve fully embraced the art of being a lazy yet a some-what thriving K-pop business owner, and today, I’m going to show you how to do it too.
The Signs You’re a Lazy K-pop Business Owner
Not sure if you fit the "lazy but passionate" business owner category? Here are some signs:
- You have 100+ ideas, but only act on 2. And those 2 take months to actually launch. You get a random burst of motivation at 2 AM, sketch out a whole new merch collection, and then… nothing. The designs just sit in your files collecting virtual dust.
- Orders are packed… eventually. Your store proudly states "Shipping in 3-5 business days," but in reality, it’s "whenever I stop procrastinating." (To be fair, you do get them out… at some point.)
- Your work playlist is 70% K-pop, 30% getting distracted by K-pop TikToks. You start off productive, vibing to STRAY KIDS’s latest album while working, but then somehow end up deep in a rabbit hole of Stray Kids meme edits. Oops.
- You’d rather spend hours making mock-ups than actually restocking inventory. Designing is fun. Printing labels and organizing stock? Not so much.
- Your ‘To-Do List’ is just for decoration. You write down tasks, admire the aesthetic checklist, and then promptly ignore it.
Sound familiar? Congrats, you’re one of us. But don’t worry, I’ve got some tips to make this whole "business owner" thing work without sacrificing your lazy lifestyle.
The Lazy Business Owner's Survival Guide
If I’ve learned anything from running my own K-pop business, it’s that efficiency is key. Not in a "wake up at 5 AM and be productive" kind of way, more like, "how can I do the least amount of work and still keep my business running?"
Here’s what helps:
1. Automate Everything (Let the Robots Work for You)
If there’s one thing I refuse to do, it’s answering the same five questions over and over again. You know the ones:
- "Do you ship internationally?"
- "When will this be restocked?"
- "Is this price in USD?"
- "Can you make this design but, like, slightly different?"
After answering the same DM for the 700th time, I finally did what I should have done long ago, set up auto-replies. Best decision ever.
Instagram, Pinterest, and even email services let you create saved replies, so you don’t have to manually type out "Yes, I ship internationally" every time someone asks. If you’re feeling fancy, you can even set up a chatbot on your website that answers common questions for you.
Less typing, less stress, more time to binge-watch K-pop content. That’s the dream, right?
And while we’re on the subject of automation, schedule your posts. I know social media is important for business, but do I always have the energy to post daily? Absolutely not. So, I batch-create my posts, throw them into a scheduler (like Later or Canva), and let them do their thing. Now, when I’m being lazy, it looks like I’m active. Win-win.
2. Set Realistic Goals (Small Wins Still Count!)
Every time I get a burst of motivation, my brain immediately jumps to unhinged business plans.
"Oh, I should drop a whole new merch collection this week."
"Oh, I should design AND manufacture 10 new products by next month."
"Oh, I should do a full website rebrand overnight."
And then reality hits. Absolutely not.
Instead, I’ve learned to set small, realistic goals that I can actually achieve without burning out.
Instead of "launching a whole collection," I focus on adding one new photocard design or updating my listing descriptions. Instead of completely revamping my store, I make tiny tweaks over time.
I promise, your business won’t collapse just because you’re taking it slow. Progress is progress, no matter how small. And honestly? It’s way better than overwhelming yourself with unrealistic goals and doing nothing instead.
3. Use the "I’ll Do It Later" Method Wisely
Let’s be real: procrastination isn’t always bad. The trick is knowing what’s okay to put off and what isn’t.
💤 Things you can procrastinate on:
- Organizing your workspace (because we all know it’ll get messy again in two days).
- Rebranding (you don’t need a new logo every other week, I promise).
- Overanalyzing product ideas (just launch the thing already).
⚡ Things you shouldn’t procrastinate on:
- Packing orders (customers kinda need their stuff).
- Answering urgent messages (especially if someone’s order is missing).
- Restocking bestsellers (because nothing’s worse than "When will this be back in stock?" DMs piling up).
It’s all about balance. You don’t need to be constantly working, but you also don’t want to let things pile up so much that you get overwhelmed. If you’re going to use the "I’ll do it later" method, just make sure you actually do it later and not never.
4. Turn Procrastination Into Productivity
I know I’m not the only one who’s meant to be "working" but somehow ends up deep in the trenches of K-pop TikTok instead. (One minute, I’m checking my store analytics, the next, I’m watching a 10-minute theory video about Jimin’s Muse choreography choices.)
But here’s the trick, if you’re going to procrastinate, at least make it useful.
- Scrolling TikTok? See what K-pop trends are popping up. If everyone’s talking about a comeback, maybe it’s time to promote your related merch.
- Watching K-pop unboxings on YouTube? Take notes on what packaging fans love (or hate). Use that knowledge to tweak your own packaging game.
- Lurking in K-pop fandom forums? Pay attention to what products people wish existed. Boom! new product ideas.
Basically, if you’re going to be lazy, make sure you’re at least passively absorbing useful info while you do it. It’s a great way to trick yourself into being productive.
My Lazy Yet Efficient Way
At the end of the day, my business still runs (somehow). And if you’re in the same boat, here’s how I embrace the lazy chaos:
- Batch Work Like a Pro – Packing orders every day? No thanks. I let them pile up within 1-2 days and then do it all in one go while watching a Alice in Boarderland. It’s called multitasking.
- The "It’s Not That Deep" Approach – Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. Sometimes you just have to slap that design on a product and launch it. Fix it later if needed.
- Let Passion Carry You Through – Even on my laziest days, my love for K-pop keeps me going. The excitement of seeing other fans love my products gives me just enough motivation to keep doing this. (Even if I complain the whole time.)
Lazy but Thriving
So yeah, I’m a lazy K-pop business owner. But guess what? My business is still standing, and yours can too. As long as you balance the bare minimum with just enough passion, you’ll be fine.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to… not pack those orders I’ve been avoiding. 😆
Do you also run a small business while being a certified procrastinator? Let me know in the comments so I don’t feel alone in this struggle! 💜
