I quit my 9 to 5 retail job and now make $2,845 a month – it’s all down to a ‘group’ side hustle, now I teach others

AN entrepreneur has made big bucks by investing time in an easy and interactive side hustle, which he later turned into a business.

His focus group side hustle makes him an extra $3,000 each month, and all you need to get started is a computer and an opinion.

Large brands conduct paid consumer studies, or focus groups, to gain insight into opinions on their products, services, or ads.

Filipe, a 30-year-old entrepreneur, began participating in online focus groups in 2020 after seeing a friend's Instagram post about the need for research participants, per Business Insider.

"I had no idea what it was, but I clicked on the link and filled out the survey," said Filipe.

Two days later, he received a call from a recruiter who confirmed his responses and shared more about the research study.

"It was going to be about social media, and I would be paid $175 for spending 90 minutes on a Zoom call," he said, noting that he participated along with four others and a moderator.

"The conversation just flew by, and it honestly felt like just a normal chat geared toward social media."

Two weeks later, Filipe received a check in the mail for $175.

"While it didn't necessarily sound like a scam, I wondered how and why I would get paid to do something as fun as sharing my opinion on a specific topic," he said.

MAKE IT RAIN

Filipe eventually quit his job as a store manager in search of more flexibility and freedom.

He began searching for ways to make money through side hustles and got back into focus groups.

The entrepreneur shared he also tried side hustles such as e-commerce, DoorDash, and Shipt, but "they didn't feel as worth it."

"I noticed that I was consistently bringing in $2,000 to $3,000 a month from focus groups alone, so I eventually transitioned to concentrate solely on doing focus groups," said Filipe.

He shared that the one-on-one or group interviews varied in length, from just 10 or 20 minutes to a full day.

He noted the average pay rate was $150 for 90 minutes.

"The benchmark I set to decide whether a focus group is worth participating in is generally at least $50 for 30 minutes to an hour," he said.

Focus Group Tips

Felipe shared a few tips on taking on focus groups as a side hustle:

1. Apply to as many as possible - aim for at least 10 to 15 per day. The more you apply, the more you book.
2. Search for terms such as "focus groups near me" or "taste tests near me" on Google, Craigslist, and social media.
3. Be aware of scams. Ensure sites share the incentive amount and avoid those with an unusually high amount, such as $750 an hour.
4. Don't get discouraged if you don't hear back. Focus groups have specific criteria to fill and some can take weeks to get back to you.
5. Once you start getting booked, use a spreadsheet to track the dates of the studies and when the payment should come in.

From November 2023 through April this year, Filipe made an average of $2,845 each month.

Participants can be paid in a variety of ways, including virtual Visa gift cards, direct deposits, in-person checks, cash, PayPal, checks in the mail, Zelle, and Amazon gift cards.

Filipe shared that he tracks his focus groups in a spreadsheet to help visualize how much he makes monthly and budget.

He said one of the coolest focus groups he participated in was a four-part study on food, with the last part involving a fully paid trip to Chicago.

Filipe eventually turned the side hustle into a business, teaching others how to profit from focus groups.

Others have made a lot of money from easy side hustles.

One person makes $500 a day with a simple mailbox side hustle – you only need $60, two small tools, and your hands to start.

Another makes $2,100 weekly with a trash can side hustle – it only takes 20 minutes and all you need is a hose.