Today, that very same side hustle called Invalid.jp brings in over $500,000 a year. The company still sells stickers and flashy car accessories, from LED-lined rearview mirrors to cupholders, visors and license plates.
Now a 21-year-old college junior at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Siu buys most of the items wholesale, customizes them with light panels and homemade designs, and resells them for a profit. A few months ago, he rented a warehouse for his business. Until then, he operated his Invalid.jp out of his parents' 1,000 square foot, two-bedroom apartment in Honolulu.
One of Siu's most popular products, a customizable LED-lined rearview mirror, was the subject of a viral TikTok video in October 2021.
Jason Siu
Since starting the business, he estimates he has made about $400,000. Some of that comes from viral TikTok. According to Siu, a popular video of Invalid.jp's glowing stickers posted in 2022 led to sales of $38,000 in one day.
He credits his constant posting strategy, honed over several years.
“Many of the people I talk to who are trying to start a business have only been trying for four or five months. [quit when] “It doesn't work,” Siu told CNBC Make It. “Everyone is trying to go viral for their business, but if you post 1-2 videos every day for a month, you'll end up posting 30-60 videos. It’s sure to go viral.”
Since Siu doesn't make tens of thousands of dollars every day, over the past few years he has also learned how to make his business more stable and profitable. Invalid.jp often relies on social media advertising to help drive revenue.
Here, Siu talks about how she turned her side hustle into a six-figure business, what it takes to launch your own version, and the biggest piece of advice she wishes she had known when starting out. .
CNBC Make It: Do you think your side hustle is replicable?
Siu: Yes. Consistency is key.
In the early days, I was pushing more content and products, focusing on quantity over quality. We have posted many videos of him that are 5-8 seconds long.
It definitely worked in the short term. Once a video went viral online, I saw potential and felt like I could replicate the results if I kept posting. But then a problem arose. Some months, I would only bring in a few hundred dollars.
now it's more [about] quality. Vlog or post a long video about how to use your product. [what it’s like] Open it from the box.I invested more [social media ads] And we hired some contractors to help us film the content.
How much cash do I need to start this side hustle?
i won't say [more than] 100 dollars. When I first started, I would order products for about $20 and shoot videos every day. If that goes well, we'll buy and ship more inventory.
Find out what's trending on Amazon or TikTok, or shoot a video and post it to see if it goes viral. But you need to know that what you buy can be sold. It's a risk to buy a lot of inventory before you know people like the product.
What are the most important characteristics needed to be successful in this type of side hustle? What do you wish you had known first?
I think it's about persistence.i used to work [for a valet car service] I thought starting my own business would help me work less. When you have a side job, you'll be working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You will be working more than ever.
When I first launched LED mirrors, others were making similar products and doing pretty well, but they couldn't keep up with the demand. One day, when I was packing all day, [realized]”I don't think there are many others who would do something like this.” I filled mine [parents’] There are boxes and packaging all over the living room.
There are no hacks. The key is finding the right products, creative, and videos.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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