Archives: Podcast

Mother-Daughter Team Starts Squeaky-Clean Soap Shop

What It’s About

A mother-daughter team up for this soap making side hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Erica says that although it can be hard sometimes, it’s okay if everything doesn’t happen quickly. “The struggles that I’ve encountered are just wanting everything quickly. Wanting to be a household name in the small business industry right away. Forgetting that I literally launched in May. I tend to be a bit hard on myself at times. I never gave myself off hours. Well, I’ve learned that everything takes time and anything worth having is worth working for and waiting for and nurturing.”

Fun Fact

Erica has another side hustle – painting! Although she hasn’t done it in a few years, she has loved creating pop-art style paintings of celebrities or cartoons. People like 50 Cent, Elle Varner, Kid Fury of The Read and Major Galore of Love and Hip-Hop own her paintings.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1380
Late one night in January of 2020, Erica Hackett and her ten-year-old daughter, Jada, couldn’t fall asleep. So instead, they decided to stay up and talk.

At one point, Jada said that she wanted to start a business. Erica asked her what kind, and Jada said that she wanted to make lip gloss.

It turns out that making lip gloss is harder than it seems, and it’s also incredibly messy. This was not the business of Jada’s sleepless dreams. But they’d bought a lot of supplies—so instead of wiping the slate clean, Erica started researching what else they could be used for.

Through her Googling, she learned that lip gloss and soap had a lot of common ingredients. Thus it was decided: they were going to make their own soap.

For the next five months, Erica and Jada worked to launch their new soap side hustle, called Dreamstar Cosmetics. After a couple of false starts with other online store platforms, they made a website on a platform called Big Commerce. Jada designed the logo and they hired an illustrator to bring it to life.

Once that was done, they applied the logo to the labels and website. Dreamstar launched in May 2020—that’s right, this is prime pandemic time. They received their first order within an hour of launching from one of Erica’s best friends. The next day, they received their very first request from a wholesaler.

Since launching in May, Erica and Jada have made $11,000 in revenue. It’s been hard to keep the items in stock since it’s just the two of them working from their kitchen. Not only that, but Erica has fallen into the slippery slope of working too much on her side hustle. She would work on Dreamstar late into the night after her day job and on the weekends. At first, she wanted to have her company be a household brand immediately, but eventually she realized that she needed to make herself take time away from both her day job and her side hustle.

Despite the struggles, Erica has loved the experience. One of her favorite parts is watching Jada’s entrepreneurial skills surface. Jada finds GIFs and writes captions for them. She picks out scents and colors for the new products.

Not only that, but Erica has loved learning that she can do more than just draw gas and electricity lines all day, which is what she does for her full-time job. With Dreamstar, she has been able to tap into her creativity again.

She would love to make it her full-time gig one day, and even open a brick-and-mortar shop.

 

 

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

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

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

Quote of the Day
"Focus on one thing at a time, get really good at it, and then move onto another category (just one other category!)."
—Chelsea Bagley #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Learn More With Skillshare!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Skillshare. 📷

Skillshare is giving Side Hustle School listeners 2 months of unlimited access—for $0.99! Join the 2 million students learning everything from street photography to SEO on Skillshare today!
Get Started Here!

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

Q&A: Should I provide a guarantee for my real estate photography service?

What It’s About

A listener is thinking about offering a guarantee for their services. What’s the best approach?

Notes from Chris

Episode 1379

A guarantee provides reassurance and increases trust—and a weak guarantee is worse than no guarantee at all. Today’s listener is starting to get paid for real estate photography. Should she offer a money-back guarantee in case a client is unsatisfied?

“Hi Chris, this is Cathy and thanks for all the helpful info you provide on the show. In your book, The $100 Startup, you wrote about the power of an unconditional guarantee. You also said that it’s better to have no guarantee at all than a weak one—which makes sense. But in my case, I’m starting to do real estate photography, and I can’t figure out what’s better.”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

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

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

Q&A: Any ideas for a military couple?

What It’s About

A listener seeks advice on side hustle ideas for families serving in the military.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1378

Shoutout to everyone in the military … thank you for your service!

I hear from a lot of folks in the service or who have recently been discharged and are looking for what’s next.

These listeners have been in the military for more than a decade, and they’re thinking ahead. What might be a good side hustle for a couple that moves frequently and might be deployed?

“Hi Chris, this is Barry and Carol we’ve been listening to the show for the last couple of years and have gotten really inspired to start our own side hustle.

My wife and I have both been in the army for more than ten years each. That’s a long time, but we still have at least another ten years to go. What’s a good side hustle for military service members like us? Keep in mind we tend to move a lot, so we wouldn’t want to do something that relies on local connections, and there’s always the risk of deployment. Thanks Chris and we look forward to hearing what you have to say.”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

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

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

TBT: Mobile Coffee Roasting Blends Work and Family

What It’s About

An update from a mobile coffee roaster who blends beans with home life.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1377

Welcome to Throwback Thursday / “Where are they now?” where we take an in-depth look at someone who’s story has evolved considerably since we first featured them.

We recently heard from an accountant who sells spreadsheet templates and other financial resources to creatives, a guy who made $100,000 on Fiver, and many more.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from a Washingtonian who started selling coffee in his neighborhood to teach his kids about small business. He ended up learning a few things himself. We first featured him in Ep. 549, which was approximately, well… exactly—828 days ago!

Listen to today’s episode to hear Doug’s updates…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Valente Family Coffee: If you’re a coffee bean afficianado yourself and want to learn more about their operations, check out their website!

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

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

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

Q&A: I set up my email list … now what??

What It’s About

Once you have an email newsletter signup polished and ready for website visitors, what comes next?

Notes from Chris

Episode 1376

Aside from your website, your email list may be your most important tool in growing any new business. After you get it set up, what comes next?

Keep in mind that in setting up systems, there are often two separate parts: one is the technical aspect of whatever needs to be done, and then there is the marketing aspect. You make a website … awesome, but then what? You set up a way to accept payments … great, but who’s going to pay you?

Generally speaking, you should spend a lot more time on this second group of tasks. Keep everything as simple as possible on the tech side so that you can focus your efforts on marketing.

“Hi Chris, this is John from Phoenix and I’ve been listening to the show for a couple of years now. I signed up for Mailchimp and have been enjoying the process of getting it set up. I put it off for a while because I was worried about the tech part of it, but it’s easier than I thought it would be! I wrote a welcome message and figured out how to add the code to my site. So that’s great, but now comes the next step: how to get people to actually want to be on the list. I’ve thought about offering some kind of free bonus if they sign up, but I don’t know what it would be. Any ideas? Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you.”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

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

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

College Curriculum Developer Makes Minimalist Jewelry

What It’s About

A higher education professional bedazzles with her Simple Designs jewelry hustle.

Words of Wisdom

Cristi share’s some important advice, “Make sure you are not spending all your mental energy and time on your side hustle. Maintain balance and ensure you still enjoy it most of the time. Also, know how much time you spend on your side hustle, how much effort you put in, the cost of materials and overhead, and the standard pricing of similar businesses, so you can set your prices accordingly. Do not undervalue yourself or your work.”

Fun Fact

When she made her first sale, Cristi was helping out at the checkout counter, and it was a thrill watching a customer examine her pieces on display. When they finally chose a necklace and checked out, Cristi was giddy. She didn’t want the customer to know she had created the necklace they just purchased, so she tried to play it cool.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1375
Cristi Moore is a full-time talent development and e-learning specialist for a local university—as well as a mother of two—who finds space for “me time” by unwinding in front of Netflix with a soldering iron and some jeweler’s glue. Specifically, Cristi makes Bohemian chic jewelry with a minimalist aesthetic. This “me time” ritual earns her a nice profit. Plus, she enjoys getting to know individual customers so she can create meaningful, custom, and personalized jewelry pieces just for them.

Cristi started creating her own jewelry because she couldn’t find that one perfect piece that expressed who she was. She had an image in her mind of precisely what she wanted, but she couldn’t find it.

A few months after Cristi started making her own jewelry, her best friend opened a boutique and was looking for creators who would sell their items in her shop. This friend wanted to focus on handmade items, not imports from overseas factories or anything else made in bulk. Cristi was intrigued, so she launched her brand, Simple Designs, and started producing jewelry in her unique, “less is more” design.

She opened an Etsy shop a couple years after she started selling at her friend’s boutique, and soon other local brick-and-mortar stores started stocking her creations.

Simple Designs by Cristi now nets around $10,000 annually, and her style has maintained its no-frills simplicity. She loves a classic pair of studs, for example. But creating custom pieces is her favorite, including bold, beautiful statement pieces, like clay-beaded chokers, multi-strand back necklaces, and crystal earrings with a vintage feel.

Her next goal is to teach herself how to create pavé diamond jewelry, a technique of drilling holes directly into the metal and laying diamonds into the holes like cobblestones.

That will require a lot of learning, practice, and, of course, more tools and time. She’s excited to see how that goes.

 

 

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

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

Quote of the Day
"know how much time you spend on your side hustle, how much effort you put in, the cost of materials and overhead, and the standard pricing of similar businesses, so you can set your prices accordingly. Do not undervalue yourself or your work."
—Christi Moore #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

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

CLASSROOM: Transitioning Between Projects

What It’s About

How to move from one project to another, either permanently or in the midst of daily work.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1374

Today, let’s look at the topic of … transitioning between projects!

How can you transition between projects (or a job and a side hustle) without constantly losing your flow—and how can you start a completely new project without just creating more “stuff” to worry about?

There are two parts to this:

1) The daily or frequent transition between projects you’re actively working on (your day job and side hustle, your coaching call and that book you’re trying to write)

2) The transition between old and new projects (when you start something new and move on in some fashion from something old)

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

THIS WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT:

Understand your ideal working conditions, learn to transition in a way that makes sense to you. Also, spend more time doing deep work!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

 

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

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

Texas Mom Profits from Poshmark Sales

What It’s About

A thrifty thrifter turns used threads into gold

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Chelsea shares some important advice on focusing your hustle, “It’s not a good idea to do everything at once. You can be an expert in clothing, but it will take a lot of research to also be an expert in, say, video games. Focus on one thing at a time, get really good at it, and then move onto another category (just one other category!)”

Fun Fact

Did you know….Goodwill sends their unsold merchandise to the Goodwill Outlet, known ominously as “the bins.” Items are sold by the pound, and new bins are brought out every 10 minutes. People push, shove, yell, and steal things out of each other’s hands. If you’re lucky, you can wind up with a $3k Louis Vuitton bag for $2 or less—or dirty underwear, rusty surgical scissors, and live rats.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1373
Chelsea Bagley finds clothes and other in-demand items at thrift stores, yard sales, and estate sales, and then she resells them online—essentially spinning used threads into gold…. or at least cash money.

In addition to working part-time at a fashion company, Chelsea looks after two young daughters at home. She discovered thrift and consignment stores when she had her first child. Her daughter grew out of her clothes so fast, that buying expensive new outfits seemed like a waste of money.

In 2018, while looking for used baby clothes online, Chelsea discovered Poshmark, an eCommerce marketplace. She realized this platform would not only allow her to purchase clothes for her daughter, but it would also enable Chelsea to sell some of her own clothes that she didn’t wear anymore. She took photos of a few items and posted them. Within a week, she made her first sale.

With that easy $20 in her bank account, Chelsea reinvested it by hitting up her local thrift store and picking out four more shirts that she thought she could resell. She thought, “Why not?” She’d only lose $20 if it didn’t work out. Two of the shirts sold immediately for $25 each. Then Chelsea was hooked. It was just a small profit, but she saw the future.

She discovered which stores have the lowest prices in her area, she researched various ways to ship at lower prices, and she learned how to properly check comps before even making a purchase. At the beginning of 2020, Chelsea expanded beyond Poshmark by cross-listing her clothing items to eBay. A month later, she broadened her inventory to include household items. She also uses Facebook Marketplace.

With reselling, you typically get out of it what you put in, so if Chelsea is disciplined and adds new items each day, she can now easily clear over $1,000 per month. Other months she may take a break and only make a few hundred.

Reselling has become a little more difficult due to COVID-19. It isn’t as easy to rummage for promising new items when stores are closed or limited by the pandemic. But Chelsea is keeping at it, and she’s also blogging about non-toxic living and sustainability through a new blog called Nesting Naturally.

 

 

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

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

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

Quote of the Day
"Focus on one thing at a time, get really good at it, and then move onto another category (just one other category!)."
—Chelsea Bagley #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Learn More With Skillshare!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Skillshare. 📷

Skillshare is giving Side Hustle School listeners 2 months of unlimited access—for $0.99! Join the 2 million students learning everything from street photography to SEO on Skillshare today!
Get Started Here!

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

Q&A: Can I compete with Gazelle by reselling iPhones?

What It’s About

A listener is thinking about reselling smartphones. What should they know?

Notes from Chris

Episode 1372

If there’s one thing the world needs more of, it’s cell phones … right?

When you upgrade your iPhone or Android smartphone, what do you do with the old one? Many of us trade them in, knowing that we aren’t getting a great deal but not wanting to hassle with an alternative.

Today’s listener is hoping to profit from this problem—how should they proceed?

“Hi Chris, I’m a long time listener, first-time caller. Speaking of phones… I recently upgraded my iPhone and wanted to trade in my old one to Apple, but the price they offered seemed really low. So I decided to shop around, and heard of a site called Gazelle, where you can buy and sell used phones.

I thought that would be great, but their buying price was also pretty low. I ended up selling my phone on Facebook Marketplace and got at least $50 more than I would have from selling to either Apple or Gazelle. It got me thinking: since they don’t pay market value, couldn’t there be some way to arbitrage this? I can’t compete with big companies, but if I could specialize in selling locally or otherwise providing some kind of benefit, I’m thinking there’s a way to make it work. What do you think—am I missing something?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

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

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

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Chris Guillebeau

Q&A: How to convert non-paying students into customers?

What It’s About

A listener seeks advice on how to convert students from his apprenticeship classes to paying customers.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1371

Today’s listener (from Egypt!) is teaching software development through an apprenticeship model, but most of his students aren’t paying. How can he convert some of these free students into customers?

This is a common challenge of the freemium model, but fortunately there are some common solutions to it. I have some ideas for him that may be helpful for someone else out there as well.

“Hi, this is Ron from Egypt, and I’ve been listening to the show since last year. I’m thinking about starting a side hustle where I teach software development through an apprenticeship model rather than traditional classes or online courses. Following the tradition of the great masters of the Italian renaissance.

I did this informally without fees and students lose their momentum after a few months. It takes about a year of serious study to transition from a fresh graduate to a professional. I feel bad when someone drops. My efforts are wasted. I think if students pay the fee, they would be more committed. And it would reward my efforts. My questions are, is this a good idea? How do I charge? How do I convert my nonpaying current students to paying apprentices? Thank you. “

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

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

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