From $2,000 to a Thriving Business: How a 30-Year-Old Built a $10K Monthly Side Hustle

How a 30-Year-Old Built a Thriving Business with Just $2,000

Anna-Marie Ortiz had her sights set on something bigger. With only $2,000 in savings and no college degree, she took a leap of faith to start a cleaning business, Cool Aunt Cleaners, in Portland, Oregon. Today, that business earns over $10,000 monthly, with a projected revenue surpassing $100,000 by the end of 2024. This story showcases her journey, highlighting the grit and strategy that turned a part-time side hustle into a full-time venture.

Turning Passion into Profit: The Start of Cool Aunt Cleaners

In July 2023, Ortiz invested her last $2,000 to launch Cool Aunt Cleaners. Initially, she handled every aspect of the business, from cleaning apartments to balancing costs. Despite challenges, she persisted, fueled by her vision. “I had no idea how it was going to go, but you keep going because you believe in what you’re building,” Ortiz said. Her resilience has paid off as Cool Aunt Cleaners has gained traction and steady revenue, with Ortiz taking home a salary of about $29,000 annually.

Humble Beginnings: Lessons from a Modest Upbringing

Growing up in Wichita, Kansas, with four sisters, Ortiz was raised in a family that knew the meaning of hard work and resilience. With her stepfather’s flooring business serving as her first introduction to entrepreneurship, she learned the importance of stretching every dollar, a lesson that has been invaluable in her own business journey.

Ortiz's transition to rural life on an 80-acre farm taught her the importance of discipline and resourcefulness. These experiences laid the foundation for her eventual path into business, instilling a strong work ethic and financial caution.

Building Business Skills Outside the Classroom

Although Ortiz attended community college on a track scholarship, she quickly realized that traditional education wasn’t her path. After dropping out, she joined a startup in Lawrence, Kansas, where she gained hands-on experience in sales, marketing, and project management. “It was like earning an untraditional business degree,” she explains. These skills would prove essential when she eventually decided to start her own business.

In 2020, Ortiz opened a plant shop, but the timing was unlucky—the shop launched just as the pandemic began. Though it ultimately closed, the experience taught Ortiz valuable lessons in entrepreneurship and self-reliance.

Launching Cool Aunt Cleaners: From Side Hustle to Full-Time Venture

After a move to Portland in 2022, Ortiz decided it was time for a fresh start and committed fully to her side hustle. She invested in basic supplies, a professional logo, and registered her business, with her last $2,000 covering all the initial costs. To keep expenses low, she relied on traditional marketing, such as flyers and business cards, and quickly established a reputation among local young professionals.

Cool Aunt Cleaners caters to residential clients, offering move-out cleans and short-term rental turnovers. Pricing was a learning curve—Ortiz quickly discovered that larger homes didn’t always mean higher profits. Despite early obstacles, her persistence paid off, and she made the leap to full-time entrepreneur in November 2023.

Managing and Growing the Business

Ortiz initially hired a small team to help with the cleaning workload, but high labor costs and flat-rate pricing made it challenging to stay profitable. She recalibrated her staffing approach, eventually scaling back to manage the business herself. Currently, she works alongside one part-time employee, handling up to 10 cleanings a week.

As the business grew, so did her goals. Despite earning less than her previous job’s salary, Ortiz loves the freedom that comes with being her own boss. She plans to expand Cool Aunt Cleaners, aiming to build a “seven-figure business” by 2025, hire more employees, and venture into digital advertising to attract new clients.

Financial Insights: Balancing Debt and Expenses

The move to Portland came with higher living costs, which initially led Ortiz into credit card debt. However, she has since paid down most of it, reducing her debt from $14,000 to around $5,000. With her rent at $1,350 and other minimal expenses, Ortiz manages her finances carefully, focusing on debt repayment while keeping personal spending low.

Looking Forward: Building a Legacy

Ortiz’s long-term goal is not only to grow Cool Aunt Cleaners but to create generational wealth for her family. "I want to be the person in my family who builds something sustainable and leaves behind a legacy,” she says. Inspired by her journey from humble beginnings to successful business owner, she hopes her story motivates others to take bold steps in their own entrepreneurial journeys.

Startups are risky businesses, it’s like taking a chance of a lottery ticket every day. But I was in my early 20s, what else do I have going on? - Anna-Marie Ortiz

Anna-Marie Ortiz’s journey with Cool Aunt Cleaners shows how determination and a strategic approach can turn a modest investment into a thriving business. For anyone considering a similar path, her story proves that success is achievable—even with limited resources and no formal degree.