Tori Dunlap is the founder of Her First $100K
courtesy of Dunlap
Tori Dunlap, the founder of Her First $100K, launched a blog as a side hustle in 2016 with just $40.
Six years later, her business has booked more than $4 million in annual revenue.
She shared her advice for starting a business with little or no money.
Tori Dunlap launched her blog in 2016 with just $40. At the time, her only expenses were the domain name and website registration. Six years later, the financial-advice platform is booking $4 million in annual revenue.
Dunlap created her blog as a side hustle, initially offering tips for life as a 20-something, before rebranding it in 2019 into Her First $100K. There, she documented her progress toward saving $100,000 by the age of 25, sharing guidance along the way and building an engaged audience online.
Dunlap is the best-selling author of “Financial Feminist.”
courtesy of Dunlap
Today, Dunlap runs the business full time. She’s grown her social-media presence on Instagram and TikTok, launched a podcast, and become a New York Times best-selling author for “Financial Feminist,” a book that guides readers through financial planning.
The culmination of these efforts helped Dunlap book more than $4 million in revenue in 2022, documents viewed by Insider showed.
Here’s her advice for building a business with little or no money.
This is an as-told-to story based on an interview with Dunlap. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Use existing skills to fill a void
Dunlap works with Her First $100K users online and in person.
courtesy of Dunlap
I was lucky enough to have a financial education growing up — my parents taught me how to save, invest, and not overspend with credit cards — and I wanted to share those skills and knowledge with others.
Plus, my college major, organizational communication, and more than three years in corporate-marketing roles working with Fortune 500 companies and startups gave me a basic understanding of how to build a brand organically.
I combined those skills and interests to fill a void of financial education.
My friends were already coming to me for financial advice. But when I graduated from college and was coming into womanhood in 2016, it was a very different political and economic environment than I had expected. It made me consider what kind of person I wanted to be, what I wanted my career to look like.
I decided on control over myself and my finances — and to help others create the same.
Serve before you sell
@herfirst100k 3 MONEY MOVES YOU CAN MAKE IN 2023 🥂 HFK Guest Creator @Mallory | Business & Money ♬ Flowers – Miley Cyrus
While it’s exciting to think about the financial benefits of starting a business, it’s important to prove your concept before pouring too much money into it. That’s why my mantra is, “Serve before you sell.”
A lot of people approach business by launching a product with hopes …read more
Source:: Business Insider
