I started my £300k side hustle from my kitchen and quit my job within a year
WHEN Teyoshe Smith started selling charcuterie on Facebook two years ago, she had no idea she’d built a six-figure business.
But within the first seven months she had earned a staggering £65,000 and was ready to quit her job and focus on her side hustle full-time.
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The 43-year-old spent her hour-long lunch breaks personally delivering handmade charcuterie boxes to her car.
The entrepreneur initially started out making long tables full of cheese, meat and crackers for family gatherings with her sister-in-law.
Starting in May 2022, they started selling these to other people through Facebook Marketplace.
The first batch, made in Teyoshe’s kitchen, was modest compared to her current batches, she said. CNBC.
Her business, Bite by Bite & Co, soon expanded its operations to a nearby church kitchen.
At the time, Teyoshe, living in Virginia, USA, was still working full-time as a project manager at Capital One.
The side hustle generated revenue of £65,000 ($84,000) in the first seven months.
This led Teyoshe to quit her job at a large company just a year after starting Bite by Bite & Co.
Last year, the company raised £292,395 ($379,000) from its store in Richmond, Virginia and its commercial kitchen in Atlanta, Georgia.
Teyoshe even hopes to open two more franchise locations later this year.
“I love entertaining people, I love hosting and I love giving everyone a good experience,” she told CNBC.
“That’s just me, locked up.
“You could just put me on a shelf and sell me.
“That’s what I’m on earth for.”
Part-time jobs in figures
An estimated 22.8 million Britons use a side job to supplement their income, according to new research from Finder.
Of those aged 18 to 23, 68 percent will have a part-time job in 2024.
The 24 to 42 age group is not far behind: 65 percent have an additional source of income.
Part-time jobs are less popular among older generations: 40 percent of 43 to 54 year olds have one.
While 23 percent of people between the ages of 55 and 73 earn extra money in this way, and only 7 percent of people aged 74 and older do.
Teyoshe was told in her first year that she was going too fast, but she didn’t let outside opinions hold her back.
“The feedback I got was that I was going a little too fast,” she added. “I just wasn’t really listening.
“Things happened organically and it all happened naturally.
“If all goes well, I prefer to keep going until I hit a stumbling block.”
Business advice
For anyone thinking about starting their own business or even working full-time on the side, Teyoshe has some advice.
“You have to examine and understand every part of your business,” she said.
“Once you’re approved for an LLC, no one checks to see if anyone else already has that name.
“I originally started with the name ‘Grazing Crazy’ and got sued.
“I had to re-image my brand and hire a lawyer.
“Make sure your bank account is set up correctly, educate yourself on your taxes, and consult with accountants and lawyers to ensure you are protected from a legal and financial perspective.”
