Do you want to generate more leads for your business? Are you struggling to turn prospects into paying customers? If you’re saying “yes” to either of those questions, you’re going to get tonnes of value out of this episode. I invited Kai Davis of <a href="KaiDavis.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KaiDavis.com</a> and <a href= "https://doubleyourecommerce.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">DoubleYourEcommerce.com</a> back onto the show as he’s a pro when it comes to this stuff. (Kai was actually <a href= "https://www.sidehustlenation.com/how-to-quit-your-job-move-to-hawaii/"> guest #4</a> on The Side Hustle Show way back in 2013, he also had an encore performance a year later in <a href= "https://www.sidehustlenation.com/start-side-hustle-consulting-business-gets-paid/"> episode 59</a>.) This time around, Kai walks us through the 3 levers that anyone can use to grow their business: <ol> <li>Find new customers</li> <li>Get referrals from existing customers or your network</li> <li>Sell more to existing customers</li> </ol> Note: <a href= "https://nickloper.lpages.co/leadbox/13bea4be0172a2%3A12b7a20bab46dc/6332222910889984/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Click here to download Kai’s top tips for finding prospects and turning them into sales and paying clients from this episode</a>. With a little creativity and tenacity, you can begin to implement his strategies right away. Tune in to hear the techniques Kai is using to generate more leads for his business, how he’s turning these prospects into sales and profit, and the 3 specific actions anyone can use to generate leads for their own business.

Do you want to generate more leads for your business? Are you struggling to turn prospects into paying customers? If you’re saying “yes” to either of those questions, you’re going to get tonnes of value out of this episode. I invited Kai Davis of KaiDavis.com and DoubleYourEcommerce.com back onto the show as he’s a pro when it comes to this stuff. (Kai was actually guest #4 on The Side Hustle Show way back in 2013, he also had an encore performance a year later in episode 59.) This time around, Kai walks us through the 3 levers that anyone can use to grow their business: Find new customers Get referrals from existing customers or your network Sell more to existing customers Note: Click here to download Kai’s top tips for finding prospects and turning them into sales and paying clients from this episode. With a little creativity and tenacity, you can begin to implement his strategies right away. Tune in to hear the techniques Kai is using to generate more leads for his business, how he’s turning these prospects into sales and profit, and the 3 specific actions anyone can use to generate leads for their own business.

The Side Hustle Show

379: 3 Ways to Get More Leads for Your Business

Melissa Fassel Dunn has built a thriving - and profitable - online community serving residents in her small town. The interesting part is that she didn't start her Facebook group or website with the goal of making money. She did so to solve a pain point she was experiencing finding information about services in her town of Milton, a suburb of Boston. “I needed information about kindergarten, I needed information about a plumber, an electrician, and I felt like there wasn’t a go-to place for any of that. “So, I thought, I’m going to start a group, I’m going to add some of my friends and we can exchange information with one another,” Melissa told me. She started <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/groups/miltonneighbors/">Milton Neighbors</a>, a Facebook group for residents of Milton to share information and recommend local services. That was in 2013, today the group has more than 11,000 members and is almost a 6-figure business. Note: <a href= "https://nickloper.lpages.co/leadbox/12f8698f0172a2%3A12b7a20bab46dc/5470468307812352/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Click here to download Melissa’s top tips for growing and monetizing an online community from this episode</a>. Tune in to hear how Melissa built up her group, how she keeps people engaged, her monetization methods, and how you can replicate her model with a Facebook group of your own in just about any niche.

Melissa Fassel Dunn has built a thriving - and profitable - online community serving residents in her small town. The interesting part is that she didn't start her Facebook group or website with the goal of making money. She did so to solve a pain point she was experiencing finding information about services in her town of Milton, a suburb of Boston. “I needed information about kindergarten, I needed information about a plumber, an electrician, and I felt like there wasn’t a go-to place for any of that. “So, I thought, I’m going to start a group, I’m going to add some of my friends and we can exchange information with one another,” Melissa told me. She started Milton Neighbors, a Facebook group for residents of Milton to share information and recommend local services. That was in 2013, today the group has more than 11,000 members and is almost a 6-figure business. Note: Click here to download Melissa’s top tips for growing and monetizing an online community from this episode. Tune in to hear how Melissa built up her group, how she keeps people engaged, her monetization methods, and how you can replicate her model with a Facebook group of your own in just about any niche.

378: Facebook Groups: Grow and Monetize a Community Around Something You Care About

From personal pain point to a 7-figure payday! That’s what <a href="http://www.donaldspann.com/" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Spann</a> did when he started -- and eventually sold -- his virtual receptionist company, Vicky Virtual. Donald took a personal pain point of his -- handling incoming phone calls in his cleaning business -- and built out a fully remote virtual call center. Tune in to hear how he found his first clients, what worked in terms of marketing and sales, and how you can apply some of the same strategies to a business of your own.

From personal pain point to a 7-figure payday! That’s what Donald Spann did when he started -- and eventually sold -- his virtual receptionist company, Vicky Virtual. Donald took a personal pain point of his -- handling incoming phone calls in his cleaning business -- and built out a fully remote virtual call center. Tune in to hear how he found his first clients, what worked in terms of marketing and sales, and how you can apply some of the same strategies to a business of your own.

377: How to Start Virtual Call Center: From Idea to 7-Figure Exit

What would it take to make the 4-Hour Workweek a reality? Since we last caught up, this stay-at-home-mom blogger has been on a mission to automate and simplify her business. Yes, by request, Rosemarie Groner from <a href= "https://www.busybudgeter.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">BusyBudgeter.com</a> is back for a 4th round on the podcast! If you are just joining us, let me catch you up on the backstory... In her past life as a state trooper and home daycare operator, Rosemarie made an incredible transformation in her own household’s finances -- reducing expenses and paying off debt. She shared her winning money strategies on a blog for “chronically disorganized” moms.  Within her first year, she was making <a href= "https://www.sidehustlenation.com/pinterest-traffic/" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">$5k a month, mostly from ad income</a>. A year after that, $20-25k, <a href= "https://www.sidehustlenation.com/building-a-20k-month-blog/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mostly from affiliates and her own email list</a>. And a year after that, she’d even touched the <a href= "https://www.sidehustlenation.com/blogging-roi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6-figures a month mark by creating her own products</a>. Tune in to hear how Rosemarie: <ul> <li>Turned her best content into a 2-year automated email sequence.</li> <li>Fine-tuned that sequence to earn affiliate commissions and sell her products.</li> <li>Drives traffic today.</li> <li>Decided to cut off a profitable segment of her audience.</li> </ul>

What would it take to make the 4-Hour Workweek a reality? Since we last caught up, this stay-at-home-mom blogger has been on a mission to automate and simplify her business. Yes, by request, Rosemarie Groner from BusyBudgeter.com is back for a 4th round on the podcast! If you are just joining us, let me catch you up on the backstory... In her past life as a state trooper and home daycare operator, Rosemarie made an incredible transformation in her own household’s finances -- reducing expenses and paying off debt. She shared her winning money strategies on a blog for “chronically disorganized” moms.  Within her first year, she was making $5k a month, mostly from ad income. A year after that, $20-25k, mostly from affiliates and her own email list. And a year after that, she’d even touched the 6-figures a month mark by creating her own products. Tune in to hear how Rosemarie: Turned her best content into a 2-year automated email sequence. Fine-tuned that sequence to earn affiliate commissions and sell her products. Drives traffic today. Decided to cut off a profitable segment of her audience. 

376: Audience Engagement, Affiliate Sales, and Automated Product Funnels

Can you build a new income stream on your lunch break? This week's guest says yes, and shares how. In this episode, I’m joined by Mike Zima from <a href= "https://zimamedia.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">ZimaMedia.com</a> -- a full-service digital marketing agency that got its start with a single $5 sale on Fiverr. It’s been a while since we talked about Fiverr, but the way today’s guest has used the platform to start and grow his freelance business is an eye-opener. Mike’s claim to fame: He’s the only Fiverr seller who’s mentioned in Fiverr’s IPO pitch deck. But it all started with one $5 order. He’s now doing thousands of dollars a month, perhaps tens of thousands of dollars a month in Fiverr sales. Tune in to hear what’s working on Fiverr today, Mike’s “rapid gig prototyping" strategy to test out new offers, and how to wean your reliance off of Fiverr while building your agency.

Can you build a new income stream on your lunch break? This week's guest says yes, and shares how. In this episode, I’m joined by Mike Zima from ZimaMedia.com -- a full-service digital marketing agency that got its start with a single $5 sale on Fiverr. It’s been a while since we talked about Fiverr, but the way today’s guest has used the platform to start and grow his freelance business is an eye-opener. Mike’s claim to fame: He’s the only Fiverr seller who’s mentioned in Fiverr’s IPO pitch deck. But it all started with one $5 order. He’s now doing thousands of dollars a month, perhaps tens of thousands of dollars a month in Fiverr sales. Tune in to hear what’s working on Fiverr today, Mike’s “rapid gig prototyping" strategy to test out new offers, and how to wean your reliance off of Fiverr while building your agency.

375: Rapid Side Hustle Prototyping: A New Income Stream on Your Lunch Break?

Are you operating online fully compliant with GDPR and CCPA regulations? Do you have the right type of liability insurance to cover you should the worst case happen? If you’re unsure about any of the legal stuff surrounding you, your business, or side hustle, it should be a lot clearer by the end of this episode. This is because Mariam Tsaturyan from <a href= "https://www.freelanceandmarketing.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">FreelanceandMarketing.com</a> has graciously agreed to do some legal listener Q&A for us in today’s show. She’s a licensed and practicing attorney, who helps bloggers and online business owners navigate the often-murky waters of legal regulations and compliance. Tune in as we tackle some of the big topics like entity selection, GDPR, and liability insurance. Then we'll dive into some specific questions from the <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/groups/sidehustlenation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Side Hustle Nation FB group</a>.

Are you operating online fully compliant with GDPR and CCPA regulations? Do you have the right type of liability insurance to cover you should the worst case happen? If you’re unsure about any of the legal stuff surrounding you, your business, or side hustle, it should be a lot clearer by the end of this episode. This is because Mariam Tsaturyan from FreelanceandMarketing.com has graciously agreed to do some legal listener Q&A for us in today’s show. She’s a licensed and practicing attorney, who helps bloggers and online business owners navigate the often-murky waters of legal regulations and compliance. Tune in as we tackle some of the big topics like entity selection, GDPR, and liability insurance. Then we'll dive into some specific questions from the Side Hustle Nation FB group.

374: Side Hustle Legal Q&A with Mariam Tsaturyan

Do you know how much cash flows through your hometown on a monthly basis? In this episode we explore how to get some of that cash flowing toward you! I'm joined by Nick Huber, co-founder of <a href= "https://www.storagesquad.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">Storage Squad</a> and host of <a href= "https://sweatystartup.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">The Sweaty Startup podcast</a>. Storage Squad, a student storage service, has grown to over $3M in sales since starting it as a little part-time project back in 2011. I invited Nick on The Side Hustle Show to help walk us through his "sweaty startup" framework. That is, how you can start a low-risk, low-overhead, local, service-based business, set it up for success, and let that be the vehicle that drives you away from a lifetime of cubicle slavery. Tune in to hear Nick’s thoughts on generating service <a href= "https://www.sidehustlenation.com/ideas/">business ideas</a> you could start today, evaluating the market and competition, and scoring your first customers. That’s why I think this is pretty exciting -- it really doesn’t take many customers to begin to make a meaningful income here.

Do you know how much cash flows through your hometown on a monthly basis? In this episode we explore how to get some of that cash flowing toward you! I'm joined by Nick Huber, co-founder of Storage Squad and host of The Sweaty Startup podcast. Storage Squad, a student storage service, has grown to over $3M in sales since starting it as a little part-time project back in 2011. I invited Nick on The Side Hustle Show to help walk us through his "sweaty startup" framework. That is, how you can start a low-risk, low-overhead, local, service-based business, set it up for success, and let that be the vehicle that drives you away from a lifetime of cubicle slavery. Tune in to hear Nick’s thoughts on generating service business ideas you could start today, evaluating the market and competition, and scoring your first customers. That’s why I think this is pretty exciting -- it really doesn’t take many customers to begin to make a meaningful income here.

373: The Sweaty Startup: How to Start a Local Service Business

Early last summer I joined Teachable’s “Creator Challenge.” The premise was to research, create, and launch an online course over the next three months. On top of that, Teachable provided expert support, a community of fellow instructors, and a little friendly competition. People have been asking me about creating an online course for years — but since I tend to work better with a deadline, I jumped in on the challenge.

Early last summer I joined Teachable’s “Creator Challenge.” The premise was to research, create, and launch an online course over the next three months. On top of that, Teachable provided expert support, a community of fellow instructors, and a little friendly competition. People have been asking me about creating an online course for years — but since I tend to work better with a deadline, I jumped in on the challenge.

Bonus: My Course Launch Experience and Results

Creating your own website can definitely be a great side hustle–if you take the time to monetize it. But the problem is that many people who create websites have no clue how to actually make money with them. When this happens, your website becomes a liability. You’re sinking precious time and money into something that isn’t giving you a return. However, it’s entirely possible to prevent that from happening or to fix the problem if it has already started. You just need to know how to use your website to generate income, and in this article, I’m going to show you how. Let’s look at 15 great ways you can monetize your website and turn it into a proper revenue-generating machine.

Creating your own website can definitely be a great side hustle–if you take the time to monetize it. But the problem is that many people who create websites have no clue how to actually make money with them. When this happens, your website becomes a liability. You’re sinking precious time and money into something that isn’t giving you a return. However, it’s entirely possible to prevent that from happening or to fix the problem if it has already started. You just need to know how to use your website to generate income, and in this article, I’m going to show you how. Let’s look at 15 great ways you can monetize your website and turn it into a proper revenue-generating machine.

372: 15 Ways to Monetize a Website

As we turn the calendar on a new decade, I thought I'd reflect back on the last 10 years. To paint the picture of where the 2010s started for me, I was: <ul> <li>coming off a great year in business, and had high hopes for the future</li> <li>about to get married</li> <li>blogging at nickloper.com, on a bunch of random topics</li> <li>$150k underwater in our house, which was a huge source of stress</li> </ul> Let's see what happened next!

As we turn the calendar on a new decade, I thought I'd reflect back on the last 10 years. To paint the picture of where the 2010s started for me, I was: coming off a great year in business, and had high hopes for the future about to get married blogging at nickloper.com, on a bunch of random topics $150k underwater in our house, which was a huge source of stress Let's see what happened next!

371: Decade in Review: My Most Important Moments and Lessons from the 2010s

Rob brought in $40k last year hosting tours in of Washington, D.C. -- all on the side from his day job, and with no marketing budget. However, if you Google “Washington, D.C tour guide”, Rob Pitingolo's <a href="https://www.triphacksdc.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TripHacksDC.com</a> is nowhere to be seen. So what's secret sauce? He’s been creating helpful <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfSZf34lnKQxPM2l_WX7LYA" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">tourist-friendly content on YouTube</a>, and outlet largely ignored by his better-funded competitors. His channel has had more than 1.4 million views to date, and he’s funneling those viewers to his site where they can sign up for a tour. In fact, his channel has grown so much that he’s partnered with YouTube and ad revenue from his videos has become another income stream for his business. Tune in to hear how Rob has grown his business into a fun and cash-flowing side hustle, how he leverages YouTube to reach his target customers rather than traditional tour marketplaces, and how he’s growing the business beyond just himself giving tours.

Rob brought in $40k last year hosting tours in of Washington, D.C. -- all on the side from his day job, and with no marketing budget. However, if you Google “Washington, D.C tour guide”, Rob Pitingolo's TripHacksDC.com is nowhere to be seen. So what's secret sauce? He’s been creating helpful tourist-friendly content on YouTube, and outlet largely ignored by his better-funded competitors. His channel has had more than 1.4 million views to date, and he’s funneling those viewers to his site where they can sign up for a tour. In fact, his channel has grown so much that he’s partnered with YouTube and ad revenue from his videos has become another income stream for his business. Tune in to hear how Rob has grown his business into a fun and cash-flowing side hustle, how he leverages YouTube to reach his target customers rather than traditional tour marketplaces, and how he’s growing the business beyond just himself giving tours.

370: How to Market a Local Business on YouTube: $40k on the Side

How do you start a side hustle? Well we can talk about <a href= "https://www.sidehustlenation.com/ideas/">side hustle ideas</a> and marketing tactics until we're blue in the face, but in studying <a href="https://www.sidehustlenation.com/side-hustle-show/">my catalog of past interviews</a>, a few common traits popped up over and over again. I've compiled those into this 7-step guide to starting a side hustle. Whether you’re an established business owner, or you’re just starting out, I think you’ll find this a helpful framework for your projects. It'll also help you identify where you have the biggest opportunities for improvement this year.

How do you start a side hustle? Well we can talk about side hustle ideas and marketing tactics until we're blue in the face, but in studying my catalog of past interviews, a few common traits popped up over and over again. I've compiled those into this 7-step guide to starting a side hustle. Whether you’re an established business owner, or you’re just starting out, I think you’ll find this a helpful framework for your projects. It'll also help you identify where you have the biggest opportunities for improvement this year.

369: 7 Key Steps to Start and Grow Side Hustle

Is there gold in your backyard? Or, more accurately ... dog poop? Erica Krupin found $1000 a week in hers, with a side hustle that can easily be replicated in your local area. Erica started <a href="https://www.poopinscoopin.com/" target= "_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kroopin’s Poopin Scoopin</a>, a pet waste removal business in her spare time, and now has more than 80 recurring weekly customers. With an average price of $15 per customer per week, that’s over $1,000 a week, picking up dog poop. Sometimes it’s the simplest businesses that are the fastest to get started and see some results. Erica just left her day job to pursue this full-time, and with the plans she has in place, it looks like her business is set to continue growing. Tune in to hear how she landed her first customers and markets this business, how she prices the service, and how she delivers on her promises.

Is there gold in your backyard? Or, more accurately ... dog poop? Erica Krupin found $1000 a week in hers, with a side hustle that can easily be replicated in your local area. Erica started Kroopin’s Poopin Scoopin, a pet waste removal business in her spare time, and now has more than 80 recurring weekly customers. With an average price of $15 per customer per week, that’s over $1,000 a week, picking up dog poop. Sometimes it’s the simplest businesses that are the fastest to get started and see some results. Erica just left her day job to pursue this full-time, and with the plans she has in place, it looks like her business is set to continue growing. Tune in to hear how she landed her first customers and markets this business, how she prices the service, and how she delivers on her promises.

368: How to Start a Pet Waste Removal Business: $50 an Hour Part-Time

Helping people make decisions is a big business! In fact, these two Side Hustle Show listeners started a website to do just that, and it's now bringing in $17-20k a month. Oh, and the project is only a little over a year old. Alex Goldberg and Healy Jones run a site called <a href= "https://finvsfin.com/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">FinvsFin.com</a>, which focuses on reviews and comparisons of direct to consumer brands. They earn money as affiliates -- basically earning a commission on sales that are referred through the site. Note: <a href= "https://nickloper.lpages.co/leadbox/11b7734fa172a2%3A12b7a20bab46dc/5865992791916544/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Click here to download Alex and Healy’s top tips for growing and monetizing an affiliate site from this episode</a>. FinvsFin is an example of what I’ll call the modern comparison shopping site -- helping readers make decisions and getting paid for it. And since comparison shopping was my original side hustle over a decade ago, this was especially fun to dive into. The impressive part is that this is still very much a side hustle. Both Alex and Healy have full-time jobs, and their business falls under the “<a href= "https://www.sidehustlenation.com/passive-income/">passive income</a>" business model. Tune in to hear how Alex and Healy prioritize and create their content, what they’re doing to market the site and drive traffic, and how you can borrow some of their same strategies in your own niche.

Helping people make decisions is a big business! In fact, these two Side Hustle Show listeners started a website to do just that, and it's now bringing in $17-20k a month. Oh, and the project is only a little over a year old. Alex Goldberg and Healy Jones run a site called FinvsFin.com, which focuses on reviews and comparisons of direct to consumer brands. They earn money as affiliates -- basically earning a commission on sales that are referred through the site. Note: Click here to download Alex and Healy’s top tips for growing and monetizing an affiliate site from this episode. FinvsFin is an example of what I’ll call the modern comparison shopping site -- helping readers make decisions and getting paid for it. And since comparison shopping was my original side hustle over a decade ago, this was especially fun to dive into. The impressive part is that this is still very much a side hustle. Both Alex and Healy have full-time jobs, and their business falls under the “passive income" business model. Tune in to hear how Alex and Healy prioritize and create their content, what they’re doing to market the site and drive traffic, and how you can borrow some of their same strategies in your own niche.

367: Zero to $20k/Month in a Year: Affiliate Marketing Case Study

Etsy is no longer just the marketplace of handmade crafts! Yes, you can sell digital products like printables and even drop ship physical goods without ever touching your inventory. We haven’t really discussed Etsy in detail for a while. But I thought it was time to take a closer look at this platform again, as it’s seen tremendous growth in recent years. Opening the doors for you to create your own passive products -- both through digital downloads and drop shipping physical products. In fact, since 2015, the number of Etsy buyers has more than doubled -- far outpacing the growth of Etsy sellers. So, if you are currently selling online or have an idea in the pipeline, you’d be crazy to ignore the potential Etsy holds as a "Buy Buttons" platform. Melissa MacDonald is a long-time Etsy seller who now focuses her efforts on <a href="https://www.sweetspotmarketing.ca/" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">Etsy marketing and optimization</a> for other shop owners. Tune in to hear Melissa’s process for coming up with new passive income product ideas, her favorite tools for running a hands-off Etsy shop, and how to optimize your listings for conversion and sales.

Etsy is no longer just the marketplace of handmade crafts! Yes, you can sell digital products like printables and even drop ship physical goods without ever touching your inventory. We haven’t really discussed Etsy in detail for a while. But I thought it was time to take a closer look at this platform again, as it’s seen tremendous growth in recent years. Opening the doors for you to create your own passive products -- both through digital downloads and drop shipping physical products. In fact, since 2015, the number of Etsy buyers has more than doubled -- far outpacing the growth of Etsy sellers. So, if you are currently selling online or have an idea in the pipeline, you’d be crazy to ignore the potential Etsy holds as a "Buy Buttons" platform. Melissa MacDonald is a long-time Etsy seller who now focuses her efforts on Etsy marketing and optimization for other shop owners. Tune in to hear Melissa’s process for coming up with new passive income product ideas, her favorite tools for running a hands-off Etsy shop, and how to optimize your listings for conversion and sales.

366: Drop Shipping and Digital Products on Etsy

The Side Hustle Show is the podcast for part-time entrepreneurs who are looking for actionable tips and strategies on how to turn their side hustle dreams into reality. We cover all aspects of small business including marketing, sales, websites, social media, and more. Learn from experienced side hustle entrepreneurs the tactics you can implement today to take your ideas to the next level. Hosted by Nick Loper, Chief Side-Hustler at SideHustleNation.com.

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