The Man Who Paints Parking Lot Stripes

This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.

When an asphalt pricing estimator looks to make extra money, he finds a straight-up business idea and earns his stripes painting parking lot spaces. If you have ever wondered how the world of parking lot stripes works, you know, whenever you go into a parking lot, and this is true pretty much anywhere in the world, just about. I mean, I've seen a lot of the world, I've seen a lot of parking lot stripes. Most parking lots look kind of the same. If you have ever wondered how that world works, the economics behind it at least, well, very soon you will know.

Now, also this story introduces us to a question. The question is, why aren't you doing it? It's a good question to think about whenever you encounter someone getting paid for something that you could do, not necessarily painting those parking lot spaces, because that's not for everyone. But the point is to use this case study model and look at the specific situation and say, well, that person asked some good questions. They were curious, they took action on their curiosity.

And now, as you'll hear, this guy has done really, really well for himself. So welcome to Seydisle School. I'm so glad you're here. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This story, The Man Who Paints Parking Lot Stripes, or alternatively Asphalt Estimator Paints Parking Spaces, that's the story for today.

It's coming up after this quick message from our sponsor. It was the early '90s when Dan Zircher first thought about starting a side business. He was an estimator in the asphalt industry, making pretty average money in Columbus, Ohio. On top of that, the industry ground to a halt every winter, leaving him jobless for several months. He felt like the job was going nowhere, but it was actually his mom who put him on the path of the straight and narrow.

And yes, I do mean that literally. One day, Dan was describing his work to her on the phone. He explained how they were finishing up a few large parking lots, and all that was left was striping and stenciling the white lines and shapes on the asphalt. "Why aren't you doing the striping?" his mom asked. "Well, we don't do that," he told her, "Asphalting companies contract that workout to someone else." "No," she said, "why aren't you doing the striping?" And by you, she meant Dan himself.

That question, phrased in that way, changed the way Dan thought about work. He was looking for a side business, and here was one staring him in the face. He made a few calls and received quotes for striping machines that cost around $3,700 all-inclusive. He had just received a $700 bonus at work, and his mom agreed to loan him the remaining $3,000. Soon, he had everything he needed to become a professional striper.

It was time to earn his stripes. Still a little anxious about this new venture, Dan hoped to find a small building or a business with just a few parking spaces that needed painting. He figured he could use those to practice before moving on to larger jobs, and to find those gigs, he went door-to-door. He would eye out places with small parking bays and faded lines. Then he'd knock on the door and simply pitch his service.

He let the proprietors know he would even do it after close of business, if they preferred. One of Dan's first jobs was a small realtor's office with just seven car spaces. He walked in, talked directly to the owner, and came back that evening after work to paint the stripes, eventually earning $75 in cash. Working after hours and in between other commitments became the norm for Dan. He still worked his full-time job and was married with a young family.

He had to take that side of his whole time wherever he could get it, but by the end of the first year, he'd found time to generate $4,000, enough to pay back his mom and put a little money aside. Over the next couple of years, Dan continued with his door-to-door strategy and came up with a few clarifying criteria to increase his chances of closing a deal. That criteria included small, self-standing businesses where the owner was likely to be inside, so they could make a decision. Businesses like restaurants, coffee shops, auto repair, and daycare centers were perfect. He also had great results with places of worship.

Another win for Dan came via calling the local school district and asking to be placed on their official bid list. Through that process, jobs came to him, or at least he would be in the running for more lucrative contracts. On top of that, he tried to develop contacts directly with large companies. The strategy worked, and by year three, Dan was making over $13,000, again, on the side. With more money came more responsibility and less time to complete the jobs, but he kept squeezing it in.

Where did he do that? Between the lines, of course. One particularly troublesome job was a large parking lot in a shopping mall. Since Dan was still operating as a one-man show, it took him 11 afternoon and evening visits to complete the work, but the paycheck was worth it. It was then that he decided to quit his job and take the striping business full-time, where he was able to grow his income to $165,000 a year, a figure which has remained more or less the same ever since.

But he didn't stop there. Dan branched out into creating a website called American Striping, where he manufactures and sells stencils. On top of that, he's distilled his knowledge into a book, teaching others the art of striping. This story, and Dan's success, shows anyone that if they put the work in, they can earn their side hustle stripes. Here's some more specific advice from Dan on the art of striping.

He says, "Start small. Look for the pizza shop that opens at 4 p.m., has 14 stripes and a handicap stencil. Look for the truck dock that has 20 lines or the beauty salon that has six." One nice thing about striping, also, is that it's all the same. Once you've striped a few jobs, you've striped them all. In other words, if you don't have confidence to take on that shopping mall parking lot just yet, the one that required 11 visits, well, you can start with that pizza shop or the truck dock or the beauty salon.

Some parting words there from Dan the Striper, former asphalt estimator now making a very good living from paying attention and answering that question, "Why isn't he doing it?" It's a good question from his mom, right? Why aren't you the one doing it? Not just as a job or as manual labor, but as a business owner. Obviously, it's been a huge success. He's doing so much better since he started thinking about that question.

I would encourage you today to answer that question as well. Even if, as I said, you have no interest in parking lots or striping parking spaces, why shouldn't you be the one to do whatever it is that you notice? If you notice something, why not follow up? Inspiration is good, but inspiration with action is better. That's what it's all about.

Today's show notes, including links to Dan's book, anything else I mentioned in the episode, just come to www.sidehustleschool.com/1576, 1-5-7-6. I hope you'll join me again tomorrow. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School.

From the Onward Project