This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
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When a couple looks to spend more time at home with their kids and increase their bank account, they follow the signs. They follow the signs and start a unique paint party business that shows them the way. It is in fact a sign of the times. Welcome to Sidus Will School. My name is Chris Guillebeau.
Now we here on the Sidus Will School team, we've been careful about not highlighting too many stories that feature events and large gatherings, for reasons that are probably obvious. And even if you're listening in the future, you probably know what I'm talking about because, you know, COVID-19 wasn't just a little bit of a blip on the horizon. It in fact took up the entire year, hopefully not beyond, but you know, who knows at this point. So I have a number of friends who work in the event world. And of course, last month in July was supposed to be my big event, World Domination Summit, which I've been hosting every year for nine years.
And guess what? Wasn't able to host it this year, so we postponed a year. And needless to say, just about everything associated with events is now up in the air in most parts of the world. It's not just the United States, this is global. However, I think that there's a place for smaller events that can be properly distanced.
Okay, so we're not talking about an event with a thousand people or a big concert or whatever. But in fact, I think there's a lot of demand for people to connect in-person in ways that are safe, but still allow for shared experiences. And a story like today's is a perfect example of that. So with that in mind, here's a shout out to our sponsor, and then we'll jump into the story. Married couple, see the signs in custom paint parties.
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Tyler and Lauren Mills are typical suburban family living in Coleman, Alabama. With four boys under the age of 10, things in the Mills household are quite busy, even in the quietest of times. It was the growth of their family that first triggered a search for a side assault five years ago. Tyler had been working for the government for close to a decade. He describes it as your typical cubicle job.
Lauren worked at a chiropractic clinic, where the only thing she enjoyed was the people. She worked long hours, sometimes up to 50 per week, and that left little time for much else. What she really wanted was to spend more time with her family, work from home, and be her own boss. But what would they do? Well, it was March 2015 when they started a side hustle that turned out to be tremendous.
You see, they'd always liked those rustic-looking wooden signs, the kind with beautiful calligraphy you might see at ranches, on a homestead, or upon entering a wedding reception. For a while, they'd been making them themselves for display around their home. Neither Tyler nor Lauren had any experience in woodworking or calligraphy. They simply practiced, and through trial and error, were able to create some beautiful signs. The pride in their own work gave them the confidence to try and sell some to people they knew.
Lauren suggested they use wood from used pallets to start. That kept costs low, which allowed them to experiment with different designs without burning through materials. On top of that, they needed some basic tools to piece the signs together, nails, screws, and a drill. That was it. At first, they offered their signs to their friends and family through their social networks.
Throughout their first year, they received several orders, and made a good profit on each sign. Their materials cost about $7, and a completed sign sold for $35, $28 profit. However, they couldn't come up with a sustainable marketing plan that didn't quickly exhaust their personal connections. Sure enough, it was Lauren, once again, who came up with their next move. She had seen the popularity of paint-a-canvas parties, like painting parties, and new painting timber signs could be even more enjoyable.
So she and Tyler decided to create paint-a-custom sign parties. The idea was simple. They'd find someone interested in hosting the event who could provide a location. Tyler and Lauren would provide instruction, and every attendee would take home their very own sign. The concept had already been proven with the painting parties, and they were confident their offering was even simpler.
After all, to paint a sign, all one needed was a lap, rather than a full easel setup. One of their first parties was actually hosted in a paint-a-canvas store location. Each guest paid $35, the same price they'd pay for a sign they didn't make themselves, and that meant for a party of 10, they'd make $350 before the cost of the materials. From there, the brushstrokes kept coming. Tyler and Lauren saw the signs, they knew they were onto a good thing.
But, like selling custom signs before, the concept wouldn't grow itself. So they came up with some unique ways to promote their new endeavor. First, they offered any host who secured at least 10 guests a free spot at the party. That was a good enticement for people to take a chance. But it's what they began doing after the parties that has really pushed things along.
When a party finishes, they offer a chance to win a prize to all the guests, and guests can get a bonus entry in the drawing if they book a future party for themselves. If they post a picture to social media and tag the business's account, they'll get even more entries, giving them more chances to win. Afterwards, Tyler and Lauren take a look at the photos, and if anyone comments, they'll direct message that person and pitch the idea of them hosting their own party. Using these methods, they've hosted parties at local restaurants, coffee shops, churches, and community centers. They keep the details of all these venues on hand to offer locations to any hosts that might need a space.
It removes a potential barrier for someone who might want to host a party, but doesn't have a spot to do it. This persistent effort has helped the parties grow over the years. Most weeks, they host at least one party with up to 20 guests. That volume brings in well over $2,500 per month, which is more than what Lauren was taking home from her full-time job, which she now doesn't have to go to. While it's not enough for Tyler to quit his job as well, they're hoping their next move will offer that opportunity.
While they've been sidelined over the past few months, they've created a course that outlines exactly how somebody else can start their own paint party hustle. All signs are pointing in the right direction. [Music]
All right, so we did some research, and it looks like there are an estimated 1,000 wine and paint party businesses across the US and Canada. Now, of course, some things may have changed in the epic year known as 2020. I don't know if it's epic.
I don't know what adjective to put on it, but some things may have changed, but still an estimated 1,000 wine and paint party businesses. With that much demand, there are also opportunities to offer a similar concept with a unique twist. So I think what you wanna ask yourself when you hear a story like this is, okay, they were able to remix the concept. Instead of going to the paint and sift class to create a canvas, you go and create a homemade sign. So good remix there.
What are some other ways to remix this concept? Maybe there's something else that would be good to make collectively that requires a little bit of skill, but not a ton of skill. I think that's the key point, right? Because it has to be something that you can learn in a couple of hours and feel good about. So it requires some skill, but not too much.
I would also encourage you to look at Airbnb experiences. Not necessarily for the moment. This is something that's kind of on hold in lots of parts of the world. But when people are able to travel more freely again, Airbnb experiences can be a great lead generation or even customer client referral tool for people who are hosting these kinds of events. Because when people visit a particular city or area, they're looking for something to do.
They've booked their Airbnb and they're all of a sudden on the same app or the same page, is an opportunity to go to the sign making class or to whatever else might be. So always think about remixing. Whenever you see something popular, ask yourself what could you do that's kind of like that, but not quite. All right, I'm gonna leave you with that today. Inspiration is good, but inspiration with action is so much better.
To find the show notes for everything I mentioned in today's episode, go to sidehustleschool.com/13241324. And of course, be sure you're subscribed. Much more is coming up. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
- From the Onward Project.
