Archives: Podcast

Q&A: How to start a guide to government grants?

What It’s About

A listener wants to create a guide regarding government grants. What should they know?

Notes from Chris

Episode 1315

Today’s listener wants to create a guide for government grants. Is this a good idea, and if so, what’s the best path forward?

This year in the U.S. there has been a great deal of confusion regarding taxpayer grants for small businesses, largely under the PPP program but also another one called EIDL. Figuring out the process has been difficult for a lot of people, and there’s also confusion about who is eligible.

Why should Kanye West and Outback Steakhouse get free money from the government? That’s another topic—let’s focus here on the side hustle idea of creating that guide for government grants.

“Hi Chris, this is Sara from Boise and I’m looking for some help or a guide to government grants. So many businesses applied for special assistance loans from the government this year that it made me wonder: is there a market to serve those business owners who are working through the process? Or might there be value in creating a directory of government grants, organized by category and eligibility? Thanks Chris, I’ve really enjoyed this new format and can’t wait to hear your thoughts about this.”

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: These iPad Paintbrushes Never Run Dry

What It’s About

An artist in New Zealand uses her iPad to paint a sustainable side income.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1314

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.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from Karin in Ep. 457: Kiwi Coder Makes Extra $50,000/Year from Digital Paintbrushes.

I really liked this story and it’s a classic example of something that could only exist in this New Economy that we’re all experiencing.

A lot has happened since we first featured Karin—she’s moved into a new apartment, thanks in part to that very healthy side income, and she’s also noticing how her industry is changing with more competitors, so she’s thinking ahead about her next steps.

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

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • iPad Lettering: Up your digital calligraphy game—check out Karin’s brushes on her website!
  • Procreate: The iPad program that Karin used to create her calligraphy creations and brushes
  • Adobe Business Catalyst: The platform that Karin used to create her website for iPad Lettering

 

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

Quote of the Day
"One of the things that’s actually made a big difference is having an accountability group. It is a group of people who don’t do exactly the same thing, but they have similar aspirations to myself."
—Karin Newport #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

Q&A: How can I drive more traffic to my site instead of Udemy?

What It’s About

A listener hopes to attract customers for his masterclass in home improvement.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1313

It’s always great to hear from listeners who have put in the work, made progress, and are ready to go to the next level.

That’s what we have here today. Arnold from Illinois has created a home improvement video course. It’s currently on a third-party platform (you’ll hear more about that from him in a moment) and he wants to be able to drive traffic to his own website. That’s because he gets a much higher royalty rate for customers that he sends to the platform.

What’s the best way for him to do that? We’ll also take a look at the course and website itself.

“So I’ve been listening, I think from the very beginning and it was while reading “Born for This”, that I came up with my idea, which was a home repair and improvement video course. It took me a couple of years to get everything ready. But the course is live and I’m happy to report that I have recently broken even and I’m now making actual profits. So my question is basically how to best reach more people. So the course is currently hosted on Udemy, which is incredibly handy. But they, of course, take a significant percentage of the sales price and rightfully so. But if I can bring in a customer using a coupon code, then I receive a much larger percentage of the sale.

So I’ve been using Google ads to drive traffic to my own separate Web site, which in turn sends the people to you, to me with the coupon code. And that’s all been working fairly well. I generally at least covers the cost of the ads, but I’m wondering what the best next step would be. So social media immediately comes to mind. But, you know, I guess I was kind of hoping to avoid that. Yeah, it’s just never been my thing. I don’t even have a Facebook account. So do I just need to bite the bullet and sign up for it? Well, actually, what should I sign up for? I with that goal in mind or is there another direction you’d you’d recommend heading.”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

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

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 Student Starts Million Dollar Design Biz

What It’s About

A hard-working college student improves upon a popular wedding trend.

Words of Wisdom

Taylor says that when it comes to growing a business, you can’t do it alone. “Ask for help. I really started to see business growth when I brought in business mentors who I respected and trusted. And I didn’t lie to them, I was honest about what my problems were, areas we needed to grow in, and how much help I needed. Pick mentors who you look up to and trust. Find people who you don’t always agree with too, because their ideas and advice will challenge you. It takes a village to run a successful business.”

Fun Fact

One of the founders of Etsy, Robert Kalin, revealed in an interview for Reader’s Digest that the name “Etsy” was derived from the Italian phrase “eh, si” or “oh, yes.” (source)

Notes from Chris

Episode 1312
Taylor Walden had just begun her freshman year of college. She had always been interested in all things artistic, from painting to photography to calligraphy—so she chose to major in interior design.

For the holiday season, she used her skills in calligraphy to make meaningful, homemade gifts for her friends and family. Soon, the people around her took notice of what she was making.

As more and more people became interested in her art, Taylor decided to try opening an Etsy shop to sell art prints. Unfortunately, there was a ton of competition on the site for products like that. She didn’t get many sales.

But she thought that if she could just tweak what she was making to create something a little more unique, she could get a lot more sales. So, on Black Friday of 2016, Taylor woke up at 2am to buy a die-cutting machine so she could make her own vinyl stickers, designed with her own handwriting.

By the end of her freshman year, Taylor had over 500 Etsy sales. Since she had the summer off from school, she decided to expand her shop. She’d noticed a new trend of “bridesmaid proposal” boxes being sold on Etsy. But after reading the comments, she quickly noticed a lot of frustrated customers. The people selling these boxes never seemed to include everything they showed in their pictures. Plus, once the box arrived the customers had to assemble it themselves.

It didn’t take long for Taylor to decide that she could solve this problem. She created her own bridesmaid proposal boxes. She included everything that was needed, put it together beautifully, and even offered to send the box directly to the bridesmaid to take out an extra step for the buyer.

Since this trend was already popular (and since Taylor already had established herself on Etsy), the boxes ended up being hugely successful! By the end of the summer, Taylor had 2,000 Etsy sales and three local stores carrying her products. She realized that she was onto something, and when she went back to school in the fall, she was ready to take her side hustle even more seriously.

By the end of 2018, Taylor had brought in $250,000 worth of revenue while still maintaining her full-time college course load. It was a lot to take on, but the hard work and dedication paid off. She paid for college, her rent, and her wedding to Nick, who works with her in the business.

By the time she graduated, she was ready to commit to her business full-time. Last year, Simple & Sentimental brought in over $600,000 worth of revenue. In 2020, she expects to bring in over a million.

The business now donates a portion of their proceeds to a local nonprofit. Taylor says she can’t imagine doing anything else.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Check out Taylor’s wedding themed store, SimpleSentimental.com.
  • Like other makers and artists, Taylor started her hustle selling through Etsy.

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
"Ask for help. I really started to see business growth when I brought in business mentors who I respected and trusted."
—Taylor Walden #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

Q&A: Should I self-publish a mental health guidebook on Kindle?

What It’s About

A listener wants to know if they should grow their audience before self-publishing a guidebook.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1311

What comes first – the followers or the work?

Sometimes people feel trapped, as if they can’t create something without having followers or customers.

Our listener today, calling in from Mexico, doesn’t have that problem—she’s creating a lot! She’s starting a podcast on mental health, and also wants to publish a book. Should she put that book out on Kindle even though she doesn’t have a lot of followers yet?

Are there any other options?

“Hi, Chris, this Eugenia from Mexico. Thanks for all the generous work you’re putting out there every day. So as a former reporter, one of the things I’m good at and actually love doing is creating content and doing in-depth research. I’m passionate about human behavior and mental health topics. I just started two months ago a trauma-informed interview-based podcast, so I don’t want to use that platform to make an offer now. I do want to capitalize on my research skills to read a nonfiction e-book guide with curated mental health tools that can help people navigate these weird, stressful, uncertain times. I’ve been doing my own research, but I want to niche down.

So my question is, is self-publishing on Kindle a smart move? What would you suggest me to do if I don’t have a huge following? Not even an email list to sell or promote this guide. As mentioned before, I’m just getting started with a podcast, so I don’t want to use that platform now to make an offer. I’m considering something similar as what you shared on your 1006 episode. Thank you, Chris. Have a great week. And stay safe.”

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

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

Lifelong Freelancer Adds Real Estate Photography to Portfolio

What It’s About

A lifelong freelancer snaps at the opportunity to start real estate media company.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Randy shares some advice regarding finding a hustle idea: “Assess your strengths and talents. Find something that you would love to do. Then hold on to it like a dog with a bone.”

Fun Fact

Last year over 5 million homes were sold in the USA alone. With that many properties changing hands, there are plenty of opportunities to offer services or products to those both buying and selling property.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1310
Randy Hill isn’t your typical side hustler. At sixty-four-years old you’d be forgiven for thinking he was retiring instead of starting a business on the side. But, Randy has spent his whole life doing things the unconventional way, especially when it comes to work.

Last year, he added another notch in his side hustle belt. He and his wife were selling their home, and the realtor sent out a photographer to take pictures. Having professional photos taken is a great way to improve a listing and garner maximum attention.

It was good timing in more ways than one. Randy had been taking photographs for decades as a hobby, and now he followed the photographer around his house, absorbing the process. After the photographer left, Randy started to think, I could do this. Naturally, he decided to try.

The first thing he needed was a proper camera. In a flash, he purchased a second-hand Nikon for five hundred dollars and an accompanying zoom lens for three hundred dollars. He had a friend who was getting rid of a tripod, so he got that for free. At the very least, if his idea for becoming a real estate photographer didn’t fully develop, he’d have a new camera setup to re-ignite his love for photography.

The next step was to get some training. Randy didn’t want to spend too much money, or any if he could help it, so he came up with a clever strategy. He contacted a realtor friend from his local area. Randy asked if he could accompany the realtor and their photographer for a day to watch them work in even more detail.

Randy then moved on to the second step in his education. He turned to the tried and true place to learn anything… Graduate school? No! YouTube, of course.

But online learning can only take you so far. It was time to start putting some of the lessons into practice. To do that, Randy needed to snap up a client!

He tried postcard drops at businesses, calling realtors directly as well as messaging them on Instagram. He found Instagram to be the most effective method. He’d follow realtors accounts, then direct message the ones that followed him back—which many accounts do automatically. He’d invite them to look through his profile—which now had several examples of his work—and, if they liked what they saw, he’d propose working together. As an extra incentive, he’d offer a free or heavily discounted shoot on the first property.

This technique worked really well and within just a few short months Randy was making up to five hundred dollars per month from his side hustle. A good result for a photographer with only free, informal training.

While coronavirus has slowed things down a bit, property is still selling and Randy is still working hard to introduce himself to new realtors and build up his network of clients. As you might expect from a sixty-something side hustler, he’s been around the block a few times, seen a few worldwide catastrophes and believes this will all be over at some point. He wants to be ready for when it is.

 

 

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
"Assess your strengths and talents. Find something that you would love to do. Then hold on to it like a dog with a bone."
—Randy Hill #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: Any ideas for an architect trying to change business models?

What It’s About

A listener hopes to use his architectural expertise to draw up a new source of income.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1309

Today’s caller is an experienced architect hoping to make a change. He still wants to use his professional skills, but in a way that doesn’t rely on trading time for money. What should he consider?

This is a good example of someone considering how to go from being paid an hourly wage to an unlimited wage.

You might think, hey, this is a good hourly wage—but it’s ultimately still trading time for money. You might be okay with that some of the time, but wouldn’t it be great to also be making passive income?

“Hey, Chris, this is Mike Clough from Buth Bay, Maine. I found your show after buying the Money Tree book. I really love what you’re doing. I’m an architectural drafter and I’ve been designing and drawing for over 30 years. I draw construction plans for new homes. Cool rustic barns, as well as a lot of kitchen and bath as well as closet remodel projects. I draw using CAD software and I work independently for a handful of architects, custom builders and homeowners. I’m thinking about starting the side hustle and here’s why. I currently trade my billable hours for dollars and need better leverage for my financial future. I don’t have or really want employees.

So my question is what ideas would you have for me to offer a service or a product that would allow me to leverage my skillset in a new and better way? Any thoughts you have would be appreciated.”

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: Is it ethical to sell the same thing at different prices?

What It’s About

A listener is wondering about a common dilemma when it comes to pricing.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1308

Is there anything wrong with selling to a range of customers at different prices—and if not, how can you do it without someone finding out and getting mad?

Sometimes people are surprised to hear that it’s possible to sell the same thing to different customers at different prices. Your initial reaction might be to think that this is unfair! But is it really?

That’s what this caller is wondering about. I’m going to give you a few different examples of how this happens all the time and what the implications are when you’re learning to set a price for what you’re selling.

“Hi this is Becky from Manchester over in the UK and I’ve been listening to the show for the past couple of years. The puns still get me. I’d like to know if its ethical to sell the same thing to different people at different prices?

I heard you say something about this in an interview the other day, and was wondering if you could say more. First, *is* it ethical to sell the same thing at different prices? And second, how do you do it? Wouldn’t people see what other people paid and then get upset?”

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: English Language Game Throws Down Amazon Gauntlet

What It’s About

An update from an English teacher who turned his passion for verbs into online income.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1307

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.

Last week we heard from a blogger in India who earns affiliate commissions on financial products. This is a mature market in the U.S. but still fairly new in India, so he’s been able to profit from it quite well.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from Alex Bricker, an English teacher who turned his passion for verbs into online income. We first featured him many days ago – about two years ago, in fact – in Episode 499.

What’s happened since? A lot of things have gone well, but not everything

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

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Learn more about Alex, Phrase It (his English learning game) and his techniques at his website, ESLWithPurpose.com
  • Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): The model that Alex used that allowed him to pass on the responsibility of keeping stock and shipping out orders

 

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

Quote of the Day
"I would say is grow your email list. That is key for building long term trust."
—Alex Bricker #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.
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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: How to charge for a travel service post-quarantine?

What It’s About

A listener sees the opportunity for a post-quarantine travel service that connects long-distance couples.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1306

If you have not yet had a question answered on the podcast, just let me know—come to SideHustleSchool.com/questions and we’ll get you in the queue.

But this was a good question from Jon and it’s been 200 days since his last one. He’s wondering about how to charge for a travel service, especially in the post-COVID world.

“Hey, Chris. My name is Jon and I have a question at the cross-section of travel and Side hustle and I thought, who better to ask than you, my friend? I’ve been exploring places for me and someone very close to me to visit. She’s on the west coast of the U.S. and I’m on the East Coast. And with all the quarantining, we’re really excited to be able to get out and meet up and see each other here soon. I’ve really enjoyed the process of scouring flights and times and dates to cities within our budgets that we could meet up somewhere in the middle of the country. And I’d like to do this as a side hustle for others in the same boat.

I really have enjoyed it and I love connecting people and it just checks a lot of boxes for me. So my question is, it’s a two-parter. How would you recommend I charge for such a service? And also, what are the ways that I could find clients and people in the same boat? Thanks. Keep fighting the good fight. Chris, we need it now more than ever. A lot of uncertainty. And I always love your message and always love the great work you and your team are doing by.”

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