A MOM who daringly invested her kids’ college fund into her bag business side hustle is now on track to make $100 million in revenue this year.
When Kim Vaccarella was unable to find a practical beach bag, she decided to design one herself.
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She wanted to create the “ultimate mom bag” that could withstand any amount of wear and tear, Entrepreneur reported.
“The idea came to me in 2008, born out of a practical need for a better beach bag,” Vaccarella said.
She wanted a bag that was “durable and sturdy, with non-collapsing sides, large enough to carry everything [her family] needed and washable at the end of the day.”
Vaccarella explained that the idea came to her when she was on a trip to the Jersey Shore with her family.
She discovered EVA – a rubbery and flexible material that could be easily washed to remove any dirt or stains from throughout the day.
Vaccarella was working as a full-time commercial real estate agent when she decided to launch the Bogg Bag.
While she had initially hoped to patent the concept of the Bogg Bagg and sell the idea, she was met with numerous rejections and instead decided to take on the complexities of manufacturing herself.
“After our first batch hit a small boutique, they flew off the shelves,” the mom said.
“At first, I wondered if it was just friends and family showing support, but I chose to believe it was genuine love for the product.”
The initial success of the Bogg Bag promoted Vaccarella to take a gamble and she invested her kids’ college fund into 1,000 more bags.
“It was a major moment,” she said.
She was dismayed to discover, however, that every single bag had black streaks on them when they arrived and they were completely unsellable.
Vaccarella’s heart sank as she came to the realization that she may never see her kids’ college savings again.
But then Hurricane Sandy hit and the devastation it caused created an unexpected opportunity for Vaccarella’s business.
“We found a new purpose for these imperfect bags,” Vacarella said.
The bags were repurposed to create emergency kits for those affected by the storm and were distributed to families in need.
Side Hustles
Here is a list of the top three side hustles:
- Selling photos to stock companies can make people up to $500 a month. Websites like Shutterstock and Depositphotos are always looking to expand their collection of copyright-free images.
- Renting out your car for ride-share services such as Uber and Lyft can make you up to $3,500 a month.
- If you are a quick typist, you could make up to $3,000 a month transcribing audio for websites like TranscribeMe and Speakwrite.
For more examples of side hustles, see here.
Vacarella believed that this was the end of her Bogg Bag journey, but they started receiving attention about a year later on Facebook.
“I knew then that Bogg had to make a comeback,” she said.
The business hit $1 million in sales in 2018 and was going from strength to strength when Covid hit.
Luckily, the Bogg Bag’s ability to be washed appealed to many businesses throughout the pandemic and its sales continued to flow.
“It was a major moment.”
Kim Vaccarella
Hospitals purchased the bags for healthcare workers, and stores used them for contactless pickups and deliveries.
“This approach may not have been the most profitable in the short term, but it was the right thing to do,” Vaccarella said.
Bogg Bag hit over $50 million in revenue in 2023 and has set a target of $100 million in 2024.
“The growth is a clear testament not only to our product’s value but also to the incredible team behind Bogg,” Vaccarella said.
The U.S. Sun has contacted Bogg Bag for comment.
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