Kyle Stockford, an abstract artist aged 29, always knew that in 2021, with no art sales coming in, he had to look elsewhere for a reliable source of income. Being a full-time artist who specializes in creating bright and flamboyant collages paints the picture of how artists go months without selling a piece of art. That’s why he turned to something else—a side gig. Just like his brother, he registered on the Taskrabbit website.
He began with basic jobs such as landscaping and IKEA furniture assembly, earning $16 to $18 per hour. Almost instantly, he realized that the bulk of the profits lay in assisting individuals with their relocation. While Kyle would utilize his Chevy Express van, he would offer moving assistance across Boston for as much as $98 per hour. The cash started coming in quite fast, especially during peak season when students were moving in.
In one month, August 2023, Kyle made $9,740, and for most of the other months, he made between $3,000 and $5,000. Kyle saw additional income from the side hustles of more than $36,600 last year.
“TaskRabbit, I will engage in for some time,” Kyle says, looking back at how this gig has affected his financial status.
Everything commenced in the year 2018 when Kyle made up his mind to acquire a van, which he needed to help transport his painting. However, using the van did not make him any money, and after a year of employment with TaskRabbit, this is where he saw the usefulness of the van in relation to moving jobs. He spent just $50 on equipment, which was mainly the straps, moving blankets, gloves, and bungee cords, and began getting bigger moving jobs.
He began the business at $65 per hour and was able to get a job that involved moving two Students from Northeastern University. That two-hour gig that involved moving the students paid him $130, and though it was challenging doing such work without equipment, Kyle was able to find strategies that made him more effective and improved the quality of service offered. In order to increase the number of jobs that she was able to complete in a day, she booked smaller jobs such as one-bedroom moves and Facebook Marketplace pickups.
He also made sure that the moving process was not as tedious for the clients. “I started to understand how difficult moving can be for people,” he says. And he would calm them down, saying, “Do not worry, we will be done with this in about two hours.”
In 2022, Kyle’s venture expanded considerably, and according to him, 2023 was out of this world. In August and September, which were the peak months for him, he worked nearly every day, completing one job after another. He had mastered the job and knew very well what to expect in between jobs, especially when working for college students during the summer. He learned to request dorm keys or codes, to carry door wedges and a roof rack for the mattresses, and to always find a parking spot that is as close as possible to save on the moving time.
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This was on top of the moving itself and climbing up to the third floor within the heavy south shore of Boston traffic, which was quite a workload. Classification of work is easy—it is difficult and rewarding at the same time.
After getting busy with his work, Kyle discovered he could do without a day job. He currently has a part-time job at the McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College while also working on allocating 10 to 20 moving hours in a week, which allows him to have enough time to concentrate on his art.
“I can spend three weeks in a year and earn a lot of money and just switch it off,” Kyle explains.
This side hustle has been financially supporting Kyle for him to follow his love for art and also get paid while working according to his own timetable. If you want to find ways to increase your income, the example of Kyle shows that you are able to make it work with very little investment and some effort into a desirable side business.
Do you need to earn some extra dollars aside from your normal job? Maybe working with TaskRabbit and other similar platforms will be ideal for you.
