Richard Lambert, 35, had the idea of starting a part-time job alongside his work as a teacher, which later turned out to be worth a million dollars.
At the time, Lambert was teaching English abroad and noticed his students needed help writing their resumes and cover letters. He had some experience in this field, having worked in the Office of Career Services at Harvard University while he was an undergraduate.
“I had this unintentional professional background of writing resumes and knowing how to do that effectively,” Lambert tells CNBC Make It. “So I was kind of in both camps: I wrote resumes for professionals, but I… also taught.”
So in 2014, Lambert created an account on the freelance platform Fiverr and listed his resume and cover letter writing services for about $55, depending on the amount of work.
In 2016, after two years of building his Fiverr business, Lambert decided to turn his side hustle into his full-time career.
Since January, Lambert’s company has generated $2 million in lifetime revenue.
“It turned out to be the right decision,” Lambert says.
“We often say that careers choose us, not we choose them,” he said, “and that’s exactly what happened.”
Here are some lessons Lambert learned along the way.
1. Using a freelance platform can help you get your business off the ground
Although Lambert had a network of clients from his teaching career, he still turned to a freelance platform because “when you work alone, you realize how difficult it is to build a business,” he says.
“Even though I was doing well, I realized that (focusing on) these other things — like driving traffic, advertising and public relations — was taking my time away from what I really enjoy doing, which is writing the resumes Get people results and hire them.”
Lambert says he “stumbled upon Fiverr by chance while doing an internet search,” but any platform would “make things a lot easier.”
To make money, freelance platforms charge fees or take a percentage of users’ income. Fiverr, for example, takes 20% of Lambert’s profits, but it’s “definitely worth it,” he says.
“I wanted to focus on what I was good at and not on all these side responsibilities to drive traffic for the company.”
2. Be patient and offer competitive prices
In the beginning you have to “be patient,” says Lambert. Although “I had a pretty good network that needed this kind of work, it wasn’t a quick success. Customers need time to figure out who you are.”
“In 2014, the traffic I had was nothing compared to what I have now,” he says. “After about a year, things really started to take off. Things really started in 2016. So it takes a while.”
Since opening a Fiverr account in October 2014, Lambert has increased his rates twice as he invested more time in his career services work.
These days, Lambert typically charges a flat fee between $75 and $130, depending on the service: editing a resume, for example, costs $75, while editing a resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile costs $130. Something like a longer C-level executive resume that requires more work might cost more.
Amid the pandemic, Lambert is offering a 10% discount on his services, and that has actually helped his sales, he says.
“You start the snowball effect with a little snowball,” he said. “Now it’s an avalanche.”
3. Don’t underestimate the importance of quality work and great customer service
Customers “learn who you are through the quality of your work,” Lambert says. Therefore, it is important to “deliver consistently.”
“How do you get promoted on (Fiverr)? By doing great work and providing great customer service,” he says. (Fiverr’s algorithm takes into account factors such as a seller’s ratings, reviews, portfolio work, quality, and number of shipments.)
Part of this is honest communication with your client, Lambert says, especially if you’re running late for an appointment or are overwhelmed with requests.
“There are times when I’ve had a really late night or a lot of work coming in, and I’ll be honest with clients and say, ‘Look, I’d like a few more hours in the morning to finish. ‘ “Your documents so I can do it with fresh eyes to make sure the quality is there,” he says.
“They are very understanding,” he says.
Quality work also helps your business grow through word of mouth. If “you do good work, someone will get a job and they will tell their whole family about it. Then her whole family will come looking for you,” Lambert says.
4. Stick to a schedule that works best for you
Lambert is most productive between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., he says. “I know this sounds very strange, but I find that I get a lot more work done between those hours.”
During the day he will focus on answering customer questions or inquiries.
“I really spend most of my time between those very late hours of the night because I’m not bombarded with news and stuff like that,” he says. “If I’m thinking about these questions at night, they might not be awake to see my answers.”
5. Choose a side hustle that is in demand but also fits your passions and strengths
Although Lambert successfully taught English, “I found that I enjoyed doing the career services work more,” he says.
“Someone comes to you and you give them something that helps them. This is concrete. He can hold it in his hands. “It’s sort of an actual solution, whereas the teaching is more of a guide,” Lambert says. “It’s a very rewarding feeling.”
And because he had some experience writing resumes, Lambert already knew he had a knack for it — “that’s what attracted me more, the resume part of career services,” he says.
Luckily for Lambert, there is also a market for his passion.
“The volume of our work has exploded,” he says.
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