This Aspect Hustle Highlight Q&A options Dylan Zajac, 21, a senior at Babson School. At 15, Zajac had a aspect hustle thrifting and fixing computer systems. The gig impressed Zajac to discovered his nonprofit Computer systems 4 Folks, which supplies refurbished computer systems to individuals in want. Responses have been edited for size and readability.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Computer systems 4 Folks
When did you begin your aspect hustle, and the place did you discover the inspiration for it?
I began out by going to thrift shops round Brooklyn, New York, with my highschool associates, simply as a enjoyable passion. We would take the PATH prepare from Hoboken after which skate from thrift retailer to thrift retailer, typically hitting three or extra in a single day. At these outlets, we might sift by way of piles of outdated electronics, trying to find hidden gems. After we discovered one thing beneficial, we might negotiate arduous to get a deal. Some days we purchased so many computer systems we needed to stack them on our skateboards to roll them residence.
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As soon as we obtained the computer systems again, we might clear them up, repair them and promote them on Fb Market or eBay. Earlier than lengthy, this passion was an actual enterprise. At one level, my whole bed room was stuffed with random desktops and Apple PowerBooks. The margins have been insane, generally as excessive as 80%!
What have been a few of the first steps you took to get your aspect hustle off the bottom? How did it evolve into the nonprofit you run now?
One of many key issues that made it doable for me to start out my aspect hustle was gaining access to a laptop computer and the web once I was in center college. I might spend hours watching YouTube tutorials on refurbish computer systems and studying the ins and outs of ecommerce platforms, which helped me attain a whole lot of shoppers, all from my bed room.
However as I obtained deeper into this, I began noticing an enormous drawback. On my journeys to Brooklyn, I noticed mountains of e-waste — computer systems tossed away by individuals and firms who had no concept get rid of them correctly. On the similar time, I spotted simply how many individuals on the planet (2.6 billion to be precise) do not have entry to the digital world. That is when the thought for Computer systems 4 Folks hit me.
I made a decision to show what I might realized right into a nonprofit. Utilizing on-line tutorials, I discovered incorporate, file for 501(c)(3) standing, create bylaws and get the whole lot up and operating. The plan was easy: Accumulate used computer systems from people and firms, refurbish them and donate them to individuals and organizations in want. In February 2019, as a 15-year-old highschool sophomore, I formally started my mission to remove the digital divide. I have been at it ever since.
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What have been a few of the largest challenges you confronted whereas constructing Computer systems 4 Folks, and the way did you navigate them?
One of many hardest challenges was ensuring Computer systems 4 Folks may run sustainably with out me. Balancing college with operating the nonprofit taught me that there is actually no such factor as stability; you simply need to make it work. Many individuals assumed Computer systems 4 Folks would disintegrate as soon as I went to school, as most small tasks like this do. To show them improper, I targeted on making a stable construction the place tasks like accounting, HR and program administration have been clearly outlined. I constructed proprietary methods to automate stock, consumer administration, donor administration and federal/state grant reporting, which helped us scale and run effectively.
Securing sufficient funding and laptop donations stays an ongoing problem as we work to fulfill the overwhelming demand for our companies. With a whole lot of people on our ready listing, the necessity typically outpaces provide. To handle this, we have been diversifying our funding sources, leveraging authorities grants, basis grants, particular person giving and earned income. Moreover, we’re partnering with a few of the largest Fortune 100 and 500 corporations to gather their used computer systems, guaranteeing we are able to proceed successfully bridging the digital divide.
What do the group’s progress and success metrics appear like as we speak?
To this point, now we have donated 3,668 computer systems to people in want, diverting over 55,000 kilos of digital waste from landfills. Our applications have empowered 1000’s to entry schooling, safe employment and thrive within the digital world. We have raised over $1.6 million by way of awarded grants and donations, permitting us to scale quickly and develop our workforce to over a dozen full-time workers members.
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What do you take pleasure in most about engaged on this nonprofit?
I like fixing powerful issues, constructing know-how to streamline processes and dealing with a workforce of mission-driven individuals all targeted on the identical objective. It is also extremely rewarding to obtain messages day by day concerning the life-changing impacts of our applications and to see these outcomes mirrored in our knowledge.
What’s your recommendation for others hoping to start out a corporation that makes an affect?
Let group insights drive your options; do not begin one thing simply because it appears impactful. Guarantee your efforts create a internet optimistic for the world, particularly within the nonprofit area. At first, do not depend on others to deal with the necessities. Discover ways to handle incorporation, taxes, accounting, operations, know-how, HR and establishing a board of administrators your self. It’s vital to know what you are promoting and trade in and out. After you have a stable basis, construct a workforce that enhances your expertise and consists of individuals who excel in areas like fundraising, accrual accounting or group. Lastly, do not overthink each step: Act quick, make selections shortly and maintain shifting ahead.
This text is a part of our ongoing Younger Entrepreneur® sequence highlighting the tales, challenges and triumphs of being a younger enterprise proprietor.
