This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
Well, this is a fun one. Welcome to Side Hustle School. Welcome to Throwback Thursday. I think I said yesterday was a fun episode. It was a very different kind of episode looking at a question of someone who felt discouraged from failure Friday. This is fun in a different
way. I guess yesterday's fun was more like a meaningful fun. This is like fun and fun, like just fun. We're going to take a look at somebody's story who's evolved since we first featured them. Again, Throwback Thursday, that's the segment. And in this case, we're
going to hear from the visionary behind a cricket farm that specializes in edible insect snacks, edible insects in particular crickets, thus cricket farm. He's going to share some insights into supply chain challenges, market shifts, all kinds of stuff that has happened for him over the past couple of years. I should say first, last week we heard from an action figure seller who buys and sells hundreds of GI Joe transformers and other classic brands every month. And today we're going to go to crickets, cricket farms. All right. His name
is Robert. I'm not going to say a whole lot about this. I just want him to share the story because of course we love hearing about edible insects. Doesn't everybody? Okay. What's
happened since? I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap up. Hello side hustle school listeners. It's been a fascinating couple of years since I last shared the story of my cricket farm, specializing in edible insect based snacks. You might remember in my initial foray into the world of insect cuisine, replete with cricket flour and protein bars. Today, I'd like to give you an inside look at the transformation
my business has undergone with a focus on what's new. When I first started, edible insects were hard to sell, but the market has become more open to alternative protein sources, partly due to the growing awareness of sustainability. However, this shift wasn't without its challenges. Stricter FDA guidelines around food production have required me to invest more in quality assurance. I had to bring in an in-house microbiologist to ensure we met all health standards, an unexpected but necessary expense. Initially, my business
focused on cricket flour, but consumer demand for variety led to product expansion. Specializing in diverse products allowed us to target niches within the already niche market of edible insects. For instance, our upcoming pet food line caters to pet owners interested in sustainable living, creating an additional revenue stream. When COVID-19 hit, in-person events and farmers markets which were a significant part of our marketing strategy went on hold. This pushed us to bolster our online presence. We revamped our website and invested in SEO and paid advertising.
We also introduced subscription boxes to create recurring revenue. Now, 70% of our sales are online compared to just 20% two years ago. Perhaps one of the most exciting developments has been a proposed partnership with a leading organic grocery chain. I can't say who it is yet, but if that works out, this will not only give us access to a broader audience, but also add a stamp of credibility that we've been lacking as a quirky business. Overall, this journey has taught me the importance of adaptability and the need to continually read the market. Regulatory changes, product diversification, shifting sales channels,
and supply chain management are all dynamic elements that require constant attention. As you can tell, the landscape of edible insect farming is both challenging and rewarding. And for those of you out there with unconventional side hustles, remember, sometimes the quirkiest ideas have the most room for growth. Three cheers for that. Robert, appreciate the update. Glad to know the cricket farm world is continuing and growing
strong, thriving. I'm going to look out for those snacks in the grocery store chain that we can't mention just yet. Hopefully that works out. The leading organic grocery chain, I think that gives some people some idea. So just be on the lookout. And of course,
if that officially works out, we can maybe include that in a future email update. If you're not reading the side hustle school newsletter comes out every Sunday. It's all it's completely free. Just like the podcast, you can subscribe at sidehustleschool.com. Listeners, let me know what you think who you'd like to see featured from our archives of more than a thousand stories, questions, updates, comments, sidehustleschool.com/questions.
I'm on Instagram 193 countries. My blog is chrisguillebeau.com. Lots of places to find me. I'm happy to connect wherever is good for you. And of course, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, come back tomorrow. Once again, my name is Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School.
From the Onward Project.
