This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
All right, all right. It's your host, Chris Guillebeau of Side Hustle School, episode 2571, going out on the 15th of January. Thanks for being out there wherever you are in the world, wherever you're listening from. I am cheering you on in your quest to start a side hustle or grow your side hustle this year. We've got all kinds of people from different levels, different backgrounds and such.
But the whole point of the podcast is in recognition that you have very little time, you're busy, but you also want to improve yourself, what do you do? And how do you spend that limited amount of time? That's what it's about. We've been doing it every day since January 1, 2017. And I'm excited to bring you today's first $1,000 segment.
This is where we look at somebody who has tapped into the marketing needs of small businesses by creating and selling customizable templates. And now that her project is set up, it brings in passive income each month. I love passive income. She's actually making more than $8,000 in passive income every month. Passive income, again, key point without doing anything else for it.
I mean, isn't that the dream, right? So of course we want to look at not only the dream, but also the reality. So let's hear the story. Her name is Emma. As noted, she is selling digital marketing templates.
She'll describe them a bit more. Let's see what we can learn from her. Perhaps a lesson or an idea you can apply to your own ideas. That's always my hope. I'll be back at the end with a quick wrap up, but let's hand the mic over to Emma.
[Music]
Hi, I'm Emma, and I've carved out a niche creating digital marketing templates for small businesses. These are pre-designed tools like social media graphics, email newsletter formats, and website banners that small businesses can easily customize for their own branding and content. Let me walk you through how I turned this idea into my first $1,000. The idea sparked when I noticed many small business owners struggle to create visually appealing digital marketing materials. With a background in graphic design and marketing, I knew I could bridge this gap.
I started by designing a series of templates for Instagram posts and stories, which are essential tools for online engagement. I wanted to be affordable for small businesses, but also value my expertise and time. I settled on a pricing model that offered individual templates for 10 to $20 and bundled packages, like a set of 10 Instagram post templates for $60. To market my templates, I leaned into social media, particularly Instagram and LinkedIn, showcasing the versatility and ease of use of my templates. I also reached out directly to small business owners in my network, referring them a free sample and a discount on their first purchase.
What really set my templates apart was their simplicity and customization. Using tools like Canva and Adobe Spark, I ensured that even someone with minimal design skills could modify them to fit their brand. This feature became my selling point, emphasizing how my templates saved time and reduced the need for costly design services. A memorable moment was when a local bakery used one of my templates for their Instagram page and saw a big increase in engagement and sales. This success story became a cornerstone of my marketing strategy, showcasing real results from using my products.
To manage sales and distribution, I set up an online store on Shopify. I learned the importance of clear product descriptions and user-friendly digital delivery methods. Every purchase included a step-by-step guide on using and customizing the templates. One of the biggest lessons I learned was the power of feedback. I actively sought reviews and suggestions from my customers, which helped me refine my products and develop new ones that met evolving needs.
Anyone looking to enter this field, my key advice is to understand your market's need and keep your solutions user-friendly. Also, don't spend less to meet the importance of direct customer engagement and using their success stories as customer meals. Today, my business isn't just a product, it's a tool that empowers small businesses to better market themselves in the digital world. And that first $1,000 was just the start of a journey that continues to bring creativity and practicality together, one template at a time. [Music]
Big thanks to Emma for telling us about her first $1,000.
I hope you found it encouraging. I always love hearing about how people get started, how you make your first $10 even. And of course, Emma has gone on to sell much more than $1,000. She's got that passive income coming. So what about you?
What are you doing for passive income? What are you doing to create any new source of revenue this year? I'd love to know about it. I'd love to potentially feature it here on the podcast. That's right, we are all about listener content.
So many of our stories come from the community, from people who've started projects or grown projects as they have listened, as they have done, all the work themselves. Let's just be clear, you're doing the work yourself. I'm hoping to be a little bit of a nudge or a motivation or some practical help, but I fully recognize that the work is on your end. So if you do that, let me know how it goes, sidehustleschool.com/questions. Today was episode 2,571.
I'll be back again tomorrow. Everything is free. My name's Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the Onward Project.
