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This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Tom Searle. Searle is Task RabbitHe’s using Tasker, an online marketplace that connects freelance workers with local jobs, to help build his moving business. He’s now working with two other verified “Taskers,” who have made more than $150,000 in the past seven months.
Images/Photos Courtesy of Tom Saar
What was your day job (or other source of income) when you started your side hustle?
Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a deep passion for computers and the web. So I naturally gravitated towards content creation and discovered YouTube at the age of 12. I started recording gameplay on my iPad screen and eventually grew my channel to over 800,000 subscribers at its peak. In parallel with this, I also dabbled in game development, creating a few Flappy Bird/Infinite Runner clones using game engines such as Unity and releasing them on the App Store and Google Play Store. As you can imagine, the apps were not a hit, but it was a fun experience nonetheless.
In late 2020, I moved from Sweden to the United States to pursue my education in Computer Science. At the time, my YouTube channel wasn’t getting the same amount of viewership as before, and I was feeling a lack of motivation. I hoped that a change of environment would reignite my passion and inspire me to start a new venture.
During my student days, I worked in retail stores like Whole Foods, Target, Starbucks, etc. These jobs gave me valuable experience in customer service and helped me overcome my social anxiety by interacting with new people every day.
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When did you start your side hustle and what inspired you to start one?
One of the first things I noticed after moving my primary residence to New York City was the abundance of moving trucks. In this crowded city, moving trucks always stood out. One day, I took a closer look at one of the trucks and saw the words “Moving” and “Storage” printed on the side. This sparked an idea in me. One fateful night in early 2023 (February/March), I sat at home and began researching moving as a business by watching videos, reading articles, and researching whether it was feasible to do a move myself. Time and time again, I came across horror stories of movers mishandling items and charging customers exorbitant fees. I was determined to combat these tactics by starting a moving company that offered great service at an affordable price. I was confident that by prioritizing integrity and customer satisfaction, customers would choose my company over my competitors.
What was the first step you took to start your side hustle?
I started my moving business in June 2023 with a 2016 mid-size box truck purchased from Penske for just over $15,000. Including insurance, monthly parking fees, moving materials, equipment, and registration fees, my initial investment totaled over $20,000. In retrospect, I probably would have been wiser to rent a truck first to gain experience, but I was so eager to see how much I could make during the summer that I decided to take the plunge and go all in. Luckily, a helper with years of moving experience was able to guide me through a Facebook classified ad I posted looking for a moving partner. I also had my dad, who provided moral support and helped me with many of the back-end business tasks.
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Images/Photos Courtesy of Tom Saar
What was the biggest challenge you faced in starting your side hustle and how did you overcome it?
I faced a lot of challenges getting this side hustle off the ground. I invested $20,000 before securing one client. I joined a few gig work platforms to get started, but it was very hard to get people to trust me and hire me without any reviews or reputation. I set my rates low at first, so it was hard to make ends meet financially, but it was the only way I could get clients. It also didn’t help that I had no experience moving before starting this side hustle. Juggling the physical aspects of the job, marketing to new clients as a salesman, and managing finances and invoices was tough to say the least.
How long did it take you to start earning a steady income each month? How much did you make from your side hustle?
Since August or September of 2023, my revenue started to grow steadily as I gained experience and improved my communication skills with clients. To run a successful business, it is important to be able to sell your services or products. The first month was really awful. Looking back at my interactions with clients on past gig work platforms, I couldn’t believe how inefficient I was in selling my services. A lot of my initial issues were due to lack of experience, not knowing the right questions to ask, and getting a lot of useless information. As a result, I barely broke even in the first month or two, mainly just covering my operational costs, and gained valuable experience. By the third month, I decided to increase my fees, and I started to see profits, and after August 2023, my revenue exceeded $10,000. Once my account started receiving positive reviews, it also became easier to market to potential clients.
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What is your current growth and revenue situation?
I discovered Taskrabbit in November 2023 and decided to add it to the many platforms I was using to find work. I had heard people talking about hiring movers on the platform but I was hesitant to consider it. When moving activity slowed down in September and October, I started looking for ways to get more work and remembered Taskrabbit and decided to give it a try. To my surprise, Taskrabbit connects Taskers with clients looking for help for free. After using platforms that cost $20-40 for a lead, this turned out to be an absolute game changer! Since then, I have completed over 1,000 jobs through Taskrabbit and experienced explosive growth in both revenue and profits because I partner with other skilled Taskers on the platform to complete jobs and don’t have to spend money on marketing. In April 2024, I made over $70,000 in total revenue from Taskrabbit alone and am on track to close out May with similar numbers. My goal for June is to exceed $80,000 in one month.
What do you enjoy most about this side hustle?
Although I wouldn’t say that my background fits the moving industry, I still saw immense potential in this job, so I decided to take it. New York City is one of the largest and most vibrant metropolitan areas, so people are always on the move. In fact, I really enjoy being surrounded by this energy and I enjoy the challenge of solving problems on the fly. Navigating the city’s tough parking situations has become second nature to me. But the most rewarding part is the positive feedback I get from my clients, who appreciate my help in making their move stress-free. Moving is often a stressful process, so I promise my clients that I will be well prepared, punctual, and efficient to make the move a pleasant experience.
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What advice would you give to people wanting to start their own successful side hustle?
One of the most important lessons I learned is to manage expectations. When starting a new business, we often assume we will be successful right away, but that’s not how it works. It took me almost six months to see visible results. For others, it may take longer. When starting a side hustle, especially one that’s service-based, the quality of your work is crucial. If you want your clients to recommend you and become your customers for life, you need to set the highest standards, because how you do it will determine everything.
Additionally, communicating with your customers must be high on your list of things to do more effectively. Customers don’t like to be left in the dark. Let them know if you’re going to be late for an appointment. Be generous in offering refunds or compensation if something goes wrong. This will build strong customer relationships. Finally, don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is inevitable, but how you take responsibility for it and learn from it is what will set you apart and help you grow.
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