My Side Hustle Journey

My Journey

I have been working on side hustles for most of my life. Ever since I brought generic sodas to school to sell for 50 cents (that i got for 11 cents) when my middle school banned soda. That was the start of seeing some real profits.

Fast forward to adulthood and I started my development career by building a music downloads site called DigitalDubbed that specialized in dubstep, triphop & chill genres of electronic music. That cost me $300/mo to keep the servers up and I was never able to turn a profit (but I learned a lot about software development!). I continued to try random ideas but one that stuck and was reasonably successful about 12 years ago was MobileWeedApps. Just making iphone and android apps for dispensaries right when they were starting to become legal. That one was pulling in $5k/mo profit and was looking good, but I decided to focus on a new job at Magento at the time and ended up letting it fade.

The next years were soooooooooo many failed attempts at business ideas & strategies, but I kept learning efficient ways to make websites, apps, do seo & do digital marketing. Even though the business ideas were not fruitful the lessons in digital technology and marketing were getting built. Looking for a house I ended up creating a mortgage calculator which was kind of fun. Didn’t figure out a way to make money from it, but during that process came across the Brave Browser referral program. This was paying out $5-$7.50 for each person that kept the browser installed for 30 days. After playing around with a few blog articles I found a loophole in Microsoft Ads that allowed me to put the brave referral link right in the ad. It looked like a legit link (this was banned by Adwords, and has since been banned by Microsoft Ads), and allowed for TONS of users to download the browser through my referral link for very cheap. Ended up getting enough profit to put a small down payment on a house in the mountains.

I got the house in the mountains during Covid, and I ended up starting a plow company. That lasted about a week and I realized I was in way over my head. However, I had a sweet domain of mtnplow.com and figured I would just make a site for all the plow service providers in the area to handle their specific areas. That idea ended up really catching on and has been steadily growing for 4 years.

While showing me a viable interest and a small business opportunity I did see the limitations of targeting the mountain regions and started researching the best business verticals to target using the same strategy of growing a community interest around a niche set of service providers. In addition, I researched the most lucrative areas. From here an old website I used to sell domains with called rad.fyi was converted to be the parent site of 3 new niche home services portals.

The biggest site of the 3 is cleaners.fyi and I’m targeting the Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, Austin, Orlando & Miami regions to start. After that, I’ll bet expanding to carpet cleaners on the same site. Once that has been expanded, the remaining sites of landscapers.fyi and haulers.fyi will be grown out in the same areas. These will give homeowners reliable home services sites to find much needed house cleaning, carpet cleaning, landscaping & hauling services.

The rise of online business ventures has revolutionized the concept of the side hustle, offering individuals unprecedented opportunities to generate income, pursue their passions, and achieve financial independence, all from the comfort of their own homes. Whether it’s starting an e-commerce store, launching a niche blog, or offering digital services, the world of online entrepreneurship has opened doors for aspiring business owners to turn their ideas into reality and carve out their own success stories.

The Online Business Boom

One of the primary advantages of starting an online business as a side hustle is the low barrier to entry. Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar businesses that require significant capital investment, leasing storefronts, and hiring staff, many online businesses can be launched with minimal upfront costs. With platforms like Shopify, WordPress, and Etsy, individuals can create professional-looking websites and storefronts in a matter of hours, often with little to no coding experience required.

Global Reach and Scalability

Another compelling aspect of online businesses is their potential for global reach and scalability. Unlike local businesses confined to a specific geographic area, online ventures have the ability to reach customers worldwide, opening up a vast market of potential buyers. Additionally, digital products and services can be replicated and delivered instantly, allowing entrepreneurs to scale their businesses rapidly and capitalize on growth opportunities without being constrained by physical limitations.

Flexibility and Freedom

For many aspiring entrepreneurs, the allure of starting an online business lies in the flexibility and freedom it affords. Unlike traditional jobs with rigid schedules and office hours, online business owners have the autonomy to work when and where it suits them best. Whether it’s during evenings and weekends or while traveling the world, the flexibility of running an online business as a side hustle enables individuals to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions without sacrificing their existing commitments or lifestyle preferences.

Monetizing Passions and Expertise

One of the most rewarding aspects of starting an online business is the ability to monetize passions and expertise. Whether it’s crafting handmade goods, sharing knowledge through online courses, or offering consulting services in a niche field, online entrepreneurs have the opportunity to turn their hobbies, skills, and interests into profitable ventures. By leveraging their unique strengths and talents, individuals can create meaningful businesses that not only generate income but also bring fulfillment and satisfaction. I’ll keep posting with my progress!