Side-hustle reviews: A Gen Zer shares what UGC, surveys, focus groups are like

• Jackie Mitchell said in a TikTok video that she made nearly $11,000 outside her job in 100 days.
• Her goal for these 100 days was to make money to help with an eventual down payment.
• She talked to Business Insider about side-hustle options and setting earning goals.

Jackie Mitchell says she was able to save up for a down payment to buy her first home with her husband in part by making money through side hustles and passive income.

To get to what she would be comfortable with for a down payment, Mitchell, 26, set a goal to earn an extra $100 daily for 100 days. She started in September, and the couple closed on a home a few months later.

“We moved pretty quickly once we got the funds and kind of found a house we loved right away,” she said, adding that the side hustles and extra money “enabled us to apply for that home that would otherwise not be on the market by the time we could otherwise finish saving up.”

She said in a TikTok video recapping the 100th day of the challenge in late December that she made nearly $11,000, roughly meeting that $100-a-day goal. Over the past few months, she posted videos highlighting the money she made from passive income or side hustles.

“I just posted it to see if I could get anyone to hold me accountable because I am very competitive with myself, but I’m even more so when people are watching,” Mitchell said. “I think I’ve always made side hustles kind of a game of some sort for myself in order to bring in extra money.”

Business Insider talked to Mitchell about some of the side hustles that worked for her over the 100-day challenge, what people should know about making an earnings goal, and whether others should pick up side-hustle work.

Setting an earnings goal

“I’m not saying everyone has to do a side hustle, but I do think in this economy it’s helpful,” Mitchell said.

While there are many options, Mitchell recommended easy-to-start side hustles that fit into your schedule. She also suggested setting simple and realistic goals and putting in consistent work.

“The race is always the name of the game, especially in earning, and you’ll never regret just taking it low and slow,” she said. “It’ll be easier on you. And then if you want to amp it up, that’s fine.”

You should celebrate the money you end up making, Mitchell said, because it’s money you wouldn’t have otherwise.

“What I want to encourage people to do, and what I’m hoping to encourage people to do during my series this year, is to remind people that little steps in the right direction, if they’re consistent, really add up,” she said.

Finding side hustles and passive income streams that fit your needs

Mitchell said she would recommend side hustles or making passive income if you’re willing to make the time commitment. That includes the process of researching opportunities.

“It’s almost less about do you have two hours in your day as much as it is do you have two hours in your day that you are willing to give up?” she said.

Side hustles and passive income have been helpful for Mitchell outside her job at a church.

“Obviously, it’s a job that I love and I’m very passionate about, but it is a nonprofit so it doesn’t pay a lot,” she said. “So that was part of my passion behind making extra money — being able to do a job I love and care about while still being able to hit some financial goals.”

Completing surveys or being a study participant could bring in some money

For animal lovers, pet sitting may be a good side hustle. Others may be more interested in doing surveys for some extra scratch.

Prolific, a site where you can be a research participant or do surveys, could be one option. Mitchell thinks it’s worth trying because of the “pay ratio to what you need to get started,” she said. She has found the pay is quite good and some surveys are quick.

She made at least £650, or about $818, on Prolific, which Business Insider verified with documentation. According to the site, the minimum pay is £6 an hour, though there could be instances of underpaying that Prolific tries to flag, and it recommends people get at least £9 an hour.

Mitchell added that there could be a waitlist and she was on one for months.

“We have to be able to selectively invite participants in controlled numbers to ensure our participant pool meets the ever-changing needs of our researchers,” Prolific’s site says, adding that invites off the waitlist can vary from a few hours to months.

“Part of that waiting game is just to see when researchers are looking for more people of your demographic,” Mitchell said.

Focus groups are another good option

Another way to make some extra cash that Mitchell recommends is through focus groups that pay.

Mitchell said she tried Focus Group for this. She found it was more consumer-focused than Prolific.

“These are things like in-home product testing,” she said. “So maybe a brand wants to send you a makeup product — they send it kind of without any packaging on it.”

She added that this could then involve giving your opinion about that product.

Mitchell has found that while there are frequent opportunities on Prolific, that hasn’t been the case for Focus Group. Its frequently asked questions section says people won’t qualify for all surveys.

“Of course, you can get on more sites and sign up for several different focus-groups sites,” Mitchell said.

The FAQ section on Focus Group says people get “an incentive in the form of reward points,” which can be redeemed at various retailers, for participating but should note this could be taxable.

Brand deals or partnerships and user-generated content

Mitchell found brand deals or partnerships could be fun side hustles that pay well.

“It’s hard for me to say everyone should do brand deals because, of course, they pay really well, but really that’s not accessible to most people,” she said.

Mitchell added that “there’s a lot of great creators specifically in the UGC realm on TikTok.” She said in one of her TikTok videos that she thought she was contacted for user-generated-content work because of the traction she got from the 100-day challenge.

While there are different kinds of user-generated content, it might be hard to stand apart from others.

“I do think the UGC market is becoming somewhat saturated now,” Mitchell said. “I feel like that’s a very popular side hustle, so it may be harder to crack into.”

For those who do work with brands or make content for them, Mitchell told BI that “really what brands are paying for is access to your specific audience,” which is why she said it’s important that you review and evaluate the companies first.

Earning through TikTok posts

For those who enjoy making TikTok content, it could be a side hustle. Mitchell has done the Creativity Program Beta, which she said could be a fun option.

This passive-income method might not be an available side hustle for all; TikTok requires participating accounts to be US-based. Beyond location and an age requirement of being at least 18, people need 10,000 or more followers and “at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days,” TikTok’s webpage on the program says.

Mitchell has made over $10,000 in rewards from participating in this TikTok program. She said a lot of that came after the 100-day challenge, with the bulk coming from a few viral posts. One of these videos after the challenge translated to over $5,000. The dollar amounts were verified with documentation sent to Business Insider.

“I think the rate is pretty consistent and you just kind of get to see per day on your dashboard how much you made,” she said. “Sometimes that’s huge. Other weeks, that’s a couple bucks a day.”

She added: “It really just depends on the virality of your content at any given time and how many people are interacting with your content.”

Have you made money from side hustles? Reach out to this reporter to share your experience at mhoff@businessinsider.com.