How Research Made a Simple Rover Side Hustle Profitable

When you're ready to start a side hustle, one of the smartest things you can do is become a bit of a detective. It’s not about stealing ideas, but about looking at what others in your space are doing and figuring out how you can do it better—or at least, differently.

Take the story of Andrea Hajal. After moving from Spain to Austin, Texas, to marry her American fiancé, she left behind her career as a nutritionist and, more importantly, her beloved pets. She missed having animals around, especially dogs. One day, on a trip to Canada, an idea struck her: “What if there was an Airbnb, but for dogs?” It would be a place where owners could travel and leave their pets somewhere much nicer than a kennel.

A year later, she discovered Rover.com, a platform that did exactly that, connecting dog lovers with pet owners needing a sitter. This was the perfect opportunity for her to get back into the world of dogs while exploring side jobs for extra income. Andrea quickly set up a profile, marketing her home as a welcoming spot for any breed. But she was sharp enough to realize that just loving dogs wouldn't be enough to succeed. With dozens of other hosts competing on the site, she needed an edge for her new side hustle business.

Your Reconnaissance Mission

Before you go all-in on an idea, it’s wise to do some reconnaissance, much like a shop owner scouting a location for a new café. You’d want to know what the neighborhood is like, where people hang out, and where they already spend their money. Opening a fourth coffee shop on a single block might be a tough sell. At the same time, being the only one in the area isn't always a good thing; sometimes it’s better to go where the customers already are.

Your mission is to learn two simple things:

1. Who else is offering something similar to your idea?
2. How will your version be better or different?

Take the time to understand the landscape before setting up a side hustle. What are the existing businesses doing right? Where are they falling short? You don’t have to outperform them on every single metric. By observing closely, you can often spot gaps they’ve either missed or haven't gotten around to addressing.

This is precisely what Andrea did for her . She noticed that the most popular dog sitters had several high-quality photos on their profiles. So, she took it to another level, uploading more than fifty pictures of herself playing with all kinds of dogs. It might seem like overkill, but for a nervous pet owner, that level of effort could be the deciding factor.

Following the Clues to Success

Andrea didn't stop with photos. She saw that the Rover platform encouraged sitters to send pictures of the dogs to their owners during their stay. The site even tracked how often this happened and how quickly hosts responded to messages. This observation gave her two clear goals: maintain a 100% photo-sharing rate and a rapid, one-hour response time. By focusing on these details, she quickly climbed the rankings, often appearing in the top five out of more than forty sitters in her area.

This principle of “following the money” applies to many . The goal isn’t just to see if an idea is profitable, but to understand your competitors are doing to make money. Back when I sold items through online auctions, I’d watch which products sold consistently. Then, I’d find their wholesalers, check the pricing, and see what the profit margin was. If it looked good, I’d place an order and create my own listings.

Andrea applied a similar logic. She noticed that the top hosts weren’t just boarding dogs; they also offered services like drop-in visits and dog walking for owners at work. She added those options to her own profile and saw her weekly income jump by 20%. Her was evolving into a more robust .

What If Your Idea Is Completely New?

Even if you're launching something totally original with no direct competitors, you can still find ways to stand out. When you’re offering something brand new, the key is to make it incredibly easy to explain and understand. Getting people to buy something they’ve never heard of is a challenge, so a crystal-clear concept gives you a huge advantage.

Consider a few simple, successful ideas:

• A homemade gin-making kit
• Decorative plaques carved into the shape of Pennsylvania
• Customizable candy hearts

These concepts are different, but they share two traits: they are simple to grasp from a single sentence, and they offer a clear, immediate benefit—fun. People are hesitant to spend money if they don’t understand how a purchase will improve their lives. While no one to make gin in their bathtub, the offer is compelling because the benefit is easy to see.

Andrea's journey shows the power of paying attention. She had her first booking within a week of , but she didn't stop there. She kept uploading photos and responding quickly, both to reassure owners and to appeal to the platform’s algorithm. This attention to detail, learned from observing her competition, is what set her apart and helped her build a loyal following. Her part-time gig was soon bringing in an average of $80 a day—and sometimes up to $200 during holidays—proving that a little detective work can go a long way.