I quit my boring 9 to 5 office job to turn my side hustle into tasty business – now I’m a self-made millionaire
A BUSINESSMAN has told how he quit his nine-to-five job to focus on his side hustle – transforming himself into a millionaire.
Edward Hancock was working a job in finance as a fund manager – but always had a passion for all things cheese.
He first noticed his love of the diary treat when he was just 11-years-old while on holiday in France.
But when his local cheese shop shut down – Edward decided it was time to get into the cheese business.
Edward began his business as a side hustle in his mum’s home.
He would pack and wrap cheese for shipment once a week to fellow cheese connoisseurs.
“I would be cutting cheese early in the morning and boxing it on my lunch break,” he told The Sun Online.
Edward used his passion for the stinky snack to pick and choose custom hampers and delivery boxes.
But soon he was able to turn his cheesy hustle into a full-time job – founding The Cheese Geek.
He told The Sun Online: “Industries like wine, gin, beer and others were going through innovation. Cheese buying was still very traditional.
“I thought I could do something better.”
By Christmas of 2017, his company had exploded in popularity and kept expanding in the following years.
In Cheese Geek’s first year of business, they made £95,000 – a figure which more than doubled to £250,000 in their second year.
Now the cheese business makes well over seven figures a year, according to Edward.
He now delivers custom-picked cheese selections to the door’s of his customer’s every week.
The reviews for Cheese Geek’s subscription service have praised the business for stocking unique British cheeses and introducing new flavours to customers.
And Edward is thankful of the chance he got to leave his day-to-day job to focus on his business.
He said: “The ambition hasn’t changed. We want to build a recognisable brand in the world of cheese.
“Our goal is to integrate great cheese into people’s lifestyles. Add an artisan cheese to your meal kit.
“Pair a slice of cheese with your coffee in the morning.
“We want it to be a lifestyle.”
As for his favourite cheese, Edward said it’s hard to choose, as it changes nearly every day – but his current choice is Cornish Kern.
Another mum shared her side hustle which allows her to get paid to eat out.
Natalie spotted a mystery shopping ad on Facebook back in March 2022 after giving birth to her youngest son.
The app showed all of the opportunities in her area. They might ask you to buy and review a product in a supermarket, ask about a particular car in a showroom and review the service, or share your thoughts on a newly-opened restaurant.
One year on, she’s made over £2,000 by eating restaurant meals, enjoying family days out and trying brand new food products – all for free.