I dropped out of uni and quit my job when my side hustle took off… now I make six figures – how you can too
A DAD who dropped out of uni was able to quit his job after his side hustle took off – he now makes six figures.
James Josephs, 24, gave up being a graphic designer and decided to focus on buying and selling pre-loved designer apparel.
It’s a path he chose to take after feeling lost working at a job he didn’t love while questioning pouring years of his life into studying.
James said he was a classic lad who loved designer clothes and was climbing the ladder in his career.
But, the 24-year-old said his heart wasn’t in it – and a pal had just taught him how to sell apparel online.
He’s now gone from selling his own pre-loved goods to buying other people’s and selling them.
James runs a massive online store and opening a shop in Staffordshire named Mister Drippy.
The dad-of-one told The Sun: “I dropped out of uni and I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life.
“I was big into designer stuff and I kinda saw a gap in the market really.
“I then started buying people’s pre-loved clothes and making a profit off them.
“It was a side hustle.”
James said something about chasing his graphic designing dreams “didn’t sit right” so he made the wild decision to walk away from it.
He admitted he had always struggled at school, and by the time he reached his fourth year of studying he was over it.
James explained: “It just didn’t sit right with me. I ended up dropping out.
“In 2018 I started selling clothes – I just kinda got obsessed with it.
“I didn’t even know what I wanted from it.”
James kept working at his part-time graphic design job despite deciding it wasn’t a career for him – using his lunch breaks to keep at his side hustle.
But, it was when Covid hit and his son was born that he gave the job up – and threw all his time and effort into running his own company.
James said he put in the hard yards in the very beginning, and now people and other businesses come to him.
The dad continued: “I would spend a lot of time choosing the products – looking for deals I could flip.
“Now I’m attracting all the stock.”
And while he admits it still is very time consuming, and he rarely gets a day off, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
James said: “The messages, replying, it’s non-stop.
“But I don’t drink, I don’t go out – I go to the gym and that’s my break.
“I love it – that’s why I do it.”
And he’s reaping the rewards – last year was his “first six-figure year”.
James said: “I just want to grow the business as big as possible.”
What are the rules around paying tax on extra income?
According to The Times, if you regularly buy and sell stock online, and are earning more than £1,000 through the side hustle, HMRC will consider you a trader.
You will then need to register the business as a company.
If you are earning less than £1,000 this means you don’t have to pay tax on that income.