What It's About
A crafty side hustle that helps people get to work!
Business Model
Skills Required
Complexity
Profit Potential
Words of Wisdom
What if you’d like to to do something like this? Elise says:
"I always recommend starting with just something small. GET TO WORK BOOK was possible because I had tried other (smaller) ventures before it. I was familiar with printing processes. I could build out a small website. I knew how to manage shipping. If you have a grand plan, that's AMAZING, but often the first step towards that plan will feel tiny. Take it anyway!"
Fun Fact
Elise said that her very first Etsy shop customer way back in 2007 was her Grandma! According to her, it was the sweetest. When she first launched GET TO WORK BOOK for pre-order, it was about 9pm on the third of March in 2015, and she sent a newsletter and watched the sales pour in. It was overwhelming, and she admits that she probably cried.
Notes from Chris
Episode 602
Elise has been getting crafty since 2007 when she graduated college. Back then she worked full-time as a sales associate at a paper store. She launched an Etsy shop on the side to sell mini notebooks and letterpress prints. For the next few years, she always worked full-time and started various entrepreneurial projects. When she got married and moved across the country, she began thinking about a more substantial project that could grow into its own business. On her blog, which she posted on daily, Elise spent a lot of time sharing her routine, time management tips, and goal-setting techniques. She thought it would be fun to make a product that helped people be more creative and productive—and besides, a lot of her readers were constantly asking for resources. Originally, she thought she’d write a book about goal-setting but then decided to get even more creative and productive herself and make a planner. She wanted people to have something active to work with instead of just passively reading. (Side Note: Four years later, she ended up writing that book anyway...but that’s a different story.) What would she call this workbook? Well, at first she thought she had the perfect name “The Reality Planner”—because this was all about planning your real life. However, when she searched online for that phrase, she realized that a lot of people might confuse reality for realty… and while this planner could be helpful for real estate agents, that’s not really what it’s about. It’s a good thing that her first idea was problematic because the process made her think more about what this planner would be. This one-workbook-to-rule-them-all would help people get to work. That’s when she found a much better name: GET TO WORK BOOK. When Elise first launched GTWB for pre-orders, it was about 9pm on 3/3/15. She sent out a newsletter and watched the sales pour in. The feeling was overwhelming. People really wanted what she had made! That was three years ago. Since then, a lot has happened—she’s done two new versions for two New Years, and she’s added a lot of complimentary products to her online store. Mostly, though, she’s just sold a lot of GET TO WORK BOOKs. How many? At least 18,000. Over the past 3 years, the Get to Work Book has sold those 18,000 copies and earned $1.2 million in sales. There are real costs with this kind of business, but Elise is able to take a six-figure salary from it. She also hears from customers all the time who talk about how it has improved their lives. One woman even wrote in to say that it helped her plan a funeral for a close family member. The process of grieving was made easier with the tool that Elise made—a powerful testimonial!
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Get to Work Book: Don't you think it's time you got to work? Head on over to Elise's website to pickup a work book to help you get started!
- Elise Blaha: And while you're at it, learn more about Elise over on her blog
- Law Student Helps Create A $6,500/Month Morning Routine Journal: Three friends create a side hustle helping others hack their morning habits for more productive mornings
- If At First You Don’t Succeed, Make DIY Journals: Two friends try to start an online wedding platform, but they end up with a monthly subscription service offering personalized DIY journals
- Communications Teacher Turns Love of Journaling Into Etsy Shop: In her search for a side hustle, this college communications instructor turns to her love of journaling. She then learns to manufacture a custom product from overseas and sell it back at home
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Resources
CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE
Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.
Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today!
Learn More
GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS
Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time.
Quote of the Day
Sponsors & Gratitude
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To infinity and beyond,
