This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
An aquarium maintenance business makes splash. Makes a big splash, actually. We're gonna hear today from an Ohio man who turned his experience with aquariums into a maintenance service for homes and offices. He's actually been doing this for a while. This is his update.
And this is the segment known as Throwback Thursday. We get to take a look at someone whose story has evolved since we first featured them, since they first came into our little universe of side hustle stories, 2,812 episodes and counting. Thank you so much for being out there. My name's Chris Guillebeau, your host. Last week in this series, we heard from a gaming streamer, specifically streaming on Twitch.
So he's a gaming Twitch streamer who discovered he can make more money by uploading popular streams to YouTube. So he basically found a way to work smarter instead of just harder. He's still doing the streams on Twitch, but then he uploads the videos on YouTube and he's able to make a lot more money that way. So in that episode, you can hear how he optimized his content for both platforms. Today, of course, we're gonna hear from this guy in Ohio.
His name is Steve, he has this experience with aquariums and he's like, "Hey, there's a lot of homes and offices that need maintenance." So I'm gonna turn that into basically a subscription service. Well, he has to go out and provide that service, of course, but people are paying monthly, quarterly, annually and it's really nice to have recurring income. So let's hear more of the story. Let's hear it directly from Steve. I'll be back at the end with a few words of wrap up.
[Music]
Hi, I'm Steve and I'm based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A few years ago, I turned my love for aquariums into a side business offering maintenance services for homes and offices. It started when I realized that a lot of people love the idea of having a beautiful aquarium, but didn't have the time or knowledge to maintain it properly, especially if they were busy being a dentist or whatever. As for me, I'd always been fascinated by aquatic life, having had different kinds of aquariums ever since I was a kid. For the side hustle, my services include everything from regular cleaning and water changes to checking the health of the fish and ensuring the equipment is functioning properly.
I also offer advice on tank setup, fish selection and how to maintain a balanced ecosystem. Initially, most of my clients were homeowners in nicer neighborhoods who wanted a stunning aquarium in their living room, but didn't have the time or expertise to keep it looking its best. Before long, I realized it was better to focus on offices, dental clinics and restaurants. The B2B space is just a lot easier in many ways. I always take the time to understand each client's needs, whether they're looking for a low maintenance setup or a vibrant complex ecosystem.
This allows me to offer my clients the best possible service using the latest techniques and equipment to keep their tanks in top condition. My aquarium maintenance service has grown steadily and it now brings in a significant part of my income. What started as a side hustle has become a full fledged business that supports me and my family, even as I continue to work my day job. On average, I earn about $50,000 a year from this business with a mix of regular clients and one-time setups. I love seeing the joy that a well-maintained aquarium can bring to people, whether it's in a home or a professional setting.
There's something incredibly satisfying about knowing that my work helps create these little underwater worlds that bring so much peace and beauty into people's lives. Looking ahead, I'm expanding my services to include more specialized setups like saltwater tanks and reef aquariums, and I'm considering hiring an assistant to help with the growing number of clients in the region. Thanks for having me back on the show. [Music]
Big thanks to Steve for sharing those updates with us. Congrats, Steve, on the aquarium business.
Listeners, let me know what you think, who you'd like to see featured from our archives of more than 1,000 stories. If you have a question or an update about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com. We've got notes for every episode, resources there, much more, of course, and it's all free. Everything's free on the website. Everything's free in the podcast series.
As noted, more than 2,800 total episodes, and you can listen wherever you prefer, wherever you get your podcasts. That's all for today. My name's Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
- From the Onward Project.
