We’ve all heard the tales about major companies that were once nothing more than a small side hustle in someone’s garage. This is an entrepreneur’s dream, but scaling a side hustle may be more challenging than you might imagine. As a business grows, it becomes more complex, requiring the business owner to take risks, hire new team members and expand into uncharted services or demographics.

It’s critical for entrepreneurs to know how to scale their business without losing focus on the business itself. After all, you have to keep servicing your customers while you are working toward expansion. Here are some easy ways to make sure you are well-positioned to scale your side hustle to the next level.

Related: 5 Keys to Turning Your Side Hustle Into a Successful Business

1. Develop a clear expansion strategy

Scaling a side hustle to a full-fledged business can be overwhelming and scary. The reality is that most entrepreneurs are overly ambitious and set their sights on big accomplishments. The challenge is that without a clear expansion plan, you could hinder your progress or leave your business stuck in side hustle mode.

Take the time to carefully examine what bottlenecks could be holding your business back from growing faster, what opportunities you have to add additional products and which demographics could offer a new customer segment. With a clear and concentrated effort, you’ll be more likely to benefit from each intentional action you take to scale your business.

2. Expand your team

In most cases, growing your side hustle will require additional help to service customers, process orders and manage other administrative tasks. This is probably the most intimidating thing about scaling a side hustle. The first step is to start getting tasks off your plate. Start by automating any recurring tasks that you have. This not only saves you time but means you don’t have to hire someone to do this activity. You can also outsource things like bookkeeping and social media management. By freeing up your schedule, you can spend more time capturing more sales and starting to work on things that will help you scale more efficiently.

Another challenge is that when you’re flying solo, everything falls on your shoulders. While it’s great to get additional employees to help, there may be a struggle to let go and trust others to provide the same quality of care that you put into your business. Strategic business coach Bruce Eckfeldt recommends implementing and documenting standard opening procedures. This ensures that new team members know how to do things to your standard and provide a consistent customer experience.

3. Prepare financially

Cash flow is essential for any business, but it’s especially important for scaling businesses. In fact, over 80% of businesses fail for this reason alone. As you grow your business, you’ll need additional cash reserves to pay for higher expenses, maintain a larger inventory and cover payroll costs. This is especially important when hiring employees, as this will likely be one of your largest expenses. It’s a good idea, as Jeff Sauer recommends, to have a clear understanding of the financial benefit the employee will return to the business before you hire them.

Spend time with your bookkeeper or accountant to better understand what you can do to strengthen your business’s cash flow. In some cases, it might be good to proactively secure a line of credit with your bank that you can use if needed.

Related: This Graduate Student Started a Side Hustle to Help Pay Tuition. It Earned Over $115,000 Last Year — More Than His Full-Time Job.

4. Invest in the right technology

In the beginning, most entrepreneurs focus on implementing cheap or free technology. This can be beneficial, especially when you have limited financial resources. As you grow your business, you’ll want to implement tools and technology that are scalable. Think about where you see your business in five or 10 years. You should be implementing tools that can handle that future anticipated volume — otherwise, you may be forced to change technology platforms, which can be disruptive for your growing business.

5. Establish KPIs

As your business grows, it’s important to understand if the business remains healthy. A great way to measure your success is by implementing key performance indicators (KPIs). These metrics can give you an early indication of something going wrong and help drive performance with your team. You can track metrics like average customer satisfaction rating, shipping lead times, customer conversion rates and total sales volume. To keep the team focused on what’s most important, try to limit the number of KPIs to five to seven key metrics.

6. Get outside support

While you might be an expert in your side hustle, you might not be an expert in running a full-scale version of your business. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others and ask for help, support and guidance. Connecting with other business owners is a good way to tap into their past experiences. If you don’t have those connections to leverage, you can also hire a professional business coach to provide feedback, recommendations and advice on how to make the most of your business expansion.

Related: How to Go From Side Hustle to 7-Figure Business and Beyond, According to 3 Women Who Did It

Scaling a side hustle can be overwhelming. It’s important to recognize that this is a journey and success may not happen overnight. Be patient with yourself. In addition, growing a business requires a lot of hard work. Don’t forget to prioritize your physical and mental health to avoid burnout. By keeping yourself motivated, you can keep moving the needle toward the business you want to have.

It pays to be TikTok famous—Meta is trying to lure popular TikTok content creators away from TikTok towards Instagram with high-paying deals for exclusive Reels.

Business Insider reported on Monday that Meta is offering some creators with more than one million TikTok followers compensation of up to $50,000 per month for exclusive short-form content posted to Instagram Reels, Meta’s version of TikTok.

According to the leaked contracts, the payouts range from $50,000 per month for six months, for a total of $300,000 at the higher end, to $2,500 per month over six months, for a total of $15,000 at the lower end. There are tiers in between offering $25,000, $15,000, and $5,000 per month.

Related: Meta Is Building AI That Can Write Code Like a Mid-Level Engineer, According to Mark Zuckerberg

But there is a catch: the contracts have exclusivity agreements that range from posting up to 10 Reels exclusively on Instagram every month to keeping videos exclusively on the platform for at least three months.

With the deals, Meta is hoping that the uptick in exclusive content on Instagram incentivizes a creator’s audience to migrate over from TikTok to watch their Reels.

On the creator side, the money is a draw — though it might not be a strong enough pull for everyone. According to ZipRecruiter, influencers in the U.S. make an average annual income of about $58,000 or $27.85 per hour. TikTok influencers have pay that varies widely, with top influencers receiving between two to four cents per 1,000 views through the TikTok Creator Fund.

“Some clients are taking [the deal] because the money is good for them, and I’ve seen some clients pass,” one talent manager told BI. They said that the exclusivity and requirements to post frequently made the deal “untenable” for some of their clients.

Exclusivity in influencer partnerships isn’t a new concept. Brands like luxury fashion marketplace Farfetch have asked creators to agree to a 48-hour competitor exclusivity window when creators promote their products.

Meta is working hard to sign creators up for these contracts and even launched an additional “Breakthrough Bonus” initiative last week to pay TikTok creators new to Facebook or Instagram up to $5,000 within three months for Reels content.

“Meta is being really bullish on locking these in,” another talent manager told BI.

Meta’s push into short-form content arrives as TikTok’s fate remains unclear. TikTok faced legislation forcing it to separate from its parent company ByteDance or face a ban in the U.S. by January 19. Though President Donald Trump granted it an extension to find a buyer, and anyone from Kevin O’Leary to Microsoft are reportedly in talks to buy it, TikTok has yet to sign a deal.

Inside the terms of a $50,000-per-month deal

According to BI, Meta has sent an offer totaling $300,000 over six months to several select content creators. It’s not certain when the deal starts and who received it.

As part of the deal, creators must post at least 10 new Instagram Reels per month and keep each one exclusively on Instagram for three months from the time of posting. Each video must be at least 15 seconds long but no longer than three minutes, and creators must share two of them per month as Instagram stories.

Related: YouTube Takes on TikTok With New Tools: ‘You Can Build a Business’

This contract says that the creator has to post twice a month on TikTok or YouTube promoting their Instagram Reels and asking their audience to follow them on Instagram, plus post 25% more on Reels than TikTok or any other short-form video platform. So five on Instagram for every one on TikTok.

Instagram could also advertise a creator’s Reels content on TikTok through paid ads, as part of the contract.

Inside the terms of a $15,000-per-month deal

According to BI, the $15,000-per-month offer has been sent to several creators. It requires them to post eight new Reels per month that are at least 15 seconds but no longer than three minutes.

The content has to be exclusive to Instagram for at least three months from the time of posting, just as with the $50,000-per-month contract.

Creators have to post more content to Instagram than they do to any other platform, including TikTok, X, and YouTube, though the exact percentage isn’t specified in this contract.

Related: Shorter Videos Are In Demand. Here’s How Different Social Media Platforms Are Reacting.

So much for that “great wealth transfer” that’s on the horizon. Despite millennials and Gen Xers being poised to inherit around $84 trillion by 2045 during the “silver tsunami,” it looks like boomers want to stand pat.

According to a new report from Charles Schwab, almost half of boomers surveyed (45%) said they wanted “to enjoy my money for myself while I’m still alive” — while only 11% of Gen Xers and 15% of millennials said the same.

Schwab’s survey of 1,000 high net worth (HNW) Americans, which is defined as people with more than $1 million in investable assets, found a sizeable generational shift: Millionaire millennials and Gen X were more than twice as likely to opt for sharing their wealth during their lifetime than Boomers.

Related: Baby Boomer Businesses Are Up for Grabs — Here’s How Entrepreneurs Can Benefit In 2025

“Schwab serves over a million multi-millionaires, and as they move from building wealth to preserving and passing it, we see an increasing need for specialized services and support around estate planning, wealth transfer, and legacy planning,” said Andrew D’Anna, managing director of retail client experience at Charles Schwab. “According to our survey, younger Americans could be poised to reshape legacy planning and the future of how wealth is passed to the next generation.”

Still, just because younger Americans plan to give more away sooner, it doesn’t mean they’re making it easy. While younger HNW individuals are more keen to give their money away—it comes with a catch.

According to the report, these plans have “strings attached.” Of millennials and Gen Xers who already have wealth transfer plans, a whopping 97% and 94%, respectively, have put “stipulations” in the contracts. Meanwhile, only one in three (around 34%) of Boomers have the same.

For millennials, most people said the catch is about how money can be used (43%), while more of Gen X (46%) preferred to set an age for when the next generation receives the wealth.

According to USA Today, some financial planners are trying to convince their clients to pass their wealth to their children while they are still young adults.

“It’s the 20- and 30-year-olds who need it the most,” Michelle Crumm, a certified financial planner in Ann Arbor, Michigan, told the outlet. ”Those two decades are the ones that have the highest needs and the lowest ability to have any money coming in.”

But her clients aren’t budging, she said, responding with things like: “Nobody ever gave me anything.”

For the full report, click here.

Nearly every industry is going through digital disruptions, making entrepreneurship more accessible. However, the constant change in the tech landscape makes it hard to keep up and settle on a tech strategy.

When the goal is to work on your business, not in your business, make the tech work instead of building connections with your audience and attracting your ideal clients. Where mindfulness has become a practice to step away from the digital world, incorporating some of the same practices will lighten the digital load.

A mindful approach to tech isn’t just about slowing down — it’s about creating space for strategic, values-aligned decisions. By taking time to assess each tool’s impact, entrepreneurs can avoid “tech bloat,” where unnecessary platforms slip into daily operations and complicate workflows.

Related: Conventional Business Models Weren’t Cutting It — See How Innovating With AI is Changing the Game for Startups

The overwhelm of tech choices

The tech revolution has driven an “always-on” culture where constant connectivity and quick changes lead to burnout and reactive decision-making. To maintain balance, a conscious approach to tech adoption can help ensure technology supports us rather than being driven by it.

Entrepreneurs face significant challenges when managing their tech stack, from selecting the right software to dealing with connectivity issues and staying within budget. New digital tools are marketed as solutions to common pain points, leveraging success stories to encourage quick adoption. However, these tools can be challenging to integrate into existing systems and processes, creating more work and new pain points.

Why mindfulness matters in a tech strategy

Embracing tech decisions as a series of thoughtful steps rather than reactive moves helps make a business unique. It ensures the business owner is well-supported and can focus on building a company that reflects its values.

Taking a mindful approach encourages entrepreneurs to pause, reflect and evaluate whether their current tech continues to support their goals. Regularly reflecting on whether tools work for them creates a continuous improvement cycle and allows for change without compromising the business’s integrity. This approach ensures that tech supports growth, not a source of pressure or burnout.

Applying mindfulness to your tech

Here are some considerations for a mindful approach to tech decision-making:

• Pause and assess: Before investing in new technology, evaluate whether it aligns with your goals, values and personal capacity to ensure that the choice contributes meaningfully to your operations.
• Prioritize and simplify: Focus on essential tools that add genuine value rather than being drawn into trends to maintain a streamlined tech stack that supports efficiency and reduces complexity.
• Reflect and iterate: Review your current tech setup regularly to determine whether it meets your business needs. Make adjustments thoughtfully and avoid reactive changes to ensure the technology continues to serve your evolving goals.
• Mindful auditing: Periodically evaluate your tech tools and ask, “How does this still align with my business goals?” You should be able to see how each tool supports your business to prevent tech bloat and keep in alignment with strategic goals.
• Intentional implementation: Plan new technology with clear steps, considering factors like the learning curve and potential challenges. Then, phase out old technology to promote smooth integration and practical use.

Related: Why Practicing Mindfulness in Daily Life Is Invaluable For Entrepreneurs

As someone who loves trying new tech, I’ve learned the importance of mindful assessment to avoid cluttered workflows and wasted resources. Early in my entrepreneurship, I eagerly adopted several productivity tools, believing they would enhance efficiency. Instead, they created bloat and duplicated efforts, draining time, money and energy. I could never fully leverage any tool, being too wrapped up in what the tools could do versus what I needed from them.

One example involved a client whose team used three task-tracking platforms for clients, marketing and internal projects. They faced communication issues and decreased productivity from copying details from one platform to another. We paused to assess their core needs and found that some tweaks to their processes meant we could better leverage just one of their platforms to streamline operations and reduce costs.

A mindful approach to tech choices is more than just a feel-good concept; it is a practical strategy to enhance clarity, reduce stress, and create a cohesive, value-driven tech environment. By thoughtfully evaluating and integrating technology, entrepreneurs can ensure that their tech choices align with their goals and support sustainable growth without unnecessary complexity.

Take one small step today: take some time to think about a piece of tech that you use regularly. How does it support you? What effort does it require from you? Is it worth it?

What separates a good manager from a great leader? It’s not just results; it’s the ability to inspire, adapt and bring out the best in others. Great leaders don’t simply oversee work; they set the tone, create the vision and foster an environment where individuals and teams thrive.

When I founded ButterflyMX, I quickly learned that effective leaders can transform workplace culture, elevate team performance and drive long-term success. Whether you’re leading a startup or managing a team within a larger organization, understanding and cultivating core leadership traits is essential for achieving these outcomes.

Related: 12 Character Traits Exceptional Entrepreneurial Leaders Have In Common

The core traits of effective leaders

Great leaders aren’t born; they’re made through intentional practice and a commitment to growth. While every leader brings their own unique style, there are core traits that consistently drive success, build trust and inspire teams to perform at their best.

Visionary thinking

Effective leaders think beyond the immediate. They have a clear vision of the future and can articulate it in a way that excites and aligns their team. Visionary leaders inspire others to see the bigger picture and their role in it.

Prioritize explaining your goals and why they matter. Watching your team embrace your vision and seeing the pride in their contributions can be one of the most rewarding moments of your career. It wasn’t just about achieving milestones but building something meaningful together.

Empathy and emotional intelligence

Leadership is all about connections. Empathy enables leaders to understand their team members’ perspectives and challenges, which creates a culture of trust and support. Emotional intelligence helps leaders navigate complex interpersonal dynamics and ensures that every voice feels heard.

An empathetic leader takes the time to check in with their team and recognizes personal and professional challenges. This connection builds trust and loyalty and empowers your team to perform at their best.

Adaptability

In today’s fast-paced world, adaptability is non-negotiable. Whether you’re responding to unexpected challenges or seizing new opportunities, adaptable leaders inspire confidence through their calm and resourcefulness.

Think of the managers who successfully guide their teams during times of change. Their ability to pivot quickly and guide their teams through uncertainty turns potential disruption into growth opportunities.

Accountability

Great leaders own their decisions, celebrate wins and take responsibility for failures. Accountability fosters trust and shows your team that you’re committed to fairness and growth.

When a project doesn’t go as planned, an accountable leader addresses the missteps openly and focuses on solutions, modeling the behavior they want to see in their team.

Communication skills

The best leaders are exceptional communicators. They provide clarity, give constructive feedback and motivate their teams through every interaction.

Regular one-on-one check-ins, transparent updates and clear expectations ensure every team member feels informed and aligned with organizational goals.

Related: 8 Must-Have Leadership Qualities for Workplace Success

What every manager should strive for

Being an effective leader is about embodying the qualities that create lasting impact.

Fostering growth

The best managers are also mentors. They invest in their team members’ development and help them acquire new skills and achieve their goals.

For instance, a manager encouraging employees to lead a new project builds their confidence while strengthening the team’s capabilities.

Building a positive culture

A thriving workplace culture doesn’t happen by accident. Effective leaders create an environment of respect, recognition and collaboration.

When employees feel valued and supported, they’re more motivated to contribute to the team’s success. It can be easy to get caught up in chasing the next milestone without pausing to reflect on small achievements.

Take a few minutes out of each company meeting to highlight the small wins, like a successful demo or an especially thoughtful customer review. These moments of recognition brought the team closer together and reminded us all why we do what we do. Building a positive culture is about consistently showing people their work matters.

Balancing authority and approachability

Great leaders strike the perfect balance between authority and approachability, maintaining professionalism while remaining open and accessible. They also encourage open dialogue and collaboration.

Approachable leaders make it easy for team members to voice concerns, share ideas and seek guidance, fostering trust and transparency.

Common challenges and how to overcome them

Even the most effective leaders face challenges that test their abilities and resilience.

Here’s how to overcome them:

• Imposter syndrome: Focus on continuous learning. Leadership isn’t about being perfect; it’s about growth. Seek mentorship, read widely and remember that confidence comes with experience.

• Delegation struggles: Trust your team. Delegation is about empowering others, not relinquishing control. Start small and build confidence as you see your team succeed.

• Navigating conflict: Approach conflict with curiosity, not defensiveness. Great leaders see disagreements as opportunities to strengthen relationships and find creative solutions.

Related: 25 Ways to Lead, Inspire and Motivate Your Team to Greatness

Actionable steps for aspiring leaders

Becoming a great leader doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, it’s a journey of continuous learning and intentional effort. By taking practical steps to refine your skills and connect with your team, you can start building the foundation for lasting leadership success.

Actionable steps:

• Identify your leadership style: Are you a visionary leader, a hands-on leader or a mix? Understanding your style helps you lean into your strengths and address weaknesses.

• Build a feedback loop: Ask your team for honest feedback about your leadership. This shows you value their input and are committed to growth.

• Commit to continuous development: Leadership is a lifelong journey. Read books, attend workshops and seek out mentors to sharpen your skills.

• Practice active listening: Make time to understand your team’s needs and concerns. Listening builds trust and creates a foundation for strong relationships.

Becoming the leader your team deserves

Leadership is about progress, not perfection. By cultivating these core traits and striving for growth, you’ll inspire your team and set the foundation for long-term success.

Your vision, empathy and ability to bring out the best in others will drive the right decisions and, ultimately, the team’s success.

Rideshare driving was the most-searched side hustle last year, garnering nearly 31,000 monthly Google searches, per a Creative Fabrica study. More than seven million people drive or deliver with Uber alone every month.

However, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in an interview on Friday that driving for Uber is only a safe gig for the next decade. After that, autonomous vehicles, or cars that drive themselves, will take over the same routes humans drive today.

“You fast forward 15, 20 years, I think that the autonomous driver is going to be a better driver than the human driver,” Khosrowshahi told the Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern at WSJ Journal House Davos. “They will have trained on lifetimes of driving that no person can, they’re not going to be distracted.”

Khosrowshahi pointed out that over a million car fatalities happen per year and that self-driving cars could make for safer trips.

Related: Traffic Jam Caused by Self-Driving Cars in San Francisco Sparks Outcry and Safety Concerns

“I think the human displacement here, while it’s not something that is going to happen tomorrow, is going to happen eventually,” he said. “And it’s something we have to think about, society has to think about.”

According to researchers at the University of Central California who put together data from 2,100 accidents involving autonomous vehicles and 35,000 accidents involving human drivers, autonomous vehicles generally show more safety than human-operated vehicles in most scenarios. However, self-driving cars have five times the risk of getting into accidents when operating at dawn and dusk when compared to human-driven cars.

Khosrowshahi acknowledged the drawbacks of autonomous vehicles as they are today, stating that they currently have limited areas of origination, destination, and overall areas of operation. The upfront costs, including the cost of mapping routes, are expensive, and the hardware isn’t as advanced as it needs to be for widespread adoption.

Autonomous vehicles aren’t going to take over all at once, but instead are going to start by augmenting what humans can do over the next decade, he said. They are going to start by taking over the easier routes.

Related: Waymo’s Driverless Robotaxi Fleet Is Making 50,000 Trips Per Week — Here’s Where the Cars Are Headed Next

“I think for the next 10 years you’re going to have hybrid networks of humans and machines,” Khosrowshahi said.

What autonomous vehicles mean for Uber drivers

Khosrowshahi said autonomous vehicles are making the company rethink how Uber earners can make money.

Uber started with driving services and expanded to food deliveries and shopping. Now, there’s a group labeling maps and another group helping AI companies develop their algorithms. All of these present new ways for Uber drivers to earn income.

“We are making investments in creating alternative methods of making money for our earner base,” Khosrowshahi said, adding that he wasn’t sure which will get there faster — Uber in terms of opportunity or autonomous vehicles in terms of job replacement.

According to Uber’s latest earnings report for the third quarter of 2024, released in late October, the company had 161 million monthly active platform users. Drivers and couriers earned $18.1 billion including tips during the quarter, a 14% year-over-year increase.

If you’re new to franchising, the abundance of information can seem overwhelming. How do you know where to start? You may have a generalized understanding of franchising, but part of performing due diligence means moving beyond the general and getting into the nitty gritty.

When it comes to understanding different franchise models, there are several categories to be aware of. First, you’ll want to understand the differences between “brick-and-mortar” and “service-based” franchises.

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

Location-based (Brick-and-Mortar) businesses

Brick-and-mortar franchises require significant upfront investment, particularly for real estate. Establishing a physical storefront or office space can involve high costs, and finding the right location is critical to success. Consequently, these businesses often experience a longer ramp-up period before reaching profitability.

Despite the high initial costs and extended setup time, brick-and-mortar businesses are known for their scalability. Once a successful model is established at a single location, expansion becomes more feasible, with additional locations benefiting from the existing brand presence and operational experience. Many of these businesses also integrate advanced technology solutions to enhance customer engagement and streamline daily operations.

However, the reliance on a specific location introduces risks. Factors such as local competition, foot traffic, and economic conditions can greatly influence the success of the franchise. Additionally, compared to service-based models, brick-and-mortar franchises are generally less recession-resistant, as discretionary spending tends to decrease during economic downturns.

Related: See Which Brands Topped Entrepreneur’s 46th Annual Franchise 500

Service-based businesses

Service-based franchises offer several advantages, making them an attractive option for prospective franchisees. They typically require a lower initial investment compared to brick-and-mortar businesses, have a quicker ramp-up time, and are highly scalable through territory expansion. With integrated technology capabilities, these franchises can streamline operations and improve customer experience. Additionally, because services are performed at the customer’s location, they carry negligible location risk, and many offer higher recession resistance by providing essential services.

Within the broad category of service-based franchises, two primary models emerge: project-based and subscription-model franchises. To illustrate, consider a roofing company as an example of a project-based franchise. This model involves providing one-time, high-value services, with revenue tied to individual projects. On the other hand, a lawn fertilization company represents a subscription-model franchise, where customers pay for recurring services, ensuring a steady revenue stream. While both types fall under the service-based umbrella, their operational models, customer relationships, and revenue structures vary significantly. This distinction allows franchisees to choose a model that best aligns with their goals, financial capacity, and market conditions.

Related: Here’s how we determined our annual Franchise 500 ranking and what we learned from the data.

Project-based model

Consider a customer in need of a new roof for their home – this is a high-ticket expense. Barring unpredictable weather like high winds or hail, they likely won’t be buying a new roof more than once every decade or more. Therefore, your customer base is not dependent on recurring customers. While this may not sound like a good thing, there are benefits to this model.

Often, these types of businesses can hire contractors based on the needs of a particular project. Rather than having a large employee team on hand waiting for customers to buy your product, a project-based franchise will wait until an order has been placed before hiring contractors to perform the service. You may only need yourself and an in-office worker to manage projects. This presents a variable cost model that means that the franchisee can maintain relatively lower overhead costs.

That said, take note of your strengths. The project-based model requires a more sales-oriented approach. Since these are high-ticket transactions, the salesperson (likely you as the owner, unless you are hiring a general manager) will need to interact with the customer before the service is performed to build trust and credibility. Furthermore, consider what kinds of projects you are interested in taking on. Is your focus residential home roofing? Commercial? The larger the projects, the more sales-savvy you’ll need to be. While this can lead to a much larger and more profitable business, an understanding of B2B is highly useful.

Also worth noting: while you likely won’t have many recurring customers, there are opportunities to obtain new customers through referrals from complementary service providers. This will require more upfront time and marketing effort, but it can pay off in spades if you proactively build this into your process.

Other “project-based” franchise examples include: restoration, fencing, siding, windows, remodeling, flooring, window treatments, and residential or commercial painting.

Related: The One Factor the Top Franchises of 2025 Have in Common

Subscription-model

Alternatively, consider customers who require lawn-fertilization services. This is typically a recurring service that may be needed bi-monthly (if not more frequently). Each service is low-ticket, but due to the ongoing nature of these services and the ability to stack many customers daily, this can also be a highly profitable and durable franchise model.

Unlike the roofing example above that can rely on contractors, a subscription model will have higher fixed costs. Lawn care companies require consistent labor employees, equipment (sprayers, spreaders, trucks, trailers, etc.), and possible in-office personnel in addition to your general manager. These costs add up.

However, dissimilar to roofing, which relies on strong sales skills, customers for lawn care may not even talk to a salesperson. With integrated technology (which is increasingly common in these franchises), your customers may simply book online or request virtual quotes from a national call center. Another value-add to the subscription-model is that your customer base is essentially unlimited. Less time will be spent finding customers and building out each project to match their needs. A lawn care company offers a specific set of services that can be templatized and repeated as a plug-and-play service.

Other “subscription-model” franchise examples include: irrigation, pest control, pool maintenance, HVAC, window cleaning, restaurant hood cleaning, parking-lot maintenance, pet grooming, child enrichment, and senior care.

While you’ll certainly learn lessons as you go, in franchising in particular, it’s important not to put the cart before the horse. The franchise model you choose at the beginning of your franchise ownership journey can be the difference between success and failure. Ensuring a compatible match upfront is vital for longevity in your future business.

When Bill Gates stepped down from Microsoft’s board in 2020, it seemed to be the end of the entrepreneur’s almost four decades at the tech giant he co-founded in 1975. Though on his Gates Notes blog, he states he is still a “technical advisor,” it wasn’t clear how much time he was actually spending at the company.

Gates spent 25 years as CEO and transitioned into a part-time role at Microsoft in June 2008. And despite officially stepping down in 2020, it looks like Gates never actually retired.

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gates said that he is still doing “product reviews” at Microsoft, and it takes up “maybe 15%” of the 69-year-old’s time.

Related: Melinda French Gates Announces Open Call for $250 Million Fund. Here’s Who Can Apply.

Gates also said that he and current Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella still have a “very close relationship.”

“I love doing product reviews, and he brings me in to do that,” Gates said. “It’s maybe 15% of my time. It helps me stay up-to-date.”

^{Microsoft Co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen pose for a portrait in 1984 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by © Doug Wilson/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)}

This is a departure from April 2024, when Business Insider reported that Bill Gates was working behind the scenes at Microsoft, and a company spokesperson told the outlet, “Bill is not at Microsoft and not involved here.”

So, it doesn’t look like Gates will be fully retired anytime soon.

As his blog says: “I have a front seat view to all the amazing work the company continues to do in my current role as a technology advisor, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

Related: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Says the Company Needs a ‘Culture Change’ After Security Failures

Working on your big startup idea, securing finance and finding those first core team members are all time-consuming tasks. Branding and marketing may not be the first things on your mind, but neglecting them could be devastating for a new company. On the other hand, building a strong brand identity for your early-stage startup could lay the foundations of a successful marketing strategy.

Building a brand identity from the moment a startup idea takes shape is one of the most powerful moves founders can make. Your brand identity helps you articulate your unique value proposition and translate it into highly recognizable visual and verbal elements.

A brand identity is more than your logo. Your company name, colors, fonts, messaging and tone all add to a unique identity that audiences recognize immediately. That kind of recognition is invaluable in the early stages of a business trying to make its mark in a crowded startup scene.

Every quarter, more than 300,000 businesses are founded in the United States. However, 90% of them never make it past their first five years of operations — and while a strong brand identity may not be the only factor deciding which companies fail or thrive, it will help you build brand trust and connect emotionally with your audiences.

Consequently, you carve out a unique position in a crowded market even before you have secured a substantial market share or recognition.

Related: How to Establish a Distinct Brand Identity in a Saturated Market

Understanding your brand’s core: Mission, vision and values

Building a brand authority starts with clarifying your startup’s mission, vision and values. Define clearly why your business exists, what difference you’re planning to make to your customers’ lives and which principles are guiding your actions.

From these answers, you distill your unique value proposition (UVP). Your UVP is the one thing that sets you apart from everyone else in your field. It could be a specific technology, superior customer experience or an innovative approach to solving a problem.

It’s impossible to build a successful brand without understanding the audience’s needs, pain points and aspirations. These insights should inform every decision you make.

Translating brand strategy into visual identity

Once you have defined the fundamental parts of your brand identity, it’s time to look at the details of your visual identity.

Your company’s name and tagline need to be memorable, pronounceable and distinctive. Develop your tagline based on your UVP to capture your brand’s purpose. This is an opportunity to tell your audiences what your startup is all about.

Next, consider your logo and color palette. Some of the strongest logos are simple, versatile and easily recognizable. Think of the logos of household names like Apple or Nike as examples of brands with exceedingly simple yet powerful logos. Don’t be afraid to take inspiration from brands you admire, but avoid copying competitors, as this would only confuse audiences.

Color choices are just as important because they can evoke emotions in your target audiences. For example, dark blue and gray have become favorites with banks, financial services institutions and other professional services companies.

Whether your company is looking to convey a modern and minimalist or friendly and playful image, your chosen typefaces and imagery need to reflect your brand values, too.

Related: 7 Tips for Developing a Logo That People Won’t Forget

Crafting a consistent verbal identity

Branding doesn’t stop with visual elements alone, but it shines through every piece of communication your company publishes. Your startup’s origin story or the founder’s path to the initial “aha” moment are powerful narratives that can help you make an impression with prospective customers.

Think about the kind of voice that would suit your brand’s character. A fintech brand may opt for a serious, authoritative voice whereas a kids’ clothing brand might opt for caring and approachable. Remember to adjust your tone for different channels without losing your core brand personality.

To help your team embrace your verbal identity, consider developing a set of key messages that articulate the brand’s promise and differentiators. Just like you adapt your tone to your communications channels, you need to adapt your key messages depending on where they’ll be published. Social media posts need to sound different from press releases, for example.

Ensuring consistency across touchpoints

We mentioned adapting your messages on different communication channels above. However, those adaptations should never challenge the consistency of your brand voice. Inconsistency undermines brand recognition and budding consumer trust.

Creating a brand manual or brand style guide allows you to ensure a high level of consistency across the team and touchpoints. In addition, offering training sessions and easy-to-follow guides to internal stakeholders like employees and contractors keeps everyone aligned.

Related: 5 Steps for Making Your Brand Identity More Consistent

Adapting and evolving your brand as you grow

As you’re launching your brand, start gathering customer and stakeholder feedback to understand how your brand resonates with audiences. Don’t be afraid to make changes to your brand; as your startup evolves, it is only natural that your brand changes.

Consider Apple’s initial logo, for example. The logo shows Isaac Newton reading under a tree. By today’s standards, that logo is perhaps not ideal to make connections with wide audiences. The next iteration was the version of the logo we all know today.

For most brands, thoughtful and incremental changes work better than abrupt overhauls. However, if managed well, rebranding can be highly successful. As you’re changing your brand identity, remember to remain authentic and focus on making real connections that build brand trust.

Building a strong brand identity helps your early-stage startup differentiate itself from potential competitors, gain traction and develop a loyal following. Start with a solid strategic foundation, create a cohesive identity, and ensure consistency across all platforms. As your brand develops, remain open to iteration to transform from zero to hero in your audience’s eyes. Authenticity, clear messaging and customer-centric thinking will ensure your brand continues its growth trajectory for years to come and increase its presence in the market.

This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Cristina Ashbaugh, 28, and Kelly McGee, 29, co-founders of the design-driven ski pole brand Yardsale. The San Francisco-based duo’s business saw $100,000 in sales in its first month and $300,000 at the end of its first year (with a ski season of only four months). Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Yardsale}

What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
CA: I was the head of content for a venture capital firm in San Francisco, where I focused on helping my firm’s general partners develop their investment theses and translate them into long-form written content to attract founders. Before that, I helped build the content marketing function at Samsara, an IOT tech startup that went public during my time there.

KM: I previously worked at Apple as a product designer and then started a medical device company in orthopedics. When Cristina came to me with this idea, I told her I could help on the weekends and nights.

Related: ‘My Whole Life Changed’: This 28-Year-Old’s Side Hustle Made $10,000 in the First Month. She Quit Her Job and Is About to Hit $10 Million.

When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
CA: I started in March 2023 by sketching ideas down on a napkin, then onto paper. The inspiration for the product came from my direct experience as a lifelong skier. I always hated how ski poles were so unruly to manage, as well as how ugly they always were. For a sport where people spend thousands of dollars on their gear, I felt like there were no ski pole products on the market that people could actually get excited about. Plus, there was no go-to brand for poles. The market was fractured by legacy ski brands that made poles as a cheap side accessory since the bulk of their revenue came from skis/boots or apparel. I was inspired by Recess Pickleball’s approach to building a product and brand around pickleball and thought there needed to be something similar for ski poles: A go-to brand for beautifully designed ski poles.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Yardsale}

What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground?
CA: I relentlessly researched factories that I could have kick-off conversations with to see if anyone would even be interested in manufacturing this product for us. I had absolutely zero experience in doing this but took full advantage of Google and ended up finding the factory that makes the majority of the world’s ski poles in Asia.

I did a lot of consumer research, which primarily consisted of reaching out to all of the people I knew who skied, and I asked them 1) if they could name the brand of ski poles they had and 2) if they could name a single thing they liked about them. Ninety percent of people could not remember the name of the brand of their poles (even those who had just purchased them), and 95% of people couldn’t name something they liked about them. This was the first product validation that I got. (I made sure not to mention to them that I had this inkling of an idea or what I was working on so that I got untainted data.)

Related: ‘Hustling Since Middle School’: She Started a Side Hustle on Facebook Marketplace — Then a ‘Game-Changer’ Grew It to $25,000 a Month

I also called a ton of ski shops and asked what kinds of poles they sold and what the main reasons were for people purchasing new poles. I learned that most skiers went purely based on color because there were no differentiating factors among most poles. During these calls, I also learned that the sales associates at these stores rarely paid any attention to selling poles because there were virtually no selling points or differentiators among the poles they sold. This was also incredibly validating because I knew that if we could build a product with key differentiating factors, ski shops would be motivated to bring them in because they could sell more of them.

On the brand side, I did a lot of research into brands I liked and why and looked at the competitive landscape across the ski industry. I noticed that most legacy ski brands spoke solely to the aspirational skier, and everyone seemed to neglect recreational skiers. All of their marketing looked identical — white snowscapes, skiers jumping off cliffs, etc. and none of it felt relatable to a skier who cares more about the entire experience of skiing versus just the act of going downhill.

What went into the development of the ski pole?
KM: We started with a rough prototype in our garage, where we taped magnets onto some old poles just to see if the concept would work. Then, we went into a deep development cycle on all the features as well as the look and feel we’d want in our dream ski poles. This required a ton of design work and a bunch of 3D prints before kicking off tooling and testing with our manufacturing partners.

The hardest part of our design was not only hiding the magnets inside the handles and the baskets but also getting a manufacturer to completely rethink how a pole is assembled. For decades, ski poles have been shafts glued together with handles and baskets. For our completely modular system, which allows customers to mix and match, we needed to have each piece be created separately and seamlessly click together, regardless of what color or model you choose. No one had ever done this before, so we spent many days on the factory floor working through the complexity of the design and assembly.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Yardsale}

What were some of the strategies you used to generate awareness and drive sales for the product?
CA: We wanted to try something that no other legacy ski brands would do, so we invested in subway advertising in New York City for the months of November and December in 2023. It paid off for us! We got inbound from REI, SKI Magazine and other retailers who saw our ads in real life and wanted to learn more about our product and brand.

As a small company with a limited budget, we’ve also stayed far away from working with traditional influencers or professional skiers, which most other ski brands embrace. Because we focus on selling to recreational skiers, we recognize that most regular folks don’t keep up with the X Games or know every hot new professional skier. Instead, we focus on seeding our products to regular people who we think will love the product and brand and recommend it to their friends.

From the start, we also spent a lot of time and energy on earned media. Thanks to my background in the tech industry, I knew how to craft pitches and position our product to media. I cold-emailed hundreds of editors before we even had our product in hand. Then, we got a bite. The inbound from our first feature was astonishing, and we’ve been huge proponents of earned media and public relations ever since.

Related: This Juilliard Grad Musician Started a 6-Figure Side Hustle That Has Nothing to Do With Music — and Sold Out With Word of Mouth: ‘Couldn’t Ask for More’

How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue?
CA: Immediately. We found product-market fit almost instantly and were shocked that people immediately resonated with the product and the brand.

How much did the side hustle earn?
CA: We did $220,000 in our first three months in business.

When did Yardsale’s potential to be a full-time business become clear?
CA: Almost immediately. After we launched, we weren’t sure if people would care or resonate with our product/brand, but after our tenth day packing orders all night in Kelly’s basement, we knew we had to quit our full-time, stable jobs and dive full-time into Yardsale. I was going into my office every day at the time and packing orders all night, which I knew would be unsustainable in the long run. We could have decided to grow the brand slowly, but we saw so much positivity and momentum that we wanted to take advantage of it as quickly as possible. Taking that dive enabled us to dedicate more time and energy to Yardsale.

What does growth and revenue look like now?
CA: We’ve grown our DTC sales by 180% this season compared to last (our first season), and we’re expanding fast into wholesale, which we hope to turn into 50% of our revenue in the next two years. We have tons of inbound from other retailers.

^{Image Credit: Courtesy of Yardsale}

What do you enjoy most about running this business?
CA: Every day, we face completely new challenges (and successes), so nothing is ever boring. It’s the most energized I’ve ever felt (and the most stressed!), but it’s been life-changing for me to work on something that I started and own because I get to see the impacts of my work almost immediately.

It’s also so fun and rewarding to get to work in an industry where we get to see our product in action every time we go skiing. Just this weekend, we were in Deer Valley and saw Yardsale poles all over the place. We stopped a few folks to ask them how they liked them, and they all loved them and were so excited to tell us about their experience. We don’t get to ski too much anymore (too much work!), but when we do, those moments are so special.

I also love building this brand and business with one of my closest friends. We’ve gotten to travel all over the world together and go through so many firsts together in this business and I’m grateful to get to do it with someone like Kelly.

Related: After an Eye-Opening Trip to Home Depot, This Grandfather Started a Side Hustle on Amazon — and Did About $500,000 in Sales Last Year

KM: For me personally, it’s rare that you really get to experience true product-market fit. When you make a product where a customer goes, “Wow, why hadn’t anyone thought of that before?” it means you’ve really found something unique. Those aha moments are what we strive for in our design principles, and we’re so excited to take that thinking beyond poles in the years to come.

Additionally, it’s fun to make products that your friends and family can use. So many folks we know are users of our products, and we’re able to feel their excitement each and every day they use them. They’re our biggest fans and our best test dummies.

What’s your advice for others hoping to start successful side hustles or full-time businesses of their own?
CA: Make sure you’re making something unique and speaking to an audience that wants that product from you. Do all of the research you can before jumping in to make sure you’ll have product-market fit. It makes your life 100 times easier than trying to convince someone they need something that they don’t really want.

KM: Definitely keep your day job if you can until you find product-market fit! Once you have it, then you can scale accordingly. Additionally, especially for a hardware company, setting your sights on profitability ensures the long-term success of your business. We’ve tried to stay as lean as possible and use unique marketing tactics to help customers discover us and reduce our customer acquisition costs. Once we get to be financially viable, we’re excited to grow the company from there, but until then, we’re not sleeping much!