Social media, online stores make side hustles a more attractive way to make money
With inflation cutting into people's bottom line more than ever, many people are finding creative ways to make money to supplement their income or even replace their traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. jobs.
Kayla Brost is a stay-at-home mom to two kids and owns a business that's just down the hall from her kid's playroom.
She founded and operates Brides and Babes, a personalized clothing, custom gift and accessory store marketing its wares exclusively online and at craft or farmer's markets.
Brost says she first started making handmade gifts for close friends and family before the pandemic.
"To start, it was a hobby," Brost added. "I just made baby onesies… I was doing it just for fun on the side for friends and family."
"Once I had my daughter, I was looking for something to help with extra income."
She launched an Etsy marketplace that then scaled up to a bigger business handling more orders through Instagram.
"I just saw that there's an opportunity to make some extra grocery money or activity money for the kids," Brost said. "It's just been phenomenal for the bank account."
'THEY NEED FLEXIBILITY'
An retail specialist at the University of Alberta's School of Business says social media has changed the way people shop.
Social media has entirely cut out the need to go visit a mall or store, said Heather Thomson, executive director of the centre for cities and communities.
"We see people shopping at the point of discovery," Thomson said. "They're looking at an item through TikTok videos, through Instagram, through Pinterest and they can click on it and it brings you to where you can purchase that item."
"A lot of consumers are thinking, well, I actually didn't want that, (but) now that I see it, I do want it," Thomson added. "I didn't know it existed, it wouldn't have mattered to my life, but I want it."
Coupled with the pandemic changing attitudes toward work and life balance, many are reassessing how they want to make a living, Thomson said.
"We have a whole workforce where a typical 9 to 5 doesn't work for the set-up of someone's life," she said. "They need flexibility, but the traditional workforce doesn't allow for."
- 80 per cent of Canadians would seek new job if forced back to office, survey finds
- Feds to allow international students to work more to help Canada’s labour shortage
"So if they can find ways to make money and have some revenue coming in that allows them to have the flexibility to take care of their children or their loved ones, or they can be in school," Thomson says, "is huge."
It's also become easier for creators and artists to sell their wares, Thomson says, as inexpensive and easy to use platforms like Etsy help connect them with potential buyers.
"People are starting to see that, hey, I've got this extra time, and people are wanting these different things," she said. "Necessity is the mother of invention, and we are starting to see that more and more people are starting to monetize the different things they can do, whether it's talents or hobbies."
'IT'S JUST INDESCRIBABLE'
With the holiday season approaching, Brost plans to attend different creator markets almost every weekend until the end of December.
Saving money on child care while also doing a hobby she loves makes work seem less like work, Brost said.
"Just becoming a mom and then being able still to bring in an income for my family, to be able to provide some amount for my family, it's just indescribable," Brost said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
Oilers' Henrique, Stars' Hintz out for Game 1 of West final
Top-line Dallas Stars centre Roope Hintz will still be out of the lineup for the Western Conference Final opener Thursday night against Edmonton, which is still without forward Adam Henrique.
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
What is 'slapped cheek disease' and should parents be concerned?
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
Unknown Newfoundland soldier from the First World War heads back home from France after 100 years
Canadian soldiers and government officials arrived in northeastern France this week for a historic mission: returning an unknown Newfoundland soldier back home.
Calgary Philharmonic takes action following investigation into 'deeply troubling' comments by 2 musicians
The Calgary Philharmonic has confirmed its taking action after controversial online comments made by two members of the orchestra.