Latest news with #sidehustle
Entrepreneur
2 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Her High School Side Hustle Is On Track for 7-Figure Revenue
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Leila Quraishi, 27, of Los Angeles, California. Quraishi's grip-sock business Nudesox is targeting seven-figure revenue across all sales channels next year. Responses have been edited for length and clarity. Image Credit: Dan Simantov. Leila Quraishi. Want to read more stories like this? Subscribe to Money Makers, our free newsletter packed with creative side hustle ideas and successful strategies. Sign up here. What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle? I was a senior in high school when I started Nudesox. Growing up, I was always entrepreneurial and loved creating and taking on leadership roles. In eighth grade, I became a licensed children's yoga instructor and taught private lessons throughout high school, designing class flows and workout gear — now I make grip socks. Related: I Took My Side Hustle Full-Time and Made $222,000 Last Year. Here's How — and Why Sometimes I Work Just 10 Hours a Week. When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it? I came up with the concept for Nudesox in 2015. As soon as I turned 18, I bought the domain name for Nudesox and legally filed the business soon after. I've always loved putting outfits together and dressing up, but I also value my comfort. At the time, I couldn't find the ideal no-show sock. They were uncomfortable, slipped off, weren't cushioned and didn't even cover my whole foot. I was never a fan of colorful, visible socks and thought there were probably so many people who felt the same way, but still want coverage and comfort. That was the moment I thought to myself, Why has no one ever created athleisure socks in skin tones? Image Credit: Greyson Tarantino What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch? I grew up studying successful entrepreneurs for fun and would spend hours dissecting how they got to where they were: I'd read articles and watch interviews and, of course, lots of Shark Tank. I was always fascinated by business and innovation. When I started Nudesox, it was a new category, so it was difficult to find a manufacturer that understood the concept. It took me two full years to nail down a manufacturer and get proper samples. I started the brand with $10,000, and to this day, Nudesox is fully bootstrapped with no outside funding. Every dollar I ever made went back into the business for it to grow. I would DM or email influencers asking if they wanted to try the brand, and it was well-received; many posted themselves wearing the socks on their Instagram stories. Given it was a novel product, multiple publications wrote about the company, which helped spread the word. I studied entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California, where I learned how to create succinct pitch decks and presentations, as well as the importance of KPIs and proper business management. Combining my studies with Nudesox really helped progress the business and introduced me to a network of people who still support me and the brand today. Are there any free or paid resources that have been especially helpful for you in starting and running this business? When I started Nudesox, I relied heavily on connecting with role models in the fashion industry. I would LinkedIn message and email executives at top fashion and shoe brands to learn about their processes and trajectory. Networking is important, but there is an art to it. I always try to find synergies with people before I reach out to them to make sure the conversation makes sense. If you reach out to people aimlessly just to cast a wide net, you won't necessarily get much value or substance. It's important to be intentional with your outreach and show that you care and have done your research. I also listen to a lot of podcasts. I especially love NPR's How I Built This with Guy Raz. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to start a business or just for some inspiration. Related: This 29-Year-Old's Side Hustle Brought People 'to the Dark Green Side.' It Made $10,000 Within 2 Days and Sees 6 Figures a Month. If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you'd done it differently? Get your operations down and figure out which tools keep you most organized and offer the best flow. For example, I've used multiple types of software for creating invoices, and it gets messy when you have documents in different places. Having a centralized database is so important for record-keeping. Image Credit: Dan Simantov When it comes to this specific business, what is something you've found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but likely aren't? When I started Nudesox, I was very young, and there was a lot that I didn't know about running a business or even the way retailers operate. It's tricky when you are learning, and when people know you're in the learning phase, oftentimes you can get taken advantage of. It's important to walk into every room with confidence and certainty — do your research ahead of time, but don't necessarily share your doubts or questions with just anyone. Have a select few people that you really trust — this is why it's important to have mentors. Can you recall a specific instance when something went very wrong? How did you fix it? I had to pull my very first purchase order of socks in 2018 because they would "slip off." My mistake was that I didn't test the product in every circumstance and with different shoes to make sure they held up. Biggest mistake! Ever since that moment, every new SKU is worn, washed and tested many, many times with various shoes. I took that first loss and learned my lesson. Related: They Started a Side Hustle Producing an 'Obvious' Food Item. It Hit $300,000 Monthly Revenue Fast — On Track for Over $20 Million in 2025. How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn? Nudesox is a concept I never gave up on, and it just takes one big "yes" to propel you forward. That's the power of one. We often hear about overnight successes or venture-backed brands making it big quickly. I'd argue it's equally as impressive to pursue something for years before it hits — proof that the brand has a purpose and giving up is not in the equation. Persistence and resilience are two essential founder qualities. Throughout the journey of Nudesox, our retail pop-ups would see thousands of dollars in weeks, and now the brand sees thousands of dollars in minutes with more orders and customers. It's all about timing and product-market fit. What does growth and revenue look like now? Nudesox is on track to sell over 30,000 pairs of socks this year across all sales channels. Having strong partnerships and distribution is important for scaling. We launched with QVC this year, and in our first show, we sold over 500 pairs of socks per minute — that's about nine pairs per second! This was a partnership I had always dreamed of because it's an opportunity to present the function of Nudesox visually and share how it makes getting dressed easier. Being on live TV and demonstrating Nudesox's effectiveness increased sales and allowed me to connect with customers in real time. Creating a product that people wear every day and never knew they needed has boosted the brand, especially now that we have major distribution. Nudesox sees high returning customer rates and organic word of mouth, so we are excited about future growth. Image Credit: Dan Simantov How much time do you spend working on your business on a daily, weekly or monthly basis? How do you structure that time; what does a typical day or week of work look like for you? I work about 75 hours a week, including my weekends, and I start every day with an iced matcha! In addition to Nudesox, I also work for Shopify, helping brands to migrate and grow on our platform. During the day, you'll find me on the phone with merchants interested in growing with Shopify's platform. During the evening, you'll find me on the phone with my manufacturer discussing margins and retail partnerships. I find it fulfilling to have multiple things going on at once, and the more on my plate, the more I get done. Right now, I'm working on scaling Nudesox with more distribution channels and designing new styles. It's always been important for me to find synergies in my life. I chose to work for Shopify because Nudesox runs on Shopify, and I understand the platform and how it's personally helped me run the business. I love connecting with other business owners and being in that world. What do you enjoy most about running this business? I love watching each stage of its growth and seeing new opportunities arise. Getting to see something you've built reach new heights over time is rewarding. Running a business is dynamic and constantly evolving; there is never a dull moment. High highs and low lows, but it makes me so happy seeing the community of people who love and wear Nudesox daily. When people purchase socks from our retail pop-ups, I often see them come back days or weeks later wearing the Nudesox they bought. It's always such a good feeling to see people appreciating your product and knowing it's adding value to their lives. It's a personal reminder that what I've built matters. Related: 'Absolute Freedom': Siblings Behind a Self-Funded 8-Figure Brand Reveal 3 Secrets Aspiring Entrepreneurs Should Know About Growth and Success What is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice? My best piece of business advice is also personal advice. We talk a lot about love languages and not enough about learning languages. It's natural to think of how we like to "receive" from others, but it's also important to know how to "give" to yourself from within. Spend quality time getting to know yourself and how you learn and absorb information. Think of how you best interact with people — is it a specific environment or state of mind? Where do you find inspiration, and how do you deal with tough situations? The common denominator of everything we do in life is ourselves, so having that self-awareness is what will make you successful. Once you've done the self-work, focus on solving real problems that people face. Is the market there? Have a clear vision on how you want to execute and show people you are willing to give your all before asking anything from them. Finally, make sure you have an X-factor. What makes your business stand out, and what makes you the right person for this? That's how I started Nudesox. This article is part of our ongoing Young Entrepreneur® series highlighting the stories, challenges and triumphs of being a young business owner. Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
From Side Hustle To Success: How To Turn Passion Into Profit
How to turn that side hustle into your main hustle For many successful entrepreneurs, the story didn't start with venture capital, business plans, or MBA degrees. It began with a side hustle—something they loved doing in their spare time. Chaudry Ghafoor's The Masculine Home began as a personal quest to create intentional, stylish spaces for men. Today, it's a recognized design brand that attracts industry attention and paying clients. Courtney Yeager founded The Tox in 2019, beginning with personal wellness practices focused on lymphatic drainage. Now it operates franchise locations across California, New York, Nashville, and Miami, while expanding its product line and serving high-profile clients, including celebrities. These entrepreneurs prove that your side hustle might be your next big opportunity. Why Side Hustles Make Better Businesses Hobbies succeed as businesses because they solve problems you understand personally. Unlike ventures based purely on market research, passion projects come from authentic experience. When Chaudry curated pieces for The Masculine Home, he wasn't chasing design trends. He was solving his problem and sharing solutions with others who shared his aesthetic needs. "I started as a full-time real estate agent, and the YouTube channel was meant to grow my real estate business, not become a design channel," Chaudry explains. "My early videos featured luxury home tours, highlighting the design details that inspired me. Viewers connected with my deeper take on how great design makes you feel, rather than just selling a property." As those videos gained traction, he leaned into the design perspective. "Soon, people across the country were contacting me—not to buy homes, but to design them. One client even flew me to North Carolina to style his Victorian home, saying he couldn't find anyone else with my approach. Two weeks later, I launched my online design service." Courtney didn't invent wellness trends to chase profits. "I started practicing lymphatic techniques at home, hoping to look better—but what surprised me was how much better I felt," Courtney recalls. "My energy soared, my digestion improved, and I became fascinated by how powerful the body can be when properly supported. From the start, I knew that if these techniques could transform my health, they could also help countless others. That belief became the foundation of everything—sharing something too impactful to keep to myself." This authenticity creates customer connections that marketing budgets can't buy. From Side Hustle To Main Hustle Most entrepreneurs begin their ventures as creative outlets alongside full-time jobs. But consistent effort can transform these projects into career-defining businesses. For Chaudry, The Masculine Home began as content creation alongside his real estate career. His breakthrough came when market demand became impossible to ignore. "When I was still operating as a real estate agent, another gentleman contacted me through my realty website and said: 'I know you sell homes and don't have a service to design them, but I was wondering if you might entertain the idea?' He mentioned that he did have a backup plan, but I was his first choice," Chaudry recalls. "I had been receiving messages like this for about 6 months. Opportunity was knocking, but I wasn't answering. After turning down the project, I asked him: 'Out of curiosity... How much did the other designer quote you for the work?' He said something like $2500-3000 per room. That's when I knew, if grown at scale, there could be real potential here." Courtney began offering one-on-one sessions at home before opening her first studio. Her realization about market demand came through organic conversations with other women. "I started casually talking about it, and every woman I spoke to was dealing with the same things—persistent bloating, sluggish digestion, and just not feeling or looking their best. It wasn't just about how we felt, it was about how we showed up," Courtney explains. "That's when I realized this wasn't a niche wellness fix—it was something bigger. I knew I had to take it seriously." Both demonstrate how you can experiment with low risk, build audiences, and grow at your own pace before making significant commitments. Four Steps To Transform Your Side Hustle Chaudry began with YouTube content and real estate work before attracting design clients. His breakthrough came when market demand became impossible to ignore through repeated customer inquiries. Courtney began offering one-on-one sessions at home before opening her first studio. Her realization about market demand came through organic conversations with other women facing similar health challenges. Your action plan: Choose one specific service or product from your hobby. Set a goal to gain five paying customers or make ten sales within 30 days. Utilize free platforms, such as social media, local community boards, or your existing network. Track your costs, time investment, and customer feedback before deciding on whether to expand. Both entrepreneurs discovered their services addressed widespread problems in their target markets—Chaudry found that men lacked access to sophisticated interior design. At the same time, Courtney identified that women struggled with wellness issues related to the lymphatic system. Your action plan: Write down three specific problems your hobby or passion could solve for others. Survey ten potential customers to confirm that these problems exist and that they'd pay for solutions. Create a simple value proposition: 'I help [target customer] solve [specific problem] through [your unique approach].' Both The Masculine Home and The Tox succeed due to their cohesive and memorable branding. From visual identity to messaging, customers understand precisely what each brand represents. "We create rooms with character, depth, and presence—spaces that speak for you, without you saying a word," Chaudry explains his brand philosophy. "Masculine interiors reflect the refined tradition of private clubs, historic lounges, and old-world character." Courtney took a different but equally intentional approach with The Tox. "I wanted The Tox to feel both elevated and approachable. A space where people could connect, feel seen, and belong," she explains. "In a world that's becoming more automated by the day, creating human connection is the real luxury. Our brand is rooted in community, and that's what keeps clients coming back." Your action plan: Spend one weekend creating your basic brand foundation. Choose 2-3 colors that represent your style. Write a one-sentence description of what you do and who you serve. Create social media accounts with consistent naming and imagery. Design a simple logo using free tools like Canva. Document your brand voice—are you friendly, professional, quirky, or sophisticated? Neither founder initially relied on large advertising budgets. Happy customers drove much of their early growth through recommendations and social sharing. Courtney experienced the power of authentic testimonials firsthand. "One client messaged me after her session saying, 'I haven't felt this good in years,' and then she posted about it. Her story took off, and so did we," she recalls. "Social media became the new word of mouth. We weren't running ads or doing heavy marketing; it was all organic. Real results, real people, and a community that grew by sharing what they loved." Your action Plan: After completing work for each customer, send a follow-up message requesting feedback. If they're satisfied, request a written testimonial and ask if they know anyone else who might benefit from your services. Offer a small incentive—10% off their next purchase or a small thank-you gift—for successful referrals. Create shareable content showcasing your work (with customer permission) for social media. Why Now Is The Perfect Time For Your Side Hustle The barriers to starting a business have never been lower. Social media marketing, online marketplaces, and consumer appetite for authentic brands create unprecedented opportunities for passionate entrepreneurs. People increasingly want to buy from brands that feel personal and genuine rather than faceless corporations. When your business grows from authentic passion, you possess built-in authenticity that no marketing budget can replicate. Both Chaudry and Courtney started with nothing more than personal interest and a willingness to share it. Today, they operate thriving businesses with loyal customer bases and sustainable income streams. So whether your interest involves creating beautiful spaces, improving people's health, or something completely different, there's no reason not to explore its business potential. Start with what you have. Stay true to your original inspiration. Your current side hustle or hobby might become tomorrow's primary source of income and personal fulfillment.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I make a fortune selling my used mints, you can laugh but one customer paid £500 for them
WHEN it comes to making a bit of extra cash, the internet is full of ingenious ideas. But one TikTok creator has completely redefined " side hustle," turning something truly unexpected into serious money, and Latiesha Jones is making a fortune from it. 2 2 Known as Latieshajbackup on TikTok, she has gone viral with a recent video that's racked up over 64,700 views since June 12th. In it, she revealed that she had been sucking on mints to sell them on. She revealed that he had sucked on several different mints, then let them dry out, before then adding them back into the pot and sending them off for delivery. And although some had slightly "disintegrated" she still sent them off in the hope they will get posted in time for him so they are still intact. Throughout the video, Latiesha offers a little insight into her process. "So I only actually put probably about 24, 25 of these in my mouth, but you can see that they kind of all look a bit weird, so I guess it's more of a little puzzle on which one is which, so he can figure that out." She then goes on to explain that she prefers her mints to be a bit "sticky." Latiesha revealed that her customer will be paying her for these mints. She revealed that she uses Smints as they are her favourite ones and this makes her customers feel a 'bit more special.' Latiesha explained that she won't go and buy any random mint just because she'll want to give the person a touch. Kerry Katona's daughter Heidi opens up about her famous mum and reveals her way of dealing with haters She then revealed that those mints made her £500. Latiesha's video gained 18 comments, as many people rushed to share their views. One joked: 'It was mint to be! Get that bag.' Another suggested: 'Vacuum seal the ones instead of leaving them in a pot and they will stay in the same condition babe.' While someone else wrote: 'Iconic baby.' We previously revealed how Latiesha earns £5,000 a week by selling her toe nail clippings and spit. The 24-year-old previously appeared on This Morning to discuss how she became an entrepreneur in such an unconventional industry. She shared that while studying at university, aspiring to be a doctor, she started looking into ways to make extra cash. This led her to OnlyFans, which was just gaining traction at the time. It was there that she encountered her first unusual request: a man willing to buy a vial of her spit or shower water. Latiesha admitted her initial scepticism, but soon discovered an entire online community "that like weird and odd stuff." Since that first £40 tube of spit, Latiesha has built up a steady online clientele. She now averages £400 to £500 per item, with her most expensive sale, another vial of spit, fetching an incredible £1,500 from a long-term client. What is OnlyFans? OnlyFans is a subscription content service based in London. As of 2023, it is thought to have more than 220million registered users and over three million content creators. Sex workers charge monthly fees for access to pictures, videos and more. While popular for porn, the site isn't exclusively designed with that in mind - anyone who wants to build up a fan base and charge them for it can set one up. Celebs like Katie Price and Kerry Katona are popular personalities on the platform. "Whether you're uploading tutorials, tips, behind-the-scenes footage or just endless selfies, a lot of your followers would be willing to pay for them," the company states. For every subscription that's sold to a viewer, performers get 80 per cent of the cash while OnlyFans gets the rest. It isn't limited to adult content, as it has become popular with physical fitness experts and musicians.
Entrepreneur
5 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
I Took My Side Hustle Full-Time and Earned $222,000 Last Year
This as-told-to story is based on an interview with Seattle, Washington-based tutor Carter Osborne, who owns college essay consulting business Carter Osborne Tutoring. Osborne started tutoring as a side hustle in 2017 to help with tuition payments while in graduate school. In 2024, Osborne quit his job as a PR director to take the business full-time. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Image Credit: Courtesy of Carter Osborne Want to read more stories like this? Subscribe to Money Makers, our free newsletter packed with creative side hustle ideas and successful strategies. Sign up here. I turned my tutoring side hustle into a full-time business in January 2024. There was a push and pull for me in this direction: The push was that it became challenging to balance both my full-time PR job and my college essays, which I considered a side hustle at the time, although it had grown to the point that it took up as much time as my PR job. During the busy college application season, I was essentially working two full-time jobs, and it just didn't work anymore. Then the pull was that I love the artistic and creative aspect of working on college application essays. I find it so personal and enriching in a way that PR just didn't quite match. So I was like, Okay, I have a connection to something here that is generating a lot of revenue, as much revenue as my PR job, but it's more enjoyable day-to-day. I like working with the kids. I like working on storytelling. By the time I made the choice, it had become fairly obvious which one was right. Related: This Graduate Student Started a Side Hustle to Help Pay Tuition. It Earned Over $115,000 Last Year — More Than His Full-Time Job. I had a vague idea that I wanted to increase my revenue by about double, thinking, Okay, I'll have twice as much time and should be able to dedicate that to my business. I'd love to double my revenue. So I raised my rates, knowing that that was a stretch goal going in. Just because I'd freed up an hour didn't mean I'd have that much more business. I had to go out and earn more clients and spend more time with them. Between 2020, a few years into the side hustle, and 2023, I grew revenue from $58,000 a year to $114,250 a year. I had 37 clients in 2020 and 54 clients in 2023. When I took the side business full-time in 2024, I hit $222,000 in revenue with 66 clients. My business is highly seasonal. College application deadlines typically fall between November and January, so the second half of the year is the busiest. I made roughly 80% of my revenue last year between July and December. During the busy season, I work 50 to 70 hours per week, depending on the month. October is typically the busiest as we approach the first major deadlines of the year, which fall on October 15 and November 1. During the off-season, I work roughly 10 to 15 hours per week, and I often step away entirely for vacations that aren't possible during the busy season. This industry runs on referrals; they're the golden ticket. When parents want to hire someone to work with their kid on something as high-stakes as the college admissions process, frontline advertisements, social media marketing or other click-and-learn campaigns aren't the way in for people because it feels a little too high-stakes and is often a multi-thousand-dollar commitment. Parents want to hear from their friend that they had a really good experience, and then rely on that barometer of trust to select a consultant. Related: This Former Teacher Started a Side Hustle That Made More Than $22,000 in One Month: 'I Have Never Been More Fulfilled' So, the more clients I work with, the more referrals I get for the following year. It's an exponential increase, so often in this industry, starting out is quite slow, which is why I ran the business as a side hustle for a long time. As word got out, my name got around at different schools and communities, and because I went full-time last year, I had a lot more time to put into actively working my network to generate more referrals. And I generated enough referrals to meet my revenue goals. I was actually more excited about the number of clients I worked with than the revenue that I saw last year, because I knew it would set me up for even bigger years this year and then the following year. Additionally, referrals from other consultants play an important role in the business's growth. Currently, there is far more demand for services within the college admissions industry than there are professionals to provide them, so that means folks like me typically are fully booked every year. Nearly everyone in my network has filled up for this year; I've almost filled up. So that means we don't have to be cutthroat and competitive with each other. I'll receive referrals from other consultants whom I know and who trust me to do high-quality work. I've also found that sharing my story with media outlets has helped my business get some attention, but interestingly, those pieces more often lead to messages from people who want to start a tutoring side hustle themselves, versus paying clients. I've been able to have a lot of great conversations with aspiring tutors. Since I've taken the side hustle full-time, one of the biggest challenges has been staying on top of the administrative workflow. Now that I work with a lot more clients, I'm answering a lot more emails and addressing small questions that a student or a parent might have after our meeting is over. I do a lot more scheduling and onboarding calls with people. Even the time I spend billing and invoicing has gone up. So there's a lot around the margins that I'm trying to make as efficient as possible. Related: This Arizona Teacher Started a Side Hustle That Immediately Earned More Than Her Full-Time Job: 'Much Better Than $40,000' Down the line, I'd consider hiring someone to help with the administrative side, and by next year, I'd definitely like to hire tutors to work with me. I'd like to bring someone on to help with editing and a little bit of the at-home essay work that I spend a lot of my time doing. But I like to be hands-on with that and am hesitant to hand that off to anybody else whom I haven't thoroughly trained, so it'll be a long process to get the person I hire up to speed. I'm looking forward to building a team around this business. Obviously, I worked for a large company during my PR days, but I've never built my own team before. You hear entrepreneurs talk all the time about how motivating and inspirational it is to build something yourself, and while I don't necessarily know if I would call myself an entrepreneur so much as just a tutor who's managed to find some success, the idea of building a team and expanding my services is really exciting for me. I now work with students all around the U.S. and from around the world. Over half of my clients come from outside of Washington state. That is fundamentally motivating for me, to think I'm able to meet these people from all over, learn all these stories and help students who are in other countries work through the international application system. That is exciting in a way that I haven't felt in another job before. I genuinely love working with these students on their personal statements. Most people are very stressed out by college essays. I am not at all. To be fair, it's easier when you're not the one writing it. But I love working with the kids on these essays. I never cease to be amazed by the thoughtfulness and insight that high school students can bring to these essays. We often think of them as people in development, but that's not true at all. When you read these personal statements, you realize that they see the world in a different way than we do, and often it's in a very rich and constructive way. The more students I get to work with, the more creative and inspiring stories I get to come across in the future, which I find to be enriching in my own life as well. Related: I Turned My Side Hustle Into a Passive Income Stream That's Earned More Than $1 Million — But Making Money Isn't Even the Best Part For anyone considering taking a tutoring side hustle full-time, my first piece of advice is pragmatic: Map out the finances. Use constructive negative thinking and assume that it won't work, then ask yourself, What would happen if this totally crashed and burned? Do I have a backup option? Can I handle it financially for 10 to 12 months? Try to give yourself a cushion just in case. I was part-time for six years before I transitioned to full-time, so when I made the leap, I was fairly confident I had enough support to make it happen. You have to suss out the environment to know if going full-time is really right for you. Also, think critically about what working independently means. Often, we glorify independent work as a sense of freedom. You don't have a boss. You don't have performance reviews. You don't have any externally imposed deadlines. The flip side of that is that everything is on you. If I'm going to generate a dollar of revenue, I have to go out and find it myself. If I make a mistake, there's no one to shift blame onto, and I need to take responsibility. The safety rails are taken away, and for a lot of people, that doesn't work. That's not a commentary on their work ethic; it's just not the style of work that they enjoy. For me, it is — I like that independence. Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
5 ChatGPT Prompts To Rapidly Scale A High-Paying Side Hustle
Unlock growth with ChatGPT prompts and scale your high-paying side hustle faster. Want to level up your side project into a high-paying side hustle? The right ChatGPT prompts can help you get there faster. Recent research from MarketWatch finds that 51% of Americans have worked a side hustle in the past year. That figure climbs to 72% for Gen Z. With the gig economy projected to surpass $600 billion globally this year, according to Business Research Insights, now is the perfect time to put AI to work. Here are five ChatGPT prompts designed to help you scale rapidly and unlock new income streams. 1. Create High-Converting Lead Magnets Your email list is one of your most valuable assets but growing it can feel daunting. Powerful lead magnets, or free resources that solve real problems, attract your best customers and build trust before the sale. Let's say you offer career coaching for mid-level professionals. ChatGPT might suggest a "Fast-Track Resume Makeover' checklist or a 'Seven-Day Career Pivot' email course. With distribution tips for each idea, you can launch a new lead magnet in days instead of weeks and start building a pipeline of interested prospects. Once you have chosen your top lead magnet idea, use ChatGPT to draft the actual resource, email sequence or landing page copy. This saves hours of work and ensures everything is tailored to your audience. 2. Acquire Customers Without Paid Ads Rising ad costs can quickly eat into your profits, especially for new or bootstrapped side hustles. Organic growth strategies allow you to scale sustainably and build long-term assets that keep delivering value. If you run an online store selling fitness accessories, ChatGPT can map out a customer acquisition plan that includes partnering with local gyms, collaborating with micro-influencers, running social media challenges and tapping into niche Facebook groups. You will get a tailored list of activities that require more creativity than cash. Ask ChatGPT to suggest daily, weekly and monthly routines for customer acquisition. Consistency compounds over time, even if you can only dedicate a few minutes each day. 3. Automate Your Content Calendar Consistent content is the engine behind brand awareness and sales, but coming up with fresh ideas can be a daily struggle. A well-structured content calendar keeps you organized, strategic and visible in your niche. For a six-figure solopreneur running an Etsy shop, ChatGPT can produce an entire month of Instagram post ideas such as product spotlights, behind-the-scenes stories, customer testimonials and educational tips. Each post comes with suggested hashtags and ways to boost engagement, making it easy to batch content and stay consistent. Feed ChatGPT your best-performing content or top FAQs to generate even more targeted post ideas that resonate with your audience. 4. Build Your 90-Day Scaling Blueprint Most side hustlers start strong but quickly lose momentum, distracted by day jobs or overwhelmed by too many options. A 90-day blueprint helps you stay laser-focused on the actions that move the needle so you hit your income goals faster. Imagine you are building a digital marketing consultancy on the side. Run this prompt in ChatGPT and you will receive a tailored roadmap with weekly client outreach targets, marketing campaign ideas, fulfillment checklists and key performance indicators to keep your growth on track. Update and rerun this prompt as your side hustle evolves. Adjust your income targets or available hours to get a fresh plan for your next phase of growth. 5. Design Your Scaling Strategy True scale comes from building systems, not just working harder. Whether you want to automate repetitive tasks, expand your team or streamline operations, the right strategy sets you up for sustainable growth. Picture an online educator whose course sales are growing. ChatGPT might outline ways to automate email marketing, delegate content updates and set up regular reporting dashboards. You will see what to automate, when to outsource and how to protect your business as it grows. As you implement new systems, use ChatGPT to draft standard operating procedures and onboarding materials. This way you can bring on help quickly without losing quality. Next Steps To Scale Your High-Paying Side Hustle Scaling a high-paying side hustle doesn't have to mean longer hours or endless trial and error. By leveraging these ChatGPT prompts, you can work smarter, build systems, attract quality leads and unlock new growth opportunities. The right AI strategy can free you from busywork and help you focus on what matters most, delivering value and enjoying the freedom that comes with a scalable side hustle. Start with these five prompts, adapt them to your business and watch your results compound over time.
