This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
All right, all right, what's up? We have come to the end of the month, episode 2434. Welcome to Seto School, my name's Chris Guillebeau. Welcome as well to Throwback Thursday. This is, in fact, our weekly segment where we take a look at someone whose story has evolved since we first featured them.
We've been going for a long time, which we've got lots of stories to choose from, lots of fun updates. Last week specifically, we heard from a Delaware baker who sells cinnamon rolls and more. Cinnamon rolls and banana bread, if I am remembering correctly. And each month she bakes up to at least $1,500 in profit with little marketing. Now today in our latest feature, we'll hear from Ross Kelly in Melbourne, Australia, one of my favorite cities and one of my favorite countries.
And for his side hustle, he turned to LinkedIn and started pitching companies on a specific service. So Ross goes on LinkedIn, he starts pitching companies to audit their sales and marketing process. Again, very specific and very practical, 'cause if you can help a small business or a mid-sized company sell more, sell better, sell more to existing customers, you're gonna improve their bottom line immediately, which of course translates to real world value in your service. So this is going really well. He's earning over $5,000 a month part time.
We first heard from Ross long ago with a question about this kind of business. I think it was more than two years ago. So it sounds like he's been working hard since then. It's been going very well, so let's hear more directly from him. Again, this is Ross.
I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up. [Music]
Looking back on the past year and a half, running my side hustle as an auditor for SAAS companies from my home in Melbourne, Australia, I'm amazed at the journey. It's a whirlwind tale filled with lessons learned, challenges faced and successes earned. By day, I'm a project manager at a global tech firm. I'd always been well acquainted with software development and had a knack for spotting areas in need of improvement.
One such area I noticed was the lack of thorough auditing in sales and customer service processes within SAAS companies, especially startups. So I saw an opportunity to bring my skills and insights to these companies, bridging a gap in the market. My journey began with charging around $500 per audit. However, I learned that demonstrating expertise and building trust were far more important than just a reasonable price. Gradually with this realization and the refinement of my processes, I was able to increase my pricing, eventually earning around $5,000 per month from this side business.
LinkedIn was instrumental in reaching potential clients. I worked on strengthening my profile and began posting weekly insights on common mistakes companies make in their processes. Over time, my network began to grow and my reach expanded. One of my posts even went semi-viral, leading a startup founder to seek out my services. The most challenging aspect of running this side hustle has been deciding where to focus and how to divide my time between multiple projects.
With a full-time job and a booming side hustle, prioritization and time management became paramount. I had to learn to say no to some opportunities and focus on those that brought the most value. My advice to someone looking to start a similar side hustle would be this. Your expertise is paramount, but showcasing your knowledge and building trust are just as crucial. Build a strong network and use platforms like LinkedIn to your advantage.
Also, when it comes to juggling multiple clients or projects, always remember that your time is valuable. Prioritize effectively and don't be afraid to say no when needed. Establish clear contracts and expectations with clients from the start, detailing the scope of your work and ensuring open lines of communication. Finally, remember that pricing your services should reflect not only the complexity and size of the task, but also your expertise and time. Starting this venture isn't easy.
It requires commitment, time management and patience, but it's an immensely rewarding and lucrative side hustle if you play your cards right. [Music]
Awesome, thanks so much to Ross for sharing the story. Shout out to all of our listeners in Australia and New Zealand. We'd love to get back over there at some point. For now, let me know what you think and who you'd like to see featured from our archives and more than a thousand stories.
Amazing people all over the world doing really interesting things. Thanks for letting me be a part of it. I'm honored. If you've got a question or an update for us about your hustle, www.sidehustleschool.com/questions. Once again, this was episode 2434.
We are going into September for those listening in real time. Of course, you can listen whenever you like, so that's how it works. It's all completely free wherever you get your podcasts. My name's Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the Onward Project.
