Posted on

These Caregiver Jobs Are in Demand — No Medical Training Required

Job seekers can find immediate openings in most areas across the country as companions for retirees. No medical training is required, though most applicants need to have a driver’s license and their own transportation.

“Right now, there is a crisis for caregivers. The demand is so high. We all need them,” said Elaine Poker-Yount, director of care management for the Visiting Angels franchise in Mesa, Ariz. “It’s not just us. There is strong demand for all caregiver positions.”

Visiting Angels has more than 600 franchises in 50 states employing caregivers who help seniors with transportation, easy meal preparation, light housekeeping, other activities of daily living and mostly being a friend.

Some Visiting Angels franchises as well as many other senior care program employers around the country are also hiring home health aides or personal care aides. They tend to help with additional tasks such as teeth brushing, bathing and toileting.

These Caregiver Jobs Are in Demand

Home Health Aides

Typically, these aides need a high school diploma or equivalent and must complete formal training and pass an exam. This career often doesn’t require you to have your own transportation while being a companion does usually require driving.

Home health aides earned a median annual salary of $27,080 or about $13 per hour in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It expects the overall employment of these caregiver jobs to grow 33% in the next eight years as Baby Boomers age.

BizInsure, a marketplace for business insurance, reports that many home health aide training programs last just two weeks. Training programs cost between $200 and $1,000. Because there is such a shortage of people to fill caregiver jobs, some employers will pay for new hires to get their caregiver certification.

Most community colleges offer training and exam prep for these caregiver jobs.

The course and exam are more about knowing how to care for people than medical training.

Companions

Many job seekers who aren’t up for bathing and toileting assistance already have skills that can be put to good use as a full-time or part-time companion.

“We look for someone with empathy, not sympathy. Someone who can walk in someone else’s shoes and see the world from their point of view,” Poker-Yount said. “We look for that respect piece, that they really want to make a difference in somebody’s life.”

Pro Tip

Search here to see if Visiting Angels is filling caregiver jobs in your zip code.

Because each Visiting Angels franchise has a different owner, there is no set pay scale. Many offer competitive pay of two or more dollars per hour above the state’s minimum wage. Employees with more experience may be compensated more than that, Poker-Yount said. Some offer benefits. You can work full time as a companion or as little as one four-hour shift a week in most cases.

Each state’s licensing or association requirements for caregiver jobs are different, though it’s not uncommon for companions to undergo criminal background checks and provide references. Some programs also require CPR training.

Who Typically Works as a Caregiver?

Some caregivers are students going through medical school or working to become a physical therapist, but many are caring people with no specific academic or medical training wanting to work part time or full time.

Poker-Yount doesn’t require job applicants to have prior care working with seniors in a professional setting. She does look for employees who have cared for a family member at some time in their life for six months or more.

“Somebody who took care of a little sister who had Down syndrome, or cared for someone with intellectual development difficulties or who took care of their spouse makes a wonderful companion,” she said. “We have found family caregiving is the best experience for providing well-rounded care.”

Poker-Yount is certified to train companions to care for clients with dementia.

“Not everybody is comfortable caregiving in a dementia world, whether because they lived in it or because they haven’t had experience and it daunts them,” she said. “When the caregiver has zero to little dementia experience and gets a client (with dementia) they grow with them. They become phenomenal. It’s baby steps along the way.”

Employers make sure the caregiver is comfortable with the older adult and so that the client and caregiver are a good match and it’s a good work environment.

Katherine Snow Smith is a staff writer for The Penny Hoarder.

<!–

–>

Source: thepennyhoarder.com

Posted on

Pandemic Side Gig Skills Useful After COVID

Whether it was takeout from Dumpling, groceries for Instacart, or something else entirely — food delivery services were huge during the pandemic, and author and career educator Dr. Steven Greene thinks they’re here to stay. “This is all about convenience first and safety second,” says Greene. “Families are always strapped for time and they want simplicity— and the time saved going to the market, shopping, and bringing the food home is precious.”
COVID-19 has changed a lot of things about the way we live, and the way we work is one of them. Whether you held a steady job throughout the pandemic, took some time off, or even joined the 55 million people working the gig economy, you’ve probably witnessed many of these changes first hand.
Source: thepennyhoarder.com

Grocery & Food Delivery

Not only has grocery and food delivery become a staple in our post-COVID lives, but it’s also a great way to rack up some seriously helpful transferable skills. Just like many other service jobs, delivering food provides valuable experiences you can take with you on your next career moves. Here are some ideas.
If you spent part of the pandemic delivering food, Greene says you probably developed the ability to expertly manage your time and keep things organized, all of which lends itself well to any sort of administrative office job.

What To Do Next

If you want to move past the driver’s seat, consider finding a job in customer service, sales, or even public relations. And be sure to bring that 5-star rating mentality with you.

Contact Tracing

Much like homeschool assistance, elder assistance was and is another critical role, even in our post-pandemic world. “Isolation in the senior community has been prevalent well before Covid,” says Hoskins. “Now the benefits have been seen and reaped, so the service will continue, and it will be such a relief for their children or neighbors who are unable to give the full assistance that’s needed.”

What To Do Next

This side gig is a great one to continue, but don’t forget you have other options as well. If animals are your thing, consider finding work in a local animal rescue organization or pet store. If you enjoyed watching the houses more than their inhabitants, consider upping your game and becoming a luxury house sitter.

Homeschool Assistance

Given this type of experience, obvious next stepping stones seem to include data entry or analysis positions as well as any sort of medical receptionist position.

What To Do Next

It’s easy to feel like time spent during the pandemic was wasted, but don’t. However you got through these past few months should be seen as an accomplishment, and as we head into a season of the “new normal” — remember to take your hard-earned experiences with you and wear them proudly in whatever venture you choose to embark on next.

Poll Work

Colorado writer Larissa Runkle specializes in finance, real estate and lifestyle topics. She is a regular contributor to The Penny Hoarder. 

What To Do Next

Poll work is cyclical in nature, meaning it won’t always be so readily available. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take that experience into your next gig. “Poll workers had to have the ability to keep things extremely organized,” says Greene. “They also developed data collection and analysis, as well as people skills.” You could also lump U.S. Census work into this category.

Elder Assistance

If you want to continue developing the helping skills you obtained during the pandemic, you might consider working in a senior center, senior living facility, or even in an administrative role in a doctor’s office.

What To Do Next

Because side hustles have become such an integral part of life as we know it, we thought we’d ask the career experts to tell us which gigs they think will survive the pandemic, and provide some advice for people looking to transition out of their side hustles and into full-time jobs. Here’s everything you need to know about these eight major pandemic gigs — and how you can use that side hustle experience in your next venture.

Online Tutoring

If you want to take your tutoring to the next level, consider expanding your offerings with online group classes or even approaching local school systems to become their recommended online tutor of choice. There are many companies looking for tutors though you might need certification. Teaching English online could get you an hour.

What To Do Next

Parents couldn’t have done it without you, and fortunately this side gig is another important one that seems like it might stick around for a while. “This will be critical for parents who wish to continue to homeschool their children,” says Hoskins. “They might have discovered that their children thrive with a more personalized approach to their studies.” As the country continues the transition back into in-person learning and parents resume their normal day-to-day roles, their kids might still need your support with their schoolwork. Just remember, this won’t be the only thing you can do with your new hard-earned skills.

Driving for Rideshare Companies

Don’t wait for another election or census to flaunt your new work experience. Consider applying for an administrative role in one of your local government offices.

What To Do Next

Ready to stop worrying about money?

Pet-Sitting or House-Sitting

Privacy Policy

What To Do Next

Get the Penny Hoarder Daily

The Final Word

If you were one of the many drivers braving the pandemic to help people get around, we see you — and the good news is, your gig isn’t going anywhere. “Rideshare, and other services such as food delivery, will continue to expand and the number of drivers needed to perform these deliveries will continue to grow as well,” predicts Greene. “Driving is something almost anyone can do part-time to make extra, or in many cases, full-time money.” But the other great thing about being a rideshare driver? You’ve got people skills like no one else.
While this particular gig might not be around again for a while (we hope), that doesn’t mean you can’t take that skillset with you into your next endeavor. Founder and hiring manager Rick Hoskins of Filter King says that contact tracers likely developed an impressive array of skills when it came to research, handling customer data, and discretion.

Enjoyed watching Spot and his pad during the pandemic? As things open back up and more people venture out into the world for work and vacation, this side gig seems like an obvious one to stick around. “As people return to their workplaces, the need for someone to watch their pets, walk their dogs, take in the mail, and water their plants will increase, as will the demand for people to perform these tasks,” says Greene.

Posted on

8 Tips for How to Sell on Craigslist

Most of us have probably taken a deep, exasperated breath while surveying our homes, wondering how we managed to accumulate so much clutter. But there might be a way to turn that clutter into cash. It comes down to one word: Craigslist.

8 Tips for Selling on Craigslist

Selling on Craigslist seems easy, but it requires some know-how to get the intended result and money in your wallet. We scoured the Internet for the best tips.

So list that chair you’ve always hated. We’re here to help you find success and sell more of your items on Craigslist.

1. Take Photos That Work

Ever seen a Craigslist listing with an object you can’t quite make out? Is that a nightstand or a coffee table? Are they selling the whole dining room table set or just one chair?

A good photo can make your listing stand out while a bad photo has the potential to shut down any business. Take a good photo by posing your object in a well-lit spot, whether it’s in natural light or a warm artificial glow, and focus on the details that make your object special. Only photograph what you’re selling — leave extraneous things out of the picture.

2. It’s In the Details

Your listing can’t simply be a photo and the name of the object. You need a description and any relevant details — think dimensions or number of items or even age of the item, if relevant. It’s ideal for your listing to answer all of the questions a potential buyer might have so they don’t have time to really agonize over their purchase.

3. Tell the Truth

That being said, it’s important to be honest in your listing. If your couch has stains or your wooden dresser is chipped, add images that show the damage. Point that out to potential buyers in your description. People will be more likely to buy an item when they feel they are getting an upfront understanding of it.

One example: do not post the catalogue image of your piece of furniture from when it was brand new. (People do this.) Take a photo of your furniture piece as is — after all, that’s what you’re selling.

4. Be Simple

While you should absolutely share relevant details, there’s no need to tell the story of how your kids bounced around on these couch cushions or how the table was passed down in the family generation after generation. Potential buyers know they’re browsing for a used object, but they don’t want the legacy that comes with it. They want it to feel like their own.

And stick to simplicity in your listing title. Potential buyers often search for specific objects — trash cans or mirrors — and they likely won’t be searching with various adjectives.

5. Offer Delivery

Potential buyers love it when Craigslist sellers offer delivery. It’s an added perk and makes things easier, especially when the site caters to people from all over. Make sure to add a higher cost for delivery — whatever seems worth it to you based on location — and be safe. Bring someone along with you when you go to deliver.

6. The Price is Right

It really does boil down to whether the asking price is right. Craigslist is known for sellers that practically give items away, so it’s better to price your listing lower rather than higher. Interest is always key, and if you price it too high, you may have no takers.

But make sure you price your item at a level with which you’re comfortable. It’s not worth giving something away if it has sentimental value and you think it can go for more.

7. Reach Out to Your Network

Word of mouth is a powerful tool. If you think you might know someone in your social network — whether that’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or more — who might be interested in what you’re selling, share it on those forums.

And better yet, if you have a specific buyer in mind, feel free to be direct and share your listing with friends and family. If it doesn’t work for them, they may know the right person.

8. Always Be Safe

Always remember that you are dealing with strangers online on Craigslist. If someone is coming to your house or you are going to theirs, have a friend with you. Don’t assume that you will be fine if you are alone. Entering a stranger’s house or allowing a stranger to enter yours always comes with risk. It’s better to be prepared and meet in a public place if that is the only way the meeting can take place.

Writer Elizabeth Djinis is a contributor to The Penny Hoarder, often writing about selling goods online through social platforms. Her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Smithsonian Magazine and the Tampa Bay Times.

<!–

–>

Source: thepennyhoarder.com

Posted on

7 Tips on How to Take Pictures of Items to Sell

To put it simply: knowing how to take pictures of items to sell online has almost as much of an impact on your success as the actual object. It’s the presentation, the first way a shopper sees your product.
Before Christine Soojung Han of Vintage Sooj even shoots a photograph, she asks herself some philosophical questions. What is she trying to achieve with this photograph? What is she hoping to emulate or what kind of mood does she want to evoke? In essence, what story is she telling with the photograph.
Lighting was the first piece of advice that Chen offered. Finding the right place in your home is a matter of finding south-facing windows and, ideally, more than one window. You want to have lots of natural light. How the light comes through your window will change by season and time of day.

Pro Advice on How to Take Pictures of Items to Sell Online

Han found natural light to be too fickle. She started out with simply soft sunlight, but that was too dependent on the weather. So she bought soft boxes for light and studio lighting for about 0 and that upgraded her lighting set-up.

1. Decide What Style Photography You Want

“Avoid a crazy wallpaper wall,” she said. “That’s not for everybody and it really becomes a distraction. You want to be able to look at your furniture and not your wallpaper.”
Privacy Policy
Chen would post as many photos as possible if she could, but social media sites limit how many photos a seller can post. Chen’s adage is: take as many photos as possible. More photos offer more details and more chances for someone to fall in love with your item.

2. Find the Right Background. Be Consistent.

Ready to stop worrying about money?
You don’t have to have fancy equipment to start: smartphone cameras work fine.
When Han first started, she used props in some of her photos, like pampas grass or a stool. She found the props to be distracting, so now she models the clothes in most of her photos and adds accessories to the outfits. She doesn’t want to take attention away from the product itself.
But don’t worry, we’re about to let you in on some tips to make bank on. We consulted with the pros so you don’t have to do all of that legwork. Instead, let two eCommerce gurus guide you through the art of putting your best foot forward — photographically speaking, that is.
For Chen, staging is pivotal to creating a lived-in scene with her furniture. The important thing with staging is to strike a balance between domestic beauty and distraction. Chen suggests simple objects like a round mirror or a couple of white or black-covered books. She always likes to have vases on hand to hold flowers cut from her garden.
With clothing, much of that comes down to style: do you want something moodier with shadow or do you want crisp and clean images? Is this a stylized portrait or is this simply about the clothes? Researching and having a style of image in mind that you want to achieve makes it easier from the outset.

3. Lighting Matters

Elizabeth Djinis is a contributor to The Penny Hoarder.
Source: thepennyhoarder.com
Chen takes photos to show how deep a dresser drawer is or what the top surface looks like. She shares photos of the furniture legs and hardware, because that can make a difference to a buyer and is often another aspect of her design. If she can add a video, she does. A video gives people the sense of the full scope of an item and what it looks like in natural daylight.

4. Stage Your Photograph

Chen echoes the same premise for furniture.
When it comes to furniture product photos, Chen says, capturing the details is key. What makes your piece special? Take a photo of that. Examples of Chen’s clean photo styling can be studied on Instagram.

5. Capture the Details of Your Items

Chen calls taking a good photo “50% of the work.” She recently bought a dresser online for . Although Chen usually sands, paints and refurbishes the furniture she sells, this piece was in such good shape that she did nothing to it. She took some well-lit and aesthetically appealing photos and sold it for 5. She made almost 0 off of the dresser with little additional work.
Both Han and Chen say photos have made a difference in attracting buyers. Han will often reshoot a piece that hasn’t sold after some time. She might try different lighting or a different background to highlight the piece. Once she posts that new photo, she can usually sell the item right away.

6. Edit Your Photos

Often, entrepreneurs who start an online business aren’t photographers. Sometimes, they don’t even have a background in a creative industry and it’s unlikely they will have camera equipment beyond their smartphones. They’re passionate about their businesses selling vintage clothing or refurbishing vintage furniture, but they’re self-taught. For many, the internet has been their teacher.

7. Use Multiple Photos

Chen doesn’t like to use artificial lighting, because she finds it changes the color of the furniture in photos.

Photos Make a Difference

The axiom “photo, photo, photo” may be to online selling what “location, location, location” is to real estate.
“You see people use printed backgrounds or landscapes, but I think, no matter what you decide to use, it shouldn’t be distracting, because you want the attention to be on the clothing,” Han said.
Both Han and Sara Chen of the upcycled furniture company Sara Chen Design suggest keeping the background clean and neutral. Chen uses white walls as her backdrop, but in the last year, she has spruced it up by adding board and batten wood paneling to her staging wall. Chen has a space in her house specifically designated for staging, a luxury not everyone has.
Han, who started her business in a tiny apartment, began taking photos with a bedsheet as her background. That got tedious because she had to steam the wrinkles out each time. Now, she uses color paper backdrops that she bought cheaply from a photographer who was looking to downsize equipment. Examples of Han’s backgrounds can be studied on Etsy. Scroll through the pages to see where she used bedsheets. <!–

–>


“Photos make such a big difference,” Chen said. “You need to take time to take better photos if you want to sell for more money.”

Posted on

How to Become a Paid Caregiver for a Family Member

Ready to stop worrying about money?
The American Council on Aging strongly recommends finding a Medicaid planner to help with applying for caregiver roles and other benefits.
Genworth, a Virginia-based provider of long-term care insurance, conducts an annual survey on the cost of care for retirees. The median price for one month in a private room in a nursing home in 2020 was ,821. A semi-private room cost ,756 a month.
Medicaid eligibility in general, not just for these programs and waivers, is not consistent across the country. A general rule of thumb as of 2021 is senior applicants can’t have more than ,382 in income and ,000 in assets.
State-specific eligibility can be found here. If a senior is already enrolled in Medicaid, the next step is contacting their state’s Medicaid office.

How to Become a Paid Caregiver for a Family Member

“The vast majority of older adults want to stay in their homes as they age, and allowing them to pay a friend or family member to help with their daily needs can make that possible,” said Susan Reinhard, senior vice president of AARP’s Public Policy Institute. “The pandemic provided a push for states to expand this option, and we hope many of them will make their policy changes permanent.
Privacy Policy

  • Home and Community Based Services Waivers are offered by the majority of states. But many have a limited number of these waivers, so there may be a waiting list. This waiver allows the Medicaid participant to hire a friend or relative as a personal care assistant. This is also referred to as the 1915 C waiver.
  • The Self-Directed Personal Assistance Services State Plan Option allows a Medicaid participant to hire, train and pay the personal care assistant they choose. Based on the budget Medicaid offers, the participant decides what the assistant is paid. One unique part of this option is the participant pays employment taxes on the assistant. An intermediary helps with this financial aspect of the process.
  • Community First Choice, also called the 1915 state plan option, actually applies to Medicaid recipients who are in nursing homes but need personal care services. Instead of paying extra for a staff member at the facility to provide that care, this option allows friends or family to help with bathing, grooming, light housekeeping and transportation. According to the American Council on Aging, the following nine states offer this option: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Maryland, Montana, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.
  • With the Caretaker Child Exception, Medicaid doesn’t pay the adult child a wage to care for their parent but allows the parent’s house to be transferred to the adult child as a form of payment. This comes into play when an elderly Medicaid participant is moving into a nursing home but wouldn’t qualify for Medicaid because they own their home.

Learn More About Medicaid 

Clients must show they need a certain level of care, and caregivers must show they are capable of providing that care. If the client needs medical care and the loved one isn’t trained for that, they cannot be designated as the caregiver.
Source: thepennyhoarder.com
Katherine Snow Smith is a staff writer for The Penny Hoarder.
“Paying family caregivers is a solution that saves states money and meets the growing need for long-term care.” <!–

–>


Get the Penny Hoarder Daily

Posted on

When you order Nachos BellGrande…

A man conducts an interview with a person outside of Taco Bell during one of their hiring parties.

Taco Bell will hire 5,000 people at 2,000 stores across the country. The fast food chain will be taking COVID-19 precautions by conducting interviews in parking lots. Photo courtesy of Taco Bell

When you order Nachos BellGrande at the Taco Bell drive-thru on Wednesday, April 21, you can request a job as well. The fast food empire is hiring 5,000 people at “hiring parties” in parking lots at 2,000 stores throughout the country.

The chain is growing toward its goal of operating 10,000 stores across the globe by the end of the decade, according to a hiring announcement. Taco Bell currently has 7,000 company-owned and franchise locations in the United States and 600 in other countries.

The jobs available vary based on location but include all levels, from “bellhops” who take orders on tablets at drive-thrus, to general managers. Click here to see what positions are open in your area. Interested candidates can fill out an application on that same site in advance or do it in person at a store on Wednesday

Not every Taco Bell is having a hiring party so job seekers should go to TacoBell.com/locations to get phone numbers of stores near them and call to see if they are participating in the event.

Taco Bell will interview candidates outside in order to follow COVID-19 precautions. In some locations applicants won’t even have to get out of their cars. Everyone must wear a mask and stay six feet apart. You can bring a resume and references, but that is not necessary, according to Meagan Ashner, a spokeswoman for Taco Bell.

“While we are hopeful for strong, qualified talent among all applicants, attending a hiring party does not guarantee a job,” she added.

According to Indeed.com, Taco Bell’s wages start at $10.26 an hour for kitchen team members. A shift manager can make $23,494 a year and an assistant manager can make $43,969.

The restaurant gives employees a free meal during a shift, according to Indeed.

Benefits for general managers of company-owned stores have recently been expanded to include up to four weeks of accrued vacation a year and four weeks of “baby bonding” time for new parents and guardians. The company also offers eight weeks of fully-paid short term disability after the birth of a child.

Taco Bell fared well during the pandemic, adjusting quickly to the shutdown of indoor dining. The drive-thru was already a key part of its business, and the chain made it easier for customers to order and pick up food.

The rollout of new “Go Mobile” stores this year is fueling part of the need for more employees. These smaller restaurants cater only to digital orders and drive-thru pickups.

Katherine Snow Smith is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

<!–

–>

Source: thepennyhoarder.com

Posted on

How to to Start Reselling Shoes and Make Some Serious Money

Ready to stop worrying about money?
Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram or Youtube, commenting, posting and engaging will help build your reputation. Not every interaction has to be about securing a sale – those will come once you’ve established yourself as an authority in the sneaker resale market.

How One Hustler Makes $100,000 a Year Flipping Sneakers

Source: thepennyhoarder.com
You can recoup some of these costs by charging higher shipping fees. But if they’re dramatically higher than your competition, the consumer will notice.
Sneakers are released in limited quantities. As a sneaker reseller, you can purchase shoes brand new direct from retailers or manufacturers at retail prices. Like-new and gently-used shoes can be thrifted or purchased on any number of apps. You might also be able to use these apps to find a good deal from another reseller on what’s known as the “aftermarket.”

Get Started Reselling Shoes

Privacy Policy
Let’s say you have 0, and you’re looking for a pair of shoes with a decent return on investment. You’re not going to be able to afford a pair of Nike Air Jordans, but there are other routes you can take.
“Personally, I think Goat app is the best app on the market for reselling sneakers,” Honjo says.
If you’re a self-driven entrepreneur, you can make good money selling sneakers. Possibly even enough money to replace your 9-to-5 income if you hustle hard enough.

Building Inventory

“You really want to keep accurate books when you are doing high volume,” he explains. “This will save you tons of stress when tax season comes around.”

  • Adidas
  • Adidas Confirmed
  • SNKRS (for Nike shoes)

However, if you hold onto your inventory for a while, Yeezys can become more valuable over time. Honjo estimates that if you hold onto a new pair of Yeezys for at least 12 months, you could see the sneaker resale profits creep up to anywhere from to 0 per pair.
If you’re going to build a business, it’s easier to put in the work if it’s something you’re passionate about. If you enjoy sneakers as a fashion statement or consider yourself a sneakerhead, this side hustle could be a particularly good fit.

    • Goat
    • Sneakercon
    • StockX
    • Ebay

He notes that not every shoe will go for a profit, though. It’s helpful to cross reference any prices you see at an outlet or retailer with an app like Goat. That way you can see what the shoe is reselling for in real time, estimating your potential profit margins.
Adidas’ Yeezy is another incredibly popular shoe brand you might think would be great for resale. But Honjo says the market has become oversaturated, making the potential profit before overhead costs about per pair.
“Oftentimes, obtaining sneakers direct from a retailer is the most difficult part of the process because the quantities are extremely limited and the demand is also very high,” explains Honjo.

Sneaker Reselling: Volume is King

On top of that, your side hustle is subject to income taxes. Honjo says he sets aside about 20% to 25% of his reselling profit for federal, state and local income taxes.
“I do attribute a lot of that to the fact that I have a social media presence,” says Honjo, referencing the higher end of his potential income bracket in any given year.
When you’re starting, you don’t need to buy the most expensive sneakers on the market. In fact, what you should be looking for isn’t necessarily the most expensive sneaker; instead, you should be looking for the sneaker with the highest return on investment.

Shoes to Buy: Best and Worst Returns

After you’ve built your inventory, you sell your shoes directly to consumers at a markup.
You’ve built your inventory, considered potential profit margins and accounted for your overhead costs. Now that you have your sneakers, how will you find customers?
Here’s how the sneaker resale market works in a nutshell:
Honjo’s No. 1 tip for reselling sneakers is to be active in your digital community. This is particularly true if you’re using social media to promote your business.

Calculating Overhead Costs

He says that while his social media presence makes selling easier, it’s not a mandatory requirement to success in the sneaker resell game. He has seen resellers make up to ,000 per year by posting inventory exclusively on reselling apps. No YouTube channel required.
Honjo says Jordan 1 Highs reliably turn a good profit, as do Adidas Ultraboosts. Either pair could potentially come in under 0 at retail. He recommends staying away from brands like Vans or Under Armour as they don’t have the same resale value as a pair of Nike or Adidas shoes.
You might want to consider reselling sneakers. Not used sneakers from the dark reaches of your closet but new or gently used shoes that you buy for a bargain and then sell for more using handy apps. During the pandemic, demand in the sneaker market hasn’t gone down. Instead, almost everything has moved online, making it ideal for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to make money with a potentially lucrative side hustle.

Bryson Honjo is a sneaker reseller, owner of United Hawaii and star of a prospering YouTube channel that teaches viewers how to start reselling shoes. Honjo started his journey in the sneaker business in 2016, and now makes anywhere between ,000 and 0,000 per year.
First, you will have to pay fees to the apps. These fees aren’t huge, but they do eat away at your profit margin. This is especially noticeable when your profit margin is small.
“Volume is king in the sneaker game,” says Honjo. “I’ve seen many successful resellers completely bypass the expensive, hype sneakers and go straight to the Nike outlets to find cheaper shoes that they can resell for a higher profit.”

Finding Customers

The mechanics of making money in this niche are fairly simple, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy. You can’t come in with zero knowledge of the industry. To get started, you’ll need to learn about the product, how you’ll make money and how to anticipate overhead costs.
There was already an online presence for sneaker reselling prior to the pandemic, but in the past year Honjo says that almost everything has moved online. As you build your inventory, he suggests looking to these retailer apps:
“If you are just starting off, reselling platforms like Ebay and Goat have enough of a customer base where you really don’t need a social media presence,” says Honjo. “Your sneakers will still sell regardless. It just might take a bit longer.”
Thirty dollars in profit on a new pair of Yeezys might not sound bad. But you don’t get to keep all when you’re reselling sneakers.
Then, make sure to account for the costs of shipping. That’s not just postage. It’s also boxes, tape, packaging materials and any gas you may need to use going back and forth to the post office – if the post office doesn’t do pick-ups in your area.

Is Becoming a Sneaker Reseller the Right Side Hustle for Me?

After checking the aftermarket apps, he says you can also explore online sneaker shops, other resellers’ Instagram pages, Facebook groups and Reddit to find additional inventory.
Of course, you don’t need to become an influencer to become a sneaker reselling entrepreneur.
It can also be ideal for those who might already know they enjoy collectible industries. Even if the product is different, the experience of the work is similar. It’s that same thrill from searching for a great deal, getting your hands on it and then raking in the profit.
Looking for ways to make money remotely? How about a socially-distant side hustle that could turn into a full-time business? <!–

–>


Brynne Conroy is a contributor to The Penny Hoarder.