979
9 min 11 sec

Aussie Student Starts Million-Dollar Bikini Biz

When an Australian student is in need of spending money, she starts a bikini side hustle that grows well beyond “itsy bitsy.
Ecommerce High Profit Product Retail

Subscribe Now For A Free Five Step Tutorial

What It's About

A budget savvy student turns a little product into huge profits!

Business Model
Product
Skills Required
Design & Research
Complexity
Low
Profit Potential
High

Words of Wisdom

Although many factories won’t accept small orders of products, Ana says that with research, it is possible to find places that will produce orders that value less than $1,000. Although it doesn’t seem like it, places like this really do exist, so don’t give up the search!

Fun Fact

The first record of a bikini is from the 1400 B.C Roman mosaic, Chamber of the Ten Maidens. It wasn’t until 1600 years later, in 1946, that French designer Jacques Heim introduced an itsy bitsy teenie weenie two-piece swimsuit called the “atom” after the smallest known piece of matter and began the modern trend.

Notes from Chris

Episode 979
Ana Gavia was working her way through university in Australia. Although her studies kept her busy enough, Ana only had $200 in her bank account. She needed to find a way to make more money, and fast.

But rather than getting another typical job for a student, like waiting tables or working in retail, she was drawn to ecommerce, especially the world of fashion. Although she had no experience in entrepreneurship, she was excited about the idea of starting her own business.

The little money in her bank account meant that Ana had no other option but to start her side hustle on a budget. So, even though Ana was interested in fashion, she learned through research that to produce just one dress, it would cost close to $50. That would be one-fourth of the total money she had.

So, casting that idea aside, she began to wonder how she could still have a fashion business but with cheap startup costs. That’s when she realized that the less material her items were made of, the less it would cost to produce. What’s an item of clothing that doesn’t include much material? Bikinis, of course.

Not only were they cost-effective, Ana had also grown up on a coastal beach town and had gone through her fair share of swimsuits. She knew exactly what worked well and what didn’t.

With the idea in mind, Ana began her first design. She made sure to include two critical features: adjustable straps and underwire support.

Over the last two years, Ana has grown Pinkcolada into a million-dollar business. She dove into the world of entrepreneurship head first, without much money or experience. By taking action without overthinking it, Ana was able to create an online store and course correct along the way.

 
  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter


Download Episodes By Months:

Season 6 (2022): JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |

Season 5 (2021): JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |

Season 4 (2020): JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |

Season 3 (2019): JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |

Season 2 (2018): JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |

Season 1 (2017): JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |

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.


Learn More

Quote of the Day
"I wouldn’t do anything differently... taking on a lot of tasks from the start forces you to make mistakes, learn and adapt much more quickly"
—Ana Gavia #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳


Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.


Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!





To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau