This Facet Hustle Highlight Q&A options Katy Allen, 38, of Nashville, Tennessee. Allen is the founder and CEO of Artful Agenda, which pairs “the most effective of paper planning with digital comfort,” offering a customizable expertise throughout units. Responses have been edited for size and readability.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Clever Agenda. Katy Allen.
Need to learn extra tales like this? Subscribe to Cash Makers, our free publication full of inventive facet hustle concepts and profitable methods. Sign up here.
What was your day job or main occupation whenever you began your facet hustle?
I used to be in direct gross sales with Usborne Books and Extra (now PaperPie) and led a gross sales staff of over 2,000 consultants.
When did you begin your side hustle, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?
I began engaged on Clever Agenda in 2017. I got here up with the idea for it when speaking to a detailed pal at my daughter’s child bathe in 2016. I at all times cherished paper planners, however I wanted one thing digital that synced with Google Calendar. I could not discover something that did that whereas additionally specializing in being aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable to make use of.
What have been a few of the first steps you took to get your facet hustle off the bottom?
I employed a enterprise coach. On the time, her coaching business was pretty new, so I used to be in a position to get a really reasonably priced fee. She was a supervisor of a co-working house right here in Nashville and was well-connected due to the enterprise house owners she met there. She was in a position to set me up with conferences with individuals who had expertise with UI design, app improvement, and so on.
The opposite factor I did that was tremendous necessary was create a personal Facebook group the place I posted all of my mockups and concepts. At first, it was simply mates whose opinions I trusted, however the group quickly grew to incorporate different individuals who purchased into the idea of Clever Agenda. This group gave me unimaginable perception into what kind of product I wanted to make. I posted pricing surveys, requested for suggestions on mockups and extra.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Clever Agenda
Are there any free or paid assets which were particularly useful for you in beginning and working this enterprise?
The factor that actually allowed my enterprise to take off was investing in paid online advertising. I’d say my advert company, Foxtail Development, was an enormous a part of my early and continued success. My recommendation could be to search out an company that may supply strategic development consulting together with truly working your advertising.
In the event you may return in your online business journey and alter one course of or strategy, what would it not be, and the way do you want you’d performed it in another way?
The primary improvement firm I used was not a superb match. I want I had been extra hands-on in selecting out the corporate I went with, and I want that I had discovered an organization keen to do a set value construct of my preliminary product — it is onerous to search out, nevertheless it does exist. This could have protected me from a runaway funds with no workable app to indicate for it! I ended up switching improvement corporations after the unhealthy expertise with my first, nevertheless it was a troublesome and costly mistake.
On the subject of this particular enterprise, what’s one thing you’ve got discovered significantly difficult and/or shocking that individuals who get into this sort of work must be ready for, however possible aren’t?
It does not matter how superior your app or software program is — you’re most definitely not going to grow your business efficiently and not using a vital advertising funds. It is easy to be somewhat naive at first and assume that if one thing you make is nice, it’ll simply organically unfold. I feel numerous apps battle as a result of all of their funds goes into creating the app, however then they do not have sufficient of a person base to turn out to be worthwhile.
Are you able to recall a particular occasion when one thing went very unsuitable? How did you repair it?
The primary improvement firm I went with blew by way of my budget and solely had half of the app developed. I paid what I owed them to get my code, and I discovered somebody right here in Nashville who was in a position to assist me interview new builders. He was a UI designer who was comparatively well-connected. He was in a position to introduce me to my present improvement firm and helped me negotiate a set value deal to take the code I had and make it prepared for launch.
How lengthy did it take you to see constant month-to-month income? How a lot did the facet hustle earn?
I began incomes modest but constant month-to-month income immediately as a result of I had constructed up a big group of beta testers in my personal Fb group. As soon as I launched, they have been excited to turn out to be paying clients. I made $1,000 to $2,000 a month, however I wasn’t worthwhile as a result of I had overhead prices for issues like tech help. It wasn’t till I ran advertisements for six months that I began to become profitable.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Clever Agenda
What does development and income seem like now?
Our annual gross income is true round $3.5 million now, and our common month-to-month gross is round $275,000. We’re positioned to develop 10% 12 months over 12 months within the second half of 2025. In our earlier years, development was fairly speedy — over 100% growth 12 months over 12 months.
How a lot time do you spend engaged on your online business? What does a typical day or week of labor seem like for you?
Clever Agenda is now my full-time job. I do not promote books anymore as a result of this took off a lot. I’m often obtainable throughout typical enterprise hours, however I’m somebody who likes to have facet quests, so I am not at all times engaged on Clever Agenda the entire day. I’ve three younger youngsters and a 100-year-old home that we’re transforming, so the quantity I work every day varies tremendously. If we have now a giant initiative or inner mission, I could get hyper-focused and work the complete day and into the night. However I even have days after I’m simply checking in, answering some messages and specializing in different issues in my life.
What do you get pleasure from most about working this enterprise?
The flexibility it has afforded me and the truth that it is not repetitive or mundane. The truth that I get to faucet into my strengths, technique, problem-solving and creativity makes it extra fulfilling.
What’s your greatest piece of particular, actionable enterprise recommendation?
Deal with getting began like a scavenger hunt. Consider one particular person you possibly can attain out to for advice or to select their mind. They may possible have the ability to level you in a path, and the place they level you is the subsequent cease in your scavenger hunt. It took numerous conferences and being pointed to the subsequent one who would possibly have the ability to assist me to determine methods to truly take motion and make it occur. Be keen to ask numerous questions and go within the path you’re pointed. Each particular person you discuss to is one other clue in your journey.
This text is a part of our ongoing Girls Entrepreneur® collection highlighting the tales, challenges and triumphs of working a enterprise as a girl.
This Facet Hustle Highlight Q&A options Katy Allen, 38, of Nashville, Tennessee. Allen is the founder and CEO of Artful Agenda, which pairs “the most effective of paper planning with digital comfort,” offering a customizable expertise throughout units. Responses have been edited for size and readability.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Clever Agenda. Katy Allen.
The remainder of this text is locked.
Be part of Entrepreneur+ immediately for entry.
