This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Oh, hey, guess what? It is a brand new month. Welcome to a brand new month, episode 2,709. We're gonna talk today about how a side hustling astronomer can get paid, not an astrologer. Look, there's lots of opportunities for astrology these days.
What about classic astronomy? Or as some might call it, science? In this episode, we guide an amateur astronomer in launching a stargazing experience side hustle. We're gonna hear from Travis. He is from Arizona, I believe.
He's got a telescope. He's got a love for the night sky. He is ready to share his knowledge, but what is the actual business? So he's wondering about some practical stuff, permits, licenses, and so on, but let's also talk about the actual business. How can you turn a passion into a successful hustle?
Detailed question. And my answer, coming up, welcome again to a new month. Welcome to Side Hustle School. [Music]
Hey, how's it going? I'm Travis.
I'm an amateur astronomer from Flagstaff, Arizona. I've been thinking about starting a side hustle, offering personalized stargazing experiences for couples, families, or small groups using my high-quality telescope. I'm wondering what permits or licenses I might need to operate this kind of business, especially if I wanna host events in local parks or natural areas. Also, I'm looking for advice on how to market my unique services to potential customers who are interested in astronomy or seeking a memorable outdoor experience. Do you have any idea what steps I should take to turn my passion for stargazing into a profitable side hustle?
- All right, Travis. Sounds like you're in a part of the country that is well-suited for seeing the stars and hopefully for turning this stargazing experience into a stargazing side hustle, a profitable money-making project. So here's what you need to do to get started. So Travis asked first about permits and licenses and such. So I don't know specifically for his area, but the way you figure that out is you contact local parks and rec departments.
You just kind of research some state and local business licensing requirements. It doesn't have to be a big thing. It's usually very simple. You often need a business license that might cost $50 or maybe a hundred dollars maximum. You don't necessarily need to create an LLC or an S Corp.
You can do that, but I would not necessarily recommend it in the beginning. You mostly just want to get started and see like does this business have viability? Does this idea have viability? Is it feasible? So those are a couple of things in terms of the permits and licensing, but let's talk more about the marketing and how this goes from idea to income.
So Travis is probably gonna need some kind of web presence. Again, doesn't need to be a lot, but maybe a three page website, maybe one or two social media accounts that showcase his expertise in astronomy photos. We got to figure out, okay, what is the specific offer? Maybe for that offer, I'm partnering with local tourism boards or hotels or outdoor recreation companies. Maybe it's an educational stargazing workshop that I'm offering to schools or scout troops.
So you can figure out like who is the ideal customer? Who do I hope to serve? And then figure out how do I reach them? So if you are trying to reach out of town visitors, for example, maybe listing your experiences on an online marketplace like Airbnb experiences could be helpful because they have a built in audience. Now they're gonna take a good portion of the money of course, but that may be fine because if they're bringing you customers that you otherwise wouldn't have, then that seems like a pretty good deal, a pretty good bargain.
As you do this, you want to encourage customer reviews and testimonials. I talk about this a good bit just 'cause it's so important. It helps other people then book with you in the future. And then last but not least, create special packages around astronomical events like meteor showers or eclipses. Couple months ago, we had this big total eclipse across many parts of the United States and probably elsewhere as well.
I don't know, I just know 'cause living in the US and hearing about it all the time. So every once in a while something happens and people are really interested and astronomer is well positioned to be in the place to create a specific experience. I saw lots of bars were doing things like having an eclipse package, then various businesses were kind of grouping up to offer something specific. So lots that could be done. Travis, always wishing you well with your passion and solid plan, create those unforgettable stargazing experiences.
Listener is always happy to hear from you as well, sidehustleschool.com/questions. Much more is coming up. We've got more than half the year remaining. I'm excited to share it with you. It's always completely free.
Listen wherever you want. My name's Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School. [Music]
- From the Onward Project.
