One man is sharing how he was able to bring in the equivalent of £16,500 thanks to his unique side hustle.
Rodney Melton, 55, from Alma, Arkansas has successfully earned a six-figure salary through his Etsy business.
He moulds, engraves and sells headstones for pet memorials on the online marketplace for entrepreneurs
This peculiar side hustle began in March 2021, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw many businesses shut down.
Prior to taking on this role, Mr Melton worked 60 hours a week in a job as a maintenance lead at Mars Pet Care.
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Unlike most people, the hustler already owned an engraver which is worth around $15,000 (£12,300) and practised on stone and concrete as a hobby.
By May 2022, just over a year after creating the business, Mr Melton’s Etsy shop was bringing in $20,000 (£16,500) in just one month.
Following this, the family man left his job to take on his side hustle full-time but worked fewer hours to spend time with his daughters.
According to figures seen by CNBC: Make It, the side hustle made over $207,000 (£171,000) from Etsy.
Speaking to CNBC: Make It, the entrepreneur broke down how his side hustle evolved into the business he has today.
The side hustler explained: “Anyone can do this. I’d say you need $10,000 or less to get started. That’s for cement moulds and sandblast equipment.
“It’s just a matter of having the passion for it. My mom passed at the end of 2020, and my dad and I were taking it really hard.
“I started making things, like concrete crosses, 3D roses and plaques. Just little memorial pieces that turned out really nice.”
According to the businessman, his headstone business is going from strength to strength and has plans to grow it out in the near future.
Mr Melton added: “I can make a good living shipping everything the way we do now. If I were in my 30s, I would probably gear up and do big headstones for cemeteries. But those are much bigger items.
“I’m in talks with a local monument company to start updating shared headstones in cemeteries. Maybe we’ll go in that direction next year.”
Those interested in learning more about side hustles and other businesses can check ou CNBC: Make It for more stories.
