1205
8 min 33 sec

Avid Baseball Fan Hits Home Run With Subscription Box

When an avid baseball fan spots the growing subscription box trend, he steps up to the plate and hits it out of the park. (Because where else would he hit it?)
Subscribe Download
Baseball Subscription

Subscribe Now For A Free Five Step Tutorial

What It's About

Root, root, root for this baseball themed subscription box.

Business Model
Product
Skills Required
Research & Marketing
Complexity
Low
Profit Potential
Medium

Words of Wisdom

Josh says, If you want something to be your full-time job, make it your full-time job. That doesn't mean quit your current job...it just means sit in front of your computer and do the work.. We agree!

Fun Fact

Side hustle opportunities can present themselves by combining the old with the new. In this case, presenting the new billion-dollar distribution channel of subscription boxes to the millions of baseball fans worldwide.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1205

When Josh Band was a kid, he set himself the goal of playing professional baseball. He believed in betting against the odds, but he knew the chances of getting into the major leagues were pretty low. There are thousands of hopefuls who want to make it—but only a select few can grace the dugout of Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park.

So, Josh figured he needed a backup plan... and selling products online seemed to fit, well, like a glove.

Back in 2015, the subscription box craze was taking off. These are the boxes where you pay a monthly fee and in exchange receive a bunch of swag and products. The fad started with cosmetics, but Josh noticed it spreading to other niches as well. He began to wonder, why wasn’t there a subscription box for baseball lovers like him?

He decided that since there wasn’t one, he could be the guy to step up to the plate and make it happen. He already had the perfect name: Plate Crate - a monthly box of baseball gear and greatness.

He set aside two thousand dollars with the goal of making this dream a reality. In fact, he was so committed to hitting a grand-slam that he was willing to go all-in from the beginning… not our normal procedure or recommendation!

To start, Josh had to find enough baseball-related products to satisfy his customers every month. He went straight to wholesalers and tried to bargain for the best prices. But that was hard to do without volume, which he didn’t yet have. Luckily though, he was about to arrive at second base.

In his first month after launching Josh had twenty customers. A successful start, but not enough to bring in the relief team. Those twenty customers brought in around one thousand dollars a month in revenue which Josh fast-balled backed into influencer ads … to reach more baseball lovers.

After more time, hours, and extra innings, the momentum started to shift. Josh felt like he was getting close to the playoffs. Revenue kept increasing and he’d nabbed discounts on several products. He also began ordering gear direct from China that was branded as Plate Crate—a huge move in making his subscription box more official.

In fact, in terms of side hustles, Plate Crate has become a heavy hitter. Josh’s business generated over nine hundred thousand dollars in revenue in 2019. While there’s plenty left over for him to go full time and he has given away most of his other jobs, he does continue to personal train a couple of days a week, mostly because he enjoys it.

He didn’t make it as a professional baseball player, but his side hustle game is ready for the major leagues.

 
  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️


Learn More

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

Quote of the Day
"If you want something to be your full-time job, make it your full-time job. That doesn't mean quit your current job...it just means sit in front of your computer and do the work."
—Josh Band #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Learn More With Skillshare!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Skillshare. 📷

Skillshare is giving Side Hustle School listeners 2 months of unlimited access—for $0.99! Join the 2 million students learning everything from street photography to SEO on Skillshare today!


Get Started Here!

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.




Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!





To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau