How a Serial Side-Hustler Sold His Unique Ecommerce Brand for Profit

From BBQ Spices to Laugh-Out-Loud Merch: The Serial Side-Hustler's Ecommerce Playbook

Ask anyone serious about online business: building and selling an ecommerce brand is never a straight shot. Michael Hach, working full-time in Cleveland’s cleaning equipment industry, knows this better than most. By day, he managed direct-to-consumer growth. By night, he built, scaled, and sold businesses on his own terms.

Learning by Doing—And Fumbling an Exit

Michael’s first foray was a BBQ spice ecommerce company, which grew a massive social following—over 110,000 strong—and hit an eye-popping $100,000 per month at its peak. Not bad for a side project. When a buyer appeared, Michael figured he could handle a private transaction. What followed was a slog of negotiation, unclear answers, and stress. The sale happened, he got a good price, and he learned a lesson: next time, get help.

Birth of Laugh Hero: Small Bets, Weird Products

Armed with experience and confidence, Michael sketched a new concept—Laugh Hero. Unlike generic online stores crankin’ out private label basics, Laugh Hero peddled fun—stickers, shirts, jumpers, and even custom beer cans packed with peanuts, all stamped with irreverent or inspirational designs. He started small and easy, with stickers (quick supply, dirt-cheap to make, almost zero shipping headaches). A friend handled art. Michael wrangled logistics, ideas, and growth.

Laugh Hero’s line quickly grew with its following. New products hit the store: t-shirts, seasonal jumpers, and quirky giftables. The crowd favorites? Apparently, beer cans stuffed with peanuts—go figure. The business spun up in about two years, all while Michael raised his two kids and worked a demanding day job in Cleveland.

Why Flippa, Not Private Again?

Ready to move on after two years—too little time to keep inventing weird product launches—Michael wanted an easier exit. Selling his first gig privately had been headache city. He scoured different marketplaces. Flippa won on trust, resources, and tools.

He called Flippa’s trust badges and data integrations a game changer: buyers could see verified analytics, financials, and performance at a glance. Michael checked the most-watched listings, borrowed their best features for his own listing, and made sure to over-communicate—the pain from his first sale meant he preemptively answered all the questions buyers were bound to ask.

The Auction: Interest Pours In

When Laugh Hero went live on Flippa, interest sparked. Michael fielded a dozen buyer discussions and witnessed 48 auction bids, mostly from individuals and micro-entrepreneurs looking to kick-start their own side hustle brands. His openness about logistics, outstanding inventory, and raw materials set buyers at ease. Negotiating the value of products not in fulfillment centers took some explaining—his experience made the difference.

After the deal closed, he and his Chicago-based buyer became friends. Michael texted every other day, mixing Zoom catchups with tactical advice, which made the legal transition far less nerve-wracking—thanks to using Escrow.com as a neutral third party. "Anyone selling, use Escrow.com—it takes away a pile of risk for both sides," he said, bluntly. No lawyer stress, no wondering if the money’s real, just straight arrangements.

Balancing Life, Work, and Business

Most entrepreneurs get stuck on the grind, but Michael’s strategy—allow the business to mature fast, look at market signals, then sell—was rooted in realism. He knew his limits between work and parenting. Laugh Hero’s core value was unusual product launches, which need creative headspace and fast execution; once time dried up, he decided exit and profit was smarter than burnout.

What Made Laugh Hero Appealing?

• Lean operations: Focused SKUs, most fulfilled through simple supply chains or print-on-demand vendors.
• Strong, growing niche appeal: Humor merchandise is perennially in-demand, but unique spins help stand out.
• Automated or outsourced design work, letting Michael run things solo.
• All sales and marketing run through easy integrations and platforms like Shopify, Printful, and Flippa verification tools.
• Transparent books and performance stats through Flippa’s platform, boosting buyer confidence and speeding up negotiation.

Lessons for Aspiring Sellers

1. Don’t sell a performing business privately unless you have serious experience. It’s a recipe for confusion and second-guessing.
2. Use a platform that lets you easily share verified analytics and answer buyer questions fast.
3. Prepare your deal by researching active, hot listings and copying their structure, answering objections before they come up.
4. Trust, transparency, and solid legal support (like Escrow) smooth the path for everyone.

What’s Next for Michael?

He’s working on something new—a secret, for now—but confirms he’ll use Flippa next time. Michael’s story offers a solid playbook: move fast, spend on creativity, trust in tech (not handshakes), and sell when your business is ready, not simply when you’re burned out. Success in the online world isn’t just about wild revenue or social followers; it’s in choosing the right moment, selling with confidence, and building relationships long past the sale. Next up? Who knows. But keep your eyes on Flippa.