Line Your Pockets With Successful Side Hustles This Holiday Season
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Looking to make some extra cash? You're not alone. A recent survey found more than 40% of Americans have some type of side hustle. Arianne Lovelace is one of them. "I guess you could say my entire career is side hustles!" In addition to teaching private music lessons and selling jewelry, crafts and makeup, Lovelace also teaches English online for the company VIPKid.
Her students range from toddlers to teenagers; all are located in China. With a 13 hour time difference classes are typically early in the morning or later in the evening. During the school year Lovelace may only teach weekends. "I can't teach as much as I can in the summer for example, when I don't have all my music lessons." Those months she will earn around $500, but during the summer she can teach more and make more: sometimes close to $2,000 per month. "It's very flexible, very flexible. You can work as little or as much as you want so it's the perfect job."
Whitney Wade also makes money without leaving the house; she's a virtual assistant. "With internet access and a phone, there are so many things I can do from home." Wade makes calls, handles emails, and files documents online for her clients. "It could really mean anything," said Wade. "They could pay you by project or they could pay you by the hour."
Wade has worked in property management and real estate so when she recently found herself between jobs, she put those skills to work as a VA. "I just reached out online and on Facebook to see if there were any realtors or professionals looking for an assistant."
Pay depends on experience; several DFW job sites advertise positions starting at $15 an hour. For Wade being a VA means money and flexibility. "It gives me time to spend with my family and earn the income I need."
Flexibility takes on a whole new meaning in Destiny Adams' line of work. Five years ago she became a brand ambassador. "We work in all different states, all different cities," said Adams. "You choose when you want to work, you choose when you want to sleep."
Brand ambassadors are the friendly faces you see at fairs, festivals, conferences and other public events. They are usually assigned to a booth and talk to passersby about whatever product they are representing. "Crowd-gathering is huge, lead generation is huge. You really want to be the face of the brand temporarily," said Adams.
No formal education is required; Adams says all it takes is personality and people skills. "Definitely be outgoing," she said. "They don't want you to be someone that sits in the corner and lets people walk by."
Adams says the pay ranges from $15 per hour up to $60 per hour. "I think a lot of people are skeptical of the industry. They're like 'oh this is too good to be true, you make how much? What do you do?'"
