This Facet 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 offers refurbished computer systems to folks 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 pastime. We might take the PATH prepare from Hoboken after which skate from thrift retailer to thrift retailer, usually hitting three or extra in a single day. At these retailers, we might sift by way of piles of outdated electronics, looking for hidden gems. After we discovered one thing useful, 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 house.
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As soon as we acquired the computer systems again, we might clear them up, repair them and promote them on Fb Market or eBay. Earlier than lengthy, this pastime was an actual enterprise. At one level, my total bed room was crammed with random desktops and Apple PowerBooks. The margins had been insane, typically as excessive as 80%!
What had 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 potential for me to start out my aspect hustle was accessing a laptop computer and the web after I was in center college. I might spend hours watching YouTube tutorials on how you can refurbish computer systems and studying the ins and outs of ecommerce platforms, which helped me attain a whole lot of consumers, all from my bed room.
However as I acquired 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 folks and firms who had no concept how you can get rid of them correctly. On the identical time, I noticed simply how many individuals on this planet (2.6 billion to be actual) 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 discovered right into a nonprofit. Utilizing on-line tutorials, I discovered how you can incorporate, file for 501(c)(3) standing, create bylaws and get all the things up and operating. The plan was easy: Acquire used computer systems from people and firms, refurbish them and donate them to folks and organizations in want. In February 2019, as a 15-year-old highschool sophomore, I formally started my mission to get rid of the digital divide. I have been at it ever since.
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What had 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 might run sustainably with out me. Balancing college with operating the nonprofit taught me that there is actually no such factor as steadiness; you simply should make it work. Many individuals assumed Computer systems 4 Folks would collapse as soon as I went to school, as most small tasks like this do. To show them incorrect, I targeted on making a stable construction the place tasks like accounting, HR and program administration had been clearly outlined. I constructed proprietary techniques to automate stock, shopper 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 satisfy the overwhelming demand for our providers. With a whole lot of people on our ready record, the necessity usually outpaces provide. To deal with 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 firms to gather their used computer systems, making certain we will proceed successfully bridging the digital divide.
What do the group’s development and success metrics appear like right now? Thus far, now we have donated 3,668 computer systems to people in want, diverting over 55,000 kilos of digital waste from landfills. Our packages have empowered 1000’s to entry training, 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 crew 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 crew of mission-driven folks all targeted on the identical objective. It is also extremely rewarding to obtain messages day-after-day in regards to the life-changing impacts of our packages and to see these outcomes mirrored in our knowledge.
What’s your recommendation for others hoping to start out a company 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 house. 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 important to know what you are promoting and business inside and outside. After you have a stable basis, construct a crew that enhances your abilities and consists of individuals who excel in areas like fundraising, accrual accounting or group. Lastly, do not overthink each step: Act quick, make choices rapidly and preserve 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.
