FIVE NEW businesses to INSPIRE On this episode of Join Up Dots, we dive deep into the world of side hustles and the extraordinary power of simply starting where you are. Sometimes the hardest part isn’t skill, money, or opportunity—it’s just believing that action will actually lead somewhere. And over the past few months, listeners of this very show have been proving that point with stories that show what’s possible when you take an idea and put it into motion. It all began with a simple suggestion: try selling on Facebook Marketplace. It’s a place most of us scroll past without thinking too much, but it’s also a treasure trove of hidden value. People give things away for free, or at rock-bottom prices, just to get rid of them. And with a bit of imagination, elbow grease, and courage, those things can be turned into income. This episode is filled with the real voices of listeners who heard that advice, tried it for themselves, and discovered just how powerful that one step can be. Take Daniel from Stockport. He never thought side hustles were for him. He worked full time, listened to podcasts, but never acted. Then he heard me talk about broken running machines. People were leaving treadmills out on the curb or listing them online for free, just wanting them gone. That sparked something. Daniel collected one, tinkered with the belt and fuse, and suddenly he had a working machine. He sold it within days for £150. What’s remarkable isn’t just the money, but the ripple effect. That one sale showed him he wasn’t trapped by his day job—he could create value out of nothing. Since then, he’s flipped six machines and is building confidence with every sale. Yes, his garage is bursting at the seams, but he’s also bursting with momentum. Then there’s Rebecca from Melbourne. She’s a mum of two who saw an opportunity in toys. She knew from experience how expensive they can be, and how quickly children outgrow them. So she started small with a $20 box of LEGO, cleaned it, sorted it, and turned it into $90 within a week. That snowballed into trampolines, ride-on cars, and playhouses—items people considered junk but that parents snapped up once they were cleaned. Rebecca’s had her share of headaches: people not showing up, muddy items needing endless scrubbing, the grind of haggling. But she’s now making $300 a week just from flipping toys, proving that side hustles don’t need to start big to be impactful. Andre in Bucharest took a different path. He didn’t have money to invest, but he had time and determination. He picked up free furniture, sanded it, painted it, and sold it on. A battered wooden dining table turned into £95 profit. Old IKEA cabinets, given new handles and a fresh coat of paint, brought in £180. For Andre, the challenge has been transport—scratched car interiors and the stress of moving bulky furniture—but the reward has been discovering confidence. People loved what he created, and they paid for the uniqueness of an “upcycled” piece. His story reminds us that the barrier isn’t resources, it’s mindset. Meanwhile, Sarah in Toronto was drowning in kids’ clothes, an everyday reality for parents. Instead of donating them like usual, she bundled them into age and season groups and sold them online. They sold within a day. That was the turning point. She reached out to other parents, gathered bags of clothes, and suddenly had more stock than she could handle. The living room looked like a charity shop explosion, but the money started to flow. Last month, she made just under $800, enough to pay down a lingering credit card debt. For Sarah, the issue has been organisation, space, and time. But she realised parents were buying not just clothes—they were buying convenience. She had solved a problem for people, and in doing so, she had solved one of her own. And finally, Colin in Dundee. He thought side hustles were too much hassle, having failed with others before. But when he spotted how many garden tools were being discarded—lawnmowers, strimmers, pressure washers—he decided to take the leap. A petrol mower that wouldn’t start cost him a £4 spark plug to repair, and he sold it for £85. Two broken pressure washers bought for £10 each became one working unit that sold for £120, plus spare parts sold separately. The struggles have been messy: mud, oil, endless haggling, and a driveway cluttered with tools. Yet three months in, he’s earned nearly £1,000. More importantly, he’s regained a sense of purpose. What was once just junk has become a way to prove to himself that he can still create, build, and grow. What all these stories have in common is that they didn’t start with grand business plans, large investments, or polished strategies. They started with ordinary people listening to an idea on Join Up Dots and daring to test it. Each person faced their own setbacks: space problems, unreliable buyers, transportation headaches, or sheer ...
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