>> Funding for "NJ Business Beat" provided by local one hundred two, proudly serving New Jersey's business community since 1900.

Like a 102, lighting the path, -- local 102.

For more than 110 years, NJVIA has been working together to help build a more prosperous New Jersey through advocacy, support, networking, and benefits.

>> This week on "NJ Business Beat."

>> It is creating the pressure we need to put money magically on the table.

>> History at Rutgers as thousands of educators walk off the job fighting for a fair contract.

Plus, why Governor Murphy's plan to overhaul the state's liquor license system is losing steam in Trenton.

And we break down the growing trend of side hustles, when people turn their passions and hobbies into moneymaking ventures.

That is all ahead on "NJ Business Beat."

♪ >> This is "NJ Business Beat."

>> Hello, I am Raven Santana.

Thank you for joining me on "NJ Business Beat."

the pressure is mounting at Rutgers University to strike a deal with thousands of striking workers this week, educators walk off the job after failing to negotiate a new contract with the University.

They are fighting for equal pay and fair working conditions, not only for full-time educators but also for part-time and graduate workers.

The two sides spent the week negotiating with the help of the Murphy administration.

Both sides say there has been progress.

But union leaders say they are still miles apart on some key financial issues.

The correspondent reported from the picket line earlier this week.

>> After months of negotiations, they walked out for higher wages and job security.

Not just for full-time educators but crucially for part-time adjuncts and grad workers, too.

>> The way we are going to win this strike is by solidarity and numbers on these lines.

It is creating the pressure we need to put money magically on the table.

>> The pressure with the picket lines is working.

There has been progress on economic issues at the table.

We are moving in a good direction.

But we are not there, anywhere near there yet, on the big structural issues around adjuncts and graduate workers.

>> This is not just about raises.

>> Exactly.

It is also about longer-term commitment by the University to its faculty.

>> The pressure could spike higher as a fourth union of directors administrators considers a strike vote.

This 2500 members work in financial aid aid, and dining halls.

The president claims is crucial to the University.

>> We feed them, we house them, we pay every bill.

We could stop this place.

>> You can bring political pressure.

>> I believe we will.

>> Union negotiators tweeted a moment of levity from the war room at the Statehouse where all sides are meeting for a third day at the urging of Governor Murphy who is driving these contract talks and a valid supporter of organized labor.

He spoke up for Rutgers families.

>> How should the students and their families feel about all of this?

I said they should be pissed off and selling my.

>> Governor Murphy opposes raising position -- tuition but he wants ideal of fairness.

It is apolitical balancing act.

Tuition has already risen this academic year.

Tuition and fees pay 28% of the University's five point $1 billion budget -- $5.1 billion budget?

Asked if he could increase state support?

>> As a general matter, yes.

I don't want to get into the details because we are in the middle of that as we speak.

>> I think all sides are probably looking to the state and to the governor saying, what can you do financially to help us resolve this?

Rutgers may feel they are putting everything on the table they can put on the table.

How can we head off taking this out of tuition?

>> He says union to back Murphy are looking for solidarity now after supporting his candidacy for governor.

>> This is the time that tests those close relationships the governor has with the unions.

They are looking for support back in return.

>> Picketing continues at Rutgers campuses across New Jersey.

67,000 students attend the state University.

Many report canceled classes.

In Newark, the mayor admonished records administration, if we stand for anything in New Jersey, it should be equal pay.

I stand with the faculty unions.

Do better, Rutgers.

In fact, there is a disconnect felt by faculty in Newark and Camden, perceived lack of faculty with the administration in New Brunswick.

>> There is this kind of austerity for Camden because Camden is not bringing in the same kind of tuition dollars as other places.

That is one of the reasons you are seeing folks out on the line in such numbers in Camden.

This fight is part of this long struggle for equity for Camden.

>> The University says it is bargaining in good faith.

Contract talks are ongoing.

Brenda Flanagan for "NJ Business Beat."

"NJ Business Beat" more workers will have opportunities to get a job with the state thanks when executive order signed by Governor Murphy.

It will open more state jobs to those who do not have a college degree.

The governor said experience and learned skills can be equivalent to a bachelors degree.

The new order requires the state Civil Service Commission to spend the next six month review and public sector jobs and identifying those that do not need a college diploma.

According to Murphy, a little less than half, 2000 out of 5000 state jobs, require a four-year degree.

Governor Murphy is recruiting mayors from around the state to support his plan to overhaul the state's outdated liquor laws.

The group already has 90 members.

According to the chair of the budget and appropriations committee, the proposal has little support in the legislature.

Since his initial push for reform in his state of the state, the governor's plan has been splintered into three bills, including one that would force license holders who are not using the license to sell it.

New Jersey's liquor laws currently allow a limited number of licenses for restaurants.

One for every 3000 residents in each municipality.

The limited supply leads to intense demand and high cost.

Business owners say any plan to overhaul the system could unfairly target those who already invested a fortune to sell alcohol.

>> When it comes to what that compensation should look like and in what form, that is the tricky part.

These business owners had to pay the price is the way the system is set up currently.

It is not their fault.

It is an investment.

We understand all investments are risks.

However, they went into the system with the rules they followed.

>> Now, we are going to increase more supply in the marketplace which in turn should put downward pressure on pricing.

I'm excited about that possibility.

I do think we need to find a way to make the licenses less expensive.

>> Inflation weakened last month to the lowest level since 2021.

According to the latest data, the consumer price index which measures the cost of goods and services in the U.S. is up just .1% from March.

That is still a 5% increase from this time last year but shows the Fed's interest rate hikes are taking hold.

Prices continue rising, especially housing costs, at a faster than normal pace.

Car insurance, new cars, and airfares also increases.

But energy costs are down significantly from a year ago when the War in Ukraine upended global energy markets.

Food prices remain flat but are too high to become triple for most families across the country.

High prices caused by inflation coupled with the impact of the pandemic have been -- in turn left many families and financial uncertainty.

Many workers are turning to side hustles.

A lot of people have them.

Some do it for the money.

Some her creativity.

Some even end up leaving their 9-to-5s for them.

They are mining -- moneymaking alternatives.

We are exploring the popularity of side hustles and how they benefit workers.

According to a recent study, 58% of adults are likely to get a second job or side hustle in the next year to supplement their primary income.

However, the likelihood of taking on an additional role decreases with age with 72% of Gen Z and 67% of millennials considering a side hustle compared to just 30% of baby boomers.

A majority of the workforce may be boosting their resources as inflation continues.

Those baby boomers could be missing out.

According to a survey by LendingTree, side jobs are bringing home the bacon with Americans earning $473 a month on average from there side hustle or almost $5,700 a year.

Side hustles are working hard to fill financial gaps.

As a survey found, 43% say they need the money to pay their primary expenses or bills.

What are the most popular sidegigs?

Selling on Etsy leads the list.

There's also unlike freelancing, handiwork, social media influencing, and blogging, or podcasting to name a few.

Sometimes the 9-to-5 is not cutting it financially and creatively which is why side hustles are not just lucrative.

They are becoming more common.

Ben Walker joins me to discuss some of the most unique side hustles and the various incomes they can bring in.

Welcome to "Business Beat."

We are here to talk about side hustles.

I have to be honest.

Almost everyone I know has some type of side hustle.

Some big, some small.

But there is one thing in common and it is extra cash flow for them.

Let's clarify and define, what is a side hustle?

>> A side hustle is something you do in your spare time, on the side, away from your day job.

It could vary greatly, like you could be doing rights here -- ride-share services with Uber, you can be doing freelance writing, you could be doing all sorts of things.

>> If you do want a little extra money at the end of each month, talk about what some of the top five side hustles are.

>> I would say one of the top ones is just going with something you are already skilled at.

For me, I am a writer.

I do freelance writing on the side because I already have those skills.

I could make more money most likely than someone just starting out as a freelance writer.

But if you do not necessarily have skills that translate well into a side hustle like that, you could do something like pet sitting, ride-share driving, delivery, like food delivery.

You could even do things like Airbnb and renting out your car on services like turo.

>> What are some interesting side hustles you have heard have?

>> If someone is going to be traveling or out of town, they want someone to watch over their house.

You could go housesit for them.

Sometimes, you make money off of that.

Sometimes, you just get free lodging wherever it is.

If you are a budget traveler, you want to go to Europe, New Zealand, Australia, you could housesit for someone in one of those locations and not pay the high prices for lodging.

>> How much money are people making off of these side hustles?

>> I think a good number to shoot for on average is around $500 a month.

Course, that can vary a lot.

You could be making less.

You could be making a lot more.

>> Who do you find are taking advantage of these side hustles?

>> It is the Gen Z and millennial generations.

I think a big motivation for Gen Z and millennials is they want some flexibility.

They might be doing a day job because they have to.

They have to pay the bills.

But they also want to make a little more money.

They want some flexibility.

They possibly want to pursue passions.

>> I hope everybody was taking notes because if you were listening, we have some great ways you could come up with your own side hustle.

Thank you for joining me.

>> Thank you so much.

>> Some of the most lucrative side hustles can be the ones that can make you money off of skills you already have or things you already own.

We are highlighting people doing just that.

John Morris works in finance by day but at night can find him in the kitchen.

He says his passion for creating spices and sauces during CoVid started as a hobby and turned into his side hustle.

He sat down with me to discuss his line of sauces and spices that are now being sold globally.

I know that you do finance by day.

But this right here in this kitchen is your favorite office.

It is your side hustle.

Tell me about it.

>> That is true.

You are right.

My day job and career has been in finance.

I spent 25 years developing and selling intangible things.

This is first time I have actually made something that is tangible that people love and are passionate about.

That has been pure oxygen.

It was born out of CoVid where we were essentially isolated at home.

My elderly mum lived with us at the time so we were very conservative interacting outside.

I needed a creative outlet.

Normally, I paint to get that out.

I was not in that emotional space, so I started cooking.

>> When you talk about love and passion, you could not have done this without your mom.

Let's talk about Joy.

She is right on the packaging.

She is a reminder.

Tell me about the background, the passion.

Your mom had a large part to do with that.

>> For sure.

>> Getting emotional.

>> Yeah, we lost mom a year ago.

She was a remarkable human being.

She touched many lives.

She herself had four different lives professionally.

She was a professional math teacher.

She then went to university and became an economist.

She was one of the first female econometricians in the Caribbean.

She then lectured in English in literature.

She was a character.

The product line is named after her.

Joy's Island Spice.

The recipes originally hail from my dad's side of the family.

He grew up in a beautiful part of Jamaica that has an abundance of fruits and vegetables and spices.

He learned to transform nature's gifts into sauces from his dad.

>> A lot of people watching are going to be interested.

My question to you is, how much was put into this?

And then, what is your income look like with the business?

>> We started this, the primary capital was primarily legal.

Setting up the structure, getting the products tested by the lab.

The initial capital in the business was less than $10,000 initially.

We probably, we are a private company so we don't talk about profits, we have a healthy income stream now.

We sell globally.

.

We shipped globally.

We have sold to 10 different countries.

>> The farthest?

>> Probably Hong Kong.

>> wow.

>> Part of doing this was also the philosophy of bringing in new customers.

We developed this packaging for our dry rub which is typically shipped in a glass bottle.

But for the sight impaired, we developed this packaging which is shatterproof but also has a label in braille.

We wanted to create a solution for the sight impaired and view them as a market segment that is potentially underserved and bring them into the fold.

Our entire philosophy behind the brand is eating healthy, eating delicious, made easy.

Don't have to have a trade-off.

And it is inclusive.

I want people to gather around the fire, metaphorically and literally, come together and enjoy each other while having something very delicious.

>> We have a lot of delicious meals here.

Tell me about what you have here and what sauces you used.

>> To demonstrate the versatility of our spice line, We have jerk barbecue wings.

We have an onion tart.

And we have a six-minute salmon.

I think the six-minute salmon is the one in front of you.

>> You said we were going to focus on this.

>> I think it is a recipe everyone should know because it is healthy and delicious.

More importantly, working moms need to know about this.

We have called it the six-minute salmon because within six minutes, it can be prepared and dinner is ready.

Healthy, delicious, six minutes, dinner is prepared.

>> I'm going to take a taste now.

>> Please.

>> Oh, my God.

Delicious.

>> that reaction is what we live for.

>> Delicious!

Where else can people get everything?

>> They it on the website.

Joysislandspice.com.

We are in some stores locally.

I want to take the brand globally.

Our long-term aim is to displace catchup as a condiment.

>> We have to look for it now.

Thank you for joining us and telling me about your side hustle.

Whether it is a personal passion or business goal, the beauty of a side hustle is not everyone needs to know what yours is.

That speaks volumes for one New Jersey teacher who discovered ghostwriting could bring in thousands of additional dollars as his side hustle.

He says his side hustle has not just given him an outlet to continue his passion outside the classroom, it has also allowed him to get ahead financially.

He invited me to his office to discuss why using your strengths to create a side gig could change your life.

Thanks for joining me.

>> Thank you.

>> We are here to talk about side hustles.

>> Yes.

>> Almost everyone I know has one.

And so do you.

>> I do.

>> Tell me a little bit about your side hustle.

>> Aside from me just being a writer myself, I am actually helping people to become authors.

I have a vision right now.

I want to create 100 authors.

I'm running the campaign.

I want to do it quickly.

Right now, I editing their books.

I am ghostwriting.

I am cowriting.

And I'm also helping to the self-publishing process as well.

Anywhere from starting the idea of, brainstorming, developing your outline, to actually uploading the book, and getting graphic designs, I am here to help you.

That is my side hustle.

>> This is actually easy for you because of your day job.

Talk about what you do during the day and how you got into this.

>> I have been teaching for the last seven years.

I started off at a high school teaching ELA.

Something I love to do, write.

I transition from high school to middle school.

I taught social studies for four years.

And then back to high school again doing ELA.

And then back to middle school again.

Kind of like a transition.

I was also an assistant dean so I got into a leadership role as well.

>> Tell me about why you decided to explore the side hustle.

Was it for extra income, just to flex your creativity muscle?

>> I'm being very honest.

I did not want to do it.

But I have a mother who called herself the purpose pusher.

She is definitely that purpose pusher.

She actually had a vision to do an anthology.

I think it was eight women.

They were writing a book called "Daddy's Girls."

She had another writing coach but things did not work out.

She said I still want to write this book.

She got a little discouraged and asked me to do it.

At first, I was hesitant because of my timing at the school.

I had an intense schedule.

But I could not let my mother's vision die.

When she said I think you can do it, I said if you believe I can do it, than I am going to do it.

Gradually, I started to coach the women one by one.

After that, the book was produced.

We published that book.

I was like, this is something I am really feeling.

Writing is easy for me.

Why not make it a hassle?

I prayed about it because I pray about everything I do.

I prayed about it.

I said, God, if this is what you want me to do, then open some doors for me to do it.

I literally spoke it and thought it.

I said I'm going to ghostwrite someone's book.

I said I was going to put an advertisement on Facebook so someone could reach out to me.

But before I did that, somebody reached out.

>> Your mom was your first client.

Since then, how many clients have you had?

>> I have had about 30 clients in the last three years.

>> Tell me about how much time it takes to ghostwrite for someone.

Is it just writing someone's story?

Is it helping them write a book on another topic?

>> The first book I ghost wrote took a year and a half.

>> Wow.

>> It was off and on but a year and a half.

>> Because you have your full-time job during the day, so you would do this after work.

>> After work and on the weekends.

>> How much money does your side hustle bring in?

>> A ghostwriting private can bring in $4000 or more, depending on how many pages, depending on the time.

If a person wants a rush project, they have to pay a little more.

Some ghostwriters who have been doing this a long time are charging like $75,000 or more.

>> A side hustle used not just for extra income but also to encourage others.

Thank you so much.

>> Thank you.

>> That does it for us this week.

Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get alerted when we post new episodes and clips.

Next week, you can meet us on Main Street.

We are highlighting the growing downtowns in New Jersey's municipalities, including one that was named the best in the country.

I am rave in Santa Ana.

Thanks for watching.

We will see you next weekend.

>> Funding for "NJ Business Beat" provided by Local 102, probably serving New Jersey's business community since 1900.

Lighting the past, leading the way.

And for more than 110 years, they have been focused on the advancement and success of our members.

We are the voice representing all industries, working together to help build a more prosperous New Jersey through five Disney, support, networking, and benefits.

♪ ♪