BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Kelly Anne Smith is a business coach located in Boynton Beach and founder of Freedom in a Budget.
"Most people live paycheck to paycheck or only have one job, that one source of income," she said.
Smith said she now teaches an online Youtube course called "Dreamer to Profitable." It's a product of the pandemic. She said she used to teach about budgeting, but then quickly saw a shift.
"I really saw the hurt in people," she said.
Smith said there is now more of a desperate need to pay bills and increase revenue.
"People wanting to learn how to save money, then with the pandemic and everything that happened last year, there was a huge shift in people wanting to make more money," she explained. "They didn't want to save money. They wanted to increase their revenue because of job layoffs, because of pay cuts."
Smith created the course to help people rebound.
"To help people start a side hustle or online business," she said.
It's all about how to set goals and make an idea profitable. In turn, she hopes it will add more financial security.
"Helping them find out what they can do to monetize the skills they already have," Smith said. "A lot of people realized, 'Oh goodness, I need to diversify my business and start something on the side, whether that be Uber-ing or going out.' People were scared and they wanted to start an online side hustle."
Smith said it's all about interesting ideas. One woman had an idea to make masks more fashionable.
"So they replace your earrings and then the magic is it hangs on your neck," explained Angela Cruz Ledford.
Ledford said she's always had her hands in lots of projects, but not always for profits. This time was different.
"I figured I better create it myself and then why not sell it?" she asked.
The pandemic had her thinking differently.
"I do have a full-time job as a public relations professional, blog and have a YouTube channel and I am a mom to a toddler," she said. "Both my husband and I were grateful to have full time jobs once the pandemic hit, but I saw the financial uncertainty out there and thought it's never a bad idea to have an additional stream of revenue."
Ledford said she saw a problem and now finds herself making what she calls "masklaces." Think mask necklaces.
"I personally had an issue taking off my mask," she said. "It always got caught in my earrings, and I love wearing earrings."
It's a work in progress and a way to add to her family's income.
"You definitely need to educate yourself on what you don't know," she said.
