This Former Starbucks Employee Started a Side Hustle That's Making More Than $70,000 a Month — and He's Not Done Yet

Jun 05, 2024 02:10 AM - 5 months ago 53743

This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Tom Saar. Saar has been utilizing Taskrabbit, an online marketplace that pairs freelance workers pinch section jobs, to thief build his moving business. He presently useful pinch 2 different approved "Taskers" and has earned much than $150,000 successful nan past 7 months.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Tom Saar

What was your time occupation (or different sources of income) erstwhile you started your side hustle?
Ever since I tin remember, I've ever had a heavy passion for computers and nan web. So people I was drawn to content creation, which led maine to YouTube astatine property 12. I began signaling gameplay connected my iPad surface and yet grew my transmission to complete 800,000 subscribers astatine its peak. Alongside this, I dabbled successful crippled development, utilizing crippled engines for illustration Unity to create and merchandise a mates of Flappy Bird/Infinite Runner clones connected nan App Store and Google Play Store. As you mightiness imagine, nan apps ne'er took off, but it was a nosy acquisition nonetheless.

In precocious 2020, I moved from Sweden to nan U.S. to prosecute a machine subject education. At nan time, my YouTube transmission wasn't pulling nan aforesaid viewership, and I felt my information disappear. I hoped that a alteration of situation would reignite my passion and thief maine jumpstart a caller venture.

While studying, I worked successful unit astatine Whole Foods, Target and Starbucks. These jobs provided valuable acquisition successful customer work and helped maine flooded societal worry by interacting pinch caller group daily.

Related: This 23-Year-Old Started a 'Simple' Side Hustle Using Items She Already Owned — Then She Earned Nearly $60,000 and Made It Her Full-Time Gig

When did you commencement your side hustle, and wherever did you find nan inspiration for it?
One of nan first things I noticed aft changing my superior residence to New York City was nan abundance of moving trucks. They ever stood retired to maine successful this crowded city. It wasn't until I looked much intimately astatine 1 of nan trucks 1 time that I saw nan letters "Moving" and "Storage" printed connected nan side. This sewage maine thinking. I sat astatine location 1 fateful nighttime successful early 2023 (February aliases March) and started delving into researching moving arsenic a business by watching videos, reference articles and uncovering retired if it was feasible for maine to do connected my own. I came crossed galore scary stories of movers mishandling belongings and overcharging their clients. I was wished to reside these strategies by creating a moving institution that would supply fantabulous work astatine an affordable price. By prioritizing integrity and customer satisfaction, I was assured that customers would prime my institution complete nan competition.

What were immoderate of nan first steps you took to get your side hustle disconnected nan ground?
I started my moving business successful June of 2023 by purchasing a 2016 medium-sized container motortruck from Penske for conscionable complete $15,000. With insurance, monthly parking, moving materials, instrumentality and registration fees, my first finance totaled much than $20,000. In retrospect, a smarter measurement would person been to build up experience by renting a motortruck first, but I was truthful wished to spot really overmuch I could make complete nan summertime that I decided to spell each in. Fortunately, I had a helper pinch years of moving acquisition to guideline maine done nan process — we connected via a Facebook occupation posting that I published looking for a moving partner. I besides had my dad, who provided civilized support and aided maine pinch a batch of nan back-end business tasks.

Related: This Former Tesla Employee Started a Side Hustle to Save Gen Z Time — Now It's Raised Over $40 Million From nan CEOs of Salesforce, Uber and More

Image Credit: Courtesy of Tom Saar

What were immoderate of nan biggest challenges you faced while building your broadside hustle, and really did you navigate them?
I faced a batch of challenges trying to get this broadside hustle disconnected nan ground. I had invested $20,000 earlier securing a azygous customer. I joined immoderate gig activity platforms to get started, but getting personification to spot maine and book maine for a occupation without immoderate reviews aliases a reputation was highly difficult. I group my rates debased successful nan beginning, and it was difficult to enactment afloat financially, but it was nan only measurement that I could get clients. It besides didn't thief that I had nary moving acquisition anterior to starting this broadside hustle. Doing nan beingness facet of nan occupation while besides trying to beryllium a salesperson and trading to caller clients while managing finances and bills was strenuous, to opportunity nan least.

How agelong did it return you to spot accordant monthly revenue? How overmuch did nan broadside hustle earn?
I started seeing accordant maturation successful gross aft August aliases September of 2023 arsenic my acquisition grew and I improved my connection skills pinch clients. A large portion of moving a successful business is being capable to waste your work aliases product. The first period was perfectly dreadful. I was looking backmost astatine my aged interactions pinch clients connected past gig activity platforms, and I couldn't judge really ineffective I was astatine trading my services. A batch of nan issues successful nan opening stemmed from a deficiency of experience, not knowing nan correct questions to inquire and getting a batch of useless information. Consequently, nan first period aliases 2 was mostly conscionable covering operational expenses, hardly breaking moreover and gaining valuable experience. By nan 3rd month, I decided to raise my rates and began seeing immoderate profits, pinch gross exceeding $10,000 successful August 2023 and onwards. It was besides easier to marketplace to imaginable clients erstwhile my relationship had positive reviews coming in.

Related: This Young Professional Left Her Job successful Finance After Her Remote Side Hustle Took Off and Made $76,000: 'My Idea Solves a Universal Problem'

What does maturation and gross look for illustration now?
In November 2023, I discovered Taskrabbit and decided to adhd it to nan galore platforms I was utilizing to find jobs. I heard group talking astir hiring movers connected nan platform, but I was hesitant to research it. When moving activity slowed down successful September and October, I started looking for ways to get much jobs, truthful I remembered Taskrabbit and decided to effort it. Surprisingly, Taskrabbit connects clients looking for thief pinch Taskers astatine nary cost. After utilizing platforms wherever leads could costs anyplace from $20-$40, this proved to beryllium an absolute crippled changer! Since then, I've completed complete 1,000 jobs done Taskrabbit, collaborated pinch different skilled Taskers connected nan level to complete jobs and knowledgeable explosive maturation successful some gross and profits owed to not having to walk money connected marketing. In April 2024, I made complete $70,000 successful gross gross solely from Taskrabbit, and May is connected way to adjacent astatine a akin figure. For June, my extremity is to transcend $80,000 successful a azygous month.

What do you bask astir about this broadside hustle?
While I wouldn't opportunity that my inheritance fits nan explanation of a mover, it is still thing I decided to prosecute because I saw immense imaginable successful this venture. People are ever connected nan move successful New York City, arsenic it's 1 of nan largest metropolitan areas bustling pinch activity. Indeed, being astir each this power is really nosy for me, and I bask nan situation of solving problems connected nan fly. Navigating nan city's reliable parking situations has go 2nd nature. The astir rewarding aspect, however, is nan affirmative feedback from clients who admit my thief successful making their moves stress-free. Moving is often a stressful process, truthful I committedness my clients to travel prepared, beryllium punctual and activity efficiently to make their move an enjoyable experience.

Related: These Brothers Had 'No Income' When They Started a 'Low-Risk, High-Reward' Side Hustle to Chase a Big Dream — Now They've Surpassed $50 Million successful Revenue

What's your proposal for others hoping to commencement successful broadside hustles of their own?
One of nan astir important lessons I've learned is to manage expectations. When starting retired immoderate caller venture, we for illustration to presume that it will beryllium an contiguous success, but that's seldom nan case. It took maine astir six months to spot noticeable results, and for others, it mightiness return moreover longer. If you're starting a broadside hustle, particularly 1 based connected providing a service, nan value of your activity is very important. If you want your clients to urge you and go lifelong customers, you request to group nan highest standards because really you do thing is really you do everything.

Moreover, connection pinch your clients should beryllium precocious connected nan database of things to go much effective at. Clients don't want to beryllium kept successful nan dark. If you're moving precocious to an appointment, support them informed. If thing goes wrong, beryllium generous pinch refunds aliases compensation. This builds beardown customer relationships. Lastly, don't beryllium afraid to fail. Failures are inevitable, but really you return work for them and study from them will group you isolated and thief you grow.

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