The Truth About Starting a Business by Accident
It wasn’t part of some grand master plan. There was no pitch deck, no strategy session, and definitely no investor. In fact, I was flat on my back in a hospital bed when it all began. That’s the truth about starting a business by accident—sometimes, life throws a curveball and you just happen to catch it with both hands. What started as a few loose action figure parts on eBay became a full-time job, a family-run business, and the wildest adventure I never saw coming.
From Hospital Bed to Hobby Hustle
Let’s rewind to the early 2000s. I’d gotten hurt—nothing glamorous or dramatic, just enough to leave me stuck at home for longer than I’d like. My grandma, knowing I was going stir-crazy, bought me a couple of 1/6 scale military action figures to cheer me up. Like any curious kitbasher-to-be, I opened them up, started swapping gear around, and ended up with a pile of extra parts.
Naturally, I did what anyone trying to make a few bucks in the early internet days would do—I snapped some photos with a basic camera and listed the loose parts on eBay. To my surprise, those parts sold for more than the original figure. That was my first accidental lightbulb moment: there’s value in the parts, not just the whole.
So I did it again. And again. I started going to local toy stores, buying more boxed figures, parting them out, and selling the gear online. It wasn’t a business yet. It was more like a side hustle with a pulse.
The Pivot Point: When Accidents Become Intentional
The shift from “fun side hustle” to full-blown business didn’t happen overnight. It crept in slowly. I met my wife in 2005, and she believed in what I was doing. In 2008, she built our first website, and that’s when it all started to click. We weren’t just selling on eBay anymore—we were building a brand.
The thing is, when you start a business by accident, there’s no formal training. You learn everything the hard way. Like the time I lost thousands to credit card fraud because I didn’t know how payment processing really worked. Or when inventory sat too long and cash flow dried up. There’s a million things you don’t see coming—but you learn to adapt fast.
That’s what accidental entrepreneurs do best. We don’t wait for perfect. We move, learn, repeat.
Working with Your Spouse: Blessing or Breakdown?
Spoiler: it’s both. My wife and I run BlackOpsToys together now, and it’s one of the greatest (and toughest) parts of the journey. When you own a business with your spouse, there’s no “off” switch. Dinner conversations blend into marketing meetings. Weekends become shipping marathons. But the wins feel bigger when they’re shared, and the losses sting a little less when you’ve got someone in the trenches with you.
We’ve had to learn how to divide responsibilities, set boundaries (even if they blur), and respect each other’s strengths. She’s the tech genius and organizer. I’m the gearhead, content creator, and community guy. Together, we’ve found our rhythm—and yeah, sometimes we still get out of sync. That’s real life. That’s real business.
What No One Tells You About Small Business Life
Starting a business by accident teaches you a lot of things, but here’s what no one tells you:
- You won’t always feel like a “real business owner.” Impostor syndrome hits hard when you didn’t come from a business background.
- You’ll have to figure out things you’ve never done before. From taxes to hiring to inventory systems—everything is learn-as-you-go.
- You’ll work more hours than you ever imagined. But somehow, it won’t feel like work when you love it.
- You’ll find unexpected purpose. For me, building and selling action figures isn’t just about toys. It’s about creativity, community, therapy, and storytelling.
- You’ll care more about your customers than any spreadsheet ever will. Because you’ve been where they are—you are them.
Our Customers Are the Best Part
We didn’t start BlackOpsToys to be a community. That just… happened. And it’s been one of the best accidents of all.
From collectors to kitbashers to veterans reliving memories through miniature gear, our customers are passionate, kind, and insanely talented. I’ve had deep conversations with guys halfway around the world about military history, gear compatibility, or just how their week’s going. I’ve seen people turn our products into art, into healing, into connection.
And if I’m being honest, that’s what keeps me going. Not just the orders—but the people behind them.
Final Thoughts: It’s Not About the Plan
If you’re someone who’s stumbling into a business right now—maybe you’re flipping things online, making custom builds, or selling your artwork—I want you to know that it’s okay not to have a master plan. It’s okay to learn as you go. Some of the best businesses were never “planned” at all. They were born out of necessity, passion, curiosity, or even boredom.
The trick isn’t to have everything figured out—it’s to keep going, stay curious, and care like crazy.
If you do that? You’ll build something better than a business.
You’ll build a story worth telling.