Aussie mum contacts school books as a side hustle business

And she does it all from her kitchen table.

Megan Savill's life is jam-packed.

With a full-time job as an executive manager in local government, a six-year-old to care for and a husband who spends regular fortnights away from home for work, her 'me' time was almost non-existent.

Yet when it came time to get daughter Sophie ready for Grade 1 this year, the Hervey Bay mum was one of the rare few who relished the thought of contacting all 23 of her books.

"My daughter suffers from childhood anxiety and with my husband away a lot, it was actually a good way for me to wind down at night," Megan told Kidspot.

"It's relaxing to me and I feel a sense of accomplishment when it's all done."

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Megan came up with her business after her husband started travelling a lot for work. Source: Supplied

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In fact, the 39-year-old enjoyed the task so much that she offered to do it for other parents via a school Facebook group during the school holidays.

"I know a lot of parents and grandparents don't like doing it, so I thought I would put the word out there," she said.

Megan offered her services - using adhesive contact or slipcovers she sourced herself - at a reasonable rate of $3.50 per book.

Well, little did she know just how in-demand she would be - and just how much many parents loathe the annual task of covering school books.

"The majority of parents said it wasn't about not having time to do it, they just didn't enjoy the task," she explains. "There is a real pressure for parents to get it bubble-free and that puts a lot of people off it completely. They actually thought it was odd that I enjoyed doing it! I think it's nice to be able to help people with things they aren't able to do themselves, so I enjoy that part of it too."

The demand grew so much that in just a few weeks before school began, Megan covered close to 300 books - that's right, a cool thousand dollars just for covering books. On her busiest night, she completed 89 books, all while Sophie was sound asleep.

"One family had multiple kids and one of them had 32 books, so it was a big task to get theirs done," she recalls. 

Perfectly contacted school books ready for the backpack. All in a good night's work for Megan. Source: supplied

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Megan said her side hustle - suitably named Totally Wrapped - was born out of her habit of making things look beautifully presented and functional. In her twenties, she helped fund her university studies with a job as a gift wrapper at a department store. Her newfound side-hustle fund will go towards the home deposit the family is working towards to buy a property in Hervey Bay later this year.  

"It's a great side-gig and actually provides balance to my life,' she says.

The self-taught perfectionist says it took some practice to get her contacting skills up to scratch, and now has a fail-safe method that works every time.

"My first advice is to set up somewhere comfortable so you're not changing position halfway through," Megan explains.

"Then lay the contact down with the backing on, place the book on the contact to check the size, and allow a two-inch overhang. Then I cut the dog ears at each side of the book. When it comes to the spine, I use an angle cut that allows space for it to close up again. Then my trick is to partially unpeel the contact, and place the book down as you take it off and gradually cover it. The rest I'll have to keep as my trade secret!"

Megan starts off the process by measuring the book against the contact to get the neatest result. Source: supplied

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Megan says the biggest mistake parents make is using a ruler to remove bubbles.

"For me, that doesn't work at all. All I use are my hands, scissors and contact."

The best part about contacting this year's books, she says, has been discovering a way to help her little girl have a happy day at school.

"When I was finishing them all, I came up with the idea of putting a family portrait inside every single one of her workbooks with a love heart from mum and dad," Megan says, adding she has shared her tip to other grateful parents.

"Sophie said she was so happy to see it on her first day, I really think it's made a difference."

Megan makes Sophie's books fun, colourful and a reminder of her loving family. Source: supplied

This piece was originally published in February 2019 and was updated in February 2023.