This Facet Hustle Highlight Q&A options Katherine O’Brien, proprietor and founding father of Cream Cruiser, a Baltimore, Maryland-based firm that distributes handcrafted frozen desserts and offers full-service and drop-off catering for occasions. She can also be the founding father of Bike Enterprise College, a web-based course for entrepreneurs who need to make the most of the bike enterprise mannequin.
Picture Credit score: Elizabeth Rodenhizer Images. Katherine O’Brien.
When did you begin your aspect hustle, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?
My aspect hustle journey has been two-fold. I began my ice cream enterprise, Cream Cruiser, in Might of 2015 sort of on a whim. I used to be working a daily 9-5 however all the time knew that I wished to create one thing that was my very own.
On the time, I used to be strolling to my 9-5 job by the Internal Harbor of Baltimore, which, over the summer season, was all the time stuffed with a lot of guests and company commuters resembling myself. Some days, there could be so many individuals that you possibly can hardly navigate by the crowds. I used to be consistently considering to myself how wonderful an ice cream cart could be on a scorching, sunny day.
Additionally, presently, the cellular meals business had actually began to achieve traction. I wasn’t excited about beginning an ice cream truck due to the funding. I wished one thing smaller and easier. After some analysis and telephone calls, I discovered a small enterprise that manufactured customized meals bikes. And inside minutes of talking with them, I knew it was for me.
I received the complete enterprise up and operating for underneath $10,000 and launched in just some months. I began at a neighborhood farmers market, and it wasn’t lengthy till I received into catering weddings, company and faculty occasions, and so forth.
Picture Credit score: Elizabeth Rodenhizer Images
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I labored a full-time job and offered ice cream throughout the summer season for over three years to have the ability to put each penny again into the enterprise. Lastly, in 2018, I stop my job to go all in on my ice cream enterprise. At the moment, I additionally expanded into wholesale and even personal label.
The second a part of my aspect hustle journey got here into play after a troublesome few years from 2020-2022. As a small enterprise within the meals and beverage and occasions business, I felt like I couldn’t preserve my head above water and knew that one thing wanted to alter.
As occasions had been launched again into our lives, my little catering enterprise began to take off. Swiftly, I received my fireplace again and had a fantastic revenue stream that I had been lacking over the previous two years throughout the pandemic. In direction of the top of 2022, I made a decision to cease specializing in the wholesale and personal label and return to doing what I cherished, which was promoting ice cream from a motorcycle at occasions.
This led me to half two of my aspect hustle journey. I created Bike Enterprise College to share my love of this ice cream bike enterprise mannequin with as many individuals as doable. It is easy, it is inexpensive, and it is enjoyable! My aim is to make the bike enterprise group simply as huge because the meals truck group.
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What had been a few of the first steps you took to get your aspect hustle off the bottom?
The very first thing I did was begin my Ice Cream Bike Woman social media accounts. I started sharing my journey and what I cherished about my ice cream catering enterprise. I used to be additionally utilizing this time to be taught extra about digital advertising and marketing and learn how to educate others what I had discovered over time. I wished to assist them keep away from a few of the classes I discovered the arduous method. Fairly shortly, I began connecting with individuals everywhere in the nation on the lookout for a mentor to assist them get began and, most significantly, maintain them accountable for bringing their enterprise to life. So, I continued listening to my viewers and created what they had been asking for.
Picture Credit score: Katherine O’Brien
What had been a few of the largest challenges you confronted whereas constructing your aspect hustle, and the way did you navigate them?
As a result of challenges that got here with the pandemic, for some time, I struggled with feeling like I had failed — that I did not have what it took to scale my ice cream enterprise to what I had initially envisioned once I first went full-time with it. However in actuality, these challenges had been one of the best factor that ever occurred as a result of they compelled me to refocus my targets and introduced Bike Enterprise College into my life. It took me some time to be okay with the truth that change is wholesome, and being an entrepreneur, it’s extremely vital to adapt as wanted.
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How lengthy did it take you to see constant month-to-month income, and at what level did the aspect hustle’s revenue surpass your full-time job?
I launched Bike Enterprise College earlier than I had even created it. I had an concept of what this system would seem like and had began growing the backend, however it was removed from prepared. I wished to verify it offered earlier than I dove in 100%, so I did a pre-sale. Inside the first week, I had offered over $10,000 in programs. I’m very grateful that it didn’t decelerate after that, and nearly instantly, I changed my full-time job’s revenue.
You’ve got turned your aspect hustle right into a full-time enterprise. How a lot common month-to-month or annual income does it herald now?
At the moment, I common $20,000 per thirty days with Bike Enterprise College. With the latest development, I’m projected to double that by the beginning of summer season 2024.
What’s your recommendation for different side-hustlers who hope to show their ventures into profitable companies?
Begin earlier than you’re prepared, and belief your self sufficient to know that if you happen to’re captivated with what you are doing, you’ll determine it out as you go. It is okay to make errors. It is okay to be taught classes the arduous method. It is okay to adapt and make adjustments as you might want to. Simply preserve going and continue to grow.
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Additionally, be taught on-line abilities. The web and social media may be extremely highly effective while you perceive the alternatives out there. Nothing brings me extra pleasure than promoting ice cream out at occasions, however having a web-based aspect to my enterprise has been a complete game-changer for me — and offered me with an uncapped revenue that may not be doable solely from ice cream gross sales.
