I was a struggling teacher when a side-hustle experiment ruined my kitchen – now it earns me TRIPLE & I’m mortgage free
CLEARING up after her son Leo’s sixth birthday, mum-of-two, Emma Ranade stuffed ripped wrapping paper, popped balloons, and paper plates into bin bags.
A gang of 15 boys had all but torn apart the house decorated for Leo’s science themed birthday party.
Half eaten popcorn was hiding underneath the sofa, sticky sweets smushed into the carpet and birthday cake handprints covered everything.
But it was Emma’s ceilings that had suffered the real damage.
The roof was covered in orange coloured effervescent vitamin solution which had exploded out of film canisters and now her white ceiling needed repainting.
But it wasn’t the kids that were to blame.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Emma says: “The party’s science theme inspired me to do DIY experiments with the kids.
“I created film canister rockets popping in effervescent orange Vitamin C tablets and water before putting on the lid.
“I didn’t realise just how much pressure would build up and how far the orange spray would go.
“The ceiling took the biggest hit sprayed with sticky orange liquid and the kids cheered.”
While most parents would have been horrified about the cost of repairing the roof, married Emma, 44, from Bishop Stortford, Herts turned it into a life changing money making idea.
“The disastrous state of the living room ceiling was my lightbulb moment,” she says.
“The kids and their parents had been gobsmacked when I created the DIY rockets.
“It was kitchen cupboard science based entertainment and my audience was awestruck.
“That’s when I decided to set up a side hustle running science themed birthday parties.
“It’s been so successful I’ve been able to leave my job as a teacher.
“I turnover £120,000 a year – triple what I previously made.
“I’ve taken the family on exotic holidays to places like Japan, Asia and Canada, something I never would have been able to afford previously.”
The disastrous state of the living room ceiling was my lightbulb moment
Emma Ranade
In fact the mum’s ‘Fab Science’ has been so successful Emma now runs not only science themed parties, but activity days, primary school workshops and holiday camps.
“We’re mortgage free thanks in part to my geeky birthday party theme, ” she says.
Emma, who is mum to Leo, now 16, and Josh, 15, admits she never expected to be running her own business after such an unusual lightbulb moment.
“I was always a geek. As a child I wanted to understand how everything worked,” she explains.
After leaving school Emma became a science teacher after having her two sons.
“When Leo asked for a science themed party in December 2012 I couldn’t say no. I was excited,” she recalls.
“The year before I decorated our entire house as a pirate ship and was now thrilled Leo wanted to use my love of science for his next party theme.
“I dressed up as a super geeky scientist using my old university lab and found the ingredients for the experiments in the kitchen cupboard.
“Despite the redecorating bill of £400 it was a huge hit and other parents asked if I could run science themed birthdays for their children
Emma Ranade
“Despite the redecorating bill of £400 it was a huge hit and other parents asked if I could run science themed birthdays for their children.
“I was happy to help out and got to use my science teaching skills doing something I loved.
“I didn’t expect interest to grow so rapidly.
“I figured that kids being kids would move onto other party trends and themes. I was wrong.”
Soon Emma was getting dozens of calls from parents Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire and North London eager to hire her for their party.
“My side hustle was growing organically powered simply through word of mouth,” she says.
“Parents loved the fact the theme was different and all the experiments child-friendly.
“I used items in the kitchen cupboard and my experience as a teacher meant I knew how to wrangle children, keep them interested and help them learn things even at a party.”
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Emma spent £1000 investing in her idea bulk buying items for her party experiments and setting up her science party website in March 2013.
“I became my side hustle’s ‘chief scientist’ and was soon being booked for up to six parties a weekend,” say Emma.
“It was a dream come true for me to create fun science for kids and their parents.”
Realising the demand for science parties wasn’t going away Emma began offering parents science party options.
“I developed a Super Science Show which was more experiment based and included Mentos volcanoes, balloon kebabs and using potatoes to power a light,” she explains.
Emma’s second option was a Fab Potions Party for wannabe witches and wizards to learn how to use science and have fun.
She says: “This included using red cabbage to make colour changing potions and how to write messages in hidden ink.
“I did my research. I kept track of what experiments the kids loved and didn’t like. I used my teaching knowledge initially developing an hour long entertainment package.
I became my side hustle’s ‘chief scientist’ and was soon being booked for up to six parties a weekend
Emma Ranade
“I also ensured I kept costs down by using items people would throw together for experiments or that were in a home cupboard.
“There was no one offering science parties in my area when I started.
“I realised word of mouth and my ability to keep the prices reasonable and quoting for an hour’s entertainment, including the equipment, kids goggles, and the items to make the party super exciting was what parents wanted.
“I loved that I could make science accessible and turn it from geek to great fun, kids were totally mesmerised.
“People come up to me afterwards telling me it was thrilling and fun. That’s a huge compliment”
Emma soon realised many parents and children were tiring of standard birthday themes and wanted interactive fun and something different.
“I did my research and discovered the children’s birthday party market was growing at such a rate my side hustle could be successful.
Despite the cost of living crisis in Britain, children’s parties remain a growing market.
I have a team of part time ‘party scientists’ and together we run hundreds of parties, school workshops and holiday camps a year
Emma Ranade
In fact a study by UK based VoucherCloud revealed two thirds of British parents throw their children a birthday party every year.
The average birthday party costs £320 with parents spending an average of £175 on birthday presents.
Emma’s side hustle is now so successful she runs science themed holiday camps as well as being asked to visit schools and run specialist workshops.
“I realised that to grow a side hustle I needed to focus on different markets and that’s what I did.
“I have a team of part time ‘party scientists’ and together we run hundreds of parties, school workshops and holiday camps a year.
“It’s an all-women team and I love the fact I can inspire more girls and women to give science a go.
Emma now runs her side hustle as a limited company and says updating social media and developing new products and experiments is essential to her success.
“We use recycled items you can find in the bin at home to do alot of our experiments.
“Most people have the basic ingredients for these experiments in their kitchen cupboard and it gives kids a chance to go home forma party and recreate the experiment with their parents’ help
“I have so many people come up to me and say they attended a party I ran when they were younger and it inspired them to try harder at science or even pursue a career in science.
Since setting up her side hustle turned full-time business Emma has entertained more than 40,000 children and runs over 2000 birthday parties and hundreds of school workshops.
“I love that my inner geek gets to have so much fun and work for herself doing crazy experiments,” she says.
“My business literally is the science of partying and I love it.”
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