Struggling artist, 29, details his simple side hustle that earns him almost $10,000 a month
A struggling artist has revealed how he turned a simple side hustle into an income of almost $10,000 a month.
When sales of his artwork slumped in 2021, Kyle Stockford turned to gig site TaskRabbit to make ends meet.
Using his Chevy Express van, he decided to become a freelance mover, charging people as much as $98 an hour to move their furniture.
Speak with CNBCStockford said he came up with the idea after realizing he owned the massive vehicle, “but wasn’t making any money from it.”
The 29-year-old invested “probably about $50 in necessities” like heavy blankets, gloves and belts, then started moving furniture in Boston.
Struggling artist Kyle Stockford (pictured) has revealed how he turned a simple side hustle into an income of almost $10,000 a month
Using his Chevy Express van, he decided to become a freelance mover, charging people as much as $98 an hour to move their furniture
Stockford quickly realized that big jobs were harder work and less lucrative, so he focused on smaller jobs, like moving students into their dorms and making Facebook Marketplace deliveries.
“You know what to expect after a while,” he told CNBC.
“It’s kind of the same group of furniture and the same few garbage bags of clothing.”
He also said that customer service is key to gaining an edge over the competition.
“I started to realize how stressful moving can be for people,” he explained.
Stockford revealed that his biggest month was August 2023, during which he raked in a whopping $9,740.
But he’s hardly the first person to start cleaning up gigs.
Aspiring actress Vanessa Garcia, from Los Angeles, decided to sign up for TaskRabbit in 2017 on the recommendation of a friend.
Stockford quickly realized that big jobs were harder work and less lucrative, so he focused on smaller jobs, such as moving students into their dorms.
“I thought it was great that you could get paid to assemble IKEA furniture,” the 30-year-old said Go Banking rates.
“Once I signed up for TaskRabbit, I discovered there was so much more you could do: everything from personal assistant work to event planning and staffing.”
Over the years, Vanessa has expanded her repertoire and advertised an increasingly wide range of services to potential clients.
“I offer 25 different skills through the app,” Garcia said. ‘These range from personal assistant work to project coordination/management to organization to furniture assembly, event and entertainment staff – to name just a few!’
Currently, her highest rate is for cleaning – just over $100 per hour – while her lowest rate is “queuing” – which starts at $46.45 per hour.
“Obviously, any job can be a very high-paying job,” Garcia explained.
‘It ultimately comes down to the high quality of the work you can deliver. As far as I’m concerned, I can charge anywhere between $60 and $100 per hour for a job.”