What It's About
A man with a passion for cars tests out a new cleaning product, then decides to sell it himself.
Business Model
Skills Required
Complexity
Profit Potential
Words of Wisdom
John worked on SEO with the goal of getting to the first page of Google search results and ultimately the #1 position. He still holds the #1 spot today for many keyword searches related to his product as a result of that initial work that established him as an authority. Thanks to this extra effort, he was soon selling between $2,000-5,000 a month, depending on the season.
Fun Fact
A serial side hustler, John is always on the lookout for something else to sell. At one point he designed and prototyped a splash-less dog bowl, but then abandoned it when he couldn’t manufacture it at a price point that would generate a high enough profit margin.
Notes from Chris
Episode 86
Every day on the show, there’s a new story to serve as encouragement for your journey. What do these stories have in common? To start, they're all about regular people who have regular jobs. These people are busy with lots of stuff, yet somehow they find a way to create an income-generating project for themselves. Today’s story represents this well. It's all about a car enthusiast who follows up on his curiosity and creates a project that earns $5,000 a month. Over the course of a bit more than a decade, has produced more than $1 million in net income. After receiving a free sample of Dri Wash ’n Guard, a form of waterless car wash, at a local swap meet, John Skurka took it home and gave it a test run. He was impressed by how well it worked, so he decided to try becoming a distributor. As a car enthusiast himself, being legitimately excited about the product, he took the next step of inquiring with the manufacturer about how could go about selling it. Not everyone would have done that (in fact, most people wouldn’t). And of the people who think, "Maybe I should sell or market this item," a lot of them get stuck. It doesn’t usually need to cost a lot of money to become a distributor or reseller of something, but it does require you to follow through. Don't allow your fears to limit you and your side hustle! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- DriWash Solutions: Learn more about John and his Dri Wash products
- How to Apply for an EIN: Applying for an EIN helps you establish Independent Contractor status and is another way to protect you from identity theft
- SEO 101: If you're looking to launch your own online presence, here's a Beginner's Guide to SEO
- Stressed-Out Mom Gives Up TV to Launch her Hustle: How a San Diego accountant coping with the struggles of new motherhood launched her own private label wine hustle for stressed out parents like herself.
- Make $4,000/Month Renting Out Cars You Don't Own: How a Los Angeles man leases a fleet of 16 cars and rents them out at a higher rate making over $4,000/month.
- Woman Earns $7,000 in Three Days by Selling Nail Files: How an impromptu trip to a local farmer’s market leads one woman in California to a sustainable six-figure side hustle selling glass nail files online.
Resources
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Quote of the Day
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To infinity and beyond,
