WHEN Teyoshe Smith started flogging charcuterie boards on Facebook two years ago, she had no idea she was running a six-figure business.
But in the first seven months, she earned an eye-watering £65,000 and was ready to quit her corporate job to go full-time with her side gig.
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The 43-year-old spent her hour-long lunch breaks personally delivering hand-assembled charcuterie boxes to her car.
The businesswoman initially started making cheese spreads, snacks and cookies for the table, for family gatherings with her sister-in-law.
In May 2022, they started selling them to others on Facebook Marketplace.
The first batch, made in Teyoshe’s kitchen, was modest compared to current batches, she said. CNBC.
His business, called Bite by Bite & Co, soon expanded its operations to a nearby church kitchen.
During this, Virginia-based Teyoshe was still working her full-time job as a project manager at Capital One.
The side hustle generated £65,000 ($84,000) in revenue during the first seven months.
This led Teyoshe to leave his corporate job – just a year after starting Bite by Bite & Co.
Last year, the company raised £292,395 ($379,000) through its store in Richmond, Virginia, and commercial kitchen in Atlanta, Georgia.
Teyoshe still hopes to open two additional franchises later this year.
“At my core, I love to entertain, I love to host, I love to give everyone a good experience,” she told CNBC.
“It’s just me, repressed.
“You could just put me on a shelf and sell me.
“That’s why I’m here on this earth.”
Side hustles in numbers
Based on new research from Finder, around 22.8 million Brits are using side hustles to boost their income.
Among those aged 18 to 23, 68% will have a parallel situation in 2024.
People aged between 24 and 42 are not far behind, with 65 percent having an additional source of income.
Side hustles are less popular among older generations, with 40% of people aged 43 to 54 having one.
Considering that 23 percent of people aged between 55 and 73 and only 7 percent of people aged 74 and over earn extra money this way.
Teyoshe was told she was going too fast her freshman year, but she didn’t let outside opinions slow her down.
“The feedback I got was that I was moving a little too fast,” she added. “I didn’t really listen.
“Things were happening organically and falling into my lap.
“If things are working, I’d rather keep going until I hit a roadblock.”
Business advice
For anyone looking to prepare or even work full time, Teyoshe had some advice.
“You have to research and understand every part of your business,” she said.
“When you get approved for an LLC, no one checks to see if anyone else already has that name.
“I originally started under the name ‘Grazing Crazy’ and got sued.
“I had to change the brand and hire a lawyer.
“Make sure you have your bank account set up correctly, find out about your taxes, and check with accountants and lawyers to make sure you are protected legally and financially.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
