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“Every day I'm eager to log in and see what my numbers are. I want to do this more and maybe move into a new product line.”
In this week's First $1,000 segment, we hear from Holly from upstate New York — the self-described Hula Hoop Hustler.
Holly found a supplier on Alibaba, placed an order for 500 hula hoops, and was pleased to find that what arrived actually matched the product photos. She used ShipStation for fulfillment before switching to Amazon's FBA, which handles everything. She charges enough to clear at least $1,000/month in profit — sometimes $2,000 — and at this point it's mostly passive.
Two things she didn't expect: first, hula hoops are a seasonal business. Sales surged in summer and dropped off heading into October. Second, getting reviews is "like pulling teeth" — she estimates about 3% of buyers leave one, and getting them requires persistent nudging.
"Every day I'm eager to log in and see what my numbers are. I want to do this more and maybe move into a new product line."
For now, she'll keep hula-ing.
