By Lily Stetson
Ever since classes at Redwood High School spontaneously ended in March due to Covid-19, students took this extra time to find and get involved with new hobbies and eventually turn them into small businesses.
Most students operate through an Instagram account in order to reach out to potential customers. They promote their products to buyers through posts. However, since there are many people starting side hustles, it is important to be unique enough to stand out from the rest.
Having a business that is unlike any other is an important aspect. That’s why Alysa Betiong, ‘22, has had so much success. Her account on Instagram, @alysas.custom.closet, is dedicated to crochet. “I crochet tops, hats, blankets, bottoms, scrunchies, stuffed animals, and so on,” Betiong said. She saw people on TikTok creating a business out of their talent. She has been crocheting since the fourth grade and finally decided to put it to good use.
One of the most positive points of her side hustle is that she donates 20% of each purchase to the Black Lives Matter organization. “I really wanted to step in and make a change, even if it was a small change.”
The turning point in her success was when she crocheted a large, stuffed bee. “People absolutely loved my bee I made… I got lots of requests after those posts,” said Betiong. Quarantine has given her the time she needed to get back into her hobby and master it. Betiong has enjoyed what she does, even as school starts up again. It helps her deal with stress and she loves to see how she progresses over time.
Savannah Rodriguez, ‘21, is the owner of @savs.shirts on Instagram, where she sells her custom-made t-shirts. As she was looking through Instagram one day, Rodriguez came across a multitude of small boutiques she liked. She took certain aspects from the pages and created her own. “At first I started off with just tie dye tank tops,” Rodriguez said. “But now I expanded to adding designs to them.”
Due to the extra time she had on her hands, Rodriguez was able to take in more orders and to experiment with what kind of designs she liked best. “My top selling shirts are currently the blue tie dye butterfly rhinestone tank, and my green tie dye, keroppi shirt,” she said. She is currently adding Sanrio characters in rhinestones to some of the shirts she is making, but she also offers a variety of designs.
Through giveaways and promotions, Rodriguez’s business has taken off not only locally, but people from Tulare and Exeter have also contacted her for shirts. For those who are interested in having a successful side hustle such as Rodriguez’s, she offers some advice. “Promote your products or try to have others locally promote.” She also recommends asking customers to pay in advance to save time and stop any problems from occurring.
Kristina Khounpaseuth, ‘21, had taken up baking during quarantine until she decided to make a profit off of it. She started baking to cure the boredom she had been facing during those months off from school.
Although it is time consuming, she describes her side hustle as therapeutic. Her Instagram account, @kristinaa.bakes, has been very popular. “My business’s success has skyrocketed since I started, my first week of business I was booked the whole week,” said Khounpaseuth.
Khounpaseuth began baking just for her family and friends, but as they praised her skills she decided to turn it into a business. Everything she does for her business is done by herself. “I do not have any help with any of the baking, everything is 100%, my heart and soul into my baking,” said Khounpaseuth. She recommends to anyone interested in starting a side hustle to keep going and keep pursuing it. She faces difficulties and slow weeks herself, but in the end it is rewarding.
Redwood students have been faced with a lot of time on their hands since school ended in March. However, these students took the time to not only help the community, but also to bring some new products to their friends and classmates.
Tags: business, clubs & lifestyles, rangers, redwood high school, side hustle