Tag: Reselling

German Funeral Urns Are Not a Dying Business

What It’s About

Personalized and customizable options set a funeral urn side hustle apart from the rest and results in a lucrative side hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Once they got their first customer, Daniel and Marco celebrated with two beers each. They then created a list of rewards they’d get for each other if they met specific milestones—sales figures of individual items, website visits, and various financial achievements. Although they reinvest much of the income back into the project, this allows them a series of small celebrations for each goal accomplished.

It’s important to celebrate your achievements—no matter how small they may be!

Fun Fact

The moment that has stuck the most with Daniel involved an elderly man who was desperately looking for a personal urn for his lost wife. Disappointed with the impersonal selection at the funeral director and without grandchildren to help him, he found an urn with poppies (the favorite flower of his wife) on their web page. Til then, he had never ordered anything online, so he just gave Daniel a ring and was so moved and relieved that Daniel and his partner could help him. This was definitely one of the best moments they’ve experienced in this business.

Notes from Chris

Episode 214

Just as weddings are a huge industry, so are funerals and everything associated with dying…which is part of life for approximately 100% of us.

Today’s story comes from Daniel Mack in a town bordering Wales in the UK. Daniel works as a product development manager for a large building material company. His side hustle is selling handcrafted funeral urns to private customers and funeral directors along with his friend, Marco, who’s based in a small town close to Heidelberg, Germany.

To get started, Marco and Daniel sourced some raw materials from a friend of a friend who was a funeral director, and they built a simple web page on Wix. The page did not have an online shop, but it did have a request form and prominently displayed a phone number for people to call and ask questions. After doing some research on the keywords people were searching, they spent about $200 marketing the page using Google Adwords to see if there was any interest. Six months later, they felt it was promising, so they decided to proceed.

The side hustle, Mementi Urns, has now been around for nearly 3 years. They sell an average of 40 urns a month, and are making an average income of $5,000 a month from it.

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Mementi Urns: Learn more about David and Marco’s unique line of urns on their website
  • Wix: The online website platform that Daniel and Marco used to set up Mementi Urns
  • Keyword Planner: This tool helps you reach the right customers with the right keywords and helps you to better build your SEO and ad campaigns
  • WhatsApp: The messaging app that Daniel and Marco used to communicate with their customers

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
"We were always looking for opportunities, something to do extra. He was always the creative, artsy person, and I was more the numbers and IT guy. We complement each other perfectly."
—Daniel Mack #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Create a Stunning Website With Wordpress

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Wordpress.com! Whether you’re looking to create a personal blog, business site, or both—you’ll make a big impact, when you build your website on WordPress.com. 💻

Get 15% off when you build your website with Wordpress.com—use promo code PODCAST when you check out.
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

High School Junior Earns $10,000 Selling Autographed Baseballs

What It’s About

A resourceful high school junior earns $10,000 within a few months of launching his baseball memorabilia reselling hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Tim advises deep research for anyone interested in playing in the memorabilia big leagues. Get to know the players while they are in the minors, and make sure they play for a big-market team, like the Yankees or the Red Sox. He suggests buying only in small numbers of goods for prospects at first, and lower risks by investing in a variety of players, rather than putting big dough behind one big bat.

Fun Fact

During World War II, the U.S. military designed a grenade to be the size and weight of a baseball, since “any young American man should be able to properly throw it.” Also, every single MLB baseball is rubbed in Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud, a unique “very fine” mud only found in a secret location near Palmyra, New Jersey.

Notes from Chris

Episode 212

A lifelong baseball fan and current high-school student, Tim Haren had been gathering autographs for more than 10 years, always keeping the balls and other items he obtained for his personal collection. But a couple of years ago, he realized that what was an expensive hobby could turn into a side business. He started going to nearby Camden Yards (the stadium where the Baltimore Orioles play all their major-league home games) as often as possible to build up his collection.

Baltimoregraphs, his memorabilia side hustle, came from this new hobby. He buys major-league issue balls in bulk for around $12 each, gets them signed at games, and then sells them and other baseball items on his eBay page and on Instagram. Because he has a sharp eye for player potentials, besides getting balls signed himself, he buys the signed balls of top prospects on the cheap from other less savvy collectors, and later rakes in the cash when the players make good in the majors.

Tim regards what he does as akin to a player’s stock market. In essence, he’s betting on a player’s potential, and many of those potentials’ “share prices” have gone over the fences.

In his first few months of business, he’s made $20,000 in sales, and after subtracting his product costs for goods and shipping, he’s made $10,000 in profit.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Baltimoregraphs: Have an affinity for the USA’s most beloved past-time? Check out some of Tim’s wares on his Ebay & Instagram pages!

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
"I started off keeping everything I got, but then realized it was an expensive hobby and I had to self-sustain. I realized that these players I was watching as prospects were turning into the games’ next stars. Then I switched to buying the young-star prospects for cheap and selling them when they came to the majors."
—Tim Haren #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Create a Stunning Website With Wordpress

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Wordpress.com! Whether you’re looking to create a personal blog, business site, or both—you’ll make a big impact, when you build your website on WordPress.com. 💻

Get 15% off when you build your website with Wordpress.com—use promo code PODCAST when you check out.
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

Polish Bartender Makes Money While Drinking Beer

What It’s About

A man in London goes from being a bar dishwasher to running his own bartending equipment reselling side hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

He did set up that website, BarCounterLondon.com, and on its About page it displays a clear mission: To provide bartenders, cocktail lovers and enthusiasts with affordable bar tools and other supplies.

The promise is: “You save money by skipping the middle man when you shop with us since we work directly with suppliers and manufacturers. We even make some of the stuff like wooden muddlers ourselves.”

Create a clear mission statement so that your potential customers know exactly where you stand and what you have to offer them!

Fun Fact

Paul got his start in a busy London airport, and he went from being a glass washer one day to being a store-man the next. After he got his foot in the door and became a bartender, he started to travel and explore the world. During his journeys, he managed to work in dozens of bars in various cities on multiple continents—London, Budapest, Krakow, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore to name a few.

He has also achieved quite a bit over the course of his bartending career, but he says his biggest achievement to date was winning the Best Mixologist (are we still using this word?) of Malaysia Award in 2010.

Notes from Chris

Episode 209

Have you ever said to yourself, “There has to be a better way?” This observation has led to many side hustles. If there’s something you’re looking for and you can’t find it, you’re probably not the only one. If you’re frustrated by something, other people probably are too.

Paul Babiak was one of those bartending professionals who truly enjoy mixing up a nice drink.

These days he mostly does event bartending, meaning that he doesn’t have a home bar but rather travels around to various corporate parties, receptions, and weddings. He recently had the chance to open a bar in London’s O2 Arena for Virgin Atlantic and Delta Airlines.

The supplier they were working with was out of stock of one-third of the items needed. Their catalog and website had no photos, only SKUs—so he had to make his best guess without actually seeing anything. In one case, he needed 4 of an item, but it was only sold in packs of 12. He described it as a nightmare. “There has to be a better way,” he thought.

He decided to take things into his own hands and open his own barware shop. He was new to the UK, had no contacts, hadn’t made a website—but he was resourceful and figured all those things out.

Bar Counter London is now up and running, serving customers throughout the UK. He’s also been experimenting with setting up shop at London’s famous Camden market.

Paul is still bartending but enjoys the passive income that comes from the website. In fact, the best part of the experience is checking his phone while out drinking beer with friends just to see that he made a day’s wages. He’d love for this to become a full-time focus at some point, and he feels he’s on the right track.

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

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
"If you want to start your own garden what do you put there first? Your foot. In other words… do the work!"
—Paul Babiak #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

Yoga Mat Reseller Changes Lives While Earning $4,000/Month

What It’s About

An eco-friendly yoga accessories business that gives back and empowers women all over the world.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Lara’s start-up costs were super low. She took a loan out to purchase their first 100 yoga mats and from the sales of that, they were able to buy a larger batch of stock. She also tried her best to utilize free tools and learned how to do everything herself rather than paying for help. She mentioned that it was a pretty steep learning curve, but she learned a lot and had so much more control over the process!

One of the best things about living in the technological era is that you have so many free learning resources right at your finger tips. If there’s something you’d like to implement but are short on cash, research to see what kind of options are available to you!

Fun Fact

Despite yogis relying heavily on their trusty yoga mats, the question that has been floating around since yoga came to the west is… do we even need a mat!?

According to the ancient practice, when the yogi touches the ground the energy is quickly lost into surroundings, therefore it is very important to conduct your entire yoga session on your yoga mat to conserve the spiritual energy you are creating.

Notes from Chris

Episode 196

Until two months ago, Lara Sengupta was working on the fundraising team for an Environmental Charity in London. She also had a dream—perhaps a dream much like yours, since you’re listening to Side Hustle School—and that dream was to create a different source of income for herself, perhaps even one she could rely on for her primary income.

On a recent trip to her homeland in India, she had an idea. Being a yoga lover for the last 6 years, she was starting to get frustrated with the depth of her practice. She wanted to feel connected to something deeper and bigger than just the physical postures.

This frustration made her look at what yoga actually meant to her; which was a devotional practice both towards her own self and to others. That’s when she came up with the inspiration of somehow connecting the east and the west through yoga and creating a giving loop.

Lara wanted to find a way to combine the huge popularity of yoga in the west with her desire to create futures for vulnerable communities. She then developed a partnership with an organization in India that supports human trafficking survivors. This partnership provides jobs to the women, who make the yoga mat gift bags.

CorkYogis is now turning over about £3,000 a month (or $4,000). This has happened in a brief period of time, so hopefully, it can continue to grow and become more sustainable.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • CorkYogis: Learn more about Lara and why she chose cork as the material for her yoga mats

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 wanted to create a female social movement! I was inspired by companies like TOMS shoes and London-based ‘Change Please’ but it always seems to be male founders. And I wanted to create a female-founded business that focused on empowering females worldwide."
—Lara Sengupta #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get a FREE Audiobook from Audible!

Audible is offering SHS listeners a free copy of the Born For This audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. 📚

Just go to aonc.co/bftaudible and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs and start listening.
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

Hand Grippers Make for a $60,000-Strong Hustle

What It’s About

A niche reselling side hustle that earns a couple $60,000 annually on the side.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

The duo’s startup costs were low, as anything they could do themselves, they did. They went with the least-expensive website template they could find, with annual fees of about $350, did no paid marketing, and bought as little inventory as possible, totaling about $5,000. To photograph the products for the online store, Matt watched YouTube videos to make a small light studio out of household supplies such as cardboard boxes, lamps, and paper.

You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get your side hustle—especially if your idea has yet to be validated. The best thing you can do is to just get started!

Fun Fact

While less known, competitive grip sports are a growing market—and one that Kristy and Matt Cannon have successfully tapped into. The couple sells grippers for hand strength, ranging from $34 to $64, from various manufacturers. For context, the average healthy man can close a gripper rated at about 90 pounds of pressure, and it is very uncommon for someone to close one rated over 120 pounds without specific training. Matt, on the other hand, has closed one rated at 164 pounds. No big deal.

Notes from Chris

Episode 186

Husband and wife duo Matt and Kristy Cannon are literally crushing it with their niche side hustle—which consists entirely of selling grip-strength equipment, in particular, hand grippers. These simple tools are used to increase hand strength and usually involve a torsion spring fitted with two handles.

Now five years along, the unique business—called Cannon PowerWorks—originally came about as a natural spillover from the couple’s shared passion for fitness.

Since there is an entire community organized around hand strength, the couple got more and more involved and eventually saw an opportunity to serve this market. At the time, there was one other company that sold different grip manufacturers’ products under one roof, giving customers the chance to order a range with one low shipping fee. That company ended up closing its wholesale store, and Matt and Kristy figured they could fill this gap—and find a way to improve upon the concept.

The first year, they made a consistent $3,000 per month in profit. By the second year, this had shot up to $5,000 a month. They’ve maintained this range ever since, and the couple now rakes in about $60,000 each year in gross receipts.

Thriftiness has continued to be their mode of operation, and they credit this as key to the company’s success. Their main investment has been their time, to do their own graphic design, marketing, and accounting. They also manage the ongoing operations themselves, each investing about five hours a week into the hustle during their spare time.

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Cannon PowerWorks: Test your mettle with a hand gripper yourself, and visit Kristy and Matt’s 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

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
"Don’t put yourself in a position where you will be losing money before you figure out what you’re doing and can make informed decisions about spending and how the business will succeed."
—Kristy Cannon #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Create a Stunning Website With Wordpress

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Wordpress.com! Whether you’re looking to create a personal blog, business site, or both—you’ll make a big impact, when you build your website on WordPress.com. 💻

Get 15% off when you build your website with Wordpress.com—use promo code PODCAST when you check out.
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

IT Manager Unlocks the Secrets to a Successful Etsy Shop

What It’s About

A woman discovers the recipe for a successful Etsy shop.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Adele started checking out successful Etsy shops and saw right away that one of the most obvious things they had in common was clean, consistent photos of their products. So Adele retook some of the photos so that her whole Etsy storefront had a consistent look to it. Next up on the list was SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

In addition to the technological improvements, another important part of her success on Etsy has been connecting with the community. When she was first learning the ropes, she connected with another shop owner that answered her questions as she was getting set up.

Fun Fact

Adele once had a lady contact her, asking about a specific owl cookie jar in her store. The lady shared that her Grandmother made cookie jars like these in the 70’s and she wanted to know more about it. Adele was able to share enough information on where she found it, as well as the signature on the bottom of the jar, to verify that the jar was in fact made by this lady’s grandma. The owl cookie jar has since been reunited with its family.

Notes from Chris

Episode 153

Adele Boese’s side hustle didn’t start out as one. Adele and her family would go out to estate sales on the weekend, as a sort of therapy for her daughter. Her daughter found hunting for bargains and fun treasures at estate sales to be soothing, and Adele was happy to oblige. But soon, they had so many treasures and trinkets from these weekend excursions that they couldn’t walk through their family room. She realized that if they were going to keep hunting for new treasures, some of the older treasures were going to have to go.

So she took up the challenge and opened an Etsy store called DerBayzVintage, filled out her about page and added some listings. Adele soon found out that while starting an Etsy store is super easy, having a successful Etsy store is much harder. For a few days after making the listings, she thought she was done. But she quickly learned that there are a few more things you have to do in order to really stand out and actually get orders on Etsy.

That’s what this episode is about: how to have a successful Etsy shop.

This Etsy shop is now more than just a side hustle for Adele. She thinks of it as her insurance policy. It’s been critical when unexpected medical costs have popped up, and given her family a financial cushion to fall back on. She also hopes to continue to grow the business, so that when her MS makes it impossible for her to continue working outside the home, she can still contribute financially to the family.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • DerBayzVintage: Check out Adele’s selection of unique vintage finds on her store page on Etsy!
  • The Joyful Entrepreneur | Flourish: The mentoring group that Adele joined that helps business owners succeed by focusing on a different topic each month

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
"I thought I could put up a picture, write a description and the sales would just flow in. Etsy is work—fun work, but it’s still work. In order for it to succeed, you must pay attention to an Etsy store like your child."
—Adele Boese #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

College Bartender Turns Online Shopping Into Accidental Side Hustle

What It’s About

An accidental reselling side hustle helps a college bartender improve her credit score and earn extra cash.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Dana had a couple of strategies that she used to maximize her profits while still passing on the online savings to her coworkers. First, she would only purchase clearance items. And second, she made sure to sell to the people who reliably showed up to work and would make sure to get them their items at the beginning of their shift.

Fun Fact

Dana did zero advertising and put in minimal effort for this accidental hustle. She simply offered to buy things for people if she heard them talking about needing new shoes or new clothes. Other than that, she just let the excitement of showing up with a new box of clothes and shoes speak for itself.

Notes from Chris

Episode 89

In the early days of a new industry, trend, or phenomenon, there are a lot of inefficiencies that allow creative people to make money in a way that might not work years later. This is the normal pattern of technological evolution. Something works really well for a while, but then you have to find something new.

Today’s story probably isn’t something you can replicate in the same way now, but the lesson has other applications. It’s about a college bartender who turns online shopping for friends and co-workers into an unexpected reselling side hustle. This hustle helped to supplement the tips she lost during a recession.

Remember that online shopping is a lot more efficient and common today than it was 15 years ago. This side hustle worked because the market of people Dana was reselling to was “unbanked,” meaning that most of them didn’t have credit cards. That was her competitive advantage.

How can you learn from the past and apply this lesson to the present?

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

Chris Guillebeau

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
"I definitely learned a lot about risk. At first I thought risk was a bad thing, and I avoided it as much as possible. Then I realized that I could take calculated risks and get incremental gains."
—Dana Massaro #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Cook with Blue Apron!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Blue Apron. 👩‍🍳

Check out this week’s menu and get your first three meals FREE, with free shipping. Get ready to say mmmmmm.
Get Yours 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

Car Enthusiast Sells $1 Million in Products Over 13 Years of Hustling

What It’s About

A man with a passion for cars tests out a new cleaning product, then decides to sell it himself.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

John worked on SEO with the goal of getting to the first page of Google search results and ultimately the #1 position. He still holds the #1 spot today for many keyword searches related to his product as a result of that initial work that established him as an authority. Thanks to this extra effort, he was soon selling between $2,000-5,000 a month, depending on the season.

Fun Fact

A serial side hustler, John is always on the lookout for something else to sell. At one point he designed and prototyped a splash-less dog bowl, but then abandoned it when he couldn’t manufacture it at a price point that would generate a high enough profit margin.

Notes from Chris

Episode 86

Every day on the show, there’s a new story to serve as encouragement for your journey. What do these stories have in common? To start, they’re all about regular people who have regular jobs. These people are busy with lots of stuff, yet somehow they find a way to create an income-generating project for themselves.

Today’s story represents this well. It’s all about a car enthusiast who follows up on his curiosity and creates a project that earns $5,000 a month. Over the course of a bit more than a decade, has produced more than $1 million in net income.

After receiving a free sample of Dri Wash ’n Guard, a form of waterless car wash, at a local swap meet, John Skurka took it home and gave it a test run. He was impressed by how well it worked, so he decided to try becoming a distributor. As a car enthusiast himself, being legitimately excited about the product, he took the next step of inquiring with the manufacturer about how could go about selling it.

Not everyone would have done that (in fact, most people wouldn’t). And of the people who think, “Maybe I should sell or market this item,” a lot of them get stuck.

It doesn’t usually need to cost a lot of money to become a distributor or reseller of something, but it does require you to follow through. Don’t allow your fears to limit you and your side hustle!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • DriWash Solutions: Learn more about John and his Dri Wash products
  • How to Apply for an EIN: Applying for an EIN helps you establish Independent Contractor status and is another way to protect you from identity theft
  • SEO 101: If you’re looking to launch your own online presence, here’s a Beginner’s Guide to SEO

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

Chris Guillebeau

*New! Download all episodes from each month:

January | February | March

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
"Find something that you can buy at the lowest price possible in order to maximize your profits, but also make sure that you prioritize quality."
—John Skurka #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Cook with Blue Apron!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Blue Apron. 👩‍🍳

Check out this week’s menu and get your first three meals FREE, with free shipping. Get ready to say mmmmmm.
Get Yours 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

Woman Earns $7,000 in Three Days by Selling Glass Nail Files

What It’s About

After coming across a glass nail file vendor at a market, a woman starts her own side hustle selling them.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Don’t be afraid to change up your product or system if you see an opportunity to make it better. The first day at the market Colleen had a ton of sales, but because of how she priced things she was having trouble keeping enough change on hand. So the next day, she changed it up and decided to offer a bundle of all three files—a small, medium and large—for $20.

Fun Fact

Colleen shared that even with all the many marketing options available to, the most important thing she does is put a sticker on the back of every single file. The sticker has the name, website, and phone number so that people can find her any way they want.

Notes from Chris

Episode 71

Let’s just start with something Colleen says towards the end of this episode: “While other people’s hobbies cost them money, mine makes me money.” This is the beauty of having a side hustle!

For some people, having a side hustle is a means to an end. But for a lot of us, it’s just fun, and we enjoy the entrepreneurial process of it.

Think about what you’d like from your hustle and allow that to guide your decisions moving forward, whether you’re looking to create a second income for yourself or just have fun while making extra cash.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Top Notch Nail Files: Learn more about Colleen and the reasons why crystal glass nail files are superior to traditional emery boards

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

Chris Guillebeau

*New! Download all episodes from each month:

January | February | March

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
"I see many people go into debt before they make their first dollar because they want to have all aspects of their business plan figured out perfectly. My advice: just go out and start selling. Change prices mid-day if you need to, and work on your sales pitch as you go."
—Colleen Lloyd-Roberts #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

Penny Portraits of Abe Lincoln Turn Into $40,000

What It’s About

An investment broker turns pennies into more than $40,000.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of questions regarding whether or not you should take the extra step in the beginning and copyright your material. The answer depends on a lot of different things, so it’s not really the same across the board. Normally, I would say that wondering about your copyright when you’re trying to decide on early ideas isn’t the right approach, but for something that is truly unique, owning the copyright can be incredibly helpful.

Maury McCoy created the design for Penny Portraits after reading a story about how a father and son in Florida created a portrait of Abe Lincoln that spanned an entire wall. It was a really interesting idea, but he thought he could improve on the execution. After spending around 15 minutes creating a design in Photoshop, he had his first draft and started looking into the best way to produce and sell these quirky kits. Since he had created the design, he decided to copyright it as well.

When I asked about it, he mentioned that one of the advantages of his product is that it is something he created himself, and since he owns the copyright, he can decide how it’s distributed and not really need to worry about competitors undercutting his prices.

Fun Fact

If you’re listening from outside the U.S., you may be asking yourself “why does the US still have pennies?” Many of us here ask the same thing. There has never been a coin in circulation in the U.S. worth as little as the penny is worth today. It’s economically inefficient to produce them, yet for some reason they still exist.

In 2007, the price of the raw materials from which it was made exceeded the face value, so there was a risk that coins would be illegally melted down for raw materials. And as of 2015, it costs about 1.4 cents to mint a penny.

Pennies often end up sitting in jars or are discarded by consumers efficiently pulling them out of circulation and the Mint must produce more of them than all other coins combined. All of this supports the idea that we really should catch up with the rest of the world and leave the pennies to legacy projects like Penny Portraits.

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
"As much as I love passion projects, you really need to make sure there is a way to turn a profit for the effort you put in. Fortunately, this project has been both enjoyable and financially rewarding!"
—Maury McCoy #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Get a FREE Audiobook from Audible!

Audible is offering SHS listeners a free copy of the Born For This audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. 📚

Just go to aonc.co/bftaudible and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs and start listening.
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