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 Individuals, which gives refurbished computer systems to individuals in want. Responses have been edited for size and readability.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Computer systems 4 Individuals
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 mates, simply as a enjoyable interest. We might take the PATH practice from Hoboken after which skate from thrift retailer to thrift retailer, typically 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 At these retailers, we might sift by way of piles of outdated electronics, looking for hidden gems.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 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.
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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 interest became an actual enterprise. At one level, my total bed room was crammed with random desktops and Apple PowerBooks. The margins have been insane, generally as excessive as 80%!
What have been among 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 getting access to a laptop computer and the web once I was in center faculty. I would spend hours watching YouTube tutorials on find out how to refurbish computer systems and studying the ins and outs of ecommerce platforms, which helped me attain tons of of consumers, 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 thought find out how to eliminate them correctly. On the identical time, I noticed simply how many individuals on the earth (2.6 billion to be precise) haven’t got entry to the digital world. That is when the concept for Computer systems 4 Individuals hit me.
I made a decision to show what I would discovered right into a nonprofit. Utilizing on-line tutorials, I discovered find out how to incorporate, file for 501(c)(3) standing, create bylaws and get every part 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 eradicate the digital divide. I have been at it ever since.
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What have been among 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 operating the nonprofit taught me that there is actually no such factor as steadiness; you simply must make it work. Many individuals assumed Computer systems 4 Individuals would crumble as soon as I went to varsity, as most small initiatives like this do. To show them mistaken, I targeted on making a stable construction the place duties like accounting, HR and program administration have 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 pc donations stays an ongoing problem as we work to satisfy the overwhelming demand for our companies. With tons of 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 among 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 progress and success metrics appear like right this moment?
To this point, we now 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 group to over a dozen full-time workers members.
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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 group of mission-driven individuals all targeted on the identical aim. It is also extremely rewarding to obtain messages day-after-day concerning the life-changing impacts of our applications and to see these outcomes mirrored in our information.
What’s your recommendation for others hoping to start out a company that makes an influence?
Let group insights drive your options; do not begin one thing simply because it appears impactful. Guarantee your efforts create a web constructive for the world, particularly within the nonprofit area. To start with, do not depend on others to deal with the necessities. Learn to handle incorporation, taxes, accounting, operations, know-how, HR and organising a board of administrators your self. It’s vital to grasp your enterprise and business inside and outside. After getting a stable basis, construct a group that enhances your abilities and contains individuals who excel in areas like fundraising, accrual accounting or group. Lastly, do not overthink each step: Act quick, make selections rapidly and maintain transferring ahead.
This text is a part of our ongoing Younger Entrepreneur® sequence highlighting the tales, challenges and triumphs of being a younger enterprise proprietor.
