Tag: Service

Rocket Scientist Launches Out-Of-This-World Tutoring Business

What It’s About

A tutoring side hustle that really takes off!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

We always ask our featured side hustlers what kind of advice that they have for anyone looking for follow in their footsteps, and Thais had something great to say:

“Make sure they’re clear on their mission statement. Parents want to hire authentic tutors that have their kids’ best interest at heart, and not someone who’s in it for the money.”

Fun Fact

321 is the area code for Florida’s Space Coast. Also…Thais used a program that flipped the image (like in selfie mode) on her first online tutoring session. This made all of her writing appear backward! To fix it, she found a sharpie and wrote with a heavy hand so it bled through the other side of the paper. Then she held up the back side and the writing appeared normal for her student! Houston, we no longer have a problem.

Notes from Chris

Episode 769

Thais Lage loves numbers. Born in Brazil but living in Florida since childhood, she’s been tutoring struggling students in math from the age of 14. Neighborhood parents were quick to hire her once they discovered her command of the subject.

Her trigonometry teacher recognized her talent and asked if he could share her phone number with students who were having difficulty. Soon, her tutoring hustle was earning her $100 a week as a high school student.

In college, she kept it up, printing flyers and posting them around campus. She even tutored her hair stylist in exchange for free haircuts.

Fast forward to December 2015: Thais graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering. She’ secured her dream job as a Mechanical Operations Engineer at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. She’d become a first-class rocket scientist.

Despite her demanding job, she was still fueled with an insatiable desire to help others. She kept tutoring the neighborhood kids but at a higher rate—because, after all, she was now a rocket scientist.

As Thais continued tutoring, she’d sometimes film and email a quick “how-to” video to her students to help with their homework. She noticed she was making the same videos several times. If her group of students all had the same questions, perhaps others did too. What if she made more videos?

In September 2018, the tutoring hustle was in full throttle, working in tandem with her job. She called it 321 Tutoring, and she tried to make her lessons fun. They’re like reading a book about anti-gravity—impossible to put down.

Startup costs for this hustle were $70 for her website and domain with the iPad Pro costing around $900. She charges $50/hour for middle-high school math and $80-100/hour for SAT/ACT prep. She recently hired 2 tutors that work under the 321 Tutoring umbrella, and she keeps 10% of whatever they earn.

But now she needs to go to the next level, by putting her lessons on YouTube. On her new YouTube channel, she’ll share quick math tips and study techniques with students around the world. She hopes to have five to eight videos uploaded by the end of February so she can have an official launch.

When she’s not sending rockets into space, Thais says she’d eventually like to create an online course. Her other future plans include hiring more tutors so she can expand her reach… to infinity and beyond!

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • 321 Tutoring: Looking to help take your child’s grades to new heights? Head on over to Thais’ website to learn more about this educational side hustle!
  • Wix: The online website building platform that Thais used to set up her website for 321 Tutoring

 

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
"Make sure you’re clear on your mission statement. Parents want to hire authentic tutors that have their kids’ best interest at heart—not someone in it for the money."
—Thais Lage #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

Vigil Anti-Hacker Logs $110,000 Profit

What It’s About

A hacker deploys great power for great responsibility.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Samuel recommends that you enjoy your side hustle and be interested in working on it. If you are dreading spending time on it or don’t feel excited about it, it will become more of a chore than a reward. Specifically, with ethical hacking, you spend many hours on a computer, so if you don’t like computers, this is not the right side hustle for you.

Fun Fact

A few times a year, there are Global Live Hacking Events in cities all around the world. These events connect security teams with some of the top hackers in the world. Samuel has been able to visit places like San Francisco, Miami, New York City, Vegas, and L.A. for these events. He said it’s really fun because they pay for his travel and provide accommodation and fun events and really nice swag.

Notes from Chris

Episode 766
Samuel Curry is no stranger when it comes to side hustles. From a young age, he learned the value of earning money. From selling soda cans on the street corner to selling watches and jewelry through e-commerce sites years later, he’s continually upped his game. After learning e-commerce, he shifted his interests further to learning about computer security. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a fascination.

When Samuel was in high school, a friend introduced him to a website called HackerOne which provides training, resources, and assignments for those wanting to learn about the world of ethical hacking and what’s known as “bug bounty.” If you’re confused by the term “ethical hacking” or think I just said “bugs bunny,” let me break it down for you.

Ethical hacking is sort of like being a vigilante for computer security. You’re doing something that’s good for companies and in some ways the world. Ethical Hackers help find bugs or security breaches on websites, which is extremely important when protecting consumer information.

Bug Bounty is a system that rewards friendly hackers who uncover vulnerabilities in some of the most important internet software. The program is managed by a panel of volunteers selected from the security community. Basically, they provide compensation to people for finding problems across various platforms and websites. And the outcome can be very profitable for some.

Samuel spent six months learning the basics and began allocating the extra time he had outside of school to focus on his new hobby. He would spend about 30 hours each week practicing on various platforms and studying about security. Most of his time working was spent between the hours of 4 pm and 2 am. [Information about his grades was not accessible at the time of recording.]

Samuel spent about 3 years using these platforms to find clients and projects. His biggest success to date earned him $17,000 as a result of compromising an entire website and reporting his findings to the company! In 2018, he brought in an extra $110,000 entirely through bug bounties.

His earnings haven’t always been so grand, though, and they do fluctuate. Some months he might make $20,000 and other months he won’t make anything at all.

He struggled in the beginning with spending too much time working on his hustle. It created an obsessive work ethic that would leave him feeling burned out. Once he finally let go of the need to spend excess hours on this, he found more freedom in his work. He went from working on it every day to only a few days a week. He found that by having more concentrated focus, he was able to produce better results, and in turn, make more money.

Samuel plans to continue working as a security consultant while maintaining his bug-hunting side hustle.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • SamCurry.net: Learn more about the anti-hacking services that Samuel offers over on his website!
  • HackerOne & Bugcrowd: Two sites that offer training for hacking beginners and resources for those wanting to level up their knowledge
  • WordPress: Samuel used WordPress to setup SamCurry.net, and here you can learn how to install your own WordPress site in 5 minutes

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
"At a certain point, you have a mental switch where a side hustle you love doing is something you become financially dependent on. To avoid this situation, put your side hustle money in a separate account and think of it as more of a savings rather than regular earned income."
—Samuel Curry #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.
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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

Dynamic Sister Duo Bids Up Profits for Charities

What It’s About

Two sisters get in on the side hustlin’ auction!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Like it’s said in many fields, every event is an audition for your next one. Every time Katie and Missy are at one event, they receive 1-3 calls about another opportunity. She says that you never know who is in the audience and that you should bear that in mind.

Fun Fact

According to Katie and Missy, seasoned auctioneers say it can take up to six years for an auctioneer to really develop their own rhythm, sound, and filler words.

Notes from Chris

Episode 765

One night around 1 a.m., Katie Fitzsimmons received an urgent call from her sister Missy. “Buckle up, Kate. I figured out our future.” Katie and Missy grew up working in the family landscaping business. Katie now works full-time as Director of Student Affairs in the North Dakota University System. She’s also a mother to two young children. Her sister, Missy, is a Jill of All Trades, working mostly as a radio and event DJ in Bozeman, Montana.

On this particular evening that inspired the late-night phone call, Missy had been DJing a charity event. There, she watched a female professional auctioneer walk in and own the room. Missy recalls, “She was unbelievable. When it was all said and done she had raised $350,000. In Bozeman! In 40 minutes! It’s unheard of.”

The auctioneer had walked in, did her piece, walked out, and then jumped onto a plane to go home. Meanwhile, Missy had been at the event for 12 hours, setting up her gear, playing music, emceeing/warming up the crowd, and then loading out all of her gear after midnight in the snow and cold. That’s when it hit her: “Screw this. I wanna be the auctioneer!”

So that’s how it started. She called Katie at 1 a.m. that night and told her with determination, “You and I are gonna be auctioneers!”

A bold statement … but she turned out to be right on the money.

Katie had years of experience in the non-profit sector (as well as higher education) and enjoyed fundraising for good causes. Despite having zero experience in auctioneering, it seemed like it could be a perfect fit.

By the way, what IS the art of auctioneering?

“Essentially, auctioneering is like stand up comedy, mixed with selling, mixed with supporting a worthy cause.” Katie explains.

On the third day of Auction School, Missy happened to get a call from a contact back in Bozeman, wanting to book the two sisters for their first ever live auction event. The client was a nonprofit group that helps female entrepreneurs. It was the perfect first gig! They had minimal expectations and they wanted to support women, especially women in a male-dominated field.

Their side hustle was officially in bidness, and they dubbed themselves The Auctionisters.

Katie says that first gig went well, and they learned a lot.

Since then, they’ve done 40 auctions between them, and they work together whenever possible. They raise money for charities, organizations, scholarships, political groups, individuals, and specialized causes.

In 2018, Katie did 17 events. She typically charges a flat fee per event, around $300 when working locally in Bismarck. Other events that include travel have paid up to $2,500. So far, they’ve raised over $1.2 million for charities in just over two years.

So, do they hope to do it full-time? No … but that’s not the goal! Katie has a family and doesn’t want to be away from home too much.

The Auctionisters are a great example of a side hustle. It’s fun, it’s meaningful, they get to use a unique skill, charities raise a lot of money, and they get paid.

You could even say their auctions speak louder than words.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

SEE ALSO:

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

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

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

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

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

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

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

Quote of the Day
"Essentially, auctioneering is like stand up comedy, mixed with selling, mixed with supporting a worthy cause. It’s rad as hell."
—Katie Fitzsimmons #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

Beekeepers Build Buzzing Backyard Business

What It’s About

A buzzworthy side hustle becomes much more than a drop in the honey bucket.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Ana did some research to find markets with available stalls and registered to sell their product, which they called Amber Drop Honey. Their presentation was basic, but using their unique story and sharing the plight of the bees, they were able to sell $600 of honey and become the “buzz” of the market.

We talk often about the importance of creating a strong backstory, and the success that Ana and Sven have found with Amber Drop Honey is a perfect example of this!

Fun Fact

As a way to increase their product offerings, Ana started making DIY beeswax kits for people to make their own. After a while, she realized that this product got a bit lost in their regular online shop and market stall, so she started an Etsy shop to sell these items. It has been steadily increasing in profit, and she recently had quite a lot of sales prior to this past Christmas.

Notes from Chris

Episode 763

For Ana Martin and her husband, Sven Stephan, side hustling has become a way of life. Originally from Spain and Germany respectively, the couple who now live in Australia have had a never-ending run of side jobs to bolster their income. They’ve flipped houses, renovated apartments, and hosted local cultural nights, just to name a few.

But like so many, the side hustle which truly captured their hearts, and felt like it gave them a real purpose, originally started off as a hobby.

It began when Ana and Sven stumbled across an Indiegogo campaign for a product called Flow Hive. The campaign highlighted the growing problems honey bees all around the world were facing and gave practical solutions to help people do their part. Sven saw this as his chance to make a difference in an important global issue.

They invested $500 in some boxes to keep bees in the garden of their new family farm. Sven also joined the local beekeeper association and put himself on what’s known as a “swarm list”—someone who would be willing to come and remove bee swarms which have settled in unwanted places. Although it sounds like a job which needs rigorous training, Sven learned most of what he needed to know to be on the list by watching YouTube videos when he couldn’t sleep at night!

Within a few days, phone calls started coming in. People all over New South Wales found themselves with bees which had settled in the most inconvenient spots: schoolyards, house walls, and telephone interchanges, where they can cause real problems. Many beekeepers find these locations too tricky to remove bees from and opt to exterminate the swarms instead, but Sven relished the challenge; the tougher the better.

With every colony of bees Sven rescued, he relocated to a box on his farm, so he and Ana could care for them. Within four months they had 35 rescued hives of bees on their property. Better still, these hives were creating honey which Ana and Sven then harvested to eat and share with their friends.

As the months went on, this hobby began to require more of their time—so much so that they found it hard to balance their real jobs, Ana in hospitality and Sven as a kitchen fitter. So they began looking at how they could consolidate their time and turn their passion project into a paying one. They decided they would try their hand at packaging and selling the honey they had harvested at local farmers markets.

Ana did some research to find markets with available stalls and registered to sell their product, which they called Amber Drop Honey.

As Amber Drop Honey started to build a following, the costs of equipment and running the business also started to mount up. Their farm currently has close to 200 hives, all of which live in their own beekeeping “box”, which run at a cost of $180 per unit. These costs are negated by the fact that Sven gets the bees for free but still needs to be factored into their product’s end cost, which starts at around $12 per jar.

One of the most profitable income streams for Ana and Sven has been selling their product wholesale, which accounts for around 45% of their income. They achieved this by focusing on standalone retailers with a similar mission to theirs, like independent and wellness stores in their county. This allows them to negotiate deals on a more personal level and doesn’t require them to meet the high demand of an entire supermarket chain.

The major advantage of wholesale is that they can focus on product creation and back-end of their business, and reduce the number of markets they attend each month, which is currently around 10.

In the second half of 2018, Amber Drop Honey generated $110,000 in revenue—a force to bee reckoned with. Much of that goes back into the business, but they now pay themselves enough of a salary to support their growing family.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Amber Drop Honey: Drop into Ana and Sven’s wesbite to learn more about their swarm saving, honey making endeavors!
  • Indiegogo | Flow Hive: Check out the Indiegogo that encouraged Ana and Sven to get started

 

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 are planning on starting a side hustle with a partner, it’s important to acknowledge each other’s strengths and divvy up tasks according to what each of you is better at."
—Ana Martin & Sven Stephan #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

Eat, Graze, Love: Massive Cheese Platters Become Life of the Party

What It’s About

A side hustle that you can really take a bite out of!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

A key part of Bianca’s success here is that she is active and helpful in the groups. It doesn’t appear spammy or unnatural. So far, this combined with word of mouth has enabled her to grow quickly. Finally, her most effective marketing channel is great customer service. So, even for small orders, she goes above and beyond. Because you never know who may refer that next big customer.

Fun Fact

The grazing concept is taking social media by storm with photos popping up all over the place on Reddit, Instagram, and Pinterest. Some accounts have amassed tens of thousands of followers by posting nothing but their creations.

Notes from Chris

Episode 762

Bianca Cashman loves well-presented food. She spends hours perusing Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook pages looking at the creations of others. She often wondered if she could start a food business. Something to align her love of creative display with her taste buds.

But she wasn’t always interested in creating food for human consumption. In fact, in 2014, Bianca and her husband started a food business of another kind, specializing in selling healthy snacks for dogs.

They achieved some success, but decided to move on after one year and sold the business. After that, Bianca returned to focusing on her day job as a Senior Account Manager for a large media company.

This continued until 2018 when a special event rolled around that gave her a bite-sized idea. It was her mom’s 60th birthday, and she was tasked with preparing the all-important cheese platter. Not wanting to disappoint, Bianca decided to super-size it.

While perusing some of her favorite Instagram pages on food, she noticed a growing trend. The concept of grazing and charcuterie boards had really taken off. It’s a relatively new idea that is most easily described as a food platter on steroids.

So instead of a simple cheese board, Bianca planned a full-on grazing table. She’d set out bowls, platters, and stands layered with cheese, cured meats, fruits, breads, dips, and more. It would be a buffet of organized chaos! The grazing table would allow people to try a bit of everything and have a small adventure while they ate—nibbling their way through a plethora of different flavors.

Before the party, she set up the table and, once finished, it looked more like a work of art than a meal… To capture the moment, she took some photos and posted them online. She received a tremendous amount of praise, but more importantly, some interest to do the same for others.

And one of her friends shared her all-encompassing amazing grazing platter with a local caterer. That caterer decided to take a chance on Bianca and booked her for a job—a bachelorette party. It was time to recreate the magic!

But at this point, she didn’t yet know the right quantities or even what price to charge. So she completely chicken winged it, settling on a price per head of $25. Enough to cover the expenses and then some. Once again, the platter was a huge hit, and Bianca knew it was time to get serious.

She decided to use a play on words for the business name. She called it, Eat.Graze.Love … Elizabeth Gilbert or at least Julia Roberts would be proud.

She’s been working on Eat.Graze.Love for just over one year and, in that time has generated enough income to replace her paycheck. So, with much excitement, 2019 brought with it a nice gift. Taking the project from a part-time side hustle to a full-time job.

Bianca has done what many people only hope to achieve, one mouthful at a time.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Eat.Graze.Love: Chew it over, and head on over to Bianca’s website to learn more about this tasty side hustle!

 

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
"The best way to get your unique concepts out there is to start with friends and family. Cater a birthday party or other function and post the photos to your personal social media accounts!"
—Bianca Cashman #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

Friends Team Up to Deliver Compassionate Tech Support

What It’s About

Two friends discover the profit in nonprofits.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

So how do you sell tech support to nonprofits with AOL email addresses? You get personal. Joel networked at conferences and events and would meet absolutely anyone for coffee to seed relationships and spread the word about their new hustle.

Fun Fact

On the last day of 2017, and the last day their business was called Backpack Tactics before the switch to Brave North Technology, Joel got a call from a dad looking to buy his daughter a backpack for her trip to Europe. Joel delivered on their customer service commitment, directing the pleased father to a few recommended backpacks for the purpose, a fitting milestone as they closed out the Backpack Tactics chapter.

Notes from Chris

Episode 760
Joel Barker has worked for and around a variety of nonprofits and witnessed their struggles firsthand. Often lacking a budget for in-house IT support, Joel recognized the bewildered expression of an Executive Director trying to set-up a network printer as a win-win opportunity.

He now works as the Chief Strategy Officer for the largest children’s mental health provider in Minnesota. But that’s not all he does.

A few years ago, Joel set out to help tech-skittish nonprofits harness technology, by creating an on-demand tech support service that cared.

There are plenty of tech support services and freelancers available on the market, but Joel recognized that most contractors and IT firms weren’t catering to the unique needs of underfunded and tech-intimidated charities. On-demand IT support was expensive and difficult to access if you didn’t speak the language. Joel reached out to a long-time friend, Brian Roemon, and together they launched this side business to replace IT headaches with an affordable, friendly alternative.

Brian and Joel’s friendship dates back to college. Brian had the IT expertise, and Joel could focus on the growth, marketing, strategy, and business operations.

The two spent months talking, brainstorming, and debating possible names for this new business. Eventually, they had the “let’s-just-call-it-something conversation”, and settled on Backpack Tactics [despite not selling backpacks]. Down the road, they uncovered that their website traffic wasn’t as significant as it appeared, with thousands of hits from apparent backpackers and frequent manufacturing proposals from China. After years of disappointed hikers, Joel and Brian hired a marketing consultant and officially changed their name to Brave North Technology.

The original startup cost was only $1,500. The partners used the money to set up their website, register as a business with the state, and print marketing materials such as business cards. They quickly doubled the initial investment, with their first check for $3,000! Years later, Brave North Technology now grosses around $350,000 each year for $90,000 in profits—almost entirely through word-of-mouth referrals from happy customers.

Thanks to Joel’s commitment to the grassroots organizations serving the community, he couldn’t help lending them a hand in other areas, such as fundraising and social media management. These projects were directly in Joel’s wheelhouse, but outside of the scope of technology support. Thus, Brave North recently gave birth to Joel’s second side hustle, Great River Strategies.

With a full-time job, an already busy side business, and a new side hustle on top of that, Joel enjoys the challenge and variety in his work. He’s even begun to pursue real estate and angel investing, applying what he’s learned to help other businesses grow.

Beyond getting paid to tackle projects that spark his interest, Joel admits the greatest benefit this IT hustle has brought his family is freedom from debt. It’s allowed them to be more generous with their money, donate more, and travel more frequently. Brave North promises to deliver even more in the future, as the two continue to bravely expand their special blend of caring tech support to new mission-driven markets.

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
"I think we both had visions of this growing to become ‘a business’, but our doubts probably kept it in the side-gig category longer—and by that I mean a year or 18 months—and we overcame those thoughts as we started to gain more clients."
—Joel Barker #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

Engineer Parses His Way To 2x Income

What It’s About

An introverted engineer tries, tries, and tries again—eventually doubling his income.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Success in the SaaS game is about solving ONE problem, extremely well. It’s about serving your customers better than your competitors. You cannot give up until you’re 100% sure you cannot find customers. If you have one customer, get 10. If you get 10, I guarantee there are another 1000.

Fun Fact

SalesForce, a popular CRM (Customer-Relationship Management) platform, pioneered the SaaS business model and achieved massive success because of it. Founded in 1999, it now has yearly revenues of close to 9 billion dollars!

Notes from Chris

Episode 754

Courtenay Farquharson was desperate for a change. He’d been a software engineer for years, and work was taking a toll on him. He earned good money, but his work-life balance was non-existent. He felt dissatisfied, stressed, and unhealthy.

Things got even more complicated that year when he became a father to twin boys. Throw a lack of sleep into his already hectic life and something had to give.

So, he decided to start a side hustle with the goal of eventually escaping the rat race and having more time to be present with his young family.

This wasn’t the first time Courtenay tried side hustling. Since 2006, he’d launched 25 different projects. Everything from a social network to an e-commerce store—they all failed with only one earning even a single dollar.

You see, Courtenay was a self-confessed “wantrepreneur”. He had dreams of making it big and building a company like the famous entrepreneurs he’d read about. But up until now, he’d been unable to make the dream reality.

But this time, Courtney didn’t start with an idea—he started with a business model. He wanted to build a SaaS (Software as a Service) product. A SaaS is a program, run on the web, that customers pay a monthly fee to access. You probably already know some SaaS products. Dropbox, Slack, and Salesforce are common examples.

It’s a popular business model because it has recurring revenue. To build a successful SaaS product though, you need to solve a real problem for people. Something they need fixed time and time again, otherwise, they’ll stop paying. Research shows that it’s undesirable for customers to stop paying.

To find a suitable problem, Courtenay looked into his past as a software engineer and one particular thing stood out in his memory.

Several years ago, his company dealt with a client who wanted to email documents to a special address. Then, have that email scanned, the information extracted and added to their internal systems automatically. This is commonly referred to as parsing email.

For example, a restaurant may have a system to manage take away orders. But, orders come in via email through their website. Instead of manually reading the email and entering the order into their system. Software could read the email, parse the content, and add the order automatically so the chefs can get cooking immediately.

After a few months, Courtenay had a very basic version of his product ready. He called it Parserr, with a double R at the end—Parserrrrrr.

As of right now, Parserr is generating monthly revenue in the low five-figure mark, which, coincidentally, almost matches the income provided by his day job. But, Courtenay isn’t quitting work just yet.

He views Parserr as the culmination of his 12-year journey to launch a successful side project. Because of his willingness to keep experimenting, he now has significant recurring income, and the ability to make more of his own choices.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Parserr: Turn emails into data—get Courtenay’s SaaS application over on his 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

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
"This game is about solving ONE problem extremely well. And it’s about serving your customers better than your competitors. Don’t let them abuse you—just provide great service and value."
—Courtenay Farquharson #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

Marimba Rental Business Hits All The Right Notes

What It’s About

A father of four bangs out a melodic side hustle to pay for college tuition.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Notice his process in how this comes to be:

It’s annoying and uncommon (not a lot of competition), yet common enough that there are enough potential customers to make it worthwhile. And there’s a proven pathway to reach those customers. If you needed to rent such an instrument, what would you do? I’m betting that you would either Google “marimba rental {city name}” or you would ask the band teacher what to do. Cassidy has covered both intake points.

Fun Fact

Setting up his site, Cassidy forgot to add any notifications for new signups. So, about a week later he received an email from a guy who had signed up but never had anyone contact him regarding delivery. Cassidy was excited to see some traction, but felt terrible that he’d failed to deliver on his first customer!

Notes from Chris

Episode 752
Cassidy Lackey is no stranger to the world of side hustles. He’s had many while working his day job as a programmer and IT manager, and he’s launched a number of visitor bureau sites in his surrounding area of Texas and Oklahoma. These include things like real estate, vacation rentals, and fishing guide listings. He acquired an online drone forum and grew it into a thriving business and one of the top drone communities in the world.

His side hustles were proving lucrative and required more of his time. So, Cassidy decided to take the leap several years ago and walk away from the 9 – 5 life. He’s now a full-time hustler!

Cassidy is also a father of four kids. His oldest is starting college soon. He didn’t have enough money saved. However, he wasn’t about to go into debt. What to do? He employed the use of his savvy side hustling skills and looked for ways he could start another cash flow business. Something that could help him pay for tuition.

Right around the same time, his younger son caught the “percussion bug” as a middle school student. Cassidy received an email from the instructor that he’d either have to buy or rent a marimba for his son to practice. Always the supportive parent, Cassidy sized up his options.

The recommended rental facility was an hour-long drive away and the magic marimba cost $60 a month. Plus, there was a terribly long contract to fill out and you had to lug the four and a half foot, 35lb marimba home!

There had to be a better option. He could get cookies delivered to his door in 15 minutes. Why not marimbas? Surely he wasn’t the only one who felt this way.

Cassidy decided to test his hypothesis. He was going to offer a better alternative to parents than the one that was presented to him. This was a niche that was in need of disruption. He focused on where he could over-deliver. e.g. free delivery in his area, better customer service, and an online, recurring payment plan.

Cassidy jumped on Craigslist and bought five used marimbas at $500 each. He was going to clean them, fix them up and rent them out. If the business failed, he would just turn around and sell them.

He spent $8 for a domain name. Zero dollars on hosting since he already had a WordPress server he managed. He built the site himself and used the service Chargebee to capture sales which were free for the first $50,000 in revenue. Cassidy then threw in some Google AdWords for people looking for marimbas in his area and launched … DFW Marimba Rentals was born.

He’s now been in business for over a year and is scheduled to hit $3,000 in monthly revenue this month.

What’s next for Cassidy Lackey? He’s determined to find the answer to the question that haunts many side hustlers who become full-time business owners. You might call it an existential dilemma: to scale or not to scale?

Should he buy delivery vans and hire drivers? Contract out to an existing delivery service with drivers who can’t answer customer service questions about marimbas? Or just continue to grow slowly while handling his own deliveries?

I have a feeling he’ll come out okay, at least as long as he stays in tune with what people need.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • DFW Marimba Rentals: If today’s episode struck a chord, head on over to Cassidy’s website to learn more!
  • Chargebee: Software that lets you automate your recurring billing, manage subscriptions at scale and access metrics that matter
  • WordPress: Cassidy used WordPress to setup DFW Marimba Rentals, and here you can learn how to install your own WordPress site in 5 minutes
  • Google AdWords: Google’s online advertising platform that places your ad in the ‘Sponsored Links’ section next to search results to boost website traffic and sales

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 think the music instrument rental business is ripe for change. Pick a niche that is underserved or can be improved and become an expert. Focus on delivery so you don’t need to set up a shop and hire employees."
—Cassidy Lackey #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

Distracted Coach Creates Accountability Software

What It’s About

When distraction rears its ugly head, this coach creates software to keep it at bay.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

What are some of Taylor’s top tips for staying on task while working remotely? To start, optimize your workspace—make it a place you want to spend time in. If you feel happy in that space, you’ll be empowered by it.

Fun Fact

38% of the workday is wasted by distractions—and the average user has 76 sessions on their phone. U.S. consumers spend $46 billion annually on products and services to improve productivity.

Notes from Chris

Episode 751

After becoming a remote worker, Taylor Jacobson went from being a star performer for his employer to almost getting fired due to his inability to focus. What’s an independent worker to do, when they struggle with holding themselves accountable?

Enter Focusmate, productivity software for people who work alone. Taylor calls his product “virtual coworking”. He defines it as enabling two people who work anywhere in the world to pair up as accountability partners. Partners work side by side—virtually—while working on their respective projects.

Taylor came up with the idea while working with one of his coaching clients. Prior to creating Focusmate, Taylor spent several years working as an executive coach, with clients such as Yale and Cornell. One day Taylor and his client (both of whom had problems focusing on their tasks) decided to experiment. They got on Skype together for a couple hours, keeping the video on while they worked. They messaged each other with every task to stay accountable. Taylor was writing a blog article; his client was making a presentation. He said it worked insanely well—neither had ever been so productive.

That experience gave him the idea for Focusmate, and he immediately got to work making it happen.

The idea was if someone wants to work virtually with an accountability partner, all they need to do is schedule work time, in 50-minute blocks, based on availability.

Startup costs for Focusmate were approximately several thousand dollars. Taylor and his team of two are still working on price points for the Focusmate service. They earn what Taylor calls “100% donation-based revenue”. Their current revenue is $700 per month.

They are also running an investment campaign where users can pay now to invest in the service in exchange for a future discount. Over $88,000 has been raised so far. For various donation price points, contributors receive subscriptions and credits for friends.

They’re currently averaging 400 users per week. One common theme from users is how the tool has not only helped them significantly increase productivity but also decreased anxiety or guilt. Because they get more work done, they no longer feel guilty or worry about uncompleted tasks during their downtime. One user said in three months time they’ve been able to complete projects they had put off for over a year.

Taylor now works on Focusmate with the hopes of making it his “full-time” job. However, he did retain his biggest executive coaching client, which is paying his bills as he grows his side hustle.

Taylor and his team’s focus for 2019 is to turn Focusmate into a sustainable business. He’s staying on track with this goal, working productively to make it happen without distractions.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Focusmate: Take control of your work time—learn more about Focusmate over on Taylor’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

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
"You need to identify a burning need that people have and find a way to solve it with a product or service you can offer. It’s really that simple! There’s a time and place for vision, strategy, planning, changing the world, yes all of that is vital… but the place to start is with a foundation."
—Taylor Jacobson #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

Nacho Average Tacos! Chef Puts Twist on Mexican Culinary Classics

What It’s About

A side hustle with a lot to taco bout!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Priscilla stressed the importance of authenticity with every dish she serves. “Add your originality and personality into everything you do.” She acknowledged how challenging the food industry is and how these factors have helped her when the chips are down.

But when asked if there was anything she’d do differently, Priscilla said, “I wouldn’t change a thing. Mistakes are good because you have an opportunity to learn from them.”

Fun Fact

In his book, Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food, Jeffery M. Pilcher, a history professor at the University of Minnesota, traced the origins of the humble taco back to silver mines in Mexico during the 18th century. In the mines, “taco” referred to the charges used to excavate ore, in the form of little pieces of paper they would wrap around gunpowder. The first “taco” references in an archive or dictionary were at the end of the 19th century and one of the first types of tacos was called “tacos de minero”—or miner’s tacos.

Notes from Chris

Episode 749

Priscilla Curiel is no stranger to the food industry. Both her parents have been running classic Mexican restaurants in Tijuana for over 30 years. It’s part of her upbringing.

A decade ago her family migrated north to Chula Vista, California, just across the border and near San Diego. They opened a restaurant called Talavera Azul. This combination of growing up in the business and jumping into work as a teenager gave her an insider’s glimpse into how the industry works.

A few years later, she started her own part-time catering business. As a single mom, she needed extra income to pay the bills. The new business helped. It was only on the weekends, but it gave her a place to exercise her culinary creativity and bring in some extra cash. It also allowed Priscilla was also making connections with members of the local restaurant industry.

She kept her startup costs low—just around $200 at first. This bought her enough for some basic ingredients and a table to prepare her food. At first, her catering brought in a few hundred dollars on the weekends. She kept at it, and by 2016, she was bringing in $10,000 on the side annually. Priscilla said she’d always save her money and reinvesting back into the business. She’s a firm believer in giving every dollar a job.

Even as a single mom and working two jobs, she kept saving. Before long, she had saved $20,000.

One day, she was selling her tacos outside a brewery when a customer liked them so much he agreed to help her set up her own brick and mortar restaurant. With the help of that perfect stranger and the money $20,000 she’d saved, Tuétano Taqueria was born.

Tuétano Taqueria has only been open for four months but is achieving $1,000 a day in sales. Margins are tight, but she’s off to a great start.

What’s next for Tuétano Taqueria? Priscilla would like to open a small chain of taquerias in her surrounding area and move her catering business under the umbrella of Tuétano. Her cooking has been described as “passionate, precise, soulful, and balanced.” It’s giving customers something to taco ‘bout.

 

 

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
"In this industry, people tend to drop off when things don’t go exactly to plan. But a good road is always going to be tough—hang in there! Remember, persistence always beats talent."
—Priscilla Curiel #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