A side hustle can be an amazing way to chase something you love, and it might even turn into a project that completely transforms your life. Peter Askew's story is a perfect example of this.
Peter is the founder of RanchWork, which is a specialized online job board website focused on the ranching industry. Over the past 10 years, he's built this side project into a thriving business that generates $7,500 per month. In fact, it has generated $399,109 in total revenue since its launch.
This shows that if you have the right strategy and you stick with it, a side hustle can absolutely evolve into a highly profitable venture. In this article, we're going to take a deep dive into Peter's entrepreneurial journey. We'll look at the strategies he used to build up RanchWork, and we'll explore the key lessons that other aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from his success story.
Peter Askew
Finding the right opportunity
The idea for RanchWork started when Peter noticed something interesting. When people searched online for specific types of jobs, like "welding jobs," the top results were usually from big, general job websites like LinkedIn and Indeed.
Now, those popular job boards are great, but they don't really cater to people looking for more specialized jobs in niche industries. Peter saw that as a problem that needed solving.
He realized there was a gap in the market - an opportunity to create a job board that was laser-focused on a specific industry, like the ranching business. The big job sites weren't meeting the needs of those niche job seekers and employers.
So Peter decided to create RanchWork, a job board dedicated solely to ranching and agriculture-related jobs. He saw it as a chance to provide something more targeted and valuable than the generic job platforms out there.
By identifying that unmet need in the market, Peter was able to come up with a business idea that ended up being incredibly successful. It just goes to show how paying attention to gaps in the market can lead to great entrepreneurial opportunities.
Launching the website
RanchWork.com was launched in 2014, with Askew purchasing a $60 WordPress job board theme and investing a week to optimize the site for mobile devices and SEO. He researched competitors and set a base price of $25 for paid job postings, which aligned with the industry average.
Despite the presence of well-established, VC-backed job board websites, Askew approached the project with the mindset of "What do I have to lose?" rather than being deterred by the competition.
Building the brand
Askew initially seeded the job listings himself to fill the website. As the site gained traction, ranchers began submitting their own job postings, and Askew shifted his focus to curation and verification.
Over the next 7 years, site traffic grew from virtually zero to approximately 40,000-50,000 visitors per month, with around 200,000 page views every 30 days.
The strength of focusing on a niche
A big reason RanchWork has been so successful is that it's laser-focused on a specific niche - the ranching business. Rather than trying to be a general job board that covers all kinds of jobs, Peter made RanchWork all about just one niche: jobs related to ranching and agriculture.
By catering exclusively to that particular audience, Peter was able to really understand their unique needs and create a platform that served them perfectly. RanchWork became the go-to place for both ranching job seekers and employers.
This niche domination allowed RanchWork to build a strong sense of community and trust that the bigger, more general job boards just couldn't match. People in the ranching industry knew RanchWork was made just for them. They saw it as the expert, the authority, when it came to finding and posting those specialized jobs.
So by honing in on that one particular niche, rather than trying to be all things to all people, RanchWork was able to establish itself as the undisputed leader. And that was a huge part of its incredible success. Focusing intently on a specific market can be a very powerful strategy for building a thriving business.
Creating a job board doesn't have to be hard
A lot of people think building a job board is really complicated and requires a ton of technical skills and resources. But Peter's story shows that's not necessarily true.
These days, there are easy-to-use platforms like JobKit and Job Boardly that make setting up a job board super simple, even for someone without advanced coding abilities. These platforms handle all the technical stuff in the background. That means entrepreneurs like Peter can focus on the more important things, like finding great job listings and building relationships with their target audience.
With these user-friendly job board tools, anyone can create a professional-looking and functional job site in just a matter of minutes. You don't need to be a tech genius or have a huge budget.
The key is finding the right platform that takes care of the technical heavy lifting, so you can devote your time and energy to the core parts of running a successful job board - curating quality job postings and really engaging with your specific niche community.
Getting people to use your job board
Building the job board itself is just the first step. The real challenge is actually getting people to use it - both job seekers and employers.
A lot of entrepreneurs get discouraged thinking the big job sites like Indeed and LinkedIn have such a huge advantage that it's impossible to compete. They assume they'll never be able to outrank those giants in search results.
But Peter's experience with RanchWork shows that's not necessarily true. With the right strategy and some persistence, it is possible to build a successful, profitable job board in a specific niche, even if there are some big players already out there. The key is finding ways to attract your target audience and get them to use your job board instead of the more generic options. It takes work, but it can be done.
So while driving traffic and users to your job board platform is definitely a major challenge, it's not an insurmountable one. With the right approach, you can carve out your own profitable space in the job board market, even if you're up against some industry giants.
Revenue
RanchWork.com's revenue has grown steadily over the years. Askew shared the following figures:
- 2014: $10,479
- 2015: $16,487
- 2016: $20,139
- 2017: $26,552
- 2018: $26,152
- 2019: $20,355
- 2020: $31,933
- 2021: $62,113
- 2022: $88,534
While not a flashy, VC-funded endeavor, RanchWork.com has proven to be a reliable and profitable venture, generating a enough income for Askew as a solo operator.
How Peter scaled ranchwork's success
So how did Peter take RanchWork from just an idea to a 6-figure side business? It came down to a few key strategies and a deep understanding of his target audience.
One big thing Peter focused on was search engine optimization (SEO). By carefully researching and using the right keywords, he was able to improve RanchWork's rankings in search results. This slowly chipped away at the dominance of the bigger, more established job boards.
But Peter knew it wasn't just about getting people to the site. He also worked hard on building a strong community around RanchWork. Instead of just being a passive platform for job listings, he actively engaged with his niche audience of ranchers and agricultural workers.
- Purchasing a similar domain to redirect traffic
To scale the job board further, Peter bought the domain RanchJobs.com for $5,000 after first being quoted $15,000. RanchJobs.com now redirects a few hundred people per month to Peter’s job board.
One of the key factors contributing to RanchWork.com's success was the user-generated content in the form of job postings and "Job Wanted" listings. The website features a wide variety of ranch, farm, and outdoor-related job opportunities, from working as a wrangler at a dude ranch to managing a cattle operation.
The "Job Wanted" section, which the website's founder was initially unsure about, ended up generating a significant portion (30%) of the site's overall revenue. This user-generated content allowed job seekers to easily find and apply for positions that matched their skills and experience.
The diversity of job listings and the ability for users to post their own wanted ads have been key factors contributing to RanchWork.com's popularity and business success over the past 25+ years.
Peter made sure to consistently provide value and support to both job seekers and employers in the ranching industry. This helped foster a real sense of trust and loyalty with RanchWork's users. And those loyal users then helped spread the word and drive more organic growth for the business.
So it wasn't just about the technical side of SEO and website optimization. Peter also understood the importance of community building and creating a valuable experience for his target market. That combination of smart strategies and deep customer understanding allowed him to turn RanchWork into a thriving, 6-figure side hustle.
The importance of persistence
One of the key lessons from Peter's success with RanchWork is the value of persistence. Building a profitable side business is rarely an overnight thing. It takes patience, hard work, and the willingness to keep pushing forward, even when you face setbacks or doubt.
When Peter first started RanchWork, a lot of people told him it was a waste of time. They said he should just focus on one project and that he'd never be able to compete with the big job sites like Indeed and LinkedIn.
But Peter didn't let that get him down. He believed in the potential of his niche job board and was determined to see it through, no matter what. And over the course of about 10 years, he steadily grew RanchWork's revenue, proving that you can overcome even the most daunting challenges if you have the right strategy and the grit to stick with it.
Success rarely happens overnight. It's about having the determination to keep going, even when things get tough. That's what allowed Peter to turn RanchWork into a six-figure side hustle - the power of persistence.
The benefits of a side hustle
Beyond the obvious financial rewards, building a successful side hustle like RanchWork offers a range of benefits that extend far beyond the bottom line. For one, it provides a sense of creative fulfillment and autonomy that can be difficult to find in a traditional 9-to-5 job. As the founder and driving force behind RanchWork, Peter has the freedom to shape the platform according to his vision and values, creating something that truly resonates with his target audience.
Moreover, a side hustle can serve as a valuable safety net, providing a source of income that is independent of your primary job. In an era where job security is increasingly precarious, having a profitable side venture can offer a much-needed sense of financial stability and peace of mind.
What aspiring entrepreneurs can learn
So, what can aspiring entrepreneurs learn from Peter's success with RanchWork?
Perhaps the most important lesson is to always be on the lookout for opportunities, even in seemingly crowded or competitive markets. By identifying a gap in the job board landscape and focusing on a specific niche, Peter was able to create a platform that stood out from the crowd and resonated with his target audience.
Another key takeaway is the importance of starting small and iterating over time. RanchWork didn't become a six-figure side hustle overnight. It took years of consistent effort, experimentation, and refinement to reach that level of success. Aspiring entrepreneurs should embrace the idea of starting with a minimum viable product and gradually building and improving upon it based on user feedback and market insights.
Finally, Peter's journey highlights the power of perseverance and self-belief. Building a successful side hustle is rarely a smooth or straightforward path. There will be obstacles, setbacks, and naysayers along the way. However, by staying focused on your vision, putting in the work, and refusing to be discouraged by temporary setbacks, you can achieve remarkable things.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, Peter's success with RanchWork shows the incredible potential of niche job boards as profitable side businesses. RanchWork serves as a powerful reminder that a side hustle can be so much more than just extra cash - it can be a path to creative fulfillment, financial independence, and making a real difference.
As Peter himself says:
“There is so much opportunity in this niche, I sometimes go 🍌🍌🍌 cause I can't build it all.
The job board niche is ripe with potential, waiting for enterprising individuals to seize the moment and create something truly special. So, what are you waiting for? Go out there, find your niche, and start building the side hustle of your dreams. Who knows, you might just be the next Peter Askew, inspiring others with your success and changing lives along the way.
