This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
Mystery gift bundles for the indecisive shopper. That is the business idea of the day, the side hustle idea. And it's not just an idea. We're going to hear from a side hustler who made this idea happen. It's part of our first $1,000 segment. Every Monday we bring you an episode in this
segment, which is all about how somebody makes their first thousand dollars with a new business idea. And how do they do that without going into debt, without spending much money at all. And usually by using a skill they already have, they just learned to adapt or transform this skill in some way, which really is the ultimate key to side hustling or starting any kind of small business of any kind, taking a skill you already have and learning to deploy it in a way that's helpful to others in a way that creates value for them and for you. With that in mind today, we're going to hear from Claire. She had this idea about mystery bundles, they became a hit with customers who loved the surprise factor. Let's let her tell the story along with some details, maybe a tip or two
for some listeners. I'll come back at the end with a few words of wrap up. Hey, I'm Claire, and I've always been the go to person for finding the perfect gifts. Friends who text me, what do I get for someone who already has everything? Or what's a good birthday gift for someone I barely know? After helping the same friend over and over one too many times, I decided to
give it a shot. That's how I started my mystery gift bundle business, a solution for anyone who struggles to choose thoughtful gifts. The idea was simple, customers would fill out a form with details about the recipient, their likes and dislikes, and I'd curate a mystery bundle filled with high quality themed items. To keep things exciting, I didn't reveal the contents of the bundle until it was delivered. I started with a small inventory of unique products from local artisans and online wholesale shops spending $500 on initial stock. For my first round of bundles,
I focused on common gifting themes like self care, coffee lover and quirky desk items. I priced them at $50 with an average cost of $25 to assemble. I marketed the bundles on Facebook and Pinterest where I'd already been sharing creative gift ideas. And to my surprise, I sold out my first batch of bundles in under a week earning $500 in revenue and $250 of profit. As the order started rolling in, I realized people loved the mystery element. They didn't want to see a preview. They trusted me to
pick items the recipient would love. This trust became a key part of marketing. I leaned heavily on Instagram posting unboxing videos and customer testimonials like she loved her coffee bundle. I also started a referral program offering $10 off the next bundle for anyone who referred a new customer. Within two months, I'd sold 40 bundles and hit my first $1,000 in profit. I kept costs
low by sourcing items in bulk and forming partnerships with local vendors, some of whom provided products at a discount in exchange for being featured in the bundles. To stand out from generic gift box companies, I made personalization a priority. For example, one customer asked for a bundle for their brookworm friend who hates chocolate but loves tea. I included a cozy blanket, a literary themed candle, and a collection of artisanal teas. The recipient posted the bundle to her friend group, which led to two more orders. I also started offering premium mystery bundles at
$100, which included high value items like small tech gadgets or handmade jewelry. These quickly became my best sellers, especially around holidays. Today, I'm averaging $2,000 to $3,000 a month in revenue, particularly during gift heavy seasons like Christmas and Valentine's Day. The business runs smoothly, except for the occasional customer who provides absolutely no useful details like they like stuff. My favorite bundle ever, the one I made for a pet goldfish. The buyer wanted
something fun and quirky, so I threw in a mini fish-shaped pillow, a small plant for their tank, and a set of colorful stickers. They loved it, and apparently, the goldfish did too. Awesome big thanks to Claire for telling us about her first $1,000. As you heard it from her, she's now earning about $2,000 a month, which is a lot better than $1,000 one time. The whole point of the series is that if you can learn to make $1,000 or a small amount of money, whatever that looks like to you, you can probably learn to make a lot more. You got to get your first steps down,
you got to figure out how to develop an offer, how to identify your ideal customer, your target market, some people might say, and then how to get that offer out to those people, and then what do you do from there. That's what we're all about every single day, 2,970 days and counting. Every single day, a new episode of the show, it's always completely free. I hope you'll subscribe or follow for more. My name is Chris Guillebeau, this is Side Hustle School.
From the Onward Project.
