The goal of Hardly Hustle is to provide inspiration, drive and motivation in a 10 minute read or less. What you see is what you get. This is hot off the press without an editing team. Jon Barker is up.
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Jon Barker and I turned a side hustle into a full time soloprenuership after spending a decade underemployed. I'm into helping up & coming companies win work directly with the US federal government.
What did it take/how did you get started?
US Federal GovCon is hard to navigate and understand. I'm a DC area native who has been in this industry for over two decades. I help companies understand the process and set proper expectations for them to succeed in this space.
What does the future look like for you and your business?
Bright! I'm over 120% of last year's revenues at the end of May... grateful for the journey thus far and confident and optimistic about future success!
What drives / motivates you on a daily basis?
As a taxpayer, I've worked for companies where I've held shares and felt that this was a great deal for my employer, but a raw deal for the taxpayer. I'm into transparently and rewarding the up&coming companies who play this game smart and are long-term focused.
What advice would you give someone interested in doing what you do?
Learn as much as you can and figure out what you want to do. Help as many people as you can! Once you figure out what you truly want then the path forward becomes clear. Stay humble & hungry and be grateful for all the successes and challenges.
What has been the hardest part of your business journey?
Figuring out how to pay for health insurance for my family of 5... once I figured that, I immediately took the plunge and left my W2 job in the dust!
How have you managed burnout thus far?
Focus on family, health, eating better, and more exercise and sleep. Learning to be OK with taking things slow and managing client expectations.
What are a few resources that you'd recommend?
Many books and podcasts have helped me.
The STATS
List the founders
Jon Barker
How many hours a week do you work on this hustle?
Varies. A lot.
# of Employees?
1
When did you start?
Started full time in May 2022
How much did it cost to launch?
Haven't kept track
What were your funding methods and ballpark amount raised?
N/A
Annual revenue?
In 2022, PTW did 75K and this year I could break $200K
Projected revenue?
$150-225K
What's the #1 thing you need right now?
A co-founder for the SaaS product I've been building.