In my series of articles on side hustles and learning how to grow them, I break down an individual hustle for people who want to augment their income but need some additional information. The overview will include the fundamentals of the hustle, how to get into it, and a breakdown of my GROWTH metrics. Not every hustle covered will be ideal for you, but it may help you find out more information before you take the dive. I’ve covered a list of lucrative side hustles and how to turn your side hustle into a full-time endeavor. If you want an additional push, take my 30 day side hustle challenge now!
What Does A Side Hustle With Tea And Coffee Look Like?
Well, there are tons of side hustle options for tea and coffee. In this article I’ll be going over most of the core opportunities you have, instead of one specific side hustle. Without further ado, let’s dive in – you may be surprised at how many side hustles involve tea or coffee.
Subscription Boxes
First up on the list are subscription boxes. I know people have mixed feelings about subscription boxes, so let me help you out. Yes, subscription boxes can be priced at a great value. Yes, there is a huge market for subscription boxes – especially for tea and coffee. This is a great option for a side hustle with lower risk, or at least lower upfront costs. Additionally, once you have a solid customer base, this could turn into a huge business of your own!
Online Retail
Opening an online store is another great, and highly profitable, option. You could sell accessories, tea, coffee, and just about anything related to these hobbies that you can think of. Online retail also pairs well with subscription boxes, so you could always combine the two ideas.
Physical Retail
Physical, in-person, retail is a bit harder. The costs are higher, and you may not be able to get a large enough customer base. Depending on your exact niche, it might be wise to start off in or near a farmer’s market. Eventually, if you’re successful, you could open up a storefront. Be careful here though, as physical retail is becoming harder and harder to pull off.
Café Or Tea Shop
Another option is opening your own café or tea shop. I will add that I’m not aware of a nice and neat way to get into this. It’s not something that can be started as a side hustle. You’ll have to dive right in and treat it like a full-time business. Unfortunately, this runs into some of the same issues as physical retail. It’s possible to do well, but there is a lot of competition out there.
Who Can Get Into The Tea And Coffee Trade?
Almost anyone can get into the coffee and tea trade. In some niches, you may find that some people are trying to bar entry, but if you persevere you can definitely get off the ground successfully. The biggest thing to watch is your supply chain. Make sure you can source tea or coffee, and that you can sell however much you purchase. Since the start of the pandemic, and the consequent supply chain issues, it’s harder to source tea. Often, you’ll need to order in very large quantities for wholesalers to work with you. This isn’t the end of the world, but it does mean that you’ll need a plan in place.
Why Should You Start A Hustle Involving Tea Or Coffee?
Well, you should only start a side hustle if you want to! Tea and coffee are both growing at a rapid pace, so there is a ton of opportunity there, but that alone isn’t enough of a reason.
Passion
Most people who start a side hustle or business in the tea or coffee industry will be passionate about it. Passion is a good thing, and it’s delightful to see. Just remember, it takes discipline as well as passion to succeed. You should also expect to not get to partake in what you’re passionate about all the time. You may be passionate about tea or coffee, but you may hate the accounting and inventory management that comes with having a side hustle or business. It is what it is, but you should be aware of that as well.
The Market Is Growing
As I mentioned, tea and coffee are growing rapidly. That may seem odd given their current size, but it’s true! At least, in the US, both are still experiencing great growth. Last I checked, tea was growing faster than coffee in the US, but both are going strong. Either way you look at it, both have a massive market. Coffee may be a little more saturated in the West, but tea will be more saturated in most Asian countries.
When Should You Start?
If you want to start a side hustle, then the best time to start is always now! Don’t delay. Come up with a plan and get to work. You can always debate things, or spend ages planning, but you need to start working once you know what you want to do. Don’t be careless, but don’t procrastinate either by using “planning” as an excuse.
Where Do Tea And Coffee Hustles And Businesses Have The Best Chance Of Success?
This is somewhat up in the air and depends on the location and market. In the US, you may have success as an online retailer or subscription box for tea, since there are fewer options for that than coffee. However, if you see a gap in the market – fill it. That’s the best way to become successful. Figure out what’s missing, and then meet that need.
GROWTH
Next up, we’re going over the GROWTH metrics behind tea and coffee. These include gains, ROI, obtainability, workability, time required, and general health. These aren’t the only things you can consider, as there are many specifics to your personal situation I can’t account for. However, this will go over the common truths with tea and coffee and give you what you need to know in order to make the best decision about starting a tea or coffee side hustle.
Gains
The potential income is high. For the online hustles and businesses, your profit margin is especially high in this niche. Ultimately, the limit is based on your marketing abilities and how many routine customers you can net. You could definitely replace your day job with this, and if you’re very successful then you could make millions! The trick is just maintaining the number of customers you need in order to stay profitable in the beginning.
ROI
For online businesses, the ROI is high. Sometimes, you won’t have practically any expenses until you have customers coming in and revenue to work with. For example, with subscription boxes you just make the order once you have the customers coming in.
For physical locations, the ROI can be much lower. The cost of space and facilities can be high, but that also depends on your location. Physical businesses can still do well, but expect more risk.
Obtainability
It’s not the easiest side hustle to start, and you usually need some specialized knowledge. Fortunately, if you’re considering this as a potential opportunity, then you probably already have the background information down. All-in-all, it’s a perfectly realistic endeavor, but there will be hurdles.
Workability
These aren’t quite as flexible as a lot of other side hustles. You will need to be able to talk to your suppliers during standard business hours. On top of that, you may have to devote a lot of hours in order to meet the demands of your customers and provide good service. Now, you may be able to do that during odd hours at times, but that won’t always be the case. Either way, it will take up a lot of time to get off the ground.
Time Required
Which brings me to my next point. I would expect at least 20 hours per week to get this started. It’s possible to do less, especially if you have a partner, but it isn’t something to take lightly. It will eat up a ton of your time, but it could also completely replace your job.
Health
Overall, the tea and coffee niches are healthy as far as side hustles generally go. The market is good, it’s not going away anytime soon, and there is room for you there.
Prospects
Tea and coffee are still undeniably growing. All you have to do is carve yourself a little corner of the market. As long as you’re adding value, you’ll probably have enough customers to keep yourself floating.
Scalability
These are usually fairly easy – or at least simple – to scale. The more sales you get, the more you can scale it. Plus, you’ll have strong profit margins you can use to reinvest in the business. Again, the sky is the limit here and you could make millions with this.
Pros Of Starting A Coffee Business Or Side Hustle
- The market is growing.
- Profit margins are good.
- It can replace your 9-to-5 job.
- It’s a great outlet if you like coffee.
Cons Of Starting A Coffee Business Or Side Hustle
- The market is saturated with competitors.
- You will need to know coffee.
- It can require a lot of time on your end.
- The hours aren’t always flexible.
Pros Of Starting A Tea Business Or Side Hustle
- The market is growing, especially in the USA.
- Profit margins are excellent.
- It can replace your 9-to-5 job.
- It’s a great outlet if you like tea.
- There aren’t a ton of good competitors in Western markets.
Cons Of Starting A Tea Business Or Side Hustle
- It is a bit more niche in Western markets.
- You will need to know tea.
- It can require a lot of time on your end.
- Hours aren’t always flexible.
- Suppliers may be limited or have large requirements for orders.
Deciding Which Is For You
As I’ve said about countless other side hustles and hobbies, which you prefer is completely up to you. Drink what you like to drink, and start a side hustle or business in the things you’re more interested in. If you know coffee, and have tons of connections in the field, then that is obviously a better fit for you than tea! Just don’t go into it expecting to love every single aspect of running a business or side hustle. It requires discipline and hard work.
How To Start
Starting depends on the exact details of the niche and hustle you’re going to delve into. Check out my article on starting a business. At minimum, you will likely need to follow legal procedures and form a LLC or the like. Beyond that, there is a lot up in the air. Contact local non-profits that help small businesses get started. Many states have organizations that serve just to help you get the information you need to get started!
Conclusion
Hopefully this had everything you needed in order to get started or make a decision regarding tea and coffee side hustles. If you already have a business in that industry, let us know extra tips in the comments! Was there anything I missed? Or was there something in this article that you had never considered before? Let us know!
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