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Episode 1515:
Nick Loper shares how an "accidental" side hustle turned profitable, bringing in $1,185 in just six weeks. Through his story, you’ll uncover actionable insights on transforming skills and interests into income streams, with practical steps for low-cost startup and scalable growth.
Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.sidehustlenation.com/the-accidental-side-hustle-that-earned-me-1185-in-6-weeks/
Quotes to ponder:
"Sometimes, the best opportunities come when you least expect them."
"With just a laptop, a few hours, and the skills I already had, I found a new income stream that fit easily into my schedule."
"The first step is just to get started, even if you’re unsure of where it might lead."
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[00:00:31] Kundenservice kontaktieren? Für viele Menschen ist das der beste Weg, einen schönen Tag zu ruinieren. Aber bei Zendesk sorgen wir für eine bessere Customer Experience. Besser für die Großmutter, besser für die Floristin, besser für den jungen Mann in Hausnummer 3a, besser für sie, besser für alle. Denn während einige behaupten, dass der Kunde immer Recht hat, sagen wir, dass KundInnen immer Menschen sind. Und da wir auch Menschen sind, wollen wir etwas Gutes für uns alle tun. Zendesk. Customer Experience mit KI für Menschen gemacht.
[00:01:00] This is Optimal Work Daily. The accidental side hustle that earned me $1,185 in 6 weeks. By Nick Loper of SideHustlenation.com.
[00:01:13] Some side hustles you relentlessly pursue, trying day after day to make something happen. Others sometimes just find you. This was the case of being in the right place at the right time and the opportunity finding me.
[00:01:24] I won't chalk it up entirely to luck though, because this side hustle was actually the result of a couple of years of building trust. Let me explain.
[00:01:33] Quote,
[00:01:33] Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
[00:01:37] Seneca
[00:01:38] Lately I've been playing HR manager and recruiter for a web development company on the East Coast. I'm working on a performance basis, an idea I love, finding talented workers in the Philippines.
[00:01:49] The accidental side hustle.
[00:01:51] It started with a one-line email seemingly out of the blue.
[00:01:55] Are you available for hire? I'm looking for an outsourcing consultant.
[00:01:58] Pretty random, right?
[00:01:59] Well, maybe not so much. For the last two-plus years, I've been running a site related to small business outsourcing, establishing myself as somewhat of an authority on the topic.
[00:02:09] Still, I had no consulting experience to speak of, nor was this service mentioned anywhere on my website.
[00:02:14] So, of course, I replied,
[00:02:16] I'd love to be your outsourcing consultant. What did you have in mind?
[00:02:19] And with that, I had a new consulting side hustle.
[00:02:21] It turned out my new client's business was growing rapidly, and he needed to ramp up his staff in a hurry, but didn't have time to deal with a lengthy recruiting and interview process.
[00:02:30] We focused on finding technically skilled workers in the Philippines because it's a sweet spot for English education, a talented workforce, and attractive wages.
[00:02:38] We agreed on a rate of $395 per hire, only because that's what one other established company was charging for a similar service.
[00:02:46] Except they take their fee up front, and I'd only get paid if I found someone good enough to get hired.
[00:02:51] Due to the 15-hour time difference, I worked some odd hours doing Skype interview calls with the Philippines.
[00:02:56] Over the next six weeks, I found three suitable candidates out of a pool of well over 100, which resulted in a nice $1,185 in side hustle income.
[00:03:06] It was an awesome learning experience, too.
[00:03:08] But let's back it up to how this gig came about, because that's a far more interesting story.
[00:03:13] A social media connection
[00:03:15] Long before my client was a client, we began following each other on Twitter.
[00:03:19] I believe he'd tweeted something about small business outsourcing, so I decided to start following him, and he followed back.
[00:03:26] That was eight months before the out-of-the-blue email I talked about.
[00:03:29] An email connection
[00:03:31] Around that same time, my client-to-be signed up for my email list.
[00:03:35] In between the initial sign-up and his eventual proactive contact, I sent 17 emails over the course of the eight months.
[00:03:42] These messages primarily contained free outsourcing resources, tips, tricks, and best practices, both from my personal experience and from around the web.
[00:03:51] In other words, I was delivering relevant and valuable content to his inbox on a pretty regular and consistent basis.
[00:03:57] And after 17 times, there's a certain level of recognition, familiarity, and trust.
[00:04:02] How many others on my email list might be interested in a similar service?
[00:04:06] It stands to reason if one person was having difficulty recruiting, others might be struggling with the same problems.
[00:04:11] Personal support
[00:04:13] A couple times at the very beginning of the relationship, and then again right before the consulting email, my not-yet-a-client reached out for some advice via email, which I was happy to provide free of charge.
[00:04:24] No sales pitch required
[00:04:26] In the end, I didn't have to sell anything because the relationship, trust, and value had already been established over a long period of time.
[00:04:33] He proactively contacted me about a service I didn't even offer or have advertised.
[00:04:37] Isn't that an awesome way to get business?
[00:04:39] Such a sharp contrast to cold calling for paint job leads.
[00:04:44] Know, like, trust
[00:04:46] This side hustle is testament to a long-term outlook and is proof the know, like, trust sales funnel works.
[00:04:54] Side note, I was curious where the know, like, trust language came from and traced it back to a Bob Berg quote from Endless Referrals.
[00:05:03] Quote,
[00:05:04] All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust.
[00:05:10] End quote.
[00:05:11] Mr. Berg, by the way, also co-authored The Go-Giver, one of my favorite business books of all time.
[00:05:17] Saying Yes
[00:05:18] It's also a great example of how good things can come from saying yes to new opportunities, even if you have no idea what comes next.
[00:05:26] Conventional wisdom is to shelter yourself by saying no.
[00:05:28] No to new obligations.
[00:05:30] No to new time-sucking projects.
[00:05:32] No to new ideas that probably won't go anywhere.
[00:05:35] But no great side hustle was ever built by saying no.
[00:05:38] Sure, there's some level of selection you have to exercise, but you can open yourself up to new challenges, opportunities, and businesses with a well-placed yes.
[00:05:47] No is the easy way out.
[00:05:49] Yes is scarier, but more fulfilling, too.
[00:05:52] Behind every side hustle success story is a yes.
[00:05:55] My path is sprinkled with them.
[00:05:57] Many didn't go anywhere, but you never know until you try, right?
[00:06:04] You just listened to the post titled, The Accidental Side Hustle That Earned Me $1,185 in Six Weeks, by Nick Loper of SideHustleNation.com.
[00:06:15] And I want to give a big thank you to Nick, who used to work full-time for a giant corporation, but built his business during nights and weekends.
[00:06:23] He's also the host of the podcast, The Side Hustle Show.
[00:06:26] It's for part-time entrepreneurs looking for actionable tips to start or improve their businesses.
[00:06:31] It's a great podcast, and it's usually in the top charts of business in Apple Podcasts.
[00:06:36] Definitely worth checking out.
[00:06:38] And the blog is great, too, of course.
[00:06:39] So swing by SideHustleNation.com for a lot more.
[00:06:43] But that'll do it for today.
[00:06:45] Hope you're having a great weekend so far.
[00:06:47] If you're listening in real time, I, of course, thank you for being here, as always.
[00:06:50] And I'll see you back here tomorrow for The Sunday Show.
[00:06:53] That's where your optimal life awaits.