South Florida Sun-Sentinel – April 23, 2007

“Ilene Francis' day job has her traveling across South Florida, teaching music to grade school students.

Nights and weekends, when her daughter is asleep or out with her father, Francis is at work again fielding phone calls from Automobile Association of America members in New Jersey in need of roadside assistance.

Between her two jobs, Francis' work week tops 50 hours helping the divorcee's means stretch to meet the ends.

‘It's what I need,’ said Francis, who late last year began moonlighting 10 hours a week as a home-based contractor to Arise Virtual Solutions Inc., the call center company in Miramar. ‘I can be at home while my daughter is sleeping and still be earning money without needing day care or asking someone to help.’

Rising gas prices, mortgage rates, insurance and credit-card debt, as well as the growing general costs of living, have many South Florida consumers realizing that one job often is not enough. They have turned to ‘moonlighting,’ or taking second jobs to help pay the bills or save for the future”…

“Locally, at least half of Arise's 4,500 representatives nationwide are part-timers working a second job to supplement their income from $10 to $30 an hour, said Angie Selden, the company's CEO.

For Francis, part-time work is ideal. The hours bolster her weekly income by up to 20 percent, and help cover monthly expenses and the cost of caring for her daughter, she said. Come summer, when school's on break, she'll bump up her hours to add even more income, she said.

‘Basically it pays my utilities, my cable and then hopefully for my daughter's day care,’ Francis said. ‘This helps a lot over the summer. Not having to worry about putting as much away over the school year.’

There are potential consequences. As an independent contractor, Francis is responsible for paying additional taxes including Social Security and federal income tax. Then there's her full-time employer. Francis told the Pennsylvania-based firm that sends her to teach music at area schools about her moonlighting. Their take: Almost any moonlighting gig is fine, as long as doesn't involve music instruction or entertainment, she said

’They're happy to let me work additional hours as long as it does not interfere with them as my primary job,’ she said.”