Laura Cano, a former nurse, transitioned from her nursing job to selling secondhand items online, generating up to £11,800 ($15,000) monthly.
Overwhelmed by debt and sports club fees for her children, Cano initially sold her family’s used clothing, toys, and shoes, eventually paying off bills and affording a family vacation.
Recognizing the potential, she expanded her venture, purchasing secondhand goods from thrift stores and yard sales, now operating as a full-time reseller alongside her husband, Mark.
Cano shared, “Our families thought we were a little crazy to quit our jobs…selling used items online.” the 40-year-old, from Austin, Texas, told What’sTheJam.com.
READ MORE: Mum clears £5,000 in debt in less than year with cheeky side hustles from comfort of her sofaLaura working as a nurse. (Picture: Jam Press)
“We were apprehensive about leaving our stable jobs to start our business from scratch, navigating everything independently. But I felt stagnant in my role and sought a way to augment our income,” Laura shared.
Initially, she dabbled in reselling for extra funds but committed to it earnestly in January 2022.
With her husband’s interest piqued, they united efforts, transforming the venture into a full-fledged business.
Laura noted, “I was earning double my nursing salary.”
They reinvested profits into inventory, including purchasing liquidation pallets for new stock at reduced rates.
Despite a weekly expenditure of just £390 ($500), they turn a profit of £11,800 ($15,000), prompting Laura to resign from her nursing job in May 2022, followed by Mark a month later.
Laura, who shares their journey with 43,000 Instagram followers, faces criticism for her unconventional career choice.
She addresses detractors who suggest she needs a “real job” or that her reselling depletes resources from those in need.
However, Laura counters, emphasizing the importance of resellers in recycling clothing and reducing landfill waste.
She takes pride in salvaging vintage pieces and has aided over 600 individuals in starting their own reselling ventures, offering them a means to augment their income or address financial obligations.
This endeavor gives her a sense of purpose and fulfillment, knowing she’s positively impacting others’ lives.
As they chart their course forward, Laura and Mark are focused on sustaining their small business while advocating for the significance of purchasing secondhand items.
They aim to expand their presence on the WhatNot platform, a live auction selling site, in the coming year. Additionally, they remain committed to sourcing inventory from thrift stores to fuel their online reselling enterprise.
To empower others interested in pursuing a similar path, they’ve developed a reseller guide outlining the strategies behind their rapid success in building a six-figure business in less than a year.
Laura with her husband, Mark. (Picture: Jam Press)
Laura hopes to underscore the importance of secondhand shopping in fostering small business growth and contributing to environmental conservation efforts.
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