15 Top Odd Jobs That Pay Well 2024

Side hustles are a pretty common thing these days. In fact, approximately 37 percent of Americans have a side job or second career. Money is tight for many with inflation out of control and potential layoffs in many industries. People are even quiet quitting their jobs because they aren't getting paid enough, have no work-life balance, or aren't passionate about their position.

Are you look for a way to earn some extra cash on the side while doing something fun? Especially with everything going on in the world today? Life is expensive and you need extra options to earn more money. Luckily there are solutions if you think outside the box with your work.

It doesn't matter if you are saving for a big purchase or just would like a little more disposable income each month. Either way, there are lots of ways you can go about building up your bank account through odd jobs and unorthodox side gigs.

Read on to learn about 15 odd jobs that will help you boost your income and shake up your day-to-day work routine in 2024. 

15 Best Strange Side Hustles That Pay A Lot Of Money In 2024


1. Bed Warmer

Yes, this is a real odd job. And yes, this strange job is exactly what it sounds like.

As a professional bed warmer, it's your job to go to people's homes and warm up their bed for them before they get in it.  

Some people actually earn up to $200,000 a year doing this. It sounds a little more interesting now, doesn't it?


2. Selling at Craft Fairs

Maybe bed warming's not your thing. That is okay. There are plenty of other ways you can make extra money in 2024.

For example, if you are into crafting and DIY projects, you could earn a lot of cash selling your wares at craft fairs or through online stores like Etsy.

It's easy to start selling through these platforms and connect with people who are looking to buy what you have to offer.


3. Body for Hire

This is an odd job, for sure. It's a position people need to be filled, though.

As a body for hire, you'll go where people need you and get paid to be there.

For example, someone might hire a body for hire if they're short a bridesmaid at their wedding.

You would show up, dress like the other bridesmaids, and the guests (most of them, at least) wouldn't know that you didn't actually know the married couple.


4. Personal Chef

If you love to cook and want to share your talents with the world, you might want to consider working as a personal chef.

Even if you never went to culinary school, you can still provide this valuable service to people who are too busy or don't know how to cook their own food.


5. Golf Ball Retriever

If you don't mind chasing after rogue golf balls like a golden retriever, working as a golf ball retriever is a great way to earn extra money. Some golf ball retrievers even earn six figures with this odd job!


6. Dating Profile Ghostwriter

Online dating and dating apps are huge these days, and pretty much everyone who's single is using at least one.

Some people have better luck on these platforms than others, and a lot of it has to do with the way their profile is written.

If you can help people talk themselves up in their dating profiles, you can easily earn some additional income. 


7. Dog Walker or Pet Sitter

Through apps like Rover, you can easily get in touch with people who are looking for someone to walk to watch over their dog when they're not home.

If you love dogs and prefer spending time with them over spending time with people, this is a great side hustle for you.


8. Virtual Assistant

As a virtual assistant, it's your job to work with people remotely to help them manage their businesses and stay organized. In this position, you'll handle a variety of administrative tasks like responding to emails, making appointments, and answering phones. “As a virtual assistant, you are often able to set your own hours and work your own pace,” said Ben Tejes co-founder of the Chapter 7 Means Test Calculator.


9. Sell Photos

If you have decent photography skills, you can earn money by selling your photos to stock photo websites. You'll earn a small commission every time someone uses your image. This unusual side gig can be a fun way to bring in a little extra cash, and if you're good enough it can make you some serious income.


10. Babysitting

Babysitting might very well be the original side hustle. It's a classic option when you need additional income, but it's a totally viable full-time work option as well. If you're good with kids, try signing up for a site like Care.com to get in touch with parents in need of childcare. You could also look into related professions like becoming a nanny or au pair. 


11. Uber or Lyft Driver

Uber and Lyft are also good side hustle options for those that like to drive and know the local neighborhoods. Do you have the drive to earn extra income helping people get to where they need to go?

This is a great way to earn money and enjoy a flexible schedule while also getting to socialize and help people get where they need to be on time.


12. Food Delivery Person

If you don't mind driving but would rather not open your car to drunken strangers, delivery food through apps like PostMates and GrubHub is a good alternative.

This allows you a lot of flexibility, just like other side hustles, but you don't have to deal with as much human interaction.


13. Rent on Airbnb

Lots of people earn extra money by opening up their apartment or house to people looking for an Airbnb. If you have somewhere to stay for a few nights when people need your space, this job can bring in additional cash with barely any effort on your part.


14. Cannabis Tourism

As more states legalize cannabis, many people are jumping into the cannabis tourism business. Marijuana dispensaries and pot farms are popping up worldwide.

You could work in cannabis tourism by hosting tours or even renting out your apartment through Airbnb and advertising it as being "420-friendly."

You can also read more here about other interesting cannabis jobs and cannabidiol careers in the modern job market.


15. Mystery Shopping

Finally, you might want to consider working as a mystery shopper.

Mystery shoppers go shopping on the down-low (you're probably already interested, right?) and report back to higher-ups to document their experience.

Businesses then use this information to improve their customer service practices and the way they operate their stores.

You can be a mystery shopper at brick-and-mortar stores or online with this high paying odd job.


Get More Ideas for Odd Jobs Today

As you can see, there are tons of odd jobs out there that you can turn into a side hustle and use to bring in extra cash. These high paying unusual jobs can make a major impact on your personal finances.

If you really need cash fast before you can get a job, or, before you need to borrow money to make buy clothes for interviews, a loan might be right for you. Make sure you use a fair loan service that doesn't charge any fees and won’t do a hard credit search on your credit file.

Earn More From Your Odd Jobs And Extra Income

Do you want to learn about other side hustles and unusual gigs that can help you boost your income? Or, would you like to learn about ways to stretch the money you earn from your side hustles?

Either way, we've got articles that can help with your fiscal fitness, career options, and side jobs. Increase your income incrementally by visiting the Career and HR sections of our Frugal Finance Blog. Get your side hustle on or explore those odd jobs that might pay profitably!

Also check out the Couponing section of our Frugal Finance website today to learn about ways you can save money and make your dollars go a little farther.

8 Reasons To Give Self-Employment A Try

Are you thinking about becoming a self-employed professional? The thought of leaving behind the security of a regular job can be daunting for many aspiring entrepreneurs. Being self-employed certainly has its challenges, but if you’re confident of your idea, resourceful, and persistent, then you might have what it takes to grow a successful business. 

You are not alone in wanting to be your own boss. According to Forbes, self employment is exploding in the United states. Many aspiring entrepreneurs want to take the reigns of their future careers and also avoid heading back to the office or manual labor job they have dreaded for years.

If you are still on the fence, here are eight reasons why you should consider self-employment. 

1. You Have The Freedom To Choose Your Work Hours 

Being self-employed gives you the freedom to choose your work hours. You can start as early or as late as you want instead of working fixed hours. While being self-employed allows for more flexibility, it’s important to be disciplined in order to run a successful business. 

Striking a balance between work and life can be challenging, but being self-employed gives you the freedom to take time off when you need to. However, be sure to remain realistic. Self-employment provides many lifestyle benefits that you don’t usually get when you are employed. 

2. You Can Pursue Your Passion 

Successful entrepreneurs are rarely motivated solely by money. More often than not, their business worked because they love what they do, as well as the products and services they sell. They have a genuine drive to make their target market’s lives easier, better, cheaper, or more fun. Being self- employed allows you to pursue your passion and make money at the same time. 

3. You Can Take Advantage Of Tax Benefits 

Self-employed professionals typically pay 13.3% of their income towards Social Security and Medicare instead of the usual 7.65% for employees. As a result, self-employed professionals get to enjoy several tax breaks to encourage continued business operations. 

The IRS allows you to subtract business-related expenses from your revenue, such as meals and entertainment, internet and phone bills, health insurance premiums, home office costs, payroll taxes, transportation expenses, and interest on loans and credit cards. 

Check-in with a tax attorney or consult an accountant when tax time comes to know more about specific deductions. 

4. You Can Enjoy A Higher Income Potential 

When you work for someone else, you receive a fixed salary every month. Running your own business allows you to enjoy a higher income potential. Depending on your productivity, time management, and self-discipline, you can make as much or as little you want. When you’re self-employed, increasing your income potential generally means finding new clients or expanding your market reach. 

5. You Can Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance 

Traditional employees don’t often have the luxury of selecting their work hours. When you apply for a job, employers establish set working hours and you’re expected to arrive at a specified time. Self- employment gives you the freedom to work at your own pace and set a schedule that best fits your needs. 

For instance, if you prefer to work afternoons, you can take the mornings off and begin working after lunch. If you’re taking classes during the day, you can adjust your schedule and work during your free time. 

6. You Get To Choose Who You Work With 

Self-employment means you get to be your own boss, and being your own boss means you get to choose the people you work with. You get to screen and hire the people you work with, choose applicants with different skill sets than you so you can grow your business, and work with suppliers and vendors that line up with your objectives. 

7. You Don’t Need To Quit Your Day Job 

Leaving your regular job to pursue self-employment is a risk not many people are willing to take. However, you don’t have to quit your day job to become a self-employed professional. You can set up your business as a side-venture until you’re ready to focus on it full-time. Many self-employed professionals prefer having multiple income streams, so they continue working full-time while managing their business on the side. 

8. You Can Network With Other People 

Working in a company often means you’re working with the same group of people every day. On the other hand, self-employed people need to connect and cultivate professional relationships that will help them grow their businesses. Establishing relationships with other like-minded business owners is a great way to gain knowledge, get fresh ideas, and get career advice and support. You can utilize similar business budget templates with other business owners. 

The Bottom Line On Self Employment

Self-employment provides you with many benefits that you don’t often get when working a 9 to 5. Yes, you need to make sure that you budget effectively to survive and thrive while being self-employed. You have the freedom to work any time, and anywhere you want, choose the people you work with, and increase your income potential while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Freelance Business Plan: How To Write One

One of the mistakes many freelancers commit is failing to realize that they are into a real business. 

And since freelancing is similar to business, freelancers need to have a business plan in place. 

Sadly, most freelancers don’t create a business plan, and they experience a lack of motive, focus, and profits. They think simply being good what they do is enough — BUT IT’S NOT! 

As you are already here, I believe you understand the importance of having a business plan. That’s a great thing for freelancers! 

You may wonder what a freelancing roadmap looks like. 

Stay tuned until the end of this article. I will walk you through every component of a freelance business plan. 

Here are the things you should include in your Freelance Business Plan; 

Marketing Plan 

Under this section, you will give insights into the 4Ps of your freelancer business plan. 

Product / Service: Here, you will reemphasize the freelance services you provide. 

Place: You should document the location where you will offer your freelancing services. 

Price: In this section, you will give your freelance pricing or package details. 

Promotions: This is where you will explain how you would attract prospective clients. Is it going to be cold-calling, Email marketing, Direct messaging, social media platforms, Upwork, LinkedIn, Craig's List, etc.? 

Did you know email marketing is an ideal way to acquire new freelancing leads and retain existing customers? All you need is a healthy email list. You could use an email search tool like GetEmail.io to find emails quickly and accurately. 

Profile Overview 

In the profile overview section, you must include answers to the below two questions: 

• What type of freelance business are you operating? 

• What are your accomplishments in this field so far? 

Here is the significance of these 2 important questions and answers for your new freelancing business.

What Type Of Freelance Business Are You Operating? 

This gives clarity to your target audience on what to expect from you. They will whether you offer the service they are looking for. 

What Accomplishments Have You Achieved To Date? 

Documenting your accomplishments helps you greatly. 

For example, it gives you the confidence that you can do things on your own as a freelancer and that business owners can look up to you for the solution. 

Besides, showcasing your accomplishments will build credibility and help cheer new clients to collaborate with you. 

Industry Analysis 

You will highlight the type of industries you will work with or offer services. 

And also, research the current industry trends to ensure that you have the right skills to fulfill the present industrial needs. 

Customer Analysis 

In this section, you will define the customers you want to serve. 

A good understanding of who your ideal clients are and what they need will help you draw these clients’ attention towards you much more straightforward. 

Team 

The team section is where you will mention the other team members you have or will need in the future to achieve your projects’ goals. 

Financial Plan 

Your freelance financial plan should reveal your profit and loss projections for the next couple of years. 

You can showcase these projections easily using a spreadsheet. 

Final Thoughts On Freelance Business Plans

Armed with the information shared in this article, I believe you would be able to create a business plan for your freelance business. 

As I said before, a freelancer business plan will help you identify your goals and the best strategies to grow your freelance career, showing the best method for you to follow and giving you a clear roadmap to make money freelancing.

Business And Economy Noteworthy News Now

In this week's frugal finance news, stocks jumped for the week, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq index gaining nearly 3%. At the big Fed meeting on Friday, Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank could begin rolling back its economy-boosting money policy this year.

SPAC popularity has grown, along with scrutiny of the IPO alternative SPAC at it again. Since last year, special purpose acquisition companies have dominated the public market. SPACs go public for the sole purpose of one day acquiring a real company and taking them public. DraftKings, Virgin Galactic, and Opendoor all went public by merging with SPACs. SPACs have accounted for about 70% of all IPOs in 2021. So far this year, SPACs have raised a record-breaking $129 billion — already more than they raised in 2020. But as SPAC popularity has grown, so has scrutiny: SPAC lawsuits have tripled this year, including against billionaire Bill Ackman’s SPAC. Many cases involve allegations of misleading investors. Short-selling firms have increasingly scrutinized companies that went public via SPAC. The CEOs of e-truck startups Nikola and Lordstown resigned after a short-selling firm alleged they exaggerated their tech and misled retail investors. SPACs tend to lose a third of their value post-merger on average, according to a study spanning 2019 to 2020. The 50 biggest SPACs have lost 20% in value this year. Not always SPAC-tacular… SPACs offer a faster, and sometimes cheaper, way for companies to go public. A SPAC merger usually happens in three to six months on average, while an IPO can take 3X to 4X longer. Companies that go public via SPAC are also allowed to make sales projections to prospective investors, while IPO companies can’t. Plus, SPACs can sometimes help companies avoid initial mispricing. But with increasing scrutiny of SPACs, we may see more regulation in the future. SPACs can be a double-edged sword.

SPACs’ advantage — a faster, more frictionless path to going public — might also be their weakness. Companies that go public via SPAC sometimes face less oversight than those that IPO. Meanwhile, newly-public SPACs may not be able to provide as many disclosures to investors since their acquisition target has yet to be named, and financial diligence may be narrower. But all investments carry risk – and even the IPO review process, designed to help protect investors, isn’t a guarantee that companies' disclosures are completely accurate.

Pfizer's Covid vaccine received the first full FDA approval last week, with Moderna's expected next. The official greenlight could boost vax confidence — and sales. President Biden wants Americans to get booster shots this fall. Meanwhile, more employers are using “sticks” instead of carrots: CVS, Chevron, and Disney mandated employee vaccination, and Delta is hiking health insurance premiums for unvaccinated workers. But some countries — many in Africa — are still waiting to get their first vaccines. Equal and opposite rehack-tion... Google and Microsoft committed $30B to improve national cybersecurity at President Biden’s summit last week. This month, hackers stole sensitive data on 50M T-Mobile customers in a major cyberheist — the company’s third in two years. Global cybercrime losses skyrocketed to nearly $1T in 2020, and the cybersecurity market is expected to more than double between 2021 and 2028.

Pet e-commerce business Chewy sales soared 47% last year as its 19 million pet parents ordered goodies online for their pandemic pups. Now, Chewy hopes its popular recurring Autoship feature – for everything from Star Wars toys to pup puzzles – will keep online sales strong as in-store browsing returns. We’ll see how pet parents feel when Chewy reports earnings Wednesday. Zoom face ready… Zoom's sales last quarter more than tripled from last year thanks to all our WFH'ing. Since most companies are planning on hybrid workforces, Zoom could lose business to the IRL office life. But as many employers delay return-to-office dates, Zoom might not be sweating when it reports its latest earnings today.

When unicorn valuations are almost average—literally The rapid pace of US venture capital activity in 2021 has translated to similar rampant growth in the valuations at which deals are being priced. Median valuations have increased across all stages, with particularly notable jumps for the largest and most mature startups in our dataset. Illustrating this trend is the growth of the median and average late-stage valuations as of H1 2021 to $130 million and $914 million, respectively, opening the door for an average late-stage valuation over $1 billion by the end of this year. Our US VC Valuations Report has many charts with this trend. Both of these represent an increase of over 85% relative to 2020's values—which were the previous high-water marks. (And maybe it's about time we reconsider the term "unicorn" if $1 billion becomes the average.) Whenever we analyze valuations, capital availability is always one of the first factors we consider. In recent years, the story with capital availability, especially at the late stage, has been a focus on nontraditional investors. These participants are essential to the market for VC deals over $100 million, providing the crossover capital for startups prior to exiting. For nontraditional investors that hold public securities as a core strategy, these crossover rounds can be the start of a long-term relationship, which, along with deep pockets, allows these investors to be less intent on near-term price movements. This diversity of investment goals from the nontraditional cohort is also another driver in elevated prices of nontraditional venture deals. And while constantly increasing valuations bring their own worries around risk or an eventual correction, the liquidity release valve of the exit markets is still alive and well. The valuation step-ups at exit for acquisitions and IPOs were 2.2x and 1.7x, respectively, through H1 2021, both near the highs we've ever recorded. Until we see a change in behavior from corporate buyers and public market investors with their current risk-seeking via the VC ecosystem, we expect robust exit activity to persist:

Our Emerging Tech Indicator report provides a quarterly overview of startups receiving seed and early-stage investments from a select group of top-performing VC firms, and is meant to offer perspective on the products and technologies driving growth opportunities. In the second quarter of 2021, our analysts tracked 211 such deals involving the top 15 VC firms. Key takeaways from the report include: The top five areas of technology investment in Q2 included fintech at $920 million, followed by enterprise SaaS, health and wellness tech, decentralized finance, and ecommerce. ETI deal activity reached $5 billion across the 211 deals, compared with the $6 billion raised across 197 deals in Q1. Our analysts recorded eight ETI deals of over $100 million in Q2, compared with 12 in the previous quarter. The largest deal in Q2 was a $185 million Series A for Forte, the developer of a blockchain-based economic platform.

TPG planning $10B IPO amid PE stock gains After years of speculation, TPG will finally join the small group of private equity giants on the public markets. The firm has brought on JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs to underwrite its upcoming IPO, The Wall Street Journal reported, with a previous report indicating the move could value the storied investor at around $10 billion. It's believed that the firm could begin trading by the end of 2021. TPG has fended off IPO rumors since at least 2018, opting to stay private while its rivals tested the public markets. The firm has made some management moves this year, with Goldman alum Jon Winkelried becoming sole CEO in May and co-founder Jim Coulter becoming managing partner of Rise Climate, an impact investing vehicle that held a first close of $5.4 billion in July. Winkelried was previously co-CEO alongside Coulter. TPG's decision comes as public PE shops Blackstone, KKR, The Carlyle Group and Apollo Global Management have seen their shares surge over the past year, buoyed by increased fee-related earnings and strong investment returns in a thriving US market. The firms also benefited after changing their tax structures from publicly traded partnerships to C-Corps, making their shares more widely available on public indices. News of TPG's listing comes after UK-based Bridgepoint went public in July on the London Stock Exchange at a valuation of £2.9 billion (about $4 billion). Blue Owl Capital, a publicly traded investor that specializes in GP stakes deals and investments in pro sports teams, also made its debut earlier this year when Owl Rock Capital and Dyal Capital Partners merged with a blank-check company.

Why the secondary market is becoming the first priority for PE fund managers Under the pressure of burgeoning competition and a need for increased portfolio diversification, private equity firms are now reaching across other alternative strategies. The second half of 2020 saw a dramatic upswing in secondaries dealmaking, and secondaries fundraising in this period reached a mammoth $85.8 billion raised across 38 funds. Download our new report, 2021 Alternative Investments & Secondaries Market Brief, which analyzes new financial data for trends and insights on how the secondaries market is evolving and maturing. We examine: Private fundraising vs. secondaries fundraising, by type and region Secondaries capital overhang Volume and scale growth in secondaries Growth prospects for alternatives and secondaries.

Warby Parker is going public via a direct listing on the NYSE, the eyeglasses retailer said. In June, the New York-based company confidentially disclosed its intention to publicly list its stock. Warby Parker, founded in 2010, has previously raised $536 million, and was last valued at $3 billion after a private round in 2020, according to data. The company said in its prospectus that it's unprofitable but revenue is growing. Warby Parker lost $55.9 million in 2020 versus a break-even year in 2019. Revenue rose to $393.7 million in 2020 from $370.5 million in 2019. The company listed its top institutional shareholders as Tiger Global, T. Rowe Price, General Catalyst, D1 Capital Partners and Durable Capital, but the size of their ownership stakes wasn't disclosed.

The agricultural industry is at the heart of a global sustainability push to find a way to feed billions of people while confronting climate change. Our recent analyst note—the second in a series on ecological food supply systems—explores environmental threats to agriculture and the technology that has been developed to face them. Examples include: To improve soil health, startups are developing lightweight machinery and analytics that promise more precise and automated farm work. Water reclamation systems and microbial treatments are being deployed to curb the impact of synthetic fertilizer, a major pollutant. Drought and water scarcity have helped drive investment in irrigation tools and indoor-farming startups.

Why a generation of female entrepreneurs can't escape the infamous legacy of Elizabeth Holmes. During the pandemic, executives were forced to turn to video conferencing for their IPO roadshows. Now they don't want to go back. Even with billions of dollars in funding behind them, farmtech startups are still susceptible to bumps in the road. The share of investment going to female entrepreneurs has recently taken a step backward. The figures are particularly dismal when it comes to Black female founders. A look at Nordhavn, a former industrial shipyard in Copenhagen that may just represent the future in urban planning. How India's demonetization policy turned Coinbase's product chief into a bitcoin believer.

The long-running effects of the pandemic continue to rattle global supply chains. Labor shortages, rising raw materials costs and other headaches have created a sense of urgency when it comes to investing in the supply chain sector's venture-backed tech businesses. Our latest installment of Emerging Tech Research assesses the state of VC investment in the supply chain tech space. Among the key takeaways: Supply chain tech startups raised $7.9 billion in VC investment during Q2, up 31.7% year-over-year. On-demand delivery has become a must-have in e-commerce—ultrafast B2B delivery is next. Startups such as Pickup and Airspace are creating solutions to speed the delivery of large or time-sensitive items for businesses. Port logistics have been slow to adopt new technologies, but that's changing. Startups are using software, data analytics and AI to automate niche operations, including the movement of goods within ports.

In the first half of 2021, female-founded startups in the US raised more venture capital financing than in any year over the past decade, to the tune of $25.12 billion. But is it all good news? A visual analysis turns up some surprising findings. Female founders now attract a far greater share of funding from late-stage rounds than in prior years. And they've made steady inroads as entrepreneurs in healthcare. Venture firms with female decision-makers have also raised successively larger funds, with 2021 on pace to see a new annual high. But there are also signs of stagnation and even backsliding. Female founders' share of overall VC dollars has remained unchanged in recent years. Although many female entrepreneurs, tech experts, and venture capitalists are still dealing with fallout from the Elizabeth Holmes Theranos scandal.

Why private equity leaders need to level up on data science Today, a successful deal is dependent on external data sources married with company data, requiring private equity to shift to more advanced analysis to stay competitive. Until recently, analyst experience, personal relationships and Excel prowess were relied on to guide decision-making and review target companies. But new methods have emerged. Data science identifies how operating executives should focus their resources. Using billions of data points, scarce company resources can be directed to initiatives that generate the highest return on investment. For example, West Monroe recently worked with a private equity-backed software company to evaluate several value-driving questions, including: Who are the customers we can upgrade? How can we quantify our churn risk?

How will the newly issued safe harbor on ERC affect your business? To better understand how the ERC impacts your unique situation and to develop a strategy to maximize your overall benefits, please contact Michael Belfer, Partner and Co-leader of Anchin’s Public Relations and Advertising Group. The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) is a refundable payroll tax credit available to qualifying businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Treasury and IRS recently issued a safe harbor, allowing employers to exclude certain items from their gross receipts to see if they're eligible, like: 

• The amount of the forgiveness of a PPP loan. 

• Shuttered venue operators grants under the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Non-Profits and Venues Act. 

• Restaurant revitalization grants under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Here are the best practices to avoid violations of federal and state overtime laws Overtime analysis is not one-size-fits-all in the United States, and it's critical for employers to stay informed of both federal and state laws. Many employers are under misconceptions about which employees are required by federal and state law to be paid overtime. Some employers wrongly believe an employee is "exempt" from the overtime law if an employee has a college degree and is paid an annual salary. However, an employer cannot avoid required overtime payments merely due to an employee's education level or payment of a salary. Employees, regardless of education or training, are required to be paid overtime unless BOTH parts of a two-part test are satisfied.

Emergence of real-time health data drives startup opportunities. The proliferation of mobile health apps, biometric trackers and remote patient-monitoring devices has given rise to large quantities of healthcare data. This can provide real-world evidence that could be used across the healthcare ecosystem for clinical trials, evaluating treatment outcomes and monitoring safety after medical procedures. Our recent Emerging Tech Research analyst note examines the regulatory landscape, use cases and emerging opportunities for startups focused on such real-world evidence. Key takeaways include: In all, 57 startups developing RWE-based solutions have raised $1.8 billion in VC funding since 2019. Startup opportunities in this area include building proprietary datasets, developing analytical tools, and creating data standardization and management solutions. Over the short term, RWE startups will likely focus on datasets that can be monetized the most, such as those targeting illnesses that attract large investments.

KKR's Axel Springer locks down a new deal for Politico. KKR-backed Axel Springer has agreed to purchase Politico in a deal that's reportedly valued at over $1 billion, as private equity firms continue to grow their media industry influence. Reports emerged last week that the German publisher was exploring an investment in or full buyout of Politico. A $1 billion deal would amount to five times the news site's yearly revenue figure of $200 million, The New York Times reported. Founded in 2007 by Robert Allbritton, Politico employs a team of 700 individuals in North America, with some 200 employees working for its Europe edition, Politico Europe. Politico and Axel Springer first joined forces in 2014 when they launched Politico Europe. As part of the new deal, the German media company will acquire tech news site Protocol and the remaining 50% stake it doesn't own in Politico Europe. Axel Springer's media portfolio already includes Insider and Morning Brew.

A CRM built for VCs is now available. Five customer stories Affinity is a customer relationship management tool designed to help operate complex deal flow pipelines by automating manual processes such as data entry and contact management. By consolidating deal flow management and relationship network management in one place, teams can focus on making new connections and driving new deals without losing track of valuable information. Using relationship intelligence algorithms and enriched datasets, investment professionals can gain a better understanding of how their team is connected. Read on to learn how VCs are leveraging Affinity to discover new opportunities, gain new insights and close more deals.

Thoma Bravo and Vista Equity are now eyeing $20 billion fund targets. Thoma Bravo is reportedly seeking $22 billion for its 15th namesake fund and Vista Equity Partners is said to be targeting $24 billion for its eighth, Buyouts Insider reported. The vehicles will bolster what is already a historic year for private equity's mega-funds. Thoma Bravo closed its 14th fund, focused on the technology sector, at $17.8 billion in October, while Vista closed its seventh effort, also focused on tech, at $16 billion in 2019. At least 14 mega-funds—any vehicle that has raised over $5 billion—have already closed this year, according to data. For context, 18 mega-funds were closed in 2019, and 16 in 2020.

Western Digital, a computer hard drive and chip manufacturer, is nearing a deal to merge with Bain Capital-backed Kioxia for upward of $20 billion as remote work and the 5G tech boom continue to grow. Tokyo-based Kioxia specializes in flash memory chips used in smartphones, computers and other devices. Formerly a subsidiary of Toshiba, Kioxia was purchased by a Bain Capital-led consortium in 2018; other investors included Apple and Dell Technologies.

Traditional forecasts based on historical data are no longer effective at predicting wildfires, so startups are turning to AI to cope with climate change. Research shows that over the past decade it paid off to go big in the private markets, as larger allocations typically resulted in higher returns. How the pandemic made a complete mess of the world's intricate global supply chains, explained using a hot tub.

There's been a continued breakout in VC funding for AI semiconductors and AI core software, the basic building blocks of artificial intelligence. But capital has been flowing all over the industry, as AI companies closed 11 deals of $500 million or more last quarter—three led by SoftBank. There's more to uncover in our latest sector research: VC deal value in AI / ML set a third consecutive quarterly record, with $31.6 billion invested globally across 1,097 deals in Q2. After relatively low activity in the space, M&A is starting to pick up. Big tech companies are taking AI acquisitions more seriously and investing in them more heavily. Our data suggests that there are very active early-stage opportunities in natural language AI and intelligent robotics.

New expectations around consumer delivery are beginning to carry over into the world of on-demand B2B delivery. That's one key takeaway from our new research on the technology impacting a global supply chain that remains heavily disrupted almost two years into the pandemic: Supply chain tech startups raised $7.9 billion across 174 deals in Q2, with downstream logistics companies like freight and delivery tech receiving the bulk of investment. Headlines are dominated by robo-taxis and self-driving cars, but we think the trucking industry might actually be the first area to adopt on-road autonomous technology. Visibility into port logistics has historically been low, but that's changing as investors put money into management software, data analytics and AI tools to improve areas like drayage.

Senior PE analyst Wylie Fernyhough weighs in on the news that Petershill, the GP stakes arm of Goldman Sachs, is considering a public listing for a permanent capital vehicle: "Liquidity has long been a leading question around GP stakes as many funds have 15-year-plus or perpetual lives. "While this time frame aligns the GP stakes and target firms, LPs often question what liquidity looks like for them. "In the past, we have seen simple liquidity measures taken. However, many of the more complex options have remained theoretical—at least until now, with Petershill looking to publicly list a fund in London, according to Bloomberg. "Whether other firms will be able to follow is unknown. Specific legal provisions must be incorporated in original fund documents and each deal if the fund hopes to list as an operating company rather than a closed-end fund. "A fund IPO would be a massive step forward for the industry if they are able to provide liquidity to LPs while keeping the GP stakes firm and target firm relationship intact—especially if they achieve the multiples that firms like EQT have in public markets. "With the fund's broad and diversified cash-flow stream, it just might."

Mobility tech analyst Asad Hussain weighs in on the news that Waymo will expand its robotaxi offering into San Francisco (which he previously forecast): "As we predicted in our June report Robotaxis and the Road to Profitability, the primary purpose of Waymo's $2.5 billion Series B was to expand into San Francisco. "While Waymo has made progress automating vehicles and is largely regarded as the leader in autonomous driving, the company has failed to scale or expand despite several nearby areas possessing similar weather and traffic conditions. "We believe this reflects the poor economics of operating a ride-hailing model in suburban and less dense areas where ride volumes are low and car ownership is popular. "Both Uber and Lyft generate most of their profits from large cities, including New York City and San Francisco, where trips are frequent and prices remain relatively high. "While suburban locations provide safe testing grounds for robotaxis, dense cities' higher utilization rates will be necessary to achieve profitability. "In San Francisco, Waymo will come into more direct competition with Cruise, another robotaxi company."

Our insights and data featured in the press: Startups are charging consumers hundreds of dollars to analyze their gut microbes and offer dietary advice based on results. A deep dive into our US VC Valuations Report stresses the role of nontraditional investors on price increases. Mental health startups are convincing major companies that they can fight burnout. How VC can join the ESG revolution after lagging behind. Uber: A CA judge ruled that Prop 22 is unconstitutional — now the future of the gig economy is up in the air again. TikTok and Instagram are launching in-app shopping tools to make impulse purchases even easier. 

Now 90% of companies plan to leverage a hybrid working model — to make remote feel closer, Salesforce is betting on Slack. But Facebook has created an entire new remote virtual meeting room solution to take things to a new level. Only time will tell how the WFH revolution progresses.

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Frugal Finances Investment Insights News Now

The only thing constant in the world of investing is change. Here are some investing insights and noteworthy news in the financial sector:

Stocks fell for the week after the Fed suggested it's leaning toward rolling back its easy money policy. Over the weekend, a judge ruled that Prop 22 is unconstitutional. Prop 22: the ballot measure passed by CA voters that classifies gig drivers as independent contractors. This puts a huge strain on ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft along with other gig economy businesses in the state of California.

VC's rise, real estate's fall and more 2021 fundraising trends Through the year ending June 30, more than 2,100 funds raised about $1 trillion, down in both total capital and count from the 12 months prior—no surprise when factoring in the market impact of the pandemic. Yet money is still flowing, and fundraising isn't down across the board. Some strategies have appeared in the new environment, while others were met with more skepticism. VC saw a modest increase in its private capital raised, but it accounts for an ever-increasing share of fundraising overall, reaching 16% of capital raised and 47% of fund count in 2021. Real estate fundraising has plummeted more than 60% year-over-year, as LPs hit pause amid uncertainty about post-pandemic property trends. Median follow-on funds in 2021 have measured 60% larger than their predecessors, according to a spotlight on step-ups featured in the report.

Today marks the 10-year anniversary of Tim Cook becoming Apple's CEO, replacing founder Steve Jobs. Jobs was a creative visionary who pioneered the revolution from the PC to mobile era. Cook has been more of an operational magician. But how has the tech giant changed under his reign? A big part of it is Cook's ability to scale. #s: 70 million iPhones sold in 2011, vs. an estimated 245 million in 2021. Since 2011, the number of App Store apps has more than quadrupled to 2 million mobile applications today. Top-selling smartphone: In 2011, it was the Samsung Galaxy SII — the iPhone 4 ranked 4th. In 2021, the top-four sellers are all iPhones. Value: In 2011, Apple hit a $337 billion market cap, surpassing Exxon to become Earth's most valuable company. Today, it's worth $2.5 trillion — still the most valuable. Products: In 2011, Apple unveiled the new iPod touch and iPod nano (#RIP). In Cook-era 2015 we got Apple Watch, followed closely by AirPods. Tim Cooking in the kitchen, AKA Tim Apple. iPhone is still the core of Apple, and brings in more than half its sales. But Apple's biggest shifts under Cook have been scaling services and elevating privacy. Services: In 2011, Services consisted mainly of iTunes, App Store, and iCloud. Now, Apple's self-feeding ecosystem has expanded to include TV streaming, fitness, games, and even a services bundle, launched last year. Privacy: Apple has become a leader in privacy — from Face ID to the latest iOS upgrade, which lets users decide whether to let apps track them for ads. But it's recently received unprecedented backlash over a new anti-child pornography measure. Through the App Store and its consumer-friendly devices, Apple has also contributed to the growth of other tech giants. 

Tech has taken over the market and the global economy in many respects. When Jobs was CEO, the top five most valuable companies in the Fortune 500 were: Exxon, Apple, Microsoft, Chevron, and Berkshire Hathaway. Now, the top five most valuable companies are all tech: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Facebook — and they make up 23% of the S&P 500's total value. Tech companies have contributed to an explosion of wealth. Think: jobs, apps, and soaring stock prices you hear in the news. But their immense scale and power has raised concerns among lawmakers and consumers, leading to growing antitrust measures around the world today.

The cost of coffee beans has jumped 43% so far this year. An unusual frost in Brazil — the world’s #1 coffee producer — is contributing to soaring java prices. Companies know that consumers hate paying extra for the same products. Now, some java giants may consider "swapflation" to deal with rising costs. AKA: swapping out popular arabica beans for cheaper, but less premium, robusta beans. We could see it in other products, too. 

To help the economy, the Fed has added trillions to the money supply through bond-buying sprees. That brought us near-zero interest rates during the pandemic, which helped boost spending. Think lower rates for mortgages, credit cards, and business loans. But as the US economy recovers and prices continue to rise with high inflation, the central bank is considering pulling back on its economy-supporting policy later this year.

Sports-betting data provider selects IPO in latest blow for blank-check deals Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, right, and Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis are among the investors in Sportradar. Sportradar has filed for an IPO just months after nixing a $10 billion deal to go public via SPAC. The Switzerland-based sports-betting data provider had agreed to make its public debut via a blank-check company backed by Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, but the deal fell apart in June. Now Sportradar, which is backed by a high-profile group that includes Mark Cuban and Michael Jordan, will list on the Nasdaq via a traditional IPO. Investors have recently shied away from blank-check IPOs after the strategy surged in 2020 and early 2021, with Q2 experiencing a significant drop in the deal type, according to recent data.

Retailers like Gap and Nordstrom boosted online sales last year during a shift to e-commerce, even though total sales slumped due to the retailpocalypse. As we leave behind pandemic PJs and return to stores for "going out" fits, clothing retailers have a shopportunity to boost sales online and IRL. We’ll see how that's panning out when Gap, Nordstrom, Abercrombie, and Urban Outfitters report earnings this week. Dollar stores are on a roll... but it's not toilet paper. Last year, Dollar Tree and Dollar General thrived as we stockpiled TP, detergent, and $2 Cool Whip. But sales slumped last quarter, failing to keep pace with last year’s panic purchasing. Still, the dollar dynasties are doing better than they were pre-pandemic. We’ll see if they can keep the good times rolling — even without TP — when they report earnings on Thursday.

Staying competitive in a record-hot market Global venture capital activity has hit a record high. In today's competitive market, top VCs leverage new tools to shorten the time to term sheet: Don't start from scratch. Get up to speed in hours, not days, by leveraging the work of other investors. VCs share their expert calls via Tegus, so you become an expert on your own time. Learn alongside founders. Leading VCs use diligence as an opportunity to engage founders in the learning process. Invite founders to join your expert calls to gain insight on their business while also sharing market knowledge. Stretch diligence dollars further. Tegus offers calls at-cost, with no upfront costs or minimums.

Pakistan's Airlift raises $85 million as it's led by two solo capitalists. Airlift, the operator of an ultrafast shopping delivery service, has raised an $85 million Series B, the largest round ever scored by a Pakistani startup. The company currently offers ecommerce services in eight cities in Pakistan but plans to expand into international markets in the coming months. The round was co-led by two solo capitalists, Harry Stebbings of 20VC and Josh Buckley from Buckley Ventures, and was joined by a long list of high-profile individual investors, including former Y Combinator president Sam Altman, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, and Bastian Lehmann, CEO of Postmates. Founded in 2019, Airlift was originally a ridesharing service using air-conditioned buses and vans in Pakistan. But due to the pandemic, the startup pivoted to 30-minute deliveries of groceries and essential items. With its focus on developing markets in Asia and Africa, Airlift has the potential to reach profitability faster than similar companies in developed markets, Buckley said in a statement.

While impact investing is commanding more attention and capital than ever, it hasn't been easy for LPs and GPs with specific categories of impact in mind to find each other. Adopting the Impact Reporting and Investing Standards framework, recent data discovers which asset classes, global regions and specific impact categories are closing the most impact-focused funds and luring the most capital commitments to the space. Key insights include: We estimate there is $286 billion in assets under management targeting impact funds as of Dec. 31, and new data on the space going back as far as 1984. Energy is a perennial target of impact funds, as it can absorb a large number of investment dollars, while the biodiversity and ecosystems sector garners infrequent attention. Climate-focused impact investments are backed largely by North America-based funds, while a focus on education is more often found in funds outside of North America and Europe.

An overhaul of hiring and promotion practices in corporate America may be in order before low-wage workers agree to return to the workforce. Their demand? A career path. Private equity firms are turning to wealthy individuals who are willing to invest in loans for midsized companies that banks are refusing to touch. Googling is about to get a lot easier with a new AI-based language model that will take into account context, audio, video and more.

Record levels of dry powder and a fierce influx of nontraditional investors into the venture ecosystem have buoyed VC-backed company valuations to record heights in the second quarter of this year. The latest U.S. VC Valuations Report examines how startup valuations across the venture lifecycle and sectors have changed in 2021. Key takeaways include: Early-stage pre-money valuations notched records in Q2, with a median and average of $50 million and $105.4 million, respectively. At the late stage, the median and average valuations hit $160 million and $882.4 million, respectively, representing a sharp increase from values recorded in previous years. The value growth is partly driven by investor willingness to write increasingly larger checks to pre-IPO companies. Exit valuations grew at a decade-record rate, with median acquisition and public listings step-ups of 2.2x and 1.7x, respectively, from their last private market values.

Private equity buyouts in cybersecurity are hitting new records as a fast-growing industry responds to a surge in remote working and increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. A recent data study revealed cybersecurity deals have swelled in terms of deal value over the past six quarters, and have spiked in 2021 thanks to a handful of blockbuster pacts. Announced in April, Thoma Bravo's $12.3 billion acquisition of Proofpoint set a record for the largest cybersecurity buyout ever, and was larger than all cybersecurity buyouts in the third and fourth quarters of 2020 combined. Factoring in the Proofpoint buyout and the $900 million acquisition of ExtraHop by Bain Capital and Crosspoint Capital Partners in June—both of which have been agreed to but not yet completed—cybersecurity buyouts have already reached $23 billion combined in 2021. More deals are expected soon.

NetSuite and ContinuServe join forces to deliver carveouts at deal speed ContinuServe uses NetSuite technology to deliver carveouts in a new solution that brings the leading cloud-based enterprise resource planning solution together with a premier business process outsourcing provider. ContinuServe acquires NetSuite on behalf of the client and drives the technology carveout using proprietary tools to stand up a functional enterprise class NetSuite solution faster than comparable solutions. Once the business is operational, ContinuServe seamlessly transitions ownership of the system without a need for reimplementation or data migration, reducing risk and financial strain on both the private equity firm and the carveout. NetSuite's preconfigured industry-specific ERP solution is the leading cloud-native solution and the No. 1 solution for carveouts. To learn more about this new solution and how it drives value, download this compelling white paper.

A group of prominent women VCs in Europe is calling for more capital to go to female-led vehicles to help support female-founded startups. Despite a record amount of capital invested this year, European female founders have received only 0.7% of the total funding. A recent report put out by European Women in VC found that a major block to gender parity for women-led startups is the lack of female general partners in European firms. The group is aiming to have at least 30% of the available LP and funds-of-funds capital go to women-led vehicles within the next five years.

More and more startups are choosing to play it safe and slow by rejecting their highest VC offers in favor of lower-priced deals. What the pandemic's unexpected tidal wave of entrepreneurial activity could mean for the economy. Electric car batteries don't last forever, and it's time to plan how to handle the waste. A new investigation into Tesla's Autopilot feature may force the EV giant to stop “rounding up” in its marketing. Facebook launched a Sims-like VR office that opens the door to a metaverse future (not just for work). US lawmakers are calling for a TikTok block after China took a stake in TikTok's sister company. 

Elon's SpaceX is hiring a “Spaceport Mixologist" to whip up space-themed cocktails at its Texas rocket factory. We'll wait along with other retail investors for the "International Space Station Mixologist" position to open if the $450,000 space flight is covered. On the flip side, Virgin Orbit is getting ready to grow as well!

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25 Reasons To Work From Home Now - WFH ASAP!

25 Real Reasons Why It’s Brilliant To Work 

From Home - WFH FTW

More people are working from home and ditching the boss. Skip the office politics and get things done with fewer interruptions, worthless meetings, and office politics. Here are 25 real reasons to WFH and skip the office grind. 

1. Your Alarm Clock Becomes A Distant Memory 

People are jarred awake by an annoying sound of an alarm clock. This sound alone induces stress. Working from home means that the first sound you hear in the morning are the birds and not a stress-inducing gizmo. 

2. Your Work Shoes are Slippers 

How many pairs of shoes have you bought for just work? Think of the hundreds if not thousands of dollars you save by working from home. Slippers are also easy to put on and oh so soft. 

3. Your Coffee doesn’t spill all over the Dashboard 

The first common morning tragedy, after the alarm clock, is the mishandling of coffee and it’s horrible demise on your car’s dashboard. Sometimes, you consider licking the puddle off the dashboard. best cute puppy blog 

4. Your Dog doesn’t run after your Car 

I knew a three-legged dog once who ran super fast after its owner who had to head off to work. Don’t ever exercise your dog with your car! Working from home means your dog is as relaxed as you. 

5. Do I need to say anything about Bosses? 

Boo bosses!

6. The Mind opens beyond the Cubicle 

There’s a world out there that is colored with real color, not the color of the photos you hang on the corkboard in your cubicle of your dream destinations. Get out in the air. 

7. Your Online Checks are Direct Deposited. 

Working from home usually means online and therefore all the money you get paid is online and can be easily transferred to your bank account. 

8. Your Bills are all Paid Online 

Same as #7. You’re cool like that. 

9. You can Tan by the Pool with your Laptop 

Working from home also means working anywhere there’s Internet. Fortunately, every public spot has wifi, which means you can splash your feet and work, or not. 

10. You can sleep in. 

Sleep if you're tired, no judgement.

11. You can work from any Cafe in the World 

Again, Laptop and you is all that’s required to make money from anywhere in the world. “Cafe” is for the ladies who love Lattes. 

12. The View is better than at your old job 

Working from home or anywhere in the world gives you access to, well, the world and what job can beat that view? 

13. You Customize your Schedule to Work only 2 hours a Day 

You’re the boss, applesauce. 

14. You Earn Money by ranting on your Blog 

Attraction Marketing is your friend when you are yourself to your followers online. If you’re having a bad hair day, talk about it on your blog and get thousands of supporters! 

15. You Earn Money Promoting Products you use and Love 

There is nothing better than being a living, breathing endorsement. 

16. People Look up to You 

Working from home is a feat that many people aspire to. 

Just the fact that you really do work full-time from home is going to cause some attention. 

17. Your Friends are Clueless how you Make Money Online 

The tables turn when you prove to all your so-called know-it-all friends that you actually know more when it comes to working from home successfully. 

18. Your Income from the internet is Climbing Every Month 

You know that the more value you provide on the internet and the longer it stays on the Internet, the more it will be noticed. This means more traffic, more views and more purchases. 

19. Your Blog starts Ranking #1 on Google 

If you’re a blogger or Content Marketer, you know how important this is! 

20. Your Online Marketing is recruiting for you while you Sleep 

Having your Brand online is great because it will attract people from all over the world around the clock. Working from home actually is like working all over the World, because of everyone who uses the internet, you will build relationships globally and interact with them via your blog or website. 

21. Your Customers Love You. . . 

Their loves gives you more work flexibility.

22. Your following On Social Media

Now on Social Media retweets you, repins you, shares, favorites you, subscribes, and other amplifications of your content.

23. You Sleep without Stress. 

No Sunday scaries! 

24. You have a team or staff building your brand or organization. 

Effective business is better with people working together. Even though you work from home, you might have someone creating graphics for you in France and someone doing your Copywriting in Moscow. Having a core group of devoted staff makes home based Entrepreneurs unstoppable. 

25. You Get Residual Income Every Month, Even When You Don’t Work 

In some businesses from home you earn from your entire organization of associates, like in Real Estate, Insurance and Network Marketing. You can truly earn passive income whether you work or not, and while you're home or traveling the digital nomad life! 

WFH ASAP! WFH wins!

The jury is in, it's time to work from home now, or at least work remotely! WFH FTW!!