This story was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat on Oct. 2, 2024.
When the pandemic closed storefronts in 2020, consumers were forced to find services and vendors elsewhere, while desperate laid-off workers turned to side hustles to make ends meet.
Since then, many entrepreneurs have transformed their hobbies into businesses – and some have even become their main source of income.
Thanks to the rising popularity of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, many people have been able to sell their services and products online or generate income as “creators.” That trend has especially taken off among the “extremely online” Gen Z population.
According to a study conducted this summer by Talker Research, younger generations are more likely to consider themselves entrepreneurs – 36% of Gen Z and just 25% of baby boomers.
We spoke with three young entrepreneurs from Boyle Heights to learn about their side hustles and small business journeys.
Jose Lima, 23, Chepecleans4you
For Jose “Chepe” Lima, shoes are everything.
The 23-year-old came up with the idea to start his shoe cleaning business, Chepecleans4you, in 2020 after he saw no one was offering the service locally at an affordable price.
“Nobody really does this, especially in Boyle Heights,” Lima said. “We can all see how everybody resells shoes…There are more shoes than the [cleaning] service out there, so it was the perfect opportunity to take over the community with this.”
Jose “Chepe” Lima cleaning a pair of Nike shoes.
Carol Martinez
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Boyle Heights Beat
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After graduating from Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez High School in 2019, Lima chose to focus on work instead of going off to college. He landed a full-time job as a delivery driver for Amazon. He thought the hourly pay of $20.75 would be enough to support his expenses while living at home with his parents.
Lima started Chepecleans4you while working at Amazon and eventually quit his job to focus on his side hustle. Like many other entrepreneurs, the side-hustle-to-full-time pipeline was his original goal.
Jose “Chepe” Lima goes through the shoe cleaning process.
Carol Martinez
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Boyle Heights Beat
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“There’s been good and bad days. I work full-time so my job comes first. I quit once to do [Chepecleans4u] full-time, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out,” he said. “It’s life, but I’m hoping to try it again one day.”
Today, he works for the delivery company full-time and focuses on his side business on his days off.
Lima runs his business from home, where his clients typically drop off their shoes. He charges $25 to clean any shoe. The service includes an all-around deep clean, including the outsole and midsole.
Most of Lima’s clients are from Boyle Heights, East L.A., and surrounding areas on the Eastside. He says he builds clientele through social media promotion, as well as through recommendations from customers who share the business with friends and family.
“It’s very important, it helps me connect with the community. People love shoes, people work hard for their shoes, so it’s something you always want to have clean and fresh,” he said.
You can find Chepecleans4you here.
Elianet Romero and Alijiah Torres, both 27, Las Niñas Fresitas
Elianet Romero and Alijiah Torres, both 27, met during their freshman year at Bravo Medical Magnet High School. The two bonded during English class and have been best friends since.
When the pandemic hit, they saw an opportunity to create a joint venture that could bring in extra income. They created a sweet treats business called Las Niñas Fresitas, and started selling chocolate-covered strawberries and miniature cakes online.
“A lot of small businesses tend to overcharge. Our whole motto was to be different and make our business more affordable so that people can get a treat for their loved ones, especially during COVID when things were rocky and negative,” said Romero. “It was a chance to spread positivity and start a business together.”
Elianet Romero (left) and Ailijah Torres (right) hold a box of chocolate covered strawberries.
Photo courtesy of Las Niñas Fresitas
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When the business launched, Romero was working full-time doing communications for a private firm. It fit perfectly with her plans for the future, serving to help fund her education. She is currently attending law school at the University of California, Davis.
For Torres, who had just graduated from college at the height of the pandemic, Las Niñas Fresitas became her main source of income until she started working for a finance company.
Today, the business venture serves as additional income for the two.
“Our venture is really unique because we’re two best friends giving back to the community. We grew up around there [Boyle Heights], we went to school there, and it’s really nice seeing locals that went to school together or we worked with them at some point and end up recommending people to us because they know our product is good,” said Romero.
Custom sweet treats made by Las Niñas Fresitas.
Collage made with photo courtesy of Las Niñas Fresitas
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A team, in and out of the kitchen, Romero and Torres use their skills to build and maintain the business. Studying law, Romero has been getting acquainted with the ins and outs of running a business to implement informed practices in their growing business and future storefront. Torres uses her knowledge working for a financial firm to manage Las Niñas Fresitas’ finances.
“I think it’s pretty profitable as a side hustle but I know we want to see it as a storefront. Is it profitable as a storefront right now? Absolutely not,” Romero said.
In March, the entrepreneurs added cakes to the menu and began receiving weekly cake orders in addition to chocolate-strawberry purchases.
Las Niñas Fresitas takes orders through Instagram and caters celebrations, including birthdays, weddings and baby showers.
Looking ahead, the friends want to focus on promoting their business through social media, pop-up events and pursuing their goal of a storefront in the next few years.
You can find more about Las Niñas Fresitas here.
Bryan Rojas, 24, Mezcal Mixer
Bryan Rojas developed a passion for crafting cocktails while working as a bartender at dive bars and cocktail lounges.
Bryan Rojas.
Carol Martinez
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Boyle Heights Beat
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During the pandemic, he saw an opportunity to use his vast experience to create his own craft drink mixing business based in Boyle Heights. Rojas started uploading videos of his custom recipes online, an endeavor that would eventually blossom into his own bartending business.
“From making videos, it quickly became where I had friends from high school that were like ‘Hey I noticed you’re bartending, how much would you charge me for my birthday?’ and it kind of went from there,” said Rojas.
At the time, he and his wife were struggling financially and living paycheck to paycheck so the business helped keep them afloat. Rojas decided to call it Mezcal Mixer.
The 24-year-old currently manages and curates the menu for a Japanese restaurant in the Arts District and runs this bartending side hustle on his free time. This past summer, he said, the business booked up to seven events monthly.
Booking inquiries are handled through a link on his business Instagram page, where interested clients can share details about the number of guests, event location, budget and theme. An average event for 100 guests could cost $350 to $400, Rojas said.
Custom drinks made by Mezcal Mixer.
A collage of photos courtesy of Mezcal Mixer.
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When it comes to booking events like birthday parties or graduations, Rojas works closely with his clients to ensure that they’re never spending more than they need to by often creating specialized menus, pre-event drink tastings and bar schedules to combat the inevitable leftover liquor and supplies.
“I try guiding people in the direction where I can make a good menu or curate a menu to fit a theme while still saving them money because no one wants to spend $1,500 on a bartender and no one is drinking the cocktails,” he said.
Rojas also takes pride in using quality ingredients in all of his recipes and says his syrups and drink infusions are all housemade.
“I love the extra money and the fact that it helps me do what I want to do, but I love the creative aspects more…I’m 100 percent proud of my original recipes and all the brainstorming that goes into it,” Rojas said.
You can find Mezcal Mixer here.