Notes from Chris
Episode 63
Starter platforms are great to help you get the ball rolling and help you bring in that extra money quickly, but usually you should plan to have your own independent website once you're ready. In the long-term, you want customers to come to you and not to someone else's platform. Still, consider taking on the challenge to try out one of these platforms and see it through. There's little to no risk, and you may learn some valuable lessons along the way.- Fiverr.com - Looking for an easy way to experiment with offering services? Testing out your ideas on Fiverr can help you develop your product or service (see Ep. 5)
- Upwork.com - Upwork is a fantastic resource whether you’re looking to test out your own services or find someone to help you get your side hustle off the ground.
- Fulfilled by Amazon - You can store your products in Amazon’s fulfillment centers, and they will pick, pack, ship, and provide customer service for all of your products. Best of all, FBA can help you scale your business and reach more customers (see Ep. 19).
- Etsy - The world’s largest homemade marketplace and ideal to help you get started selling your products today (see Ep. 6)
- Wyzant.com - Do you possess knowledge that others would pay for? Wyzant is a massive community of tutors that are matched to people looking to learn what you know (see Ep. 29). Helping people one-on-one
- Clarity.fm - Clarity is another website that is great whether you're an expert or in need of one. Test your service in platform like Clarity before breaking off on your own.
- Skillshare - With thousands of videos spanning topics like mastering illustrations to mastering SEO, there's plenty of ways you can share what you know with others or pick up a new skill.
- Highbrow - Pick up a new skill or create an online course yourself with this quick and easy service.
- CreativeMarket.com - Creative Market is a platform for designers and ideal for "mouse-made" design content and assets from independent creatives all around the world.(see Ep. 26)
- Society6 - If you're artistically inclined, Society6 may fit the bill. You can sell your designs on a variety of items including laptop sleeves and travel mugs.
Listener Q&A
Our listener questions for this week come to us from Chad and Ellen:
- Chad brings up an interesting topic regarding how much he should worry about sharing his ideas with others. Always remember that the value is not just in the idea. It's in the execution and implementation of the idea.
- Ellen wonders why customers would order through Jeff in the amazing live cricket story and not go directly to the cricket farms in order to avoid the markup that he adds when he resells. She also asks how you can bring value to your customers in a reselling side hustle.
Listen to the Weekly Recap for a more comprehensive look at this week's Listener Q&A. Also, if you have a question you'd like answered, send me a voice message. Your question may be featured on the show!
Highlights From This Week
Here are some quick highlights for each episode this week. Listen to this week's recap for a more comprehensive highlight reel!
- Ep. 57 - Cori uses her hula hooping skills to start a fitness class at a local martial arts studio, which brings in an extra $800/month
- Ep. 58 - Our first PG-13 side hustle involves a unique adult wellness kit that has gone on to bring in around $70,000 in sales
- Ep. 59 - Ben is a P.E. teacher who starts a blog that brings in a sustainable revenue through memberships providing tips and resources for other teachers
- Ep. 60 - A Tennessee-based marketing consultant designs a quarterly, high-end retreat weekend to help attendees take stock of their lives and businesses, earning him an additional $20,000/year
- Ep. 61 - Lindsey uses a peer-to-peer sharing platform to earn extra money for her family and help visiting parents get all the baby gear they need for their trip
- Ep. 62 - A great origins story involving an elementary school teacher who ends up making $40,000/year selling his jewelry working mostly on the weekends
Resources
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