758: From Zero to $120k/mo in 18 Months

When I started the show 13 years ago, it was just me wearing all the hats. But as it's grown, so has the team to support it. And I'm super grateful to Adam for his editing skills, for Ava, who produces the video versions that you see on YouTube, to Sheila, who does the detailed write-ups for the Side Hustle Nation website, and to Teresa, who uploads everything to all the different podcast apps. When you're a small business, the right hire can be make or break. And that's why when you need to get it right, think this is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, and more results. When you need the right person to cut through the chaos, this is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. Side hustle show listeners get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at indeed.com slash podcast. Just go to Indeed.com slash podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed-sponsored jobs. One idea, one side hustle can change your life. It did for me and it did for today's guest. 18 months ago, he was making good money at his day job, but in his words, it felt like he was always building somebody else's business. Maybe that is familiar, maybe you can relate to that. Enter the Side Hustle, an e-commerce store focused on the UK market selling camper van and motorhome accessories. He took it to 40 grand a month while still working that day job and now, Remember, it's only been 18 months. He's doing over 120,000 in monthly sales. From campernation.co.uk, Phil McElhinney. Welcome to the Side Hustle Show.

Hi, Nick. Yeah, thanks for having me here.

Absolutely. Stick around. In this one, we're talking market research slash niche selection and the fast track in low risk way to fill your store with inventory, and then the marketing methods that are working to drive profitable sales. But Phil, kick us off. Why side hustle? What inspired you to get this thing started?

The idea of owning a business or starting a side hustle wasn't something that I can say hasn't been there since I was a kid. I wasn't the kid selling lemonade at a lemonade stand or anything like that. I followed the sort of traditional route that you get encouraged to go down, I think particularly in the UK, of trying to get good grades at school, go to a good university, get a good education. get a solid job, work your way up, and then ultimately end up working in that career for the rest of your life. And I think I got a little way down that track, hit 30, found myself in a pretty good middle management type role, but then I kind of thought, is this me now? Is that me for the next 30, 40 years where... You know, promotions are getting slower the higher up I go. I'm reliant on a boss for a pay rise. I've got to live within a commuter belt of London and travel in, you know, a few times a week to go to work. And, you know, if I have kids at some point, am I going to be barely seeing them because I'm chained to an office the whole time? So