This Aspect Hustle Highlight Q&A options Marisa Risden, 32, of Denver, Colorado. Risden has constructed a versatile, thriving enterprise finishing historically male-dominated jobs on Taskrabbit. Responses have been edited for size and readability.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Taskrabbit. Marisa Risden.
What was your day job or major occupation once you began your facet hustle?Earlier than Taskrabbit, I spent 9 years in public service as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, a task that strengthened my capacity to problem-solve underneath stress, talk clearly and construct belief with individuals in high-stress conditions. Whereas I discovered the work significant, I needed a brand new problem that offered flexibility and the chance to use my abilities in several methods.
Associated: Most Folks With Aspect Hustles Are Confused About Taxes — and Some Make a Very Costly Mistake. Are You Certainly one of Them?
When did you begin your facet hustle, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?I moved out west in 2020 and, in 2022, found Taskrabbit as a solution to take management of my schedule and leverage my current experience. My dad and mom owned a building firm, and my mother instilled in me the assumption that I may study and do something I set my thoughts to. Lengthy earlier than DIY turned a pattern, she was tackling house enchancment initiatives herself, exhibiting me firsthand that girls can do something! She made certain I knew easy methods to use energy instruments, paint and tackle house initiatives with confidence. What began as a solution to apply these abilities quickly developed right into a specialised enterprise providing superior mounting and minor electrical work, combining technical precision with problem-solving to ship high-quality installations for my shoppers.
What have been a number of the first steps you took to get your facet hustle off the bottom?Initially, I targeted on initiatives inside my talent set, however as I gained expertise, I expanded into extra technical companies like electrical fixture installations and superior mounting — duties typically assumed to be dominated by males. Taskrabbit has allowed me to ascertain a extremely rated, in-demand service enterprise the place repeat shoppers belief me for precision, reliability and experience.
Associated: How Can You Use AI to Begin a Aspect Hustle? These Are the ten Greatest-Paying Ones Proper Now.
For those who may return in your small business journey and alter one course of or strategy, what would it not be, and the way do you want you’d executed it in another way?Two issues stand out: Optimizing my scheduling. Early on, I wasted a variety of time driving backwards and forwards between Denver and Boulder for a number of duties in a single day. Now, I proactively ask shoppers if they’ve the pliability to change time slots with others, permitting me to streamline my route. Studying to ask for changes has been a game-changer.
I would even be extra cautious with plaster partitions. Once I first began, I did not understand the potential well being dangers of drilling into plaster, significantly in older properties the place asbestos could also be current. Plaster was generally used earlier than the Nineteen Seventies, and publicity to asbestos mud poses well being dangers. Now, I all the time put on an N99 drywall masks whatever the materials I am working with — there’s a variety of dangerous stuff in building supplies that I would fairly not breathe in.
Relating to this particular enterprise, what’s one thing you’ve got discovered significantly difficult and/or shocking that individuals who get into this kind of work must be ready for however doubtless aren’t?Probably the most ignored challenges is asking the correct questions upfront. The extra data I collect earlier than a process — corresponding to wall sort, shopper expectations and any potential obstacles — the smoother the job goes. This additionally helps keep away from pointless journeys to Residence Depot mid-task for a singular device or {hardware}.
Are you able to recall a particular occasion when one thing went very flawed — how did you repair it?As with every hands-on work, you by no means really know what you are up in opposition to till you get to the duty and consider what you are working with. Scoping the duty forward of time can solely get you to this point; surprises can and can inevitably occur. What units me aside is my capacity to pivot and problem-solve on the spot. All through my years of tasking, I’ve discovered that my dedication to precision and triple-checking my work earlier than executing has been integral to stopping errors. And, in fact, by performing each process with that very same non-negotiable dedication, I am ready to make sure that my work is finished proper each time and, most significantly, that my shoppers are glad.
Associated: This Husband and Spouse’s ‘Joyful Accident’ Aspect Hustle Hit $467,000 Income Quick — Now It Makes Over $1 Million a 12 months: ‘We’re Scrappy’
How lengthy did it take you to see constant month-to-month income? How a lot did the facet hustle earn?Once I first began, I had no evaluations and set a decrease hourly price to construct demand. I took on each process out there, working lengthy hours to achieve momentum. Inside a month or two, I used to be persistently booked, and by the third month, I had a transparent concept of my revenue potential. Initially, I made round $2,000 per thirty days, working what felt like 24/7. However that hustle paid off; I constructed my popularity, gained tons of of evaluations and referrals and was in a position to scale my enterprise considerably in a comparatively brief time frame. Now, I can get pleasure from a work-life steadiness with my experience fetching a extra substantial hourly price, and I can schedule time without work to understand my exhausting work.
What does development and income appear like now?Taskrabbit has been a worthwhile supply of revenue that I have been in a position to scale up or down based mostly on my targets over the past three years. At instances, I’ve labored full-time, finishing 40-45 duties per thirty days, which equates to 70-80 hours of labor. The platform gives the pliability to tackle as a lot or as little as you need, making it an ideal possibility for these seeking to construct a enterprise on their very own phrases. I am going to usually earn round $3,500-4,500 a month after I’m working “full-time” at 60-80 hours a month.
How a lot time do you spend engaged on your small business on a each day, weekly or month-to-month foundation? Taskrabbit operates on a client-request mannequin, which means I do not all the time know what my week will appear like upfront. I normally mark myself as out there and look ahead to bookings. Not like a conventional job with set days off, I construction my downtime round my bookings. For instance, if I solely have a morning process scheduled, I would take the afternoon off to fulfill mates or get pleasure from a relaxed break day. Seasonal demand additionally performs a task — busy durations like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and the vacations deliver in additional duties. My advertising and marketing primarily occurs by word-of-mouth and shopper referrals. The sport-changer for me was after I began asking for evaluations each time earlier than leaving a process — nearly all of my shoppers do not thoughts taking a couple of minutes to share their experiences.
What do you get pleasure from most about working this enterprise?I like seeing a venture by from begin to end, however my shoppers are the actual cause I get pleasure from this work a lot. I’ve had the prospect to fulfill and assist so many unimaginable individuals, and I take satisfaction in making their lives simpler. Nothing beats a contented shopper who refers a good friend as a result of that they had an ideal expertise with me.
Associated: These Buddies Launched Their School Aspect Hustle in Simply 1 Hour — Then It Hit 6 Figures a Month: ‘It Was a No-Brainer’
What’s your greatest piece of particular, actionable enterprise recommendation?Particularly for girls fascinated by comparable work, my recommendation is:
1. Begin inside your consolation zone however push your self to develop — studying new abilities has allowed me to tackle higher-value duties.
2. Put money into high quality instruments — having the correct gear makes any job extra environment friendly {and professional}.
3. Professionalism units you aside — shoppers prioritize experience, communication and reliability over anything.
4. Do not be intimidated: Simply get began. Each skilled was as soon as a newbie, and the easiest way to construct confidence is thru hands-on expertise. Expertise might be realized, however willpower, problem-solving and a willingness to determine issues out as you go will take you far.
Take each alternative to study as a result of even small jobs matter. Smaller duties construct confidence, refine your abilities and lay the inspiration for greater alternatives. Each job teaches one thing new, and the extra expertise you acquire, the sooner you will develop into higher-value work.
Searching for a worthwhile facet hustle however undecided the place to begin? Cash Makers is a free publication offering useful ideas, concepts and motion objects to construct your personal profitable enterprise — delivered straight to your inbox. Enroll right here.
