Title: College Student Turns Car Accessories Side Hustle into Lucrative Business
Subtitle: Jayson Siu’s Invalid.jp experiences skyrocketing revenue from viral TikTok videos
When Jayson Siu’s car accessories side hustle first gained traction, he found himself unprepared for the sudden surge in demand. In October 2021, one of Siu’s products, an LED-lined rearview mirror, went viral on TikTok and translated into $12,000 in sales within a day. Siu, then a freshman at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, quickly took action to fulfill the orders, spending hours at Office Depot printing and cutting labels hand. This success was followed another viral video featuring an LED-backed light-up sticker, which garnered over 9 million views and generated $38,000 in revenue within 24 hours.
According to documents reviewed Make It, Siu’s business, Invalid.jp, recorded a total revenue of $512,000 in 2022, surpassing last year’s sales. Approximately 30% of these earnings are estimated to be profit. Siu, who now works at least 40 hours per week alongside his full class load, has transitioned from considering it a side hustle to focusing on the business’s growth. Initially operating from his parents’ two-bedroom apartment, Siu recently rented a warehouse in Honolulu to accommodate his expanding operations.
Siu’s entrepreneurial journey started during his senior year of high school when he worked for a valet company. Seeking extra funds to purchase car accessories, Siu identified stickers as a popular product among his peers. He invested $300 from a previous side hustle in a vinyl printer and began selling stickers to his friends on Snapchat for $3 to $5 each.
As Siu sought more lucrative products, he came across an LED-backlit rearview mirror on Instagram and saw an opportunity to sell it himself. He ordered a $20 mirror from a Chinese factory, customized it adding LED lights and his popular “drive safe” sticker, making the sticker visible when replacing the glass. Encouraged a friend, Siu turned to TikTok to drive sales, regularly posting videos to build his brand.
Siu’s journey hasn’t been without its challenges. After experiencing a decline in profits, he shifted his marketing strategy from social media ads on platforms like Snapchat, YouTube, and Twitter to focus on TikTok, Google, Facebook, and Instagram. By enhancing the quality and reach of his campaigns, Siu successfully improved his sales. Additionally, he expanded his product offerings to include cupholders, visors, and license plates while maintaining stickers and LED mirrors as his most sought-after items. Siu combined these two products to create customizable light-up stickers that change colors with a small remote control.
To balance his businesses and college life, Siu strategically schedules most of his classes before noon, allowing him to dedicate the second half of the day to Invalid.jp. He rents a warehouse for $1,500 per month and recently upgraded to a Toyota 4Runner SUV to minimize shipping trips. Siu’s mom and girlfriend assist with managing and packing orders, while contractors now support video content creation.
Siu acknowledges the challenge of balancing his highly lucrative business and maintaining a traditional college experience. Currently, the business takes precedence, but Siu plans to hire more employees in the future to reduce his time spent in the warehouse, enabling him to spend more quality time with loved ones.
Looking ahead, Siu is exploring other potential side hustle ideas with online friends and aims to strike a balance between his entrepreneurial endeavors and personal life.
As technology continues to reshape expectations in business, leaders like Siu are embracing change to ensure the success and longevity of their organizations.