Fredericksburg Parent

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 23 PAID FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANT Market research companies pay focus groups for their reactions to or opinions of their products. Usually, group members participate for one to two hours. To participate in focus groups, you can sign up with companies such as WatchLab, User Interviews or FocusGroup. Pay range: $100–400 per group, and sometimes a free meal. PET SITTER A friend of mine started a pet-sitting business to board dogs in her house five years ago. She used the website Rover to set up her rate and availability. In addition to boarding pets, you can also walk dogs or watch pets and the owner's house. The Rover website is not lim- ited to dogs. Rover takes 20% of whatever fees you earn. Pay range: Set your own rates. My friend earns $40 per night per dog and sometimes has three dogs per week, or $840 per week minus the Rover fee. The website states you can earn up to $1000 per month. RENT OUT YOUR HOUSE FOR A MOVIE SET You can list your house for free on the Set Scouter website to rent out for a movie or TV show. Even though I live in the Northeast (not remotely close to Hollywood), over ten different movies have been filmed in towns near me recently. I haven't been lucky enough to have my house selected yet, but you never know when Hollywood might come knocking. Pay range: $250–1,000 per day FASHION STYLIST Stitch Fix is a clothing subscription service. The stylists work from home and help other people create stylish outfits based on their budget, personality and fashion tastes. You need to commit to working 15–30 hours per week. You also must participate in an onsite six-hour training course. Pay range: $14–16 per hour TEACH ENGLISH There are a few different companies through which you can teach English online from your home. Most of the companies require you to have a college degree and be proficient in the English lan- guage. Some of the companies to investigate are VIPKID, Qkids and Teachaway. Pay range: $15–25 per hour TASKER TaskRabbit matches you with people who need a task done around their houses such as cleaning, moving, furniture assembly or home improvement. After you complete the job, you receive payment, minus a 15% TaskRabbit fee. Pay range: You set the rate; certain skills earn more money. TEST APPS OR WEBSITES Userlytics is a website that will match you with an app or website that is in the developmental phase and wants user feedback before it is launched. You will offer your thoughts about the app or website by verbally answering questions. Most projects take 15-20 minutes to complete. Pay range: Website states the range is anywhere between $5-$90 per tested project. TUTOR You might think you need a teaching degree to be a tutor, but according to Tutors.com, anyone with a high school diploma or GED can be a tutor; you need only complete a tutor training program. Once you are certified, you can set up a free profile at Tutors.com to find jobs. Pay range: $25–80 per hour UMPIRE OR REFEREE There are many different youth sports that need someone to officiate, such as soccer, softball and baseball, lacrosse, field hockey and more. Most referees need to attend certi- fication training and complete a background check. Contact your local sports league to find out the requirements. Pay range: $25–50 per hour or per game You probably won't get rich doing any of these jobs, but the extra income might help pay for all the added expenses of having children like camp, sports or college. For me, I enjoy earning a paycheck, but the real benefit is socializing with other people. Being a stay-at-home mom can feel isolating, especially now that my kids are older and no longer at home during the day. I like interacting with other writers and editors, even it is only virtually. Of course, you never know—with that side business of yours, you could end up being the next Martha Stewart one day. A mom can dream, right? $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

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