What It's About
How an accident can lead to opportunity!
Business Model
Skills Required
Complexity
Profit Potential
Words of Wisdom
Adrianna had something really great to say to anyone looking to follow in her footsteps:
"Find a niche product to rent out that has the following characteristics: expensive for the end user to own but cheap to rent, relatively simple functionality (maintenance and service is straightforward and can be done at home by someone with limited mechanical abilities), users only need it temporarily, can be handled by one person and fits into even a small vehicle."
Fun Fact
Mobility devices have been used in some capacity for centuries. For example, Phillip II, a 6th century Spanish King, was reported to have used a type of wheelchair.
The first mobility scooter was invented in 1968 by a plumber in Michigan who wanted to help a family member with Multiple Sclerosis.
Notes from Chris
Episode 636
Surgery can be a transformative experience. We come out differently—either physically or emotionally—once we, or someone we love, has been under the knife and sewn back up again. Adrianna Coleman, a full-time mom from Canada, found herself driving home with a life-changing side hustle in the trunk of her car. After intensive surgery, Adrianna’s husband was unable to bear any weight on his foot. Even the slightest strain resulted in soaring pain which made crutches impractical and even a little dangerous. So, he opted to try something new. He ordered what’s known as a knee walker. If you’ve never seen one, it’s basically a scooter where you put your weight on the knee of the injured leg and push with the other. It has handlebars, brakes, and padding to make it much more comfortable and practical than crutches. While attending lots of different appointments, check-ups, or even just the grocery store, Adrianna and her husband would find themselves talking about the knee walker to other patients. Entire waiting rooms of people would want to know where they’d found the knee walker, how much they cost and how they could get their knees on one too. This got them thinking about the potential for a business. There was a large market of people who had no idea about these knee walkers or how to access them, why not create a service for them? Adrianna set herself a budget of around $3,000, and she named her idea Recovery Rentals. She wanted to create a strong internet presence and look professional from the outset, but she also didn’t want to lose a lot of money if it didn’t work out. Adrianna admits going into doctor’s offices was scary at first. But she overcame the fear through belief in her product. She knew it would help patients—after all, she’d seen it first hand—and it would be worse for everyone if she didn’t share her idea. Many of the receptionists agreed and let her leave her materials. Two weeks after her knee walkers arrived, Adrianna had her first order online. Then, two days later, the next two came in. She was already fully booked with her first three units of inventory rented! So, using her side hustle savvy, Adrianna invested the money into more stock so she could take more orders. As Recovery Rentals has grown, so has Adrianna’s relationship with local doctors. Doctors love having an alternative to crutches to recommend, and these referrals have become the number one source of income for the business. Because, who doesn’t do what their doctor tells them, right? Recovery Rental’s profits have grown every year since its inception. In 2015, they earned $24,000 which has grown to $56,000 in 2017—not bad at all for a side hustle that only takes her 10 hours/week to maintain! Looking to the future, Adrianna wants to double down on the franchise side of the business and help take Recovery Rentals all over North America. She wants to help immobile patients cruise to recovery without using those complicated crutches.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Recovery Rentals: Head on over to Adrianna's website to learn about the side hustle that helps others ditch the crutches!
- Ex-Baseball Players Hit Home Run With Baseball Bat Subscriptions: Two former baseball players create a bat rental service, serving thousands of customers across the country
- London Photographer Rents Camera Gear 1,100 Times: A London receptionist rents out his photography equipment on a peer-to-peer sharing site… over and over and over
- Side Hustle Turned Full-Time Job Disrupts Car Rental Industry: A corporate employee who enjoys saving on car rentals builds an affiliate project that becomes so successful that the car rental companies try to put it out of business
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Resources
CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE
Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.
Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today!
Learn More
GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS
Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time.
Quote of the Day
Sponsors & Gratitude
CRAZY ENOUGH TO WORK
This week, Side Hustle School is brought to you by Crazy Enough to Work, a popular podcast and film series. 📈
When the rest of the world is still zigging, some companies know when it’s time to zag. Elizabeth Banks has teamed up with State Street Global Advisors to make a series of podcasts and films that uncover the bold moves mid-cap companies make to thrive and survive.
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To infinity and beyond,
