Her Ice Cream Bike Side Hustle Became a $20K Income Stream

This Aspect Hustle Highlight Q&A options Katherine O’Brien, proprietor and founding father of Cream Cruiser, a Baltimore, Maryland-based firm that distributes handcrafted frozen desserts and supplies full-service and drop-off catering for occasions. She can be the founding father of Bike Business University, an internet course for entrepreneurs who need to reap the benefits of the bike enterprise mannequin.

^{Picture Credit score: Elizabeth Rodenhizer Images. Katherine O’Brien.}

When did you begin your aspect hustle, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?

My side hustle journey has been two-fold. I began my ice cream enterprise, Cream Cruiser, in Might of 2015 type of on a whim. I used to be working an everyday 9-5 however all the time knew that I needed to create one thing that was my very own.

On the time, I used to be strolling to my 9-5 job by the Internal Harbor of Baltimore, which, over the summer season, was all the time full of numerous guests and company commuters similar to myself. Some days, there can be so many individuals that you can hardly navigate by the crowds. I used to be continually pondering to myself how wonderful an ice cream cart can be on a scorching, sunny day.

Additionally, right now, the mobile food industry had actually began to realize traction. I wasn’t taken with beginning an ice cream truck due to the funding. I needed one thing smaller and less complicated. After some analysis and telephone calls, I discovered a small enterprise that manufactured customized meals bikes. And inside minutes of talking with them, I knew it was for me.

I received all the enterprise up and working for beneath $10,000 and launched in only a few months. I began at an area farmers market, and it wasn’t lengthy till I received into catering weddings, company and school occasions, and many others.

^{Picture Credit score: Elizabeth Rodenhizer Images}

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I labored a full-time job and bought ice cream throughout the summer season for over three years to have the ability to put each penny again into the enterprise. Lastly, in 2018, I quit my job to go all in on my ice cream enterprise. Right now, I additionally expanded into wholesale and even personal label.

The second a part of my side hustle journey got here into play after a tricky few years from 2020-2022. As a small enterprise within the meals and beverage and occasions trade, I felt like I couldn’t preserve my head above water and knew that one thing wanted to alter.

As occasions have been launched again into our lives, my little catering enterprise began to take off. Swiftly, I received my fireplace again and had a terrific income stream that I had been lacking over the previous two years throughout the pandemic. In the direction of the tip of 2022, I made a decision to cease specializing in the wholesale and personal label and return to doing what I beloved, which was promoting ice cream from a motorbike at occasions.

This led me to half two of my side hustle journey. I created Bike Business University to share my love of this ice cream bike enterprise mannequin with as many individuals as attainable. It is easy, it is reasonably priced, and it is enjoyable! My aim is to make the bike enterprise neighborhood simply as massive because the meals truck neighborhood.

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What have been a few of the first steps you took to get your aspect hustle off the bottom?

The very first thing I did was begin my Ice Cream Bike Lady social media accounts. I started sharing my journey and what I beloved about my ice cream catering enterprise. I used to be additionally utilizing this time to be taught extra about digital advertising and marketing and the way to educate others what I had realized through the years. I needed to assist them keep away from a few of the classes I realized the exhausting method. Fairly rapidly, I began connecting with individuals all around the nation on the lookout for a mentor to assist them get began and, most significantly, maintain them accountable for bringing their enterprise to life. So, I continued listening to my viewers and created what they have been asking for.

^{Picture Credit score: Katherine O’Brien}

What have been a few of the greatest challenges you confronted whereas constructing your aspect hustle, and the way did you navigate them?

As a result of challenges that got here with the pandemic, for some time, I struggled with feeling like I had failed — that I did not have what it took to scale my ice cream enterprise to what I had initially envisioned once I first went full-time with it. However in actuality, these challenges have been the very best factor that ever occurred as a result of they compelled me to refocus my targets and introduced Bike Business University into my life. It took me some time to be okay with the truth that change is wholesome, and being an entrepreneur, it’s extremely vital to adapt as wanted.

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How lengthy did it take you to see constant month-to-month income, and at what level did the aspect hustle’s earnings surpass your full-time job?

I launched Bike Business University earlier than I had even created it. I had an thought of what this system would appear like and had began creating the backend, but it surely was removed from prepared. I needed to verify it bought earlier than I dove in 100%, so I did a pre-sale. Throughout the first week, I had bought over $10,000 in programs. I’m very grateful that it didn’t decelerate after that, and nearly instantly, I changed my full-time job’s earnings.

You have turned your aspect hustle right into a full-time enterprise. How a lot common month-to-month or annual income does it herald now?

At present, I common $20,000 per thirty days with Bike Business University. With the latest development, I’m projected to double that by the beginning of summer season 2024.

What’s your recommendation for different side-hustlers who hope to show their ventures into profitable companies?

Begin earlier than you might be prepared, and belief your self sufficient to know that when you’re enthusiastic about what you are doing, you’ll determine it out as you go. It is okay to make mistakes. It is okay to be taught classes the exhausting method. It is okay to adapt and make adjustments as you must. Simply preserve going and continue to grow.

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Additionally, learn online skills. The web and social media might be extremely highly effective while you perceive the alternatives out there. Nothing brings me extra pleasure than promoting ice cream out at occasions, however having an internet aspect to my enterprise has been a complete game-changer for me — and offered me with an uncapped earnings that might not be attainable solely from ice cream gross sales.