This Facet Hustle Highlight Q&A options Dylan Zajac, 21, a senior at Babson Faculty. At 15, Zajac had a facet hustle thrifting and fixing computer systems. The gig impressed Zajac to discovered his nonprofit Computers 4 People, 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 Individuals
When did you begin your side 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 buddies, simply as a enjoyable passion. 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 At these outlets, we might sift by way of piles of outdated electronics, attempting to find hidden gems. Once we discovered one thing priceless, we might negotiate laborious to get a deal. Some days we purchased so many computer systems we needed to stack them on our skateboards to roll them residence.
As soon as we acquired the computer systems again, we might clear them up, repair them and promote them on Facebook Marketplace or eBay. Earlier than lengthy, this passion was an actual enterprise. At one level, my whole bed room was full of random desktops and Apple PowerBooks. The margins had been insane, typically as excessive as 80%!
What had been a number of the first steps you took to get your side 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 facet hustle was gaining access to a laptop computer and the web after I was in center faculty. I would spend hours watching YouTube tutorials on tips on how to refurbish computer systems and studying the ins and outs of ecommerce platforms, which helped me attain lots of of consumers, all from my bed room.
However as I acquired deeper into this, I began noticing an enormous downside. On my journeys to Brooklyn, I noticed mountains of e-waste — computer systems tossed away by folks and corporations who had no thought tips on how to eliminate them correctly. On the similar time, I noticed simply how many individuals on the earth (2.6 billion to be actual) do not have entry to the digital world. That is when the thought for Computer systems 4 Individuals hit me.
I made a decision to show what I would realized right into a nonprofit. Utilizing on-line tutorials, I found out tips on how to incorporate, file for 501(c)(3) standing, create bylaws and get every part up and working. The plan was easy: Acquire used computer systems from people and corporations, 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 number of the greatest challenges you confronted whereas constructing Computer systems 4 Individuals, and the way did you navigate them?
One of many hardest challenges was ensuring Computer systems 4 Individuals may run sustainably with out me. Balancing faculty with working the nonprofit taught me that there is actually no such factor as stability; you simply must make it work. Many individuals assumed Computer systems 4 Individuals would crumble as soon as I went to school, as most small tasks like this do. To show them fallacious, I targeted on making a stable construction the place obligations 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 enough funding and laptop donations stays an ongoing problem as we work to fulfill the overwhelming demand for our providers. With lots of of people on our ready listing, the necessity usually 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 number of the largest Fortune 100 and 500 firms to gather their used computer systems, guaranteeing we will proceed successfully bridging the digital divide.
What do the group’s development and success metrics seem like at this time?
Up to now, we now have donated 3,668 computer systems to people in want, diverting over 55,000 kilos of digital waste from landfills. Our packages have empowered hundreds 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 staff to over a dozen full-time employees members.
What do you get pleasure from most about engaged on this nonprofit?
I like fixing powerful issues, constructing know-how to streamline processes and dealing with a staff of mission-driven folks all targeted on the identical aim. It is also extremely rewarding to obtain messages on daily basis concerning 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 impression?
Let neighborhood 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. To start with, do not depend on others to deal with the necessities. Discover ways to handle incorporation, taxes, accounting, operations, know-how, HR and organising a board of directors your self. It’s vital to grasp your enterprise and trade in and out. Upon getting a stable basis, construct a staff that enhances your expertise and contains 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.
