How Mitchell’s ‘Totally Virtual’ 9x12 Side Hustle Can Clear $5K in a Month
Most people hear “virtual side hustle” and picture dropshipping, affiliate links, or some influencer telling you to “build a personal brand.” Mitchell from The 9x12 Method is talking about something way more boring… and that’s exactly why it works.
It’s local. It’s simple. And once the machine is built, it’s weirdly “virtual” in the best way: you can run it from your laptop without being chained to a storefront.
Here’s the underrated idea Mitchell lays out in his video “This side hustle is so underrated ($5000 this month totally virtual)”.
If you want the complete step-by-step system and scripts, this is the fastest place to start: join the 9x12 Method community.
The 9x12 postcard play (the simplest version)
Mitchell’s core claim is straightforward:
- You create one oversized postcard (9x12)
- You sell 16 ad slots to local businesses
- You mail it to 5,000 homes using USPS EDDM
- You keep the spread between what you collect and what it costs to print + mail
The numbers he uses are easy to remember:
- 16 businesses × $500 per slot = $8,000 revenue
- Printing + postage + fulfillment ≈ $3,000
- Profit ≈ $5,000 on one card
That’s the “one postcard = one payday” logic.
Why it’s “totally virtual” (even though it’s local)
The physical postcard is real, but your job is mostly digital:
- outreach (email / messages)
- follow-up
- collecting payment
- coordinating proof + approvals
Mitchell frames it like being the middleman between:
- local businesses that want customers
- local homeowners that spend money every day
And crucially: you’re not asking a business to fund an entire mail campaign alone. You’re helping them split the cost by buying a slot on a shared card.
That’s a much easier “yes.”
Why businesses buy a $500 slot
Mitchell’s angle is that $500 is small for most real businesses if the exposure is legit.
The pitch isn’t complicated:
- “We’re mailing to 5,000 homes in your area.”
- “You’ll be featured alongside other local businesses.”
- “It’s one-time, not some long retainer.”
In other words: simple, tangible, low-risk.
The part most people miss: it’s not about one card
Even though the headline is “$5K this month,” the long-term win is that this is a repeatable local media asset.
Mitchell points out that once you’ve sold a card, some advertisers will stick around.
So you’re not always starting from zero.
That’s when “virtual” becomes real:
- you’ve got a list
- you’ve got relationships
- you have a repeatable script
- you’re mostly managing renewals + filling a few open spots
Community cards vs 9x12 cards (quick note)
If you’re brand new and $500 feels like a heavy lift, community cards can be a stepping stone.
Same concept, smaller card, lower price point.
But the 9x12 math is what makes this model feel unfair:
- you can clear ~$5K on one mailer
- you don’t need to “go viral”
- you just need consistent outreach
The only hard part: doing the outreach consistently
Mitchell doesn’t pretend it’s magic.
There’s one actual skill required: being willing to reach out and follow up.
No inventory.
No ads.
No fancy funnel.
Just: find local businesses, send the message, stay consistent.
Want the templates and the step-by-step?
If you want Mitchell’s full playbook, scripts, templates, pricing guidance, and the community support that makes this work faster, join the 9x12 Method community here.
If you only take one thing from this: you don’t need a complicated online business to make online money.
Sometimes the fastest “virtual” income comes from doing something local that nobody wants to do consistently.
One more time (because people always ask where to get the templates): 9x12 Method community.