From Side Hustles to Global Success
Over one third of businesses start out as a side hustle as entrepreneurs begin the business working it around their full time jobs and busy schedules. Research by Small business Britain and eBay in 2024 found that over 1 in 5 business owners stated their motivation to starting a business is to make extra money. 43% of people start their business to create a better work life balance.
Many of these side hustles have developed into successful businesses showing that they all start from somewhere. Some brands we all know started as a small business such as, Airbnb, Cards Against Humanity, Etsy and Tatti Lashes.
Airbnb: Turning Air Mattresses into a Multi-Billion Dollar Business
In 2007, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, two housemates in San Francisco, were struggling to pay rent. They decided to take an unconventional approach to earn some extra cash. With a major conference in town and hotel rooms booked solid, they saw an opportunity to rent out air mattresses in their apartment to conference attendees. This simple idea of offering "Airbed and Breakfast" to guests was the seed that would eventually grow into Airbnb.
Initially, the concept didn’t receive much support. In fact, when Chesky and Gebbia sought funding, their idea was rejected by multiple investors. However, their perseverance paid off in 2008 when they launched the Airbnb website just in time for the Democratic National Convention. The timing couldn’t have been better, and the site received its first 80 bookings. This early success was a turning point for Airbnb, propelling it from a side project to a full-fledged business.
Today, Airbnb is a global hospitality giant with over 5 million hosts across nearly every country in the world.
The platform has welcomed over 1.5 billion guests, making it one of the most successful companies to emerge from a simple side hustle.
Cards Against Humanity: A Party Game That Took the World by Storm
Cards Against Humanity is another prime example of a side hustle that turned into a cultural sensation. In 2008, a group of eight high school friends wanted to create a game that would entertain a large gathering of friends. They came up with the idea for Cards Against Humanity, a card game that is both irreverent and hilarious. The game quickly became popular among their friends, and recognising its potential, they decided to share it online for free.
The buzz around Cards Against Humanity grew rapidly, and in 2010, the creators turned to Kickstarter to fund a printed version of the game. Their goal was to raise $4,000, but they ended up raising over four times that amount. The first printed version of the game, released in 2011, was sold under a Creative Commons license, allowing others to share and adapt the game non-commercially. When the game went on sale on Amazon, it sold out within a month.
Since then, Cards Against Humanity has become a staple at parties and gatherings around the world. By 2021, the game was generating an annual income of $40 million to $50 million, proving that a side project born out of fun can evolve into a highly profitable business.
Etsy: Connecting Artisans with the World
Etsy was born out of a desire to create a platform that could connect artisans and creative entrepreneurs with buyers who appreciated their work. Founded in 2005 by Rob Kalin, Chris Maguire, and Haim Schoppik, Etsy was initially a side project aimed at promoting the work of independent creators. Kalin, an amateur woodworker himself, saw the potential for a marketplace where makers of handmade goods could sell their products to a global audience.
What started as a small community of sellers quickly blossomed into a thriving online marketplace. Etsy’s appeal lies in its unique focus on handmade, vintage, and craft items, offering a space for creative entrepreneurs to showcase their work in a way that larger e-commerce platforms couldn’t. The company’s mission to empower independent creators has resonated with millions of buyers and sellers around the world.
Today, Etsy is a publicly traded company with millions of active sellers and buyers. It has become the go-to platform for those seeking unique, handcrafted items, and its success story continues to inspire small business owners and side hustlers alike.
Tatti Lashes: From Local Beauty Salons to a Global Brand
In 2017, Charlotte Tiplady and Elliot Barton, both working in beauty salons, noticed a gap in the market for premium-quality false eyelashes at an affordable price. Seeing an opportunity, they decided to create their own line of lashes, initially selling them by traveling around Liverpool with a suitcase full of products. However, the venture struggled to gain traction initially.
Undeterred, Tiplady and Barton continued to push their brand, and within 18 months, their persistence paid off. They managed to get their lashes featured on the Instagram pages of celebrities like Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj. This exposure was a game-changer, propelling Tatti Lashes into the spotlight. The brand quickly gained popularity, selling nearly 2 million products worldwide in the first 18 months.
Now, Tatti Lashes has become a successful global beauty brand with a turnover of £19 million in the past year alone.
The story of Tatti Lashes demonstrates how a keen understanding of market needs, coupled with persistence and clever marketing, can turn a small side hustle into a thriving business.
Yours could be next
These are just four successful business which started from humble beginnings and over time became well known brands bringing in enough to allow the creators to give up their day job.
