What are yall side hustles?

[ElMorenoFeo809]

I sell metro cards at the E 167th station. $2 each.

 

[DrBanneker]

So let me ask is this your passion in life? How did you discover it?

I'd say it is a passion and something I have loved doing like few other things in a long time. I actually dabbled in it a bit as a hobby years ago (totally by accident which is another story) but what got me going big were two things:

1. At the time time there wasn't much variety in the market due to there typically being a few firms that made the same thing

2. I took a trip to Africa with my uncle who is from Ghana. I am not Ghanian directly but my aunt married a guy from the motherland. He was working on a agribusiness over there and I realized there were many opportunities for fermented food that were poorly industrialized if at all. Ghana has a lot of fermented products but almost all homemade. So I told him I would try to start something in the US to gauge viability and then hopefully transfer it to Ghana. Long story short, the business started doing well in the US and unfortunately the Ghanian economy and its currency, the cedi, tanked so I am doing my business here near Philly. I plan on going to Ghana or somewhere else in Africa or the Caribbean eventually though for international expansion

I have always wanted a manufacturing company anyway, I like the 'making' side of the economy so this has been a good experience. Even if I get tired or sell, I would probably manufacture something else in the future.

 

[zacharie101]

My side hustle (which can hopefully be a main hustle in a year or less) is a food manufacturing business. I won't get too detailed since the industry is pretty tight knit and being one of the only Blacks will give me away but I will drop it is a fermented product.

Getting started in food manufacturing can be a firehose type experience. You have to not only learn how to make the product good (duh) but maintain this quality as you scale the production. In addition you have local, state, and federal (FDA) guidelines you have to follow and spot inspections where they ask everything about safety, sanitization, refrigeration, etc.

I started out in a shared kitchen which is a commercial kitchen set up where you can rent time in a place that is already approved by the health department. This was invaluable as I could pay for flex time when my business was young and didn't have to buy all the kitchen stuff (3 bay sink, hand wash sink, chemicals, etc.) A lot of hot sauce guys do this.

The only issue with food production though is depending on the type of food, it is pretty capital intensive. Luckily with fermentation (as opposed to baking, etc.) I was able to build a lot of my own equipment or buy used stuff that saved tens of thousands of dollars. Then once the operation is up you have to sell, sell, sell. Luckily I have some store and distribution accounts as well as Amazon to push product.

I got my own place about a year ago and the rent is a killer but I am finally making it over the hump and I think I will soon be able to pay down a good portion of the debt and hit prime time knock on wood.

how do you calculate calories/nutritional value for food? I'm trying to make protein bars

 

[Primetime]

And @Kenny West

I appreciate the positive thoughts. Its challenging, but the kind of challenge that makes you feel alive.

This may end up being the most underrated subforum in the coli

 

[DrBanneker]

how do you calculate calories/nutritional value for food? I'm trying to make protein bars

Well, there are a couple ways you can go about this per gov't regulations.

A good guide (from a good label supplier) is here

In short, there are databases that have information on thousands of ingredients and if you have a precise quantity of each ingredient add the contents together and then calculate the proportion for a serving size. Serving sizes are recommended per FDA guidelines. If you have ingredients you can't find in a database, you may have to use a lab which can cost some $$. If you are doing more than just mixing ingredients (frying in oil for example) you have to use a lab since the calories added by oil, etc. are hard to calculate on your own.

The two best sources are the free database on food ingredients is by the USDA here and Recipal so hopefully you can use them without blowing too much money but it depends on how complicated your recipe is.

Also you have to be very careful on any health claims (no matter how innocent) you make as well as list any of the common allergens.

Also the Nutrition Facts labels are changing .I would use the new format.

 

[King of Creampies]

And @Kenny West

I appreciate the positive thoughts. Its challenging, but the kind of challenge that makes you feel alive.

This may end up being the most underrated subforum in the coli

Let it be underrated because anyone that is in this forum is 10 steps ahead of anyone out here doing the same old grind.

 

[GoldenGlove]

I do photography, my brother does graphic/digital design... we just started a branding/visual design business this year.

 

[mrfortune]

cannabis business and I also use white faces...

 

[Serious]

cannabis business and I also use white faces...

 

[Gwoppo]

What a world we live in! Gotta use white faces to make it smh

I buy from China (mainly Ali) in bulk for cheap and sell high.

I also use craigslist type apps to buy phones and gadgets and flip them. The game has changed with the phones though. They are pretty hard to get one that actually works for the cheap.

I've been lookin for a connect on name brand gadgets for a while, but haven't found anything.

 

[DrBanneker]

What a world we live in! Gotta use white faces to make it smh

I buy from China (mainly Ali) in bulk for cheap and sell high.

I also use craigslist type apps to buy phones and gadgets and flip them. The game has changed with the phones though. They are pretty hard to get one that actually works for the cheap.

I've been lookin for a connect on name brand gadgets for a while, but haven't found anything.

If your hustle is that elevated I would skip Alibaba and talk to Xiaomi, Lenovo, or Huawei in China directly to buy phones of decent quality in bulk. They may even private label for your own brand. Resellers on Alibaba no telling what you are getting.

 

[Gwoppo]

If your hustle is that elevated I would skip Alibaba and talk to Xiaomi, Lenovo, or Huawei in China directly to buy phones of decent quality in bulk. They may even private label for your own brand. Resellers on Alibaba no telling what you are getting.

I would like to get Apple and Samsung phones and tablets. I tried talking to a few ppl with shops but that was a dead end. I never thought about contacting them directly to buy their phones in bulk. I guess I kind of feel it would be a waste of time. I know it's possible, because there was a guy I met off Craigslist that had iPads, MacBooks, & iPhones, on
deck. He was my plug, he could always fulfill my order, then after about 3 months he just disappeared. Saw him on Facebook, messaged him and got nothin.

I was able to get my logo put on some android boxes through Ali, a while ago when the Firestick craze took over. Did pretty good with those, but the time it took for them to ship was too long, so I just used Amazon and Best Buy to get the Firestick. Currently trying to find a new product to private label.

 

[DrBanneker]

I would like to get Apple and Samsung phones and tablets. I tried talking to a few ppl with shops but that was a dead end. I never thought about contacting them directly to buy their phones in bulk. I guess I kind of feel it would be a waste of time. I know it's possible, because there was a guy I met off Craigslist that had iPads, MacBooks, & iPhones, on
deck. He was my plug, he could always fulfill my order, then after about 3 months he just disappeared. Saw him on Facebook, messaged him and got nothin.

I was able to get my logo put on some android boxes through Ali, a while ago when the Firestick craze took over. Did pretty good with those, but the time it took for them to ship was too long, so I just used Amazon and Best Buy to get the Firestick. Currently trying to find a new product to private label.

Apple and Samsung are a whole different ballgame. Especially Apple, good luck getting a wholesale 'deal' with them. They won't even talk to but a few large resellers for discount prices. Unless you got a guy who can refurbish old/broken phones really well I'm not sure what to say. Samsung probably isn't much better. The only "deal" I can see is off brand Android phones and tablets since you don't have the volume to negotiate much.

 

[DrBanneker]

cannabis business and I also use white faces...

Haha! I wouldn't trust those dudes though...they know your customer base. How do you keep them from going rogue?

 

[Jean Jacket]

Auto Detail on weekends. Client based, and about 300 a weekend. Averaging 12 hrs of work. It's fun.

I also sublimate mugs and mousepads.