I started a product-based business in 2019. I got into an accelerator program in February 2020 (right before everything shut down). I was in the first cohort, doing everything online. A few years later, I raised $400,000, did two small production runs, and sold about $100,000 worth of products. By January, I had to shut down the business. No one was buying our products, and I couldn’t figure out how to make sales. It was tough, but I told myself that failure only happens if I didn’t learn anything. And I did. I had worked only low-wage jobs before, but one of my biggest wins with this business was learning SEO, which brought in about $2,000 to $3,000 a month in sales.
Now I’m working full-time as a videographer. It’s great money, and I’m traveling around, even got to go to Costa Rica for a shoot.
Now, I’ve launched a new business: Biking West (bikingwest.com). This is a new business model for me, but I’m really excited. Instead of relying on one revenue stream like before, I’ve got five: e-commerce (dropshipping), affiliate marketing, monthly memberships, paid sponsored content, and ads on the site.
This business is in a niche category of “Bikepacking,” which combines off-road biking for days or weeks while camping in remote areas. I think with my SEO skills, I can rank us on Google quickly. I’ve learned that fewer, organic customers are better than paying for big email lists.
I’m being realistic with my goals. I don’t expect to get rich or sell the business. If it can cover the business expenses like the website and services, I’ll be happy. If it makes a few thousand dollars a month in the future, I’ll call that a win.
I live in a rural community in southwest Colorado where winters are brutal. My wife and I wanted to spend time between here and Tucson, but we couldn’t afford it. If I can build a business I can run remotely, maybe we can split our time between the mountains and the desert.
All I know is this: I can’t not be an entrepreneur.