Archives: Podcast

Q&A: Should I buy an existing franchise?

What It’s About

Is purchasing a franchise a safer investment than starting your own hustle?

Notes from Chris

Episode 1135

When I was 17 one of my entrepreneurial dreams was to open a MailBoxes Etc. franchise … I surveyed the owners using AOL email addresses I found online, and asked them all kinds of cheeky questions like “How much money did they make from their franchise?” (Funny how things come full circle…)

As a recall, about a third of them actually wrote me back.

Then I grew up and did other things, realizing first of all that I didn’t have the capital (aka money) to buy my own MBE license—more on that in a bit—but also I found something that was better.

Still, franchises are everywhere. Might there be a good reason to buy into one? As you’ll hear, there might be … but there are also some pretty good reasons not to.

I’m looking for something that is proven and established, I’m wondering if I should consider opening a franchise store. There’s a Subway sandwich shop on every corner, and a Cold Stone Creamery in every shopping center. This just feels safer than trying to start my own thing, but maybe I’m missing something. What are the advantages and disadvantages of going this route?

 

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

SEE ALSO:

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

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

Journalist Gets Paid to Host Outdoor Activities

What It’s About

In need of a “Maine” hustle, a former journalist creates a fun, fitness-focused social club.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Facing a job transition can be challenging but it can also be the motivation one needs to create a hustle. Try to capitalize on any opportunity of momentum that pushes you to move forward with your project.

Fun Fact

Shannon also had the opportunity to do a segment on local TV a couple times a month. It started as a gig for her old job at a newspaper. When she left the paper, the TV station kept her on, so now she gets to plug Fit Maine there, as well.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1134

Dream jobs are only great until they aren’t. For ten years, Shannon Bryan got to write for a major news outlet in Maine. She covered popular happy hours, brunches, and the best hills for sledding. But layoffs rolled through every couple years, wages froze, and some of her bosses didn’t seem to value what she brought to the table. Shannon was frustrated.

So in early 2015, she decided to create something that she had more control over. She started a small website where she wrote about paddleboard yoga, cross-country skiing, and lesser-known sports such as lightsaber combat as aerobics—basically the things she did with her friends on weekends.

Her followers on social media were already asking questions like “How hard was that class?” “Do they do it every Thursday?” and “Can I use rechargeable batteries for my lightsaber?”

Shannon suspected that if active people in Maine were asking these questions of her, it meant they were probably searching for this information as well. And there wasn’t a single website that answered them, so she created FitMaine.com.

$150 bought her a domain, hosting, and a WordPress theme. Her only other expenses starting out were the costs of taking the classes and attending the events she was writing about. This ranged from an additional $40 to $150 a month, and she was occasionally able to work out deals from the studios.

At first, Fit Maine was just for fun, and she didn’t intend to make it profitable. It was something she worked on for a few hours here and there when she could squeeze it in. She’d schedule a day or two each week to go to classes, then write up content. Even with the classes, Fit Maine took up only 10 to 15 hours per week.

The real change happened in January 2019 when Shannon launched the Fit Maine Social Club: a paid membership club that ventures out to do all the fun, adventurous things she writes about.

When Shannon launched the club, she mailed a knit hat embroidered with the phrase “Maine is my gym” to every person who signed up that first month—her early adopters, so to speak. Of the twenty or so people who paid to hang out with her and be part of a club that didn’t really exist yet, Shannon didn’t know half of them.

This excited her: people who didn’t know her signed up because they thought this was a good idea. But it was also scary … what if they didn’t like the club or hated the events? Shannon almost hoped they didn’t show up.

But they did. And they kept showing up. The club was growing beyond her network, but she still needed to get the message out to more people.

Fit Maine has seen progress in its first five years. Businesses now comp Shannon to cover classes and events, and between the club memberships (now up to 84!), content and event promotion, selling a little bit of swag, and sponsorships, Fit Maine is making about $2,500 a month.

Her aim is to grow considerably before the end of the year.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • FitMaine.com: Learn more about Shannon’s business at her website, FitMaine.com.

 

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

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $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 my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

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

Quote of the Day
"My passion for the work has grown, and my understanding that what I’m doing really matters. Yes, I want to make more money at it, but I also genuinely love this work."
—Shannon Bryan #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 do I know which online resources are worth paying for?

What It’s About

How to filter online resources and pay for what’s actually helpful.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1133

There’s a lot of information out there, both free and paid. Today’s caller wants to know what’s useful, what’s worth paying for, and what you can safely ignore.

In my commentary I’ll give you a list of a few tools and resources that I use, along with a cautionary note about not getting too sucked into the world of shiny objects. I really do believe that one of the challenges of the so-called information age is that there is so much information out there that it’s a real struggle to navigate.

“I am starting a side hustle related to web development and blogging for web development. I plan to develop web sites for local community businesses and organizations. My initial targeted clients will be related to education and training from a blog. I will highlight my web development, training experience and my transition from a job and education to a self-sustaining business with active and passive income.

My question is this how do I figure out which information and resources online like courses, blogs and YouTube videos is valid and actually helpful? Also, how do I find the best resources and determine which resources are worth paying for?”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

SEE ALSO:

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: Epic Scavenger Hunt Becomes 6-Figure Income

What It’s About

An update from a scavenger hunt hustle that now operates in multiple cities.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1132

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. So far in these features we’ve had a New York City musician with a blog teaching jazz that becomes a multiple six-figure business, and a former tech employee who sources satin pillowcases from China and also ends up growing a very significant side hustle turned full-time income.

Today, in our latest feature, we’ll hear from a guy I got to hang out with in Boston a while back. His name is Chris as well, and he’s really interesting because what he’s doing now at the age of 48 is exactly what he wanted to do when he was 10. At that young age, he was attracted to games of all kinds and scavenger hunts in particular.

He now runs a company—started as a side gig, of course—that produces these hunts all across Boston and now other cities in the northeast and Chicago as well if I’m not mistaken. He’s evolved as he’s gone along and he’s still going strong.

But it’s been a while since we featured Chris, so what’s happened since?

What’s happened since?

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

 

 

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

Quote of the Day
"You might stumble. It’s healthy to stumble. But, you know, pick yourself up again and just continue on."
—Chris Damianakos #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: What if you don’t want to use social media?

What It’s About

Do you need social media to successfully market your business? #askingforafriend

Notes from Chris

Episode 1131

I love this question! Listen carefully.

This listener makes motion videos and backgrounds for churches, but he dislikes social media (#notafan). Should he just get over his resistance, or can he succeed without frequent posting?

I have a real, non-wishy-washy opinion about this question—and it’s not just for our caller but for anyone who sells anything.

“My Side hustle is making motion videos and backgrounds for churches to use on their Sunday morning services. My question is, is it possible to build a thriving side hustle or business without harnessing social media?Hashtag: #notafan. Currently, the videos I make our uploaded to one site where they take care of all the marketing and branding and I get paid a commission on every video that’s downloaded.

I have recently started my own website so that I can retain full commission on everything that sells. But I know I need to get the word out there to my target audience. So what would you recommend on reaching those people without using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and all that stuff?”

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

Busy Mom Flips RVs for Fun and Profit

What It’s About

You’ll flip over this story of a mom who renovates and sells RVs.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

We love stories where busy parents prove time and time again that it’s not impossible to run a successful hustle. Hear from Sarah, “With any side hustle, there is the struggle of finding a balance. I don’t clock in and out of being a mum or for working on my blog or RV renovations.”

Fun Fact

The first RV that Sarah bought was in horrific condition. In fact, she bought something that she now warns others against. Being able to still turn a profit after renovating it was what drew her to start this side hustle.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1130
Stay-at-home mom Sarah Lemp has many irons in the fire. With her time split between caring for her five children and running her DIY blog, she often tries to take care of both responsibilities at once. Many of her activities involve making handmade items with her children and sharing the process with her readers. Over the years, she’d built a loyal following of readers.

One day, Sarah took things to another level. Her family had purchased their first RV and found that it was in horrible condition. Their first thought was that the $1,700 they spent on this 1956 vintage trailer was a bad financial decision. But, determined to make the most of it, they renovated that RV and started going on road trips—the very purpose for which they had bought it.

A few years later, this RV having served its purpose, Sarah listed it for sale on Facebook Marketplace. To her surprise, it sold that very same day … and for a significant profit. This discovery opened up a new whole world.

If she could sell her handmade products, Sarah wondered why she couldn’t sell refurbished RVs. Having lived on a tight budget, she had plenty of experience—and fun—fixing things up and making them look a lot nicer.

Her first intentional reno project took three months, and since then, Sarah has only gotten more efficient. Today, she’s able to flip at least one RV a month. On average, each RV sold brings her $6,000 of profit. How about that?!

Throughout the process, Sarah documents the journey on her blog, AllThingsWithPurpose.com, allowing her to keep her readers engaged as well. She’s found a whole new wave of readers with this series.

With increasing expertise and experience, Sarah is also able to share the best tips with her readers—everything from pricing an RV to knowing what to look out for when inspecting the vehicle before purchase. She knows that she would have saved a lot of time and money if she had this knowledge when she first started out.

The best part of the experience has been the chance to make real money without sacrificing quality time with her children. Sometimes she’s able to involve them with the work; other times she tackles her tasks while they’re otherwise occupied.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Learn more about Sarah and her projects at her blog AllThingsWithPurpose.com.
  • Want to learn more about how Sarah flips RV? Read this awesome post she wrote about the process and cost.

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
"With any side hustle, there is the struggle of finding a balance. I don’t clock in and out of being a mum or for working on my blog or RV renovations."
—Sarah Lemp #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: Avoiding Mistakes in the Idea Phase

What It’s About

7 common mistakes in the side hustle idea phase—and how to avoid them.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1129

Welcome to a new month! This is the weekly Classroom segment. Last week we talked about deciding on an idea. I showed you a tool, the Side Hustle Selector, that you can use to eliminate ideas that aren’t a good fit for you at any particular time, as well as reduce your indecision.

Of course, no tool can help if you just want to remain stuck … so don’t do that! Join us on the road to implementing profitable ideas, which is what we’ll spend two-thirds of the year on. (Maybe even three-quarters, or whatever the next estimation is … but you don’t come to me for math lessons.)

Once you’ve got your idea, I want to save you even more time because I’ve seen (and experienced myself) that people tend to make the same mistakes over and over.

What are those common mistakes? Let’s jump right in. I’ll show you seven of them, and as a bonus – you’ll hear how to avoid them.

  • Trying to serve all the people, all the time. It’s not possible to do this well! Serve fewer people.
  • Not having a clear revenue model. Remember what I said about “How will your idea make money?” And if you don’t know, don’t proceed. Think long and hard about this question; it’s not optional.
  • Unclear messaging. Do you have an elevator pitch? If it starts with “It’s a long story…” or “It’s complicated…” that’s not good. Most likely, your idea isn’t complicated—you just can’t explain it well. Maybe you don’t know it well enough.
  • Not thinking enough about fulfillment. Later I’ll teach you about workflows, and designing a systematic process for how buyers can have a well-executed experience. For now, just think through how the logistics will work for whatever it is you propose to sell: how will you sell it, how will people pay for it, and what needs to happen for them to receive what they pay for?
  • Not having a good answer to the question “Why should anyone care about this?” This is one of those hard truths: the more you can be coldhearted about your own idea, the better job you’ll do in polishing it to make it more compelling and interesting. I want you to believe in your idea, but put on your skeptic’s hat now and then to really understand any objections or weaknesses.
  • Not asking, “What if this succeeds?” You may have already thought about the possibility that your idea fails. That happens … but you should also think about what happens if your idea succeeds and works really well? Will you have problems if its too successful? How can it grow if it takes off right away?
  • Not having any sense of urgency or scarcity. You want potential buyers to think, “I need to have this now,” not “That’s interesting, maybe one day I’ll come back and look at it.”

Listen to today’s Classroom episode to learn more…

 

 

THIS WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT:

Test your idea against the seven common mistakes, and see how it holds up.

Do you have a clear revenue model? Have you thought about fulfillment? What’s your answer to the question, “Why should anyone care about this?”

 

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

Q&A: How to scale a pen-to-paper greeting service?

What It’s About

A listener wants to know if a choose-what-you-pay model will work for her creative lettering hustle.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1128

Remember, I want to know about your projects! I heard about a really cool one today – you’ll hear about it too – and I very much enjoyed the first month of our Year of Interaction.

We’ll be ramping things up as we go along, with more questions, the new Throwback Thursday series (we’ve done two so far), and something special I’m saving for April, when I’ll begin an all-new tour.

This listener started a pen-to-paper initiative to connect people through snail mail. It’s starting well, but how can it scale—and is a Pay-What-You-Will pricing model the best option?

I launched the XO Project, a pen to paper initiative to connect humans offline through snail mail. The idea was to put my interest in calligraphy to use by writing short greetings on behalf of others. It’s a simple process. A person submits their message and details through an online form on my website. I calligraph the message on a card and address the envelope. Add postage and mail it up.

At first I offered this for free to test the idea and refine the process. Now it’s offered at a choose what you pay model to keep it accessible. The cards are branded and have a message on the back inviting the recipient to participate as well. Fifty-nine notes were mailed out the first year of the project, and sixty-seven notes were sent out last year in twenty nineteen.

My question is twofold; how do I figure out who is the best audience for this and how might a service based project like this scale would also be curious what you think about the choose-what-you-pay price model?

 

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Learn more about Niki’s creative business The XO Project at her website.

 

SEE ALSO:

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

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

Bellydance Class Gets High-Tech Update

What It’s About

A virtual assistant sways to her own beat and creates an ultimate bundle for online belly dancing lessons.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

A good side hustle idea should not only sound interesting but compelling enough for someone to make a purchase. Prove that people are willing to pay for your service/products and you might be on to something.

Fun Fact

The first day of her first bundle launch, Tiffany passed out for a few hours having pulled an all-nighter the previous night. Her husband dutifully sat by her inbox, watching for anything urgent that came in, so she could get some precious shut-eye.

Notes from Chris

Episode 1127

Bellydance classes can be a fun way to stay active, learn a cool new skill, and be part of a community. But if you don’t live in an area with any studios that teach this ancient practice, you’re out of luck—or at least you were before Tiffany Hunter created the Bellydance Bundle in 2017.

Tiffany was working as a virtual assistant for a bundle of online courses that teach people how to build a location-free lifestyle, when she had the idea to create a similar product for Bellydance.

As a dancer, she knew the community well and thought that a different way to learn could help students and teachers alike. Online courses were growing in popularity, but her beloved art of Bellydance was behind the curve. She thought she could change that.

With the permission of her bosses, Tiffany borrowed from their format and website layout to create “The Bellydance Bundle.” In this bundle, Tiffany takes online classes from a variety of teachers, and sells them as one package at an incredibly discounted price for a short period of time.

Once a year, aspiring dancers have the opportunity to buy the package. It’s on sale for seven days only, because the same classes are already available online at a higher cost. The bundle is an incentive to dancers get the classes at a discount, and a way for the teachers to get exposure to more of the community.

To get things started, Tiffany spent $150 on a website. Specifically, she bought some stock photos because she wanted the site to be beautiful, unlike most other dance-class focused sites at the time. She also spent $15 a month for SendOwl, a site that helps you to sell digital goods online.

Because the bundle sale happens once a year, it also means that most of the work happens in the three-to-four months leading up to the sale. Tiffany spends about half of the time working on admin details, 25% on managing bundle contributors, and the final 25% on marketing initiatives.

2019 was Tiffany’s third year selling The Bellydance Bundle, and she brought in enough profit to fully cover her full-time salary. She keeps the cost of running the sale as low as possible, maintaining her affiliate strategy to promote the bundle and grow her target audience.

Now that she’s built a strong brand, Tiffany is ready to branch out. She is working on other products that can be sold year-round, including a journal to help dancers keep track of what they’re learning and a second bundle focused on a different part of the bountiful bellydance world.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

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

Yours in the revolution,

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Quote of the Day
"No dancer practices enough, it’s a common problem in the dance space. But by providing the resources at a really really affordable price, I could not only help them practice more, but more effectively as well. I was enamoured with the idea."
—Tiffany Hunter #SideHustleSchool

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Chris Guillebeau

Q&A: How to find vendors for a travel-themed online store?

What It’s About

A listener seeks vendors for her online marketplace. Should she be seeking something else instead?

Notes from Chris

Episode 1126

In many of the stories we feature, the side hustler in question is making something for sale. Today’s caller is thinking about a different approach: creating a travel-themed, multi-vendor online store. In other words, she wants to be the curator … and she’s wondering where the vendors will come from.

What’s the best way to find those vendors—and what are the pros and cons of this idea?

“I’m working on opening an online store, multi-vendor marketplace through Shopify and I’m focusing on a travel product. I’m thinking of passport holders, engraved wine glasses with maps of Paris, travel-themed jewelry, etc. And as a travel lover myself, I’ve spent hours searching through Etsy, Amazon and other sites. So I think there is an awesome opportunity to kind of bring it all together into one place.

My question is, when starting a store like this, I’m putting my vendor list together. Do you think it’s best to start with vendors? Like Etsy smaller vendors or reach out to larger, more established vendors. I love the idea of not carrying inventory, but I really want to be able to curate my product and get the right vendor list from the get go.”

Listen to today’s episode to learn more…

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Want to follow and learn more about Jaclyn’s idea? Check out her website Wanderfaire.com.

 

SEE ALSO:

Yours in the revolution,

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Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

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Quote of the Day
"How do you effectively pitch without being annoying? Keep it brief, make a personal connection if you can, say what you’re looking for, and say why you think it could be good for that person."
—#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