$250 to $11M: Jess Munday Talks Custom Neon’s Glow Up
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Not everyone aspires to scale a side hustle into a budding multinational corporation. For those that do, here's the story of one woman and the team doing just that.
Written by Ben Huber Last Updated: April 1, 2025 Custom NeonNORTH GEELONG, AU , In the world of side hustles and startups, Jess Munday’s story stands out not just for its success but for its practical approach to turning a gap in the market into a budding global business.
With an initial investment of just $250 during her maternity leave, Jess and her husband Jake launched Custom Neon, a company that would grow from a garage gig to an $11,000,00 enterprise.
This story isn’t just about financial triumph; it’s a roadmap of strategic decisions, from mastering digital marketing to navigating the challenges of a global pandemic. For anyone looking to start or scale their own side hustle, Jess’s experience offers valuable lessons in innovation, resilience, and the power of a well-timed pivot.
From Idea to Enterprise: The Birth of Custom Neon
In the traditional job world, there are rungs on a corporation ladder. Euphemistically speaking, retail associates and help desk technicians at the bottom, CEOs and Directors at the top.
Side hustles, while not directly comparable, can similarly vary in terms of responsibility and complexity. Some hustlers choose low-effort micro jobs aimed at making a few bucks here and there.
Others find themselves, sometimes accidentally, in the driver’s seat of a quickly moving sportscar. Munday, unbeknownst to her at the time, found herself guiding the latter.
“The idea for Custom Neon came about when I was unable to find a safe, high-quality LED neon sign for my son Jagger’s nursery, back in 2018…we were unable to find a product that was high quality, reasonably priced, and met our safety requirements,” regretted Munday.
“The decision to turn this idea into a business venture was largely fueled by the fact I was on maternity leave, so I could potentially do something [to earn income] at home whilst our son slept,” she said.
Recognizing the potential for bespoke neon signage, Munday and her husband launched what was initially just a side hustle from their garage.
“Our initial investment of $250 was used to purchase signs directly from a manufacturer. The signs we purchased were [intentionally] generic, as our plan was to rent them out as a small side hustle while I was on maternity leave.”
Munday recounted first using the purchased signs at her wedding where she said there were a number of excellent photo opportunities.
“Jake and I used these signs at our wedding which allowed us to create some excellent and very inspiring images of the signs, which I used to create our initial Instagram page, Neon Collective.”
Things began to unfold quickly from there. The Instagram page generated interest from other local couples looking to rent out the signs for their weddings. This led to a feedback loop of newlyweds passing on high-quality photos of the rented signs being used at their weddings.
“The signs looked amazing, and this led to a lot of demand. Within 3 months, I was selling more than $5,000 worth of signage a week and had a rent calendar that was completely booked for the remainder of the year.”
Related: 19 Flexible Stay-At-Home Jobs for Moms That Pay Well
Recognizing Opportunity
While undoubtedly excited about their newly found source of revenue, the Mundays leaned on their corporate backgrounds to validate their business idea of actually manufacturing bespoke neon signage.
“Jake’s previous experience in E-commerce and my specialism in HR, recruitment, and people management made us quite a dynamic duo,” reflected Munday.
“The Instagram page was used as a way to test the market. As couples rented the signs, we’d simply ask them to tag Neon Collective on their socials and we were astounded at how quickly the page got traction. Without much impetus at all, we were generating $5k a week in revenue, and had begun receiving custom order requests.”
It was then that Munday realized things needed to change. Instagram was no platform for tracking rented signs and taking commissions; they needed a website.
Just four months in, the Mundays turned to an online marketing specialist that Jake had worked with previously. “They built and optimized our website, which was like flicking a switch! Jake moved into the business full-time as CEO and we opened our first small office.”
Going All In
The decision to bring in fresh faces early on paid immediate dividends.
“Initially, I wasn’t thrilled about giving away part of the business, but it worked out well.” Matt and Teresha Aird , two search engine optimization (SEO) industry veterans and the Mundays business partners , “were fully invested, went above and beyond, and thanks to them, our business grew exponentially.”
Orders increased by 40% in the first few months, and the team quickly expanded further, acquiring small manufacturing hubs in the United States and Australia.
Jess and Jake standing with part of the Custom Neon team.“We also took on international remote workers (permanent and freelance) so we could have the optimum number of employers as we grew,” shared Munday.
“I had confidence in the business being a success within the first month, because of the number of inquiries we were getting. Soon after our website was built, we were ranking number one for over 100 key search terms, so we were already well ahead of any direct competition.”
Munday said recognizing her limits and remaining humble were essential to their early success.
“SEO and digital marketing weren’t my forte. But, instead of trying to juggle everything ourselves, we brought in the pros. Initially, I had tried using SEO agencies, however, I didn’t know whether they were a good agency and didn’t fully understand what deliverables I should have been requesting.”
They needed someone to help them level up and teaming up with SEO veterans was a total game-changer.
Related: 10 Digital Marketing Skills They Don’t Teach You in School
A Refined Focus
A Custom Neon designed sign on display at Trilogy Sound Studio, Washington D.C.A bigger operation meant bigger stakes, and rising to the occasion meant ensuring they weren’t aimlessly spending money in an attempt to scale.
“Marketing is the powerhouse behind sales; it allows you to get your business in front of the right audience. Before you go all in on a product, testing its appeal on social [platforms] can give you insight into whether it’ll resonate with your audience,” advised Munday.
The founder couple recognized that if they had trouble selling a product to a small niche following, it was unlikely to do well before a broader set of eyeballs, no matter how much money they threw at it. The positive feedback they had received in the first few months let them know they were going in the right direction, but, that it’s not always simple to recognize blind spots when you’re fully immersed in day-to-day operations.
“Prior to them joining [our team] as co-owners, we had nailed the local market, but the challenge was to stand out and scale up. The Airds advised rebranding from Neon Collective to Custom Neon. It hadn’t occurred to us that the name Neon Collective could be quite ambiguous, especially for a global market. The name Custom Neon made everything about us crystal clear to our shoppers, no guesswork needed,” emphasized Munday.
“This move, paired with a strong SEO strategy, really put us on the map.”
The rebrand from Neon Collective to Custom Neon went smoothly. Munday kept their shoppers, prospects, and partners in the loop, with special offers, social stories, and competitions, keeping them engaged and excited about their journey.
“This experience highlighted the importance of listening to the inputs of others, being adaptable, and always ready
Final Thoughts
The bottom line: a little research on 250 11m jess munday goes a long way. Compare your options, watch for seasonal offers, and never pay full price when a better deal is one click away.
Originally published at dollarsprout.com.
Ben Huber
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