Ep 79: How to Stop Running Your Business Like a Side Hustle
Your side hustle went viral overnight and you woke up to 500 orders. Or you've got plenty of leads and somehow no clients. Either way, the problem usually isn't you. It's that you're still running a real business on side-hustle systems.
This week, Bre K. becomes our first-ever returning guest. She's a fourth-generation entrepreneur, operational strategy and efficiency consultant, and the self-proclaimed "Vanilla Ice of business" (if you got a problem, yo, she'll solve it). With 25+ years of operations experience across 16+ industries, Bre breaks down why so many businesses fail in the first five years, the systems to build before you need them, why a part-time job is never the answer, and why you have to bet on yourself even when the people who love you are betting against you.
In this episode, we talk about:
Why so many small businesses fail in the first five years
What happens when your side hustle blows up before you have a system to hold it
Attraction vs. delivery: why getting leads isn't the same as keeping clients
Choosing one platform that does it all (and thinking big about the systems you pay for)
Outsourcing the work that isn't your joy, starting with a great bookkeeper
Using AI when you can't afford to hire yet, and why you can't afford not to hire
How Mandy Holt left a 20-year career to join Mandy Alt's business
Why getting a part-time job is never the answer when you're an entrepreneur
The pain of regret vs. the pain of discipline
What a CRM is and why every business Bre has worked with uses one
Marketing as your business's curb appeal, plus Instagram automations and funnels
The first system to build while you're still in your 9-to-5
Knowing your numbers and pricing your time into your products
Key takeaways
Build systems for the business you want, not the one you have. A system built for 10 customers breaks at 3,000. Ask "what if this explodes?" and choose tools that can hold the volume.
Start with your customer process. Before you leave your 9-to-5, map onboarding, delivery, offboarding and nurturing from start to finish so you can handle growth instead of becoming the bottleneck.
Delegate what isn't your joy. Hire people who know what they're doing, like a bookkeeper or an admin. Good hires should make you money, not cost you money. Until you can hire, let AI take the repetitive work.
Put the part-time-job hours into your business instead. If you need $1,500 and you have a $500 package, you need three clients. Twenty focused hours a week can get you there.
Know your numbers. Understand your income, expenses and what your time is worth, then price for it. If a candle takes you real time to make, that time belongs in the price.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome back Bre K., our first returning guest
01:24 Meet Bre: the "Vanilla Ice of business"
02:30 Recap: turning a side hustle into your main hustle
03:30 Why so many businesses fail in the first five years
04:29 When your side hustle blows up overnight
05:22 Attraction vs. delivery: where businesses break down
06:05 The danger of growing too fast
07:05 Why new business owners need a coach
08:41 Running 3,000 patients on a 10-patient system
09:07 Plan for the "what if"
09:33 Not enough business? It might be a conversion problem
10:30 Cash flow and finding one system that does it all
12:12 Think big: what system supports your growth?
12:42 Time and money: the two biggest obstacles
14:19 Business-focused vs. work-focused owners
15:03 Outsource what isn't your joy
16:51 Can't afford help yet? Use AI
18:32 "You can't afford not to hire"
20:00 How Mandy Holt left a 20-year career to join the business
21:31 Hiring two people at once
22:43 Risk tolerance and entrepreneurship
23:58 Why having no plan B keeps you going
26:18 Why a part-time job isn't the answer
27:58 The math: three clients to $1,500
29:38 Bet on yourself
30:56 The pain of regret vs. the pain of discipline
32:29 When people bet against you
34:30 You need the pain to feel the joy
35:46 Operational systems for service businesses
37:14 What is a CRM?
38:44 Bre's accidental Etsy success story
39:52 Use AI to research the right platforms
40:48 Marketing is your curb appeal
41:18 Instagram automations and funnels
43:05 Taking the "manualness" out with automation
44:00 The hidden cost of piecemealed systems
45:26 Where to start while you're still in your 9-to-5
46:03 The first system to build: onboarding
47:33 Know your numbers
48:51 Pricing your time: it's math, not girl math
50:21 Wrap-up: build systems and get a coach
51:35 Where to find Bre K.
Your challenge this week
Map your customer process from the first "hello" to the thank-you. Write down every step: contracts, onboarding, delivery, follow-up and what you do to bring them back. Anywhere you're doing it manually or "figuring it out," that's the first system to build.
Connect with Bre: Instagram @heyitsbrek · heyitsbrek.com
Next week: A brand-new episode for anyone trying to survive (or escape) the corporate grind.
FAQs
Why do so many small businesses fail? Often it's because they grow without systems. A side hustle can blow up overnight, or bring in plenty of leads, but without a clear process for onboarding, delivery, offboarding and follow-up, the owner becomes the bottleneck. Not knowing your real numbers and running out of time and money are the other big reasons.
What is the first system a new business should set up? Start with your customer process. Map out how people find you, how you onboard them, what contracts and welcome emails they get, how you deliver and how you follow up. After that, work on your numbers: what it costs to run the business and how much you need to sell.
What is a CRM and does my small business need one? A CRM is a customer relationship management tool that holds all your customers and potential leads in one place. Many also handle appointments, pipelines and marketing. You can't take on real volume without one, and there are options built for specific industries like hair salons, real estate and medical practices.
Should I get a part-time job to support my new business? Usually not. Put those same hours into your business instead. If you need $1,500 a month and you have a $500 package, you only need three clients, and 20 focused hours a week is enough to find them. You also skip the time spent interviewing, commuting and learning a new job.
When should I hire help for my business if I can't afford it? Sooner than you think. A good hire should make you money, not cost you money, and waiting too long can leave you so overwhelmed that growth stalls. Start small, like an assistant a few hours a week or a great bookkeeper, and use AI and automation for repetitive tasks until you can hire more.
