Three months ago my husband and I would have never thought we would be in the middle of a Vintage Typewriter business! He has a full-time job as a Retail Manager and I’m an entrepreneur. I mentor micro business owners plus offer copywriting services. Typewriters became a hobby interest, then a side hustle, until now it’s a full-on business requiring more and more of our time.
So how did our side hustle become our main hustle in such a short time? And how did we start a new business so quickly?
It started with a writing project.
I (Laura) do a lot of writing. Blogs, articles, journaling, and even a book project. It also happens that I love all things vintage: Vintage trailers, trucks, Vespa scooters…so I thought it would be nice to have a typewriter for a book project. Something that would let me write distraction-free.
So we started looking and it seems that I wasn’t the only person looking for distraction-free writing!
However, as someone who always has new business ideas swimming in my head, I noticed that I could find cheap typewriters – but they needed a lot of work. On the other hand, I found typewriters that were ready to go and looked amazing, but they were much pricier than I expected.
And then it hit me…What if my husband and I did a business together?
Funny thing – my husband was thinking the exact same thing.
So we bought a typewriter just to see if this was a possibility. Rob set up a card table and took his first shot and cleaning and doing minor repairs on a typewriter. Luckily it didn’t need too much and we sold it before we even listed it. Hmmm…maybe we were on to something.
We bought a few more. They sold right away.
With each typewriter, Rob, my husband, learned more and more about typewriters.
As my husband and I realized we found something that we both liked and could do together, we jumped in with both feet. Since I’ve started several businesses before, it didn’t take long before I had Jot & Tittle all set up and ready to go.
We imagined it would always be a little side hustle, but we seemed to have found a niche we love. Plus, it has awakened some buried ideas and desires I’ve had. As a result, the vision for Jot & Tittle continues to expand.
We’re so excited for what is ahead and are grateful you are here. Rob and I hope you enjoy looking through our site. Please feel free to leave us feedback on what you’d love to see.
What interests do you have that you can turn into a side hustle?
You never know where a side hustle will take you!
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