At the Tecto offices, we recently had a discussion (read “argument”) on what the best/most profitable side hustle is. As we have friends in each of the industries mentioned, we asked them some direct questions to get the low-down on how they do things.

All these people still had a day job and had been doing the side gig thing for about 2 to 4 years. Names were omitted to allow us to ask direct questions – like how much they earn.

Blogger

What are you current earning?

About $700 per month. I don’t write my own articles. I can’t write to save my own life. If I could, I would prevent a $300 per month expenditure, taking me to a $1000 income.

How long have you been doing this?

3 years.

How did you get started?

I listened to podcasts by Pat Flynn and Spencer Haws. My first blog was a niche travel site that ran at a constant loss. After growing tired of travel articles, I started a pet blog and later a wellness blog that is today earning me my income.

How long was it before the blogs became profitable?

About 2 years. Things started happening after I grew my Facebook and Twitter audiences to about 4000 respectively on both blogs. Quora did not do much for my volumes, but Pinterest did add some momentum to my monthly customer volumes. I do my own Pinterest pins.

How much work is it? Is the income passive?

I have my articles written for me, so my biggest headache is thinking up article ideas and doing keyword research (using LongtailPro). It can become passive if I eventually make enough to hire an editor.

What do you do to promote your blogs?

The standard way to promote blogs is to request a guest post on other sites and then to ask for a link back to your own. This makes Google think I have many backlinks and have a popular blog. I have sadly not done this enough, as it is the cost of an article that I sacrifice to get a link back. What I have done more of is writing epic content (rather than having it written) and then asking for a link from other blogs. This has worked to a degree.

How scalable is your future income?

There are other blogs that make 6-figure incomes and have been sold to big media companies for millions, so the sky is the limit with blogs.

In your opinion, how many people in a hundred make it big?

Probably ten out of a hundred. Many blogs just don’t get anywhere.

Why?

Bad content, a non-profitable niche, or they don’t promote their content. Blogging is also becoming harder as more people see it as easy money.

Amazon Seller

What are you currently earning?

My profit is currently about $3200 per month.

How long have you been doing this?

3 years.

How did you get started?

I visited chain stores to see what they had on sale. I would buy something that looked cheap, put it on eBay and sell it for a profit. Pretty soon, I “developed an eye” and improved my success rate on spotting good deals and selling them. Then I read how people were killing it on Amazon, and I started selling there. This was a time-intensive process as I had to visit many stores. One day, I browsed through Alibaba.com and decided to contact one of the companies there. They sent me some samples. The samples sold on Amazon, and within 6 months, I was importing exclusively from China.

How long before your business became profitable?

It was profitable from week 1, but it was time intensive to find shop discounts. The profits really took off after I started importing from China. My biggest enemy is returned stock I’m stuck with and slow-selling stock I need to pay Amazon to store. I have tons of capital wrapped up in physical goods.

How much work is it? Is the income passive?

Currently, I do the product selection from China. I do the import tracking, I do the company books, and I pack the boxes that go to Amazon as well as the Amazon listings. It is a lot of work. When I earn more, I will outsource these tasks.

What do you do to promote your products?

I have a small website in the niche of the products I sell that direct traffic to Amazon. Also, I have a mailing list I do marketing to.

How scalable is your future income?

My next step up will be to do my own eCommerce site. After that, I’m looking to become an importer and distributor to brick-and-mortar stores. To get that going, I will have to hire sales agents. If that takes off, the sky will be the limit. Even without doing the physical distribution, there is lots of growth potential.

In your opinion, how many people in a hundred make it big?

Probably 20-30. Physical goods are the easiest way to start a side gig. And it’s fun too.

Why easy?

Hunting for bargains, finding that one product in China no one is importing (yet) and making a killing. That’s the fun part. Doing books and tracking imports is the hard bit. It’s also easy not to run a business with discipline and leak money and eventually fail.

Network Marketer

What are you earning now?

$2000 p/m.

How long have you been doing this?

2 years.

How did you get started?

I was invited to a presentation by a former colleague.

What is your networking business about? What do you sell? How do you sell?

The idea is simple. Instead of buying normal items like household cleaners, coffee, tea, supplements, cosmetics and pasta from the store, I buy them through our online platform and get commission paid back into my bank account. This commission comes from what the supplier saves on advertising and marketing costs – so we’re cutting out the middle man to a degree.

The profit multiplier comes from the people we sign up who also buy their monthlies from the platform. I get a small percentage back on their purchases as well – the more downlines I sign up, and they in turn sign up, the bigger my profit.

How long before your business became profitable?

It took me about 6 months to break even. The real profits only came after I got about 15 people to join my downline.

How much work is it? Is the income passive?

In the beginning, there’s no passive income. It felt like I was swimming upstream, but eventually, there is a momentum that starts to gather and the profits start coming in. Starting your own network marketing business is not easy. (Despite what they tell you at the meetings.)

The problem is getting downlines to play by the playbook. It’s a simple system, but if the new recruits don’t follow it to the T, then the numbers have shown that they fall out and there is no growth.

I had to put in many hours after my day job to attend functions, do one-on-ones with new prospects and even do home launches where we invite the friends and neighbors. Now I can go on holiday for a month and I still have the money coming in.

What do you do to promote your products?

I give samples of our products to friends and family, and invite people to home launches. With every person I approach, there is the constant risk of rejection and getting laughed at because I’m a Network Marketer.

How scalable is your future income?

Some of my uplines earn millions a year. These are people with thousands of downlines. Some people just signed up one downline, and this one downline for example turn out to literally go stellar and build a dynasty. It would be like winning the lottery as  one sign-up can make you rich.

In your opinion, how many people in a hundred make it big?

About 5.

Why?

I’d compare it to going to the gym. Its full when the new year starts, but in April, it runs empty. It’s not the gym’s fault. Then the dropouts all blame the gym and say the gym doesn’t work. I guess I’m saying with the right mindset and determination, anyone could have a good chance of succeeding.

The post Earning Side Hustle Money: Blogger vs Amazon Seller vs Network Marketer appeared first on TectoGizmo.