This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Yesterday we talked about the business idea of a summer camp for side hustlers, okay? And I mentioned in the introduction that the reason we look at different ideas is to consider the feasibility, think through what might be profitable. And the other factor there is you got feasibility, you've got profitability. Also, timeliness, like is it the right idea for the right time, okay? So some business ideas are better suited for certain seasons.
We heard recently from another caller a few weeks ago who referenced an episode about letters from Santa. That's been a great side hustle for multiple listeners in our archives, including one woman who makes $6,000 from it every year. Now the thing is, she doesn't actually earn that money in July, if you know what I mean. Again, very seasonal business. So today's idea, it's not quite Santa letters level, but what about a calendar?
Like a wall calendar, a desk calendar. Now just think about that, the last time you bought a wall calendar or a desk calendar, either for yourself or for a friend, most likely you bought it towards the end of a year or the beginning of another year. Like you bought it around the holidays, looking forward to the next year or maybe January, perhaps February, but you're not usually buying a new paper calendar in July or August, for example. So this leads to a challenge for today's caller who has a brilliant idea at perhaps an inopportune time. Or at least that's what they're wondering about.
Can I sell a calendar sometime other than January? That's the question coming up after this quick sponsor message. [Music]
Hey, this is Jane calling from Atlanta. Last month I had a great idea, a calendar for a specific niche market. I don't want to say exactly what the market is, but it's not something that anyone else is doing.
I'll be the first calendar in the market. There's just one problem. It's now January and it will take at least two months for me to put it together, which feels like exactly three months too late, right? Don't most people buy calendars for the next year at the end of the current year or at the latest in January? I'm not sure if the best answer is to just wait another 10 months.
I'm really excited about the idea, but I also want to be realistic. What do you think? [Music]
All right, so short version here is, I do think if it is a typical wall or desk calendar, you're gonna be best served by selling it in that Q4/Q1 period, the end of the year going into the beginning of a new one. As I said in the intro, it's not quite Santa letter level, but I do worry that most people aren't looking for a January to December calendar mid-year. If there's any other important variable there, like if it's not a January to December calendar, for example, then maybe it would work.
Otherwise, I think it is tough. But of course, there's good news because that doesn't mean you can't work on it and get it ready. I know from much experience that small projects often end up being more complicated than we sometimes expect. And it turns into like a huge crunch to get something small out. So wouldn't it be great to avoid that huge crunch towards the end of the year and instead use that time to just focus on marketing this brilliant idea.
So that's what I would do. I would spend my time now working on it, getting into production, getting the physical product ready, maybe even writing some of the marketing copy or planning that campaign, but save the actual marketing and PR, everything else associated with launch for some time like November. That's my take anyway. Listeners, if you have a question, sidehustleschool.com/questions. Thanks for joining in.
This is season seven of "Side Hustle School." We've got a lot of exciting stuff rolling out over the course of the year. So I hope you'll come back every day for a new episode. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
from The Onward Project.
